BUG OFF: How to keep cockroaches OUT of your home or business

YOU can hear them crawl on the hard patio floors, and they carry enough diseases to make anyone feel queasy. 

And this summer, we have been warned, there is going to be an invasion of them.

But how can you prevent cockroaches from entering your home?

To make sure you’re not sleeping with one eye open at night, follow our guide below.

Clean and organised

The most important thing is to make sure your home is clean and organised.

In general you should avoid humidity and inaccessible or hidden corners.

The following tips will also help:

• Put mosquito nets over windows and drains
• Seal all cracks and holes with putty, especially those near kitchen pipes and bathrooms
• Never leave plates or left over food out in the kitchen and always sweep or vacuum the floor after eating
• Do not let paper waste accumulate as with the humidity this can be an ideal cockroach hang out
• Keep all garbage or rubbish well covered, making sure every bin has a secure lid
• Don’t leave animal food out on the ground, this too can attract cockroaches

Homemade posions:

While the previous step will help the most with prevention there are known homemade concoctions that will also ward off cockroaches.

• Use ammonia diluted into water for scrubbing the areas around their natural entry points
• Cucumber slices are also a natural repellent
• Others advocate a mixture of boric acid, flour, condensed milk and water

What do you do if they’re already in the house?

First of all do not panic and focus all efforts on locating the epicentre to be more effective:

• Insecticides. Once we have located where the cockroaches are, it is advisable to use insecticides whose effects are immediate – but don’t use them across the whole house. Their use should be restricted as they can become toxic if used in large quantities.
• Use them as you’re leaving home, and never with people or in the presence of pets, and only in the specific place where the presence of cockroaches has been detected.
• Adhesive capture traps –  These traps will also help you detect where they hide and how many there are. There are different types and prices, with very effective natural attractants. They can be placed both in the home and in bars, kitchens etc.
• When the cockroaches persist, or multiply without any of the previous measures to eliminate them working, contact a pest control company.