Pest Prevention Methods: How Do Cockroaches Get in Your House?

There are few things as stomach-lurching as seeing a cockroach scurry across your kitchen floor. While there are many visitors you’d happily welcome into your home, these creepy crawlies are not one of them!

While they don’t usually bite, cockroaches can cause a host of health issues. As they shed their skin and waste, the debris can aggravate allergies or asthma symptoms, leading to respiratory distress.

Before you tell them to take a hike, you need to know what brought them there in the first place. How do cockroaches get in your house? Today, we’re breaking down the most common entry points and sharing how you can safeguard your property today!

 

Small Holes or Openings

 

You might think your home is properly sealed, but most houses have a variety of tiny cracks, holes, or gaps within and around them. These are commonly located near your doors or windows. They can also be near other open spaces, such as water/waste pipes and even electrical cables!

The best prevention method is to caulk around those spots, but you may not even know they’re there until a roach infestation begins. When this happens, a pest control specialist can help identify the entry points and seal them up correctly.

 

Hitchhiking Into Your Home

 

Similar to some other pests like bed bugs, cockroaches are infamous for their hitchhiking abilities. It only takes one clinging to a bookbag, suitcase, or clothing to create a full-blown pest infestation at your home.

They can also come in via food containers, electronics, or other vessels. This is why it’s critical to inspect any objects you bring into your home, especially furniture that you purchase secondhand. There’s a chance you could transfer the bugs from one infested property to another.

If you live in an apartment or condo, roaches can also travel into your space from a neighboring property. They do so by getting into shared walls and moving from one room to the next via small holes and openings.

 

Preventing a Cockroach Infestation

 

Despite popular belief, having cockroaches in your home does not mean that your house is dirty. Unsanitary conditions or open food containers don’t usually attract these pests to a property, though this kind of environment can allow them to thrive once they’re there.

Here are a few ways you can get rid of cockroaches and help prevent an infestation from re-occurring.

 

Seal Openings

 

First, go through and seal any known openings that exist around your homes. This includes even the smallest hairline fractures. If you can see beyond the crack or hole in any way, that means a cockroach can weasel its way in.

Some of the top places to check include:

• Doors
• Windows
• Pipes
• Cupboards
• Baseboards
• Walls

If you have a plumbing leak, the small opening created by the leak could be enough room for a cockroach to enter. Take the time to repair any known leaks that exist.

 

Put Food Away

 

No, a messy pantry normally won’t bring cockroaches into your home. However, you don’t want to give these pests access to a free-for-all feast once they make themselves comfortable. To avoid creating an even bigger issue, put all food away and store it tightly in the proper containers.

In addition to your pantry, also check around other places where grease or food might be. This includes your sink, stovetops, countertops, and floors. Wipe these surfaces down thoroughly, and clean any dirty dishes that might be sitting out.

Also, remember to take your trash out when the curb gets full, or you could unknowingly feed some unwelcome guests! They can easily crawl into your wastebaskets, whether they’re sitting out or concealed behind a cabinet.

 

Know Their Hiding Spots

 

The first step in successful roach prevention is knowing you have an infestation in the first place. Many homeowners go days or even weeks before noticing the first sign, mostly because these pests are skilled at hiding in plain sight.

They prefer to shelter during the day in the narrow cracks and crevices around your home. If you suspect you might have a pest problem, start by checking in some of their tell-tale hiding spots, such as:

• Behind the refrigerator
• Underneath the sink
• Inside dark drawers or cabinets
• Around kitchen appliances

Cockroaches tend to get a little braver at night, venturing out to forage for food. Their sneaky habits allow them to thrive, grow, and reproduce — even in clean and tidy homes.

If you want to catch them in the act, use a flashlight to look around these areas when the house is dark and quiet. You may find live bug scurrying around, or even a few dead cockroaches laying in these secret spots.

 

Look for Signs

 

Even if you don’t spot the live bugs, there are still other signs that can alert you to an infestation.

The first is cockroach feces. These can be either liquid or solid depending on what they’ve eaten. The solid droppings will appear as very small black marks and liquid droppings will appear as smears.

In addition, you may also notice an unpleasant smell where cockroaches are grouped together. Infestations can create a noticeably pungent odor, but only when there are a large number of bugs present.

Finally, it’s also smart to look for shed roach skins and egg capsules. As cockroach nymphs grow larger, they shed their exoskeletons. You may see the discarded, translucent skins around an infestation site, along with egg capsules that can contain multiple eggs inside.

 

How Do Cockroaches Get in Your House? Find Out and Stop Them Today

 

How do cockroaches get in your house? As you can see, there isn’t one single way. They can come in through cracks and holes around your house, hitch a ride on outside gear, or even travel through walls from one dwelling to the next.

Instead of trying to find and treat an infestation yourself, it’s best to trust this task to the experts!

At Fast Action Pest Control, we’ve helped Northern California homeowners defend their properties against pests for more than 15 years. If you suspect you might have a cockroach infestation, schedule a free inspection with us today!