MOST people will feel uneasy when they turn on the light in the kitchen in the middle of the night and see a cockroach scuttling away.
They will usually rush for a can of pesticide, a sharp object or the usual sasa broom to chase them away.
Cockroaches need food, water and a place to hide if they are going to choose your home over others so removing these home comforts is the first step in ensuring your house is cockroach-free.
They mostly come out at night — so sleep-over in a dark hiding place in the daylight hours.
While Mortein is the common way of removing cockroaches from homes, the website www.amoils.com provided the following tips.
* Always wipe down, immediately after use, any surfaces where food is prepared or eaten. At the same time, wipe down the hob every night after cooking.
* Never leave dirty dishes standing over-night.
* Never leave dirty dishes sitting overnight in the dishwasher without rinsing them off completely. Also make sure your dishwasher is clean itself.
There could be food remains in the filter or along the seals.
* Wash any pet food dishes every day and never leave out any pet food over night.
Pet water bowls are of course a source of water for lurking cockroaches so perhaps you should think about how you can resolve that problem too.
* Clean the inside of both the oven and the microwave regularly as well as the extractor hood.
* Store all non-refrigerated foods in containers with well fitting lids and keep any shelves in the pantry or store cupboards clean and tidy. Get rid of any unnecessary clutter.
* Try to remember to take garbage and compost out of their kitchen bins every night and put them in their appropriate outside bins. If you cannot do this, then make sure that the inside bins are tightly closed.
* Vacuum and/or sweep floors regularly (especially in the kitchen and eating areas) to remove any food debris.
* Look out for any cracks and gaps in floors, walls, cupboards and around water pipes and electrical cables.
Check underneath sinks and basins and at the same time look for any water leaks which should be repaired.
Avoid using a pesticide with these natural remedies instead
* Keep a spray bottle of soapy water on hand. Spraying roaches directly with soapy water will kill them or use an large empty coffee can in which you place a couple of pieces of bread that have been soaked thoroughly with beer.
Place these in appropriate areas as traps. Another method is to place some boric acid on top of kitchen cupboards only (as it is toxic by mouth to children and pets). Cockroaches will then take the boric acid to their nests, eliminating them all.
Even the cleanest of homes can have cockroaches in residence because they can simply walk or fly in from elsewhere. They can also catch a lift in a bag or box containing food or already be resident in an item of furniture or an appliance that you buy second hand.
