DIY pest remedies to get rid of cockroaches for homes

Cockroach in cars is one of the many usual complaints raised by locals as one of their greatest fears and frustrations in terms of cockroach infestation in Singapore. Undoubtedly, this fear and phobia continues as they glide around and pop out of nowhere in the home. Unlike other pests where we can wait and see, and try to shrink them away as pure ignorance, the majority cannot live with the presence of cockroaches in the home.

Rentokil Singapore discusses how to get rid of cockroaches in your home and useful cockroach prevention home remedies to adopt.

Complete guide agenda covers the following:

• What are the cockroach species commonly found
• Identify the cockroach infestation signs
• What causes cockroach infestation
• Five challenges in dealing with cockroach problem
• Top health dangers and damages caused by cockroaches
• Cockroach hiding hot spots in a home
• Where do cockroaches come from?
• Interesting cockroach facts at a glance
• Best home remedy to get rid of cockroaches
• Debugging cockroach pest myths
• Engaging cockroach pest control
• How much is pest control for cockroaches
• Learning more about cockroach eradication tips
• Cockroach education and essential tips

What are the cockroach species commonly found?

While the name of the roaches may not associate with home or food, the common types of cockroach species include the German, American, and Brown Banded Cockroach. The German Cockroach for example likes to lurk around a carton of boxes, bags, piles, clutters and among pipes and plumbing. On the other hand, the American Cockroach will search for food and water as they slip into the home through the door gaps. Finally, for Brown Banded Cockroach, who favours furniture, food and grocery and electrical appliances are entering from outside.

Identify the cockroach infestation signs

The first sign of cockroach infestation is the physical cockroaches running around us that creeps us out. Here are additional signs to look out for:

• Cockroach droppings that looks like coffee ground seeds that are 1mm long
• Egg cases (Ootheca) which cockroach lay their eggs within
• The musty and foul smell that is coming from their pheromone as they defecate
• Shed skin as they mature from nymph to an adult
• Dead cockroaches lying behind cabinets or appliances

What causes a cockroach infestation?

We all know cockroaches related to hygiene and sanitation standards. Besides cultivating poor housekeeping standards, procrastinating cleaning up the dishes and disposing waste regularly, here are some additional causes of an infestation:

• Neighbouring cockroaches crawling in beneath the door, cracks, crevices, windows and pipes/ drains
• Moisture and water left on surfaces at the kitchen sink area, bathroom or balcony
• Warm and dark environment for cockroaches to hide in a storeroom, among clutters and cartons and cabinets packed with items

Daily habits and lifestyles can play a part in inviting cockroaches as your home guests. Find out more if those are your common guilt and mistakes too.

Clean kitchen sinks minimise cockroaches

Top five challenges in eliminating cockroaches

For most of us, the first sight of cockroaches would simply put us on a quick meter sprint out of the vicinity. Rentokil Initial shares other common challenges we face in dealing with cockroach problems. Firstly, we may not take notice of the slightest signs of cockroach problem unless we see gliding roaches around. Secondly, they might be hiding some corners that are beyond sight. Thirdly, cockroaches are nocturnal and surface at night, which we can miss easily. Fourthly, DIY traps and gels did not seem to work despite applying in all areas. Last but not least, it may be the biggest challenge to run after these fast running pests with a spray on hand.

Health dangers and damages we need to be aware of

Cockroaches cause stress and emotional frustrations if the infestation is out of control and affecting the quality of life. Besides psychological damages, here are some health dangers we need to know.

• Roaches cause disease transmission through the pathogens they carry
• Common diseases include Salmonellosis, Gastroenteritis, Dysentery, Cholera and Typhoid Fever.
• Trigger allergies or asthma from their saliva, waste and shed skin
• Damage food packaging and goods, thus making them unsafe for consumption
• Encounter  a chance of cockroach bite that causes skin infection

Cockroaches transmit a range of diseases.

Cockroach hiding hot spots in a home

What to do if you see a cockroach? The first reaction most of us would experience is to yell and run. Ever wonder, somehow you seem to encounter their experience at a similar time and location pattern. Yes, cockroaches largely come out at night when they need to find food and have their common hideouts. Here is a list of key risk areas to take note of and prevent cockroaches from breeding around them.

• Kitchen: Cabinets, counter tops, sinks, bins and appliances
• Bathroom: Bathroom floor, table tops and bins
• Basement/ Garage: Storage area, drawers, ceiling
• Living Room: Sofa, curtain, lightings, ceiling
• Attic and roof tops
• Outdoor disposal area, backyard and courtyard

Can you identify the cockroaches' favourite hiding spots?

Where do cockroaches come from?

Firstly, there are opportunities for roaches to enter to a home by many means. For example, through your bags and groceries from outside, from a crack or window opening and the gap beneath your door. Secondly, they may come from neighbouring homes or tenants with a cockroach infestation. Thirdly, they can climb and surface from sewer pipes and drains. Lastly, they might just lurk at waste disposal spaces where they feed on decomposing matters. In summary, be well equipped with cockroach habits to address on how to keep roaches away from an apartment.

Interesting cockroach facts at a glance

They creep and cause shocking moments as we encounter them at home or at work. Besides being a pest of poor hygiene, how much do we know about the pest enemy of ours? Here is a snapshot of Cockroach Pest Profile.

• Cockroaches eat pretty much everything including crawling insects if there is food scarcity
• Roaches have existed for a very long time; in addition, their average lifespan is around one year.
• Strong pest able to withstand hardships such as greater levels of radiation compared to humans
• Flexible as the ability to flatten their exoskeletons and slip through the tiniest gaps
• Cockroach can survive without their heads for a week as they rely on spiracles of their body to breathe
• Not just us loving beer but even cockroaches. In addition, they love the sugar and hops found in beer.
• Most cockroach species have wings, but the wings help them to glide and scurry around
• They can run 1.5 meters per second, which is equivalent to 200 miles per hour for humans

Cockroaches fun fact

Best home remedy to get rid of cockroaches

There are many options and tips on the internet and recommendation from family, friends or colleagues on remedies to get rid of cockroaches. Top on the list is the use of cockroach repellent where most homes would stock up tonnes. Rentokil pest control compiles a list of common home pest remedies to get rid of cockroaches.

• Create own DIY cockroach bait by mixing boric acid and sugar and sprinkle around key areas
• Diffuse and spray essential oil such as lavender and peppermint to musk their scent trial
• Combination of sugar and baking soda as an elimination agent
• Set up cockroach traps with petroleum jelly and sugar and spread them on a board
• Target the corners with crushed bay leaves that is known to repel roaches
• Using packets or sachets of silica gels that is said to control moisture

Do bay leaves repel cockroaches?

Debugging cockroach pest myths

What works and what don't? Besides using bags of mothballs that are harmful and toxic to the health, one common pest myth used on cockroaches is the placement of pandan leaves. Not only can you find them behind the cars, living room, storage spaces, but also anywhere we think is a high-risk area in attracting cockroaches too. It has been widely used locally among many. Having said, is pandan leaf effective in getting rid of cockroaches? Find out more with Dr Chan Hiang Hao, Medical Entomologist of Rentokil Singapore who explains the effect is merely deterrent approach, moving roaches from location to location but not addressing the actual cause.

Engaging cockroach pest control to protect your family

With our busy work schedule and commitments, we all hope to spend more time engaging our family. However,trying out these pest myths and DIY home remedies might simply take out more time, increasing the hassles of addressing the recurring problem and worse of all, spending more money in the long term. On the other hand, pest control companies offer proper pest control services to detect, control and monitor cockroach infestation efficiently.

Of course, we also want to ensure spending in a prudent manner and engaging a cost efficient and value for money packages. In summary, here is what you need to know when evaluating a pest control company.

• The kind of treatment, active ingredient and service mode
• Recommended frequency and number of treatments needed
• Initial inspection and analysis of the pest infestation level
• Site risk assessment of the home and areas to take note
• Credibility and brand of the pest control specialist
• Customer reviews and testimonials
• Health and safety data sheets and certificates made available
• Quality of the technicians and specialists (training and licenses)

Pest control price for cockroaches treatment

Pest management services can be affordable and designed around your needs, comfort level and budget range. Firstly, they can be a contract basis within a few hundreds to a thousand or more depending on the coverage area and infestation level and type of chemical used. Furthermore, it is purchased on a job basis, or in other words, a one-time-off treatment. Above all, packages can be bundled to ensure its economical and covering wider scope too. For instance, inclusion of ants or termites to ensure total integrated pest management protection.

Learning more about cockroach eradication tips

Here is a summary on essential cockroach eradication tips for your application:

• Perform diligent and thorough domestic cleaning around the home, including corners and back corners of appliance and cupboards, table tops, above furniture and storeroom
• Mop and wipe surfaces to remove any traces of scent trials in additional to sweeping and vacuuming to remove any droppings and physical cockroaches.
• Clear the storeroom, remove unwanted newspaper or magazine piles, dispose unnecessary boxes and cartons and free the space for easy pest detection
• Use a bath and kitchen to absorb water and drips and remember to wipe dry floorings and any spaces to remove moisture which is cockroach’s food source
• Do not leave waste bin open without any lid on, and be proactive in disposing trash regularly
• Do up the dirty dishes in the sink that promotes cockroach attraction with the decomposed food source

Good housekeeping practices reduces a cockroach infestation.

Essential Cockroach Facts and Information

It can be cumbersome to go through piles of information and research tonnes of internet contents to understand what you need to know about cockroach infestation. In conclusion, Rentokil Singapore compiles the top 5 blog trending articles on cockroach control.

• Where to spot cockroaches at night in your home
• All you need to know about cockroach infestation
• Five tips to keep your car free from roaches invasion
• Five reasons why cockroach control is important
• Complete guide to cockroach control

Call Rentokil Singapore at (65) 6347 8138 for cockroach control treatment today.