Pest Management News From PPM - October, 2016

Thirsty Cockroaches!

Temperatures are starting to warm up and we all know what that means…cockroaches!

A while back we wrote about how you can help control cockroaches by limiting their physical access to your home and removing their food source. In that post, we just barely touched on the fact that restricting their access to water is important too.

More emphasis should be placed on that aspect of controlling them because although a cockroach can survive for a month without food, they will die within a week if they do not have access to water. If you can control a cockroach’s water supply in your home, you’ll have a much easier time getting rid of them.

Things to look for:

* Make sure taps are turned off nice and tight. If they continue to drip after being turned off, it might be worth contacting a plumber to fix the problem. The same can be said for leaking pipes in the kitchen or laundry room. Not only will it take away the cockroaches’ water supply, it will also save you money on water bills. Waste not, want not!

* Wipe any water spills off your kitchen counter. You would be surprised just how little water cockroaches need so even a small spill will be enough for them.

* Ensure the sink is fully drained and even wiped dry after you wash the dishes. As we just said, even the smallest amount of water is beneficial for cockroaches.

* As we mentioned last year, keeping your floors cleanly mopped will remove food sources, but make sure you don’t leave any water behind when you do so.

* Don’t forget about your pet water. This should be placed outside, well away from doors.

Combining effective water-control practises along with gel-based baits is a great idea because once the cockroaches start to feel the pinch of losing access to water, the gel will become more attractive to them.

If you’d rather stick with more natural remedies you could try a water trap which would entail putting a jar on the floor in the kitchen that is half full of water. Cockroaches will climb into the jar to get to the water but will not be able to get back out. To ensure their capture once they have fallen in, you could smear petroleum jelly along the top and inside of the jar.

These are all great ways to control cockroaches in your home or place of business but of course, the most effective way of dealing with any pest infestation is to call PPM. Our highly-trained technicians will be able to assess your situation, deal with the problem, and provide a plan going forward into the future to give you the best chance of it not happening again.