All creatures, large and small, have a purpose, and while we are busy with our lives, they also seek an existence for their pleasure. We live in houses and strive to keep other animals out, but smaller animals sometimes find their way in, looking for warmth and food.
Have you seen cockroaches inside your house? This can be shocking and give you a sense that your home is filthy or in poor condition. However, they just want to benefit from your many benefits. It doesn’t change that bugs crawl around, though.
Why are they here, and where did they come from? Let’s learn about how cockroaches may get into your house.
Attraction to Food and Water
Like other bugs, rodents, and insects, cockroaches seek food and water sources. They need these essentials to survive and will seek them out wherever they can be found. Often, they end up in our homes by finding an access point and making a beeline for any available consumables.
Garbage is a typical attractant. Many people have open garbage bins under their sinks with food scraps, which become a buffet for cockroaches. Dirty dishes left on counters or in sinks with food debris are also appealing. Leftovers on plates provide easy meals for these pests.
Pet food can also be a target. Spilled dry pet food or open bags offer cockroaches a convenient snack. Crumbs, whether on counters, floors, or furniture, serve as small but tempting morsels that attract insects.
Any water sources, such as bird baths, puddles, open containers, or even flowerpots, will attract cockroaches. Once they find water outside, they work their way inside to locate food.
They Hitch a Ride
Cockroaches are opportunists, and they seek ways into your home. One way is to cling to things that you carry inside. This could be a suitcase, grocery bag, purse, backpack or any other item or container you carry.
Ants can also lay eggs in your bags or containers, and you accidentally bring in 30-40 of them without knowing it. You should contact a pest control professional before the situation escalates.
Cracks in Walls and Foundations
Cockroaches can grow pretty big, but that doesn’t mean they can’t squeeze through small cracks and openings. They look for entry points along your foundation and walls to get in, and it is surprising how many openings develop over time. This could be from weather erosion or damage to the home. However, they will find it if you have a crack or opening in the home’s exterior.
Do an exterior inspection every month to see if you have any issues. These can be easily addressed with caulking, weather stripping and other items to seal holes. Once you stop at an entry point, they can search elsewhere or move on.
Under Doors
This is another space that may let in these little critters. Cockroaches are attracted to light that escapes under a door, squeezing their way through and inside the home. If any gaps are exposed in your exterior doors, you should fix them as soon as possible. You may have to buy and install a new sweep, but it is worth it.
Firewood
A wood stove or fireplace in your home is wonderful because it reduces heating costs. It also creates an inviting atmosphere with dazzling flames to watch. People often store dried firewood indoors for convenience, which is the perfect carrier for cockroaches. They can hitch a ride inside and make this their home, coming out to feed and then hiding away again.
Consider storing your wood just outside so it is still easy to access and only bringing in enough to burn for that day. Use up your stockpile and stack new wood so you don’t create a long-term breeding site for these creatures.
Drains and Pipes
Cockroaches are intelligent and seek entry through any means. This includes crawling into pipes and drains and following them inside homes. If you are in an apartment, cockroaches can travel through the walls and pipes and come from one suite to another. This makes a network of homes and breeding centers possible.
To prevent insects from getting into your sink and shower drains, ensure they have metal basket stoppers. Also, it is wise practice to keep them clean so they have no food. Regularly clean your drains with hot water, baking soda, vinegar, and commercial drain cleaners.
This is how cockroaches get into your house. Remember, you share this world with them. They only want food and shelter. Just ensure it isn’t your house they squat in because you must get rid of them.
Lead Image: Getty Images/E+/jeridu.
