When you live in an apartment building, things might not always go as planned since we’re talking about a space that is shared with other people. You might find out you are sharing it with some unwanted roommates as well, and this is where some effective roach gel traps can definitely help.
Roaches are highly experienced when it comes to making their way into a new space since their entire survival depends on finding new food sources and suitable environments. That’s why, even if you keep your apartment clean, they may still find ways to come into your life and enjoy some benefits. The good news is that there are things you can do to prevent this.
In this article, we’ll take a look at how cockroaches can come into an apartment and, of course, at some useful measures you can take to prevent this from happening. After all, it’s always better to keep them out as long as possible, than to deal with them once they are in.
A few words about cockroaches
These insects are a part of urban areas, whether we like it or not. That’s why the chances of them being present in the building you live into are rather high, especially if you have neighbors who are not that much into cleaning. Moreover, once roaches have entered a building, they can quickly spread to nearby units as well, using the plumbing system and any cracks they can find.
According to research, cockroaches are highly effective at multiplying, and one single egg sac can result in 50 new baby roaches. As you can only imagine, this can lead to rather alarming numbers if these insects are not dealt with right away. The most effective approach is to try to control their numbers by killing both roaches you can see and those you cannot see.
In order to do this, you should use a combination of methods and substances to get the desired result as quickly as possible. Furthermore, you need to make sure that these measures are constantly taken since these insects can always come back after a while. If you sleep with your lights on so that roaches don’t come near, then you might want to find out what other solutions you have.
The importance of cleaning up
The first and most important thing that you can do is to keep your living space super clean all the time. This might require getting a bit organized, but in the long run, it definitely helps when it comes to keeping roaches at bay. Your neighbors might not have the same policy, so keeping your own apartment clean means that it’s less of a temptation for creepy-looking insects.
Roaches are known for thriving on filth, so you should always keep your trash within containers that have a lid and empty them as soon as it is necessary. Moreover, any type of food is a temptation, therefore you need to store it in sealed containers and make sure that none of it remains on the counter at night.
Any type of food left in the kitchen overnight is an open invitation for roaches that will not hesitate to come out and enjoy themselves, while you sleep peacefully. One of the most important things you need to be aware of is that these insects are not only rather disgusting, but they also carry bacteria and diseases around, which in turn pose health risks for you.
The same rule of keeping everything clean applies to dishes, so they need to be washed before going to bed, and make sure that any container you put in the trash bin is also rinsed out. Other hot spots in your kitchen that can attract the attention of roaches are the refrigerator and the stove, so you should regularly clean these as well.
When it comes to these pesky insects, you need to know that they are not only into food since they can eat pretty much anything, including paper or wallpaper paste. Therefore, you need to make sure that they don’t have access to anything that might make them extend their visit.
Baseboards
Roaches have many ways to get into an apartment, and one of these is by shimmying through any cracks and small spaces that they can find. Therefore, one solution to prevent them from coming in is to treat baseboards and seal up any outlets and cracks that they could find.
It’s a known fact that, depending on the way a building is made, they can travel through walls from one apartment to another. Therefore, if you want to seal up small spaces, you can do this by using diatomaceous earth. Of course, this treatment applies to cracks in the floor or the ceiling as well, so don’t forget about the latter.
What the DE powder does is that it dehydrates bugs as they walk through it, but make sure that you don’t put too much around small spaces since bugs might avoid walking through it in this case. The concept of “less is more” applies here as well, and all you really need is a light dusting.
Vacuuming
If you keep seeing roaches in your apartment and you are not sure where they keep coming from, then there might be a nest somewhere near. Even if you only see one of these individuals, it doesn’t mean that there is not an entire family hiding somewhere nearby. In this case, the vacuum cleaner becomes your best friend.
You need to use it as often as possible, making sure that you thoroughly clean not only the surface areas, but every corner, attachments, nook, and cranny in order to destroy any eggs that might be there. Once you’re done with it, you need to empty the device’s bag and take all the contents away, outside of the apartment.
Drains
Bathrooms are what paradise feels to cockroaches. They love damp spaces and they are able to travel from one apartment to the next using the pipelines. In many cases, they emerge from sinks and shower drains, so you need to prevent this from happening. The easiest way to do this, at least as a first step, is to cover the drains during the night and when you are not at home.
You can also invest in a dehumidifier if the space you live in is particularly damp. This might be a good idea for your health, no matter if you have roaches paying you visits or not, but that’s another story. Going back to the plumbing system, another measure you can take is making sure that there are no pipes and faucets that leak.
The bottom of the door
If you’ve taken all the steps mentioned above and you still see roaches around from time to time, then the front door might pose some problems as well. If there is a way into any given space, roaches will surely find it. Therefore, you might want to get a door seal as well, to prevent these pesky bugs from crawling under it.
In fact, this is one of the most obvious points of entry and it’s many times overlooked. A door seal can block their way inside, and you can also dust the door’s frame with DE, as an additional measure.
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