Cockroaches are, academically speaking, some of the most fascinating creatures in the world. They can last weeks without food or water, live temporarily without their heads, and even survive lethal nuclear radiation. This, unfortunately, makes them one of the trickiest pests to remove from your home.
Like most pests, getting rid of them is often as simple as calling your exterminator. Even after the pest expert's visit, roaches may continue to appear out of thin air. Why do cockroaches suddenly appear, even after efforts to remove them?
If you have an unexplained cockroach infestation, there may be some factors you haven't considered. Read along as we examine what attracts roaches, and how to kill them.
Signs of Cockroaches
Cockroaches are hard to miss, even if you don't see them at first. Leave the following telltale signs:
- Tiny black cockroach droppings
- Empty skins and eggs
- Musky odors
- Unexplained allergic symptoms
- Smear marks
And, of course, if you see a roach, you have roaches. The saying goes that if you spot a pest, there are many, many more where it came from. Even one cockroach could be a warning sign of a big infestation hidden away out of sight.
Why Do Cockroaches Suddenly Appear?
Humans and cockroaches both share the same basic necessities. We both need shelter, food, and water. If roaches are in your home, the answer is a simple one: your home is providing one or more of those three things.
You may take the time to clean your home but still see them regardless. Let's look at ways to remove a cockroach's basic necessities from your home.
Eliminate All Potential Sources of Food
Food is the biggest attractor for cockroaches. Unfortunately, they can eat almost anything. Whether it's dog kibble or banana peels, they aren't picky.
Work through your house methodically for any potential food sources. Store any food that isn't in the fridge or freezer in airtight containers. Roaches can chew through cardboard boxes and thin plastic bags.
Take out your trash as frequently as you can, or buy a trashcan with a sealable lid. Roaches may also take to your outside trash cans, so empty these promptly on garbage day.
Thoroughly clean up anytime you cook or eat. A place that seems to have no food could have tiny, unseen crumbs or particles left over.
Finally, limit eating to one area. If your kids are bringing food back to their rooms, they could be unintentionally leaving crumbs.
Why Do Cockroaches Appear in Clean Homes?
As we mentioned, cockroaches are survivors. They could potentially last as long as a month without food. It's likely they'll leave your home if they find none, but starving them of their basic needs could take time.
Even if you clean and sanitize all traces of accessible food, water, and shelter are still likely available. Let's take a look at some of the potential explanations if they keep appearing.
Excess Moisture
Moisture is a roach's best friend. Not only is it a source of water, but it tends to be warm and inviting. Roaches may bed down here and create their nests - laying eggs in the process.
Thoroughly check your home for leaks and areas with above-average moisture or humidity. Anything from a drippy air conditioner to a cracked toilet cistern washer could be the source of a leak. These leaks may not be visible, such as a broken pipe between walls.
It could be as simple as a leaking sink or a drip from the washing machine. You may need to ventilate a humid space like a bathroom or basement. Whatever the reason, identify these areas of moisture and fix them.
Entry Points in Your Home
Cockroaches have to get into your home in the first place. They don't usually need to go through a door. There may be a loose window seal, an open dryer vent hole, or a rip in the sliding door screen.
Cockroaches are scavengers constantly on the hunt for food. They have evolved to find any means necessary to enter your abode and explore. The more holes you seal up, the more challenging it is for new roaches to move in.
Use this CDC guide and thoroughly check your home from top to bottom. For all you know, your persistent cockroach infestation may be from a penny-size opening in the attic.
Make sure that any patch or seal you use is sufficient. Boarding up a hole may still leave tiny spaces through which a cockroach can squeeze. Using foam or caulking to completely block off an entry point may be necessary.
One tip to keep in mind is monitoring entry points near light sources. Cockroaches have learned that light usually indicates a nearby human, and therefore food. Check to make sure there are no gaps in the front door if it has the porch light on at night, for example.
Clutter Around the Home
Roaches especially love tight, concealed spaces to make their homes and nests. Your home might be clean, per se, but still has piles of old, dusty clutter. In your garage, for example, you might have a pile of boxes for future storage.
Cockroaches love cardboard boxes. In fact, they may even use them to move with you to a brand-new home. They are great places to hide, and the corrugated edges are ideal for laying eggs.
Check your clutter - be it boxes or anything else - for roach eggs. They're about the size of a kidney bean with a dark color.
If you can, throw out old junk that has eggs, or otherwise store it temporarily outside. This forces roaches to leave for greener pastures.
If you can't get rid of the clutter, organize it. Clean, orderly spaces are generally not a cockroach's favorite place.
Unmaintained Yard
One often overlooked place that pests enjoy is your landscaping. In particular, landscaping that is not well-manicured.
Overgrown grass and trees can provide all their needs in one: food, water, and shelter. Best of all, it's outside and relatively safe. Humans are far less of a threat in a garden than in a kitchen.
Roaches can establish their base of operations in flowerpots and fruit trees. Then, they slip into your home at night in search of extra food. Once satisfied, they return to the landscaping rather than lodging in your home.
So, this step is a simple one: do your landscaping. Mow your lawn, trim your trees, and sweep up any leaves, branches, and droppings. Same as with the clutter, limit the possible breeding grounds for cockroaches.
Messy Neighbors
Sometimes, the problem is out of your control. You have unclean neighbors who have attracted roaches into their homes by failing to do the above. This is especially common in duplex homes or apartment complexes.
If your neighbors create a hotbed for pests, roaches may spread from their home to yours. This even happens if you have secured the points of entry. Roaches are known to use utility and plumbing lines to travel between residences.
In some rare cases, it may be because your neighbor hired an exterminator. The roaches fled the home to escape the poison, thus taking shelter in yours.
There may not be much you can do about this other than to speak to them about it. You may have to resort to the HOA or property owner. Still, the tips above help regardless of the situation.
Cockroach Removal for a Persistent Infestation
Despite your best efforts, using the above tips may not result in the effects you want. Roaches are very, very persistent. They remain one of the most adaptable pests across the world, even in extreme environments.
Let's look at what kills roaches, and how you can do a DIY roach removal.
Use Over-the-Counter Extermination Methods
If push comes to shove, you may need to resort to the heavy guns. Consider purchasing over-the-counter sprays, sticky traps, and other tools.
This is helpful if you know exactly where the roaches are. Dowsing their nest could kill off future generations, reducing the roach population in your home.
Alas, this is only a temporary solution. Results may be mixed at best. Something more extreme is usually necessary if the roach population is out of control.
Use Remedy
Remedy is a DIY solution that can be delivered straight to your doorstep. It's not just a bag of pesticides for general application. Rather, you get a bespoke amount and concentration ideal for your home's size.
It comes in a ready-to-use kit with a sprayer nozzle and a pair of gloves. All you have to do is follow the instructions and target problem areas in your home.
It works both as a one-time and long-term solution. You can get a quote today for regular shipments of Remedy.
Get Remedy for Your Home
Why do cockroaches suddenly appear in your home? The answer is simple: food, water, or shelter. Removing these things is the first step, but you may need to resort to DIY roach removal solutions in extreme cases.
Remedy is a professional-grade pesticide that you can use yourself. Reach out to us at any time for questions on Remedy and roach removal.