Here’s why you’re having cockroaches in your kitchen and how to get rid of them!

The sight of cockroaches can have most people feeling shivers down their spines. They are notorious for spreading germs and being a carrier of the disease, along with ruining your favorite kitchen appliances and furniture. 

Though unsightly, unfortunately, a lot of Indian homes deal with the issue of cockroaches in the kitchen! The main reason for this is that a kitchen possesses the three items on a cockroach’s hierarchy of needs- food, water, and shelter. You can, to some extent, prevent the entry of these pesky beings to your kitchen by keeping these three tips in mind to limit the three basic needs of a cockroach: 

• Clean your kitchen every night 

Cockroaches are notorious for eating just about anything. Make sure you seal and stow away food into the fridge or where you intend on storing it. Before you lock up the kitchen for the night, ensure that all the dishes are done and that the sink is clean. Give the countertops and gas stove a thorough wipedown too. Make sure that your trash can is covered or stowed away. 

• Hunt for and seal any spots of water leakage

If you live in a humid location like Kerala, you’ll find that this pest is a common sight. Cockroaches need moisture and water for survival. The only source a cockroach would need would be a leaking water pipe or any standing water. Address water leakage issues at the earliest. 

• Prevent clutter in your kitchen 

A clutter-free kitchen is a cockroach’s enemy! Make sure that all the materials and appliances in your kitchen cabinet are spaced out and open up the doors to allow ventilation once in a while. Old cardboard boxes and grooves of unused kitchen appliances are cosy spots for cockroaches to hide and start family planning in!

Two BEST Ways How to Get Rid of and Remove Cockroaches in the Kitchen

• Cockroach Baits 

Baits are creative ways to trick cockroaches in the kitchen- attracting them with the smell of items they like and trapping them in a jar they can’t get out of. This is the preferred option for those individuals who do not want to kill the cockroaches but merely want to get rid of them. Items you could use to attract them include coffee grounds and cucumber peels, placed within a tin can or a glass jar that the cockroach cannot get out of. 

• DIY Cockroach Repellents & Insecticides

Here are a few natural cockroach repellent formulations you could consider. 

• Cockroaches detest the smell of certain fragrant oils like neem and peppermint. Take a spray bottle and make a mixture of one of these two oils with some saltwater and spray it in areas where these pests are usually spotted. 

If you want to refrain from using the toxic chemical-based insecticides available in the market, why not try making your own insecticide using a few items from around the house? 

• For an effective bait and insecticide mixture, use sugar mixed with baking soda. While the sugar is appealing to the cockroach, the baking soda acts as an insecticide. 
• Boric acid has a purpose beyond the carrom board- it can kill cockroaches too! A little goes a long way- so dust a little powder in areas where you spot cockroaches. However, refrain from doing this if you have little children in the kitchen. 

In case nothing else works and the cockroach infestation is a bother, consider getting professional pest control done every once in a while!