Creepy crawlies. Insects. Bugs. Whatever you call ‘em, a home that is easily invaded by cockroaches is one you will never feel at ease in. So what’s a resident to do? 

While a professional pest spray or fumigation is often your best bet when it comes to stopping cockroaches from entering your property (and certainly destroying any nests hidden in your home), there are actually a number of precautions and actions you can take to prevent cockroaches from entering your home in the first place. 

As a home buyers agent, I come across properties with creepy crawlies more than you could say “eikk!” Here are my top tips on saying bye bye to those pesky critters for good.

Seal any cracks or holes

Where there’s a gap, a cockroach will make its way through. So, first things first. Check your rooms and property exterior for any obvious cracks or holes in the walls, paying attention particularly to wardrobes, doorjambs and skirting boards. 

Using caulk, foam, mesh plate or steel wool, fill the gaps to prevent these critters from entering your home. You should also check for holes in flyscreens and replace any that are flimsy broken. As cockroaches can sneak through gaps as small as 3mm, it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to holes in your house! 

Move garden beds away from your house 

Did you know garden variety cockroaches are attracted to moist garden beds and mulch? That is why, if your garden beds are too close to your house, cockroaches will often find a way inside. 

Keep your garden looking great by all means, but move those garden beds away from the house to deter cockroaches from looking for shelter inside your home. 

Remove cardboard boxes

One of the tricky parts about moving house is the common use of cardboard boxes. With so many people going green these days and trying to cut down on waste, many are keeping their cardboard moving boxes for future use. But did you know that cockroaches actually eat cardboard? 

Cardboard boxes are also an attractive breeding spot for cockroaches. This is because they give off the fragrance of porous surfaces including wood and paper. Yuck. 

So rather than holding onto your boxes, offer them up for other residents who may be moving in your area by posting in a local Facebook group, or sending them straight to the recycling plant. 

Maintain a hygienic kitchen

Cockroaches love leftovers. Always keep a clean kitchen and put all food waste straight into your green waste bin, shutting the lid after use. Keep your leftovers in airtight containers, your stovetop free of grease splashes of cooking, wipe all crumbs off the counter, and rinse your dishwasher so that it is free of food residue. 

Got pets? Don’t leave their food out for hours at a time. That only encourages cockroaches to come out for a big feast!

Minimise access to water

Much like humans and animals, cockroaches need water to survive. Without water, cockroaches can only survive for up to two weeks (which is why they seem to thrive during rainy periods). 

There are a few things you can do to prevent cockroaches from accessing water in your home; these are: emptying your kettle after use, repair dripping taps, mend any cracked pipes you find on your property, never leave dirty dishes in the sink at night, and limit how many bowls of water are left out for your pets. You could even invest in a charming automatic ‘drink bottle’ for your furry friends that remains inaccessible to cockroaches throughout the day and night!  

A natural poison

Want to try your hand at eradicating cockroaches from your property without the help of a pest control professional? Greenies can give this one a go, too! 

Mix one part baking soda to one part sugar or honey, place the mixture in a small, shallow bowl somewhere you know cockroaches are likely to explore, and bam! Results should be instant. This is because the sweet ingredients will attract the cockroaches to drink the concoction, while the baking soda will poison them. It’s also a safe option if you live with children or pets! 

Call pest control

If all else fails and you find your cockroach problem is severe, there’s no hard in calling a fumigation expert to solve the problem for you. Pest sprays are effective and are actually quite cost effective, if you consider that the spray typically lasts a full year and prevents cockroaches from entering your property to begin with. No more buying cockroach baits every few weeks when you have your property sprayed by a bug expert!