There is nothing quite like the disgust and fear that you feel when you see a cockroach crawling around.  Cockroaches are dirty, loathsome creatures and it’s only natural that you want to keep them out of your home!  Unfortunately, cockroaches can pop up in just about any home but we’ve put together some tips to ensure that your home stays clean and cockroach free.  If you’d like any more info about keeping the creepy cockroaches away, have a chat with your local pest control professional.

Borax – An Excellent Way to Control Cockroaches

If you’re after a natural way to control cockroaches, you’d find it hard to go past borax.  It’s surprisingly easy to do too!  All you need are some clean jar lids, some sugar, and some borax.  Mix together an even ratio of borax and sugar and place it into a small pile in the centre of the lid.  Place the lid somewhere where you’ve seen cockroaches crawl (but make sure that kids and pets can’t get to it!).  Put down as many lids with the borax mixture in it as you need.  Check the lids daily – if the piles have been disturbed, you know that the cockroaches have taken the bait.  If they haven’t been, add a little more sugar.

As well, you can also sprinkle borax over your carpets and sweep it down into the fibres with a broom.  Leave the borax in the carpets for a week before vacuuming it up.  You’ll find that the borax will have killed cockroaches and more importantly, their eggs.  The vacuum will pick up all the dead bugs and eggs, leaving your carpets clean and free of cockroaches. Just make sure to dispose of the bag or the waste straight away!

Keep Your Kitchen and Home Clean

Cockroaches are attracted to garbage, sewerage, cardboard, pet food, human food, and other food sources so it’s important that you keep your kitchen and your home as clean as you can.  Keep all your food covered or in air tight containers and clean out your pet bowls every night.  Wipe down your benches, tables and cabinets after every use, and never leave dirty dishes sitting around.  Remove garbage and clutter from the home, and take away any standing water sources.   If you bring things home in cardboard boxes, dispose of them as soon as you can as the cardboard is the perfect place for cockroaches and their eggs to stow away.

Use Chemical Control

In some cases, you may have no choice but to use chemical control methods and you have a few options available to you. The most popular are surface sprays, cockroach bombs, and cockroach baits.  If you want to use these, make sure you follow the instructions exactly and keep pets and children away for the required time. Alternatively, you can call in a pest control professional to do the hard work for you.