Fix-It Chick: Don’t let cockroaches gain a foothold in your home

Cockroaches have been around for more than 200 million years. To date, more than 4,000 types of cockroaches have been identified. Luckily, only a few of these are classified as pests. Cockroaches carry pathogens, contaminate living areas, damage belongings and leave strong smelling feces and urine behind. To maintain a healthy home, you should eliminate cockroaches swiftly and permanently as soon as you discover them.

Step 1: As with any pest infestation, eliminating entrance points into the home is the first and most important step. Look around the outside of the home. Use appropriate patching materials to seal cracks and crevices in the foundation and walls. Use a nonhardening putty to seal around plumbing and electrical entrance points. Check windows and doors for gaps, and use caulk or weather strip to seal them.

Step 2: Inside the home seal plumbing and electrical entrance points under the sink, behind the dishwasher and near other kitchen appliances. Place a bead of caulk along the bottom of baseboards. Look for holes and gaps inside and under cupboards. Seal gaps between counter tops, back splashes and sinks.


Step 3:
Eliminate food sources by deep cleaning all rooms, wiping down counter tops, sweeping floors and cleaning carpets. Keep trash and recycling containers sealed. Wash dishes and wipe down counters and sinks daily. Sweep floors and pick up trash nightly. Cockroaches are nocturnal. Eliminating food and water sources each night is imperative in controlling them.

Step 4: Fix dripping faucets and install a dehumidifier in the basement.

Step 5: Boric acid is by far the best pesticide to use on cockroaches. It is harmless to humans and pets, but is highly effective against cockroaches. Dust it very, very lightly under sinks and appliances. Spread a very fine layer of boric acid along baseboards. If possible, spray some dust into walls before sealing up entrance points.

Step 6: Avoid applying boric acid on counter tops or other food prep surfaces. Instead, make a bait station by mixing two parts boric acid with one part sugar and place it in a bottle cap or small container on counter tops and in cabinets.

Step 7: For quicker elimination, use gel bait containing indoxacarb. Place dollops of gel in areas prone to cockroach traffic. When dead cockroaches begin to appear resist cleaning them up, the poisoned carcasses will serve as additional bait stations for other cannibalistic cockroaches.

— Have a home improvement question for Fix-It Chick? Email it to Linda Cottin at hardware@sunflower.com.