How Do You Get Rid of Cockroaches in a Kenton Home?

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Step 1: Cut Off the Water

The first step, and the one with the biggest effect for no money. A cockroach can go weeks without food and only days without water.

• Fix a dripping tap, however slow
• Check the waste trap under the kitchen and bathroom sinks for a slow leak
• Check behind the washing machine and dishwasher for a weeping seal
• Dry the sink and around it before bed
• Do not leave water in a pet bowl overnight
• Deal with condensation — ventilate the kitchen and bathroom
• Check under the bath and behind the bath panel

Step 2: Remove the Cardboard

Underrated, and specific. Cockroaches live in corrugated cardboard, lay in it, and arrive in it.

• Break down and remove delivery boxes the same day
• Do not store cardboard in the garage, under the stairs or beside the bin
• Move stored items from cardboard into sealed plastic boxes
• Check any cardboard already in a warm cupboard
• Do not accept second-hand appliances without checking behind and inside them

Step 3: Clean the Harbourage Areas

• Pull out the fridge and clean underneath and behind it — the single most important spot
• Do the same for the cooker, dishwasher and washing machine
• Clean grease from behind the hob and inside the extractor
• Clear crumbs from the plinth line at the base of the units
• Empty the bin nightly, keep it closed
• Store all food, including pet food, in sealed containers
• But do not deep-clean immediately before a visit — we need to see where they are

Step 4: Professional Treatment

Gel bait and residual treatment placed at the harbourage — behind and under appliances, in the plinth void, at pipe runs — followed by the visits that cover the egg-case cycle.

Never Use a Bug Bomb

This deserves its own heading, because it is the single worst thing you can do with cockroaches.

• Foggers do not reach the harbourage. Cockroaches are behind and inside things
• They scatter the population — into wall voids, into adjoining rooms, into neighbouring flats
• They can contaminate kitchen surfaces and food preparation areas
• They make professional treatment harder, because the population is now dispersed
• They are a fire and health risk if misused indoors

What Else Does Not Work

• Supermarket sprays. Kill what they hit, not what is behind the fridge, and can repel roaches deeper into voids
• Boric acid scattered loosely, particularly in a home with pets or children
• Ultrasonic repellers. No credible evidence
• Cleaning alone. Necessary, and not sufficient
• Sticky traps as treatment. Useful for monitoring, not for control
• Stopping after one visit because things look better

Pets and Children

• Tell us who is in the house before the visit
• Gel bait goes into cracks, hinges and voids — not on surfaces or where food is stored
• Placement is adjusted for anywhere a child or pet can reach
• Cover a fish tank and switch off the pump
• Re-entry timing is explained on the day and is usually short
• If a pet does reach something, ring your vet and tell us — we will give them the product details

Hygiene

• Cockroaches walk through drains and waste and then across surfaces
• They are associated with the mechanical spread of bacteria
• Wash surfaces and utensils before use in an affected kitchen
• Discard open food from an affected cupboard
• Wash crockery that has been left out
• There is an established association between cockroach allergens and asthma, which is worth knowing in a house with an asthmatic child

Afterwards

• Keep leaks fixed and surfaces dry overnight
• Keep cardboard out of the house
• Keep food sealed
• Check behind the fridge occasionally
• Check any second-hand appliance before it comes in

Read nextCockroaches at Night in a Kenton Kitchen – What Does It Mean? →

Related Questions

How long until they are gone?

Typically three to four weeks across the programme.

Will I see more at first?

Sometimes, as treatment disturbs harbourage. It is not a bad sign.

Do I need to throw the fridge out?

Almost never. It needs cleaning behind and treating around.