THE COCKROACHES ARE HERE AND HERE’S HOW TO KEEP THEM AWAY
Apart from the colds and flooded roads, the rains bring another feign to our doorsteps. Cockroaches. Although they do not bite, cockroaches carry disease and stink up your house even when they are dead. What’s worse is that they live in our natural environment.
They travel far, invading everywhere and forming groups. It doesn’t even matter how clean your house is. They could come into your house from your neighbor’s apartment, from shopping bags, cardboard boxes, and lunch boxes – to name a few. They are found mostly in damp and moist areas such as plumbing areas, cupboards, around cookers, refrigerators, dishwashers, storage rooms, and washing machines.
You know you have a roach infestation when you see cockroaches crawling around your house in the day time and you see cockroach eggs lying around. A single cockroach can lay over 400 eggs!
According to a report published in the Scientific Reports journal, the German cockroach, the most common species of cockroaches found worldwide, is becoming more and more difficult to eradicate. Insecticides don’t do much because cockroaches have become resistant to many types of insecticides.
Insecticides are not recommended as prolonged use and exposure to insecticides can have acute effects on the human nervous system and other side effects of insecticides such as rashes, blindness, nausea, sore eyes, diarrhea, and even death.
As an alternative to insecticides, here are some natural ways to completely eradicate cockroaches in your home. These steps might take a while to produce results but they work.
Keep a clean environment. Cockroaches are attracted to food residue and grease. Clean countertops every night and don’t leave food crumbs lying around. Sweep the kitchen floor every night. Vacuum regularly to remove insect eggs and food crumbs.
Fix water leaks. Cockroaches are attracted to moisture and water as well. They can survive without food for 3 months but will die within 1 week if there is no water. Water should not be left in sinks and bathrooms overnight. Water left uncovered are easily contaminated by roaches. Do not over-water indoor plants because you will be leaving a pool of water for them to feast on.
Have a good maintenance culture. Seal cracks and holes in the walls, between countertops, by cookers, behind refrigerators and washing machines. Roaches are active at night and hide during the day making it difficult to eradicate them.
Prevent infestation by making a bait with a mixture of Boric acid and sugar. Leave-In strategic points in the house. The sugar will lure roaches to the mixture while the Boric acid will kill them. Mix in a ratio of 3 to 1.
Apply a thin layer of DIATOMACEOUS EARTH in affected areas. Diatomaceous earth is a bug killer that you can eat. It is a naturally occurring sand extracted from the earth. It is rich in silica and often used as a natural insecticide. It works by dehydrating the cockroaches causing them to dry out and die. Diatomaceous earth can be bought online and from a trader of agricultural products.
If you must kill a cockroach kill immediately by spraying a solution of warm soapy water on it. While this will kill the cockroach, it won’t eradicate the root cause of your infestation.
This article is brought to you by Riv International Agencies Ltd.
Riv International Agencies Ltd
1, Illo Close
Off Thomas Estate, Ajah/Ado Road
Lekki, Lagos.
Telephone – 08029483402
Email – Dupsie.riv@gmail.com
