Table of Contents
What Attracts Roaches
Knowing what roaches are attracted to can help you identify the reason or reasons that they are in your bathroom. This is the first step in getting rid of them completely.
Water
Roaches, like every other living thing, need water to survive. They sometimes flock to the kitchen or bathrooms because this is where they can find a plentiful amount of water. They are also often attracted by the water in the laundry room.
Dripping joints and pipes in the bathroom can be a source of excess water that attracts roaches. In addition, you want to keep the humidity level as low as you possibly can. Run the bathroom fan after baths or showers. You may also need to wipe down the sink or even the tub to remove any water that could be attracting additional roaches.
Also, some people keep plants in the bathroom. If this is the case, make sure that you don’t water them excessively because any standing water can cause more roaches to infiltrate the bathroom. Also, make sure that there is no water standing in the plant’s drip tray.
Food
Like water, all living things need food for survival. However, the difference for roaches is that they will eat almost anything and can also survive a long time without any food source. Some people keep dog or cat food in their bathroom which roaches will swarm towards.
Roaches will also eat soap. You can keep your soap in a covered dish to prevent the roaches away. They may also be attracted to the garbage. You should empty out the trash can every day. It is also a good idea to tack out the trash every day even after the roaches are eliminated to prevent future infestations.
It doesn’t even have to be a food source as long as the roach perceives it as food. Many people keep potpourri or spray perfumes in their bathroom. However, it may be best to avoid doing so because roaches may perceive these odors as food and come towards the scent.
Shelter
Roaches can find shelter virtually anywhere because they can squeeze into cracks, cracks, and crevices. They may also hide out in your drains. You should seal any noticeable cracks. These may form in grout work or base boards. They can even form in the ceiling or drywall.
Roaches may also like to hideout in your cabinets and under your sink. If this is the case, try to keep them closed and remove anything that could be acting as an attractant.
How to Eliminate Roaches in the Bathroom
There are lots of methods that you can use to eliminate roaches from your bathroom and the rest of your home. Severe infestations may require more than one method to completely eradicate the problem. Many of these things will also help to prevent future roach infestations. Also, be aware that roaches in the bathroom likely mean that there are roaches infesting the rest of the house.
Dehumidify
Since roaches need water to survive you need to do everything you can to eliminate moisture from the bathroom. This means that you should wipe down sinks and tubs to remove the water. You should also run the bathroom fan to remove as much moisture as you can.
You should also make sure that no pipes or faucets are leaking. If there is a leak, fix it as soon as you can because this may be the main reason roaches are attracted to the bathroom in the first place.
Seal Cracks
Roaches tend to gravitate towards cracks because of the dark and sheltered environment. Seal any cracks or crevices in the bathroom to prevent and eliminate roaches. You may even have cracks in the grout in your shower that need to be sealed (just make sure you use the correct type of sealant).
Remove Food Sources and Scents
Roaches will eat just about anything and have strong senses so it is important you take out anything that the roaches may perceive as food. You should take the trash out of the bathroom daily, cover soap, and remove any pet food. It is also important to take any potpourri or other scents out of the bathroom because the smell can attract additional roaches.
Drains
Roaches often seek out the dark, moist atmosphere of the drains in the bathroom. A good way to drive them out is to pour boiling water into the drains. This hot water may also kill the insects or their eggs. If necessary, you can repeat this every couple of days until the roaches are completely eradicated.
Spray
Store bought roach sprays can be effective at killing off roaches that you can see. Roach sprays will kill roaches if you spray it on them. They also work almost immediately. However, they do not attack the root of the problem. This method is best for small infestations or to supplement the other methods.
Boric Acid
You can make your own spray out of boric acid or Borax. Mic it into water and put it into a spray bottle. You can use this by spraying any roaches you see and all over their hiding places. You can spray it into cracks and under the sink and repeat until the roaches are completely eradicated. You can also add sugar to attract more roaches or soap so that it sticks to them.
Baking Soda
Baking soda will poison roaches. Mix it with sugar so they are attracted to it and put it into a small container. You can also spread a thin layer around the bathroom. Make sure you apply it near crevices and under the sink.
Diatomaceous Earth
You can buy diatomaceous earth at most hardware stores and it can effectively eliminate roaches. You can dust it around the bathroom and other areas of your house. To do this, you can take an empty 2-liter soda bottle and poke holes into the cap. Fill it with the diatomaceous earth and squeeze it to dust it around crevices, under the sink, and around other potential hiding places. You can also mix a little sugar into it to make it more attractive to the roaches.
Coffee Trap
Roaches gravitate towards the strong smell of coffee, but for this to be effective you have to be sure that coffee is the only scent in your bathroom that they are attracted to. To make this trap you need large glass jars.
Fill the jars halfway full with water and place some small coffee-filled cups into the jars. Place it in your bathroom near the roaches’ hiding place. The roaches will smell the coffee and come looking. When they find it they will fall into the jars and will not be able to escape. Make sure you dump the jars into the toilet every day and reapply the traps as often as you need to. Not only is this an effective way to reduce the roach population, but it is also cheap and safe for children and pets.
Prevent Future Roach Problems
A lot of the methods above will also prevent additional roaches from coming into your bathroom. However, you also need to be sure that the roaches are not attracted to any part of your house. It is always a good idea to wipe away any sugar or grease residue that may be on any surfaces. You may also need to clean or mop the floors more often than you are used to.
You should take out the garbage every day, especially the kitchen garbage.It may also be a good idea to locate the entry points for the pests. Then you can do your best to seal them off. You can use caulk or even wire mesh on either the interior or exterior.
Another thing you can do to prevent more roaches is to take away any hiding places outside of your home. This could mean that you will have to cut the grass more often or even treat or block off the underside of a deck.
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