Tips on Dealing with Cockroaches

Species of cockroaches have skittered across the planet for an estimated 400 million years. They are a hard-to-kill annoyance, a plague to both home and restaurant owners. Many view the creatures are benign, but cockroaches can be responsible for many medical problems. Some of the 3,500 species of roach can carry bacteria, viruses and pathogens, transmitting them to humans. Studies have led scientists to believe asthma symptoms in children can be worsened by exposure to the insect.

They are best eliminated, a difficult proposition. Some female cockroaches can lay more than one million eggs during their lifetime. How do you get rid of a creature than can survive a month without food, hold its breath for 45 minutes, and slow its own heart rate? There are a few easy measures to help control this pest if they are infesting your home or business.

Be Clean
Roaches love to eat. Keep you kitchen counters clean. Wipe up any spills or crumbs that roaches may find tasty. In the cupboard, seal foods in containers or bags to take a way the insects' food source.

Block it
Use trash cans with tight-fitting lids to keep the roaches out. Block up any holes or cracks in baseboards, cupboards, and around windows, doors and pipes with silicon caulk, putty, or wire mesh and cement. They can't be a pest if they can't get in.

Getting Rid of the Roach
Many products are available to kill cockroaches. Pre-loaded poison bait traps can be placed in problem areas. These traps attract the insect that then feed upon the bait. They carry the poison back their nest which helps kill other roaches and eggs. Bait traps are easy to use and most require no special precautions regarding food, children or pets. Thoroughly read the instructions on the box before using them.

Place the traps against walls or in corners in dark, warm areas: In kitchen cupboards, under the refrigerator or stove, or behind the toilet. Roaches generally travel in corner areas, where the floor meets a wall. Placing a bait trap in the open is less effective. With bait traps, the cockroach population should be significantly reduced in 1 to 3 weeks.

Boric acid is another alternative. Used for more than a century, the powder is fatal for roaches but poses little threat to people or pets. Insect-formulated boric acid can be purchased at most hardware or grocery stores. Read the directions on the package.

Boric acid is a fine powder than can be sprayed over an area. The powder attaches to the roach's body, and is consumed when they clean themselves. The powder, as long as it is dry, stays active for a long time and doesn't need to be replaced. The powder can be applied to problem areas under stoves, refrigerators, and dishwashers. It can also be sprayed under cupboards or into the cracks behind baseboards.

The Las Vegas Roach Trap is a no-chemical alternative you can build yourself. A canning or pickle jar is half-filled with used coffee grounds and water, and placed against a wall. The roaches can crawl into the bottle, attracted by the coffee grounds, and are unable to crawl out because of the slickness of the glass. They are trapped or eventually drown.

The popular believe is that cockroaches can survive a nuclear war and will inherit the earth should that ever take place. While it is true that roaches are 6-times more resistant to radiation than humans, it is the almighty fruit fly that would likely best survive an irradiated environment.

Keep your head in dealing with cockroaches. They are a pest, but with cleanliness and a few simple steps your home or business can be roach free.