If you’ve ever found a cockroach running across your kitchen floor, your first instinct might be to grab a shoe and squash it. It’s quick, it’s satisfying, and it feels like you’ve taken control. While it might solve the immediate problem, squishing cockroaches isn’t the most effective or hygienic way to deal with them.
Here’s why it’s worth rethinking that approach, along with some practical steps you can take to keep your home roach-free.
Squishing Cockroaches: Not Always the Best Move
Cockroaches are known to crawl through unsanitary environments like garbage bins and drains, where they can pick up bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. Squishing them may leave a mess that can trigger allergies to cockroaches and contaminate a large area, particularly in kitchens or food preparation areas. It is a good idea to avoid direct contact.
Set traps if you need to catch cockroaches as proof of an infestation. Crushing cockroaches can make them very difficult to identify.
Use professional pest control methods to deal with infestations because squishing cockroaches is not an efficient way to get rid of them.
Does Squishing Attract More Roaches?
Some people believe that squishing a cockroach might attract others, but this is a common misconception. Squishing one cockroach won’t trigger an infestation.
Cockroaches are attracted to pheromones in their feces and gather in those areas. Female cockroaches release very small amounts of a pheromone to attract male cockroaches. Cleaning away their feces and bodies will help remove attractants.
Some people also believe squishing cockroaches will release eggs everywhere and this is not true. For example, German cockroach females carry their egg sac (ootheca) with them for a few weeks to a month until a day or two before the nymphs are ready to hatch, and if the egg sac is removed too early, the nymphs will die.
How to Keep Cockroaches out of Your Kitchen: 5 Tips
The kitchen is one of the most common areas where cockroaches are found, because it offers easy access to food, water, and shelter. Here are five expert-backed tips to help reduce the risk of an infestation and keep cockroaches out of your kitchen:
1. Inspect food and other items before they go into your home
Cockroaches get into homes from infested places through food, deliveries, shared walls, used items, boxes, and guest belongings. Inspect things before they go into your home to prevent an infestation.
2. Store food in secure containers
Use sealed containers made of glass, thick plastic, or metal to store food and dry goods like flour, pasta, snacks, cereal, and pet food. Avoid leaving food out overnight, and keep fruits and vegetables in the fridge when possible.
3. Clean up food debris promptly
Small crumbs and grease splatters can attract and feed cockroaches. Remove food sources by regularly cleaning tables, countertops, floors, and around and under appliances, and remove grease from range hoods regularly to remove food sources.
4. Fix leaks and reduce moisture
Cockroaches need water to survive. Repair leaky pipes, plug sink drains when not in use, cover drinks, and cover pet dishes.
5. Take out the trash frequently
Garbage, especially food waste, is a major attractant for cockroaches. Use a bin with a tight-fitting lid and empty it daily.
Why Cockroaches Come Back After Do-It-Yourself Treatments And What Actually Works
Do-it-yourself treatments can miss places where cockroaches hide. Methods using essential oils may seem appealing, but they are not effective in real-world infestations. Cockroaches tend to avoid treated areas temporarily and return when the scent fades.
Professional pest control is the most reliable solution and is improved by preventing cockroaches from accessing food and water. At Poulin’s, we use targeted, science-backed methods to eliminate cockroaches.
When to Call the Pros
If you see roaches, it’s time to call in professional pest control. At Poulin’s Pest Control, we offer safe, effective, and environmentally responsible solutions to eliminate cockroaches.
Key Takeaways
Squishing cockroaches might feel like a quick fix, but it’s not the most effective or hygienic way to deal with them. Instead, focus on a long-term prevention strategy by stopping cockroaches from getting inside in the first place, using traps to catch them, maintaining cleanliness, and removing their access to food and water.
If you need backup, Poulin’s Pest Control is here to help.
Ready to reclaim your home? Contact us today for expert advice and proven pest control solutions.