We often perceive that a messy house attracts roaches; however, it’s not generally true. Whether it’s food, moisture, or minor cracks, even a clean house offers the desired conditions for the roaches to enter.
The US Census Bureau says that around 14 million tenants have seen roaches in their homes. So you don’t have to blame yourself for leaving a spot because cockroaches can even find a way into a clean apartment.
Several factors contribute to cockroach infestation, from unknown cracks to pet food and clogged pipes. Every house has these things, right? So how can you keep your home roach-free (and avoid getting rid of them later)? Let’s find out!
Why Roaches Enter a Clean House?
Roaches enter a house for moisture, shelter, water, and food. In fact, a spotless and tidy home doesn’t repel cockroaches since these scary and annoying pests can thrive in various environments.
Any clean home can attract a roach if it has:
- Dark places or nooks
- Moisture
- Exposed food, pet food, or crumbs
Once we identify why and how roaches enter the clean apartment, we can control the pest infestation.
What Attracts Roaches To a Clean House?
Roaches enter a clean apartment for many reasons. Here are some factors that invite these bugs to your home:
Location of Home
The foremost thing to consider for roaches invasion in your home is your area of residence. Some states and locations are more prone to pest infestation than others. Roaches thrive in areas where the climate is hot and humid.
Seasonal changes also affect cockroach infestation. For instance, summer offers perfect weather conditions for the roaches to grow their population.
Accessibility for Roaches
The US Census Bureau defines a fundamental principle of roaches’ accessibility to homes with structural issues, including:
- Dark space between the upper flooring and floor
- Holes in the walls for cable pipes and plumbing
- Vents for AC
- Any other gaps in sliding windows, doors, and floorboards
Moisture Content
Moisture, humidity, and water are the three primary sources of attraction to cockroaches. Being cold-blooded animals, cockroaches can survive without food for weeks but not more than a week without water.
Therefore, any internal or external leaking pipe or faucet offers the best opportunity for cockroaches to invade your clean home.
There can be other damp corners, such as basements and laundry rooms. Also, you shouldn’t let the water stand in the sink, laundry area, and bathtubs.
Roaches sometimes hide under the air conditioner unit and survive on the condensation. Once you turn off the lights, they can sneak inside your clean house. That’s why it’s best to tightly seal the air vents and tiny corners around the AC.
Secure Food
The roaches aren’t a threat to a messy home but also a clean home as they are attracted to food, and every household has a kitchen and a pantry.
Generally speaking, homes with plenty of food attract the roaches the most. If you have toddlers, kids, and pets, you should take extra caution to keep the kitchen clean.
Wiping the kitchen counter and taking out the trash is the regular habit of almost all households. However, an unorganized pantry with unsecured food packets is a place that attracts roaches the most.
You can use tightly sealed plastic bags or containers to store the food items. Also, you should regularly de-clutter the pantry by removing unused or expired products.
In addition to the food items, roaches eat many non-food items, such as:
- Human hair
- Toothpaste
- Soap
- Animal feces
- Paper and cardboard
- Leather
Hence, you should store the leather items in tightly sealed bags and clean the pet’s litter box daily. Finally, you should remove the unnecessary papers and magazines weekly.
Grimy Surfaces
Most household owners clean the kitchen counters and dining table daily. However, they often forget to clean the grease spots and other food stains around the stove, oven, and microwave oven.
The roaches thrive in hard-to-reach smelly areas with grim and grease buildup. Hence, you should use microfiber and a high-quality cleaner to remove the grease from stoves, ovens, refrigerators, and cabinets.
Landscaping
If you keep the house’s interior spic and span but don’t have time to maintain the yard, you invite cockroaches. Sadly, the roaches can survive on plant-based food such as flowers and leaves.
Untrimmed or overgrown shrubbery, vegetation, and fallen leaves on the ground offer a perfect environment for the roaches to thrive. Not only that, but they provide a safe and protective space against mice and birds.
The next thing you know is that the roaches enter your home via the holes, doors, corners, and window sills, searching for shelter and more food.
How Do Roaches Enter a Clean House?
Roaches enter a clean house through many ways. These include:
- Cracks in the walls or ceiling
- Dirty or unclean vent pipes and holes
- Any uncovered holes in the walls
- Gaps in the vent or air-conditioner (AC) pipes
The key is to cover and seal all the entry points because cockroaches can fit through the thinnest and tinniest cracks or holes.
FAQs
How Do Roaches Enter a Clean Home?
Unknown cracks or gaps in the doors or windows are the gateways for the roaches to enter your clean apartment. Also, if you have been ignoring your back or front yard for some time, the roaches can find their way from the poorly-maintained lawn into your home.
Will Roaches Go Away If an Apartment Is Clean?
Yes, they can if you follow the preventive measures. Just ensure there isn’t excess moisture, damp and dark places, or any holes or cracks in the wall. In addition to regular cleaning, you should be proactive in inspecting the home to check the leaky or clogged pipes or any other maintenance or plumbing task.
Conclusion
Generally, we associate cockroaches with dirty environments. However, it’s certainly not the case, as clean homes can attract them primarily due to the reasons mentioned above.
- Location, climate, and seasonal changes lead to a roach infestation.
- An overgrown yard or garden can invite the roaches to grow and invade.
- A cluttered pantry, kitchen, and basement offer an ideal environment for the roaches to thrive.