Cockroaches in an apartment: where do they come from and how to get rid of them, preventive measures

While cockroaches cause disgust, disgust, fear and a whole range of negative emotions in the average person, researchers have a genuine interest in these creatures. These are, without exaggeration, amazing insects. Just look at the following facts about cockroaches.

They can live without a head. For about seven to ten days, until the body feels a lack of water and food, the body can act autonomously.
They can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes. This helps them retain moisture in the body and also protect them from chemicals sprayed in the air.
They run fast. Sensing danger, insects can reach speeds of up to 5 km/h, which is quite good for those with short legs.
They escape expertly. To hide from its pursuer (most often from a person), a cockroach can change its trajectory up to 25 times per second.
Virtually invulnerable. Pests don't even care about a nuclear explosion. The reason is a slow cell division cycle.

The main reasons for the appearance of cockroaches in an apartment

Cockroaches, despite the fact that they are carriers of infections, prefer the most comfortable conditions, so if such conditions are created in an apartment, the pests are happy to settle there and stay for a long time.

In order to get rid of insects, it is important to know the reason. For example, if they come from neighbors, then you need to fight them together.

From neighbors

This is the most common way insects move. And there are several reasons for this:

Bullying. When neighbors begin to destroy cockroaches with chemicals and other means with unpleasant odors, they quickly leave their previous place of residence, so they run to nearby apartments.
Lack of food. If there are too many pests in the next room and there is no more food, they begin to look for new sources of food. To do this, the family sends “scouts” and after discovering food, they bring the rest.
No water. For example, if your neighbors’ pipes and taps have stopped leaking, and there is no other liquid available in the public domain.
Repair work. Cockroaches cannot tolerate the smells of many building materials, so they flee.
Lack of place for daytime hibernation. If neighbors carefully seal all the cracks, then pests have nowhere else to hide.

Etching of cockroaches must be carried out jointly with the residents of the apartment building. If any of them refuses to do this, feel free to file a lawsuit, which will force them to carry out the procedure.

From the shop

Quite often, insects live in grocery stores and other stores, especially if they sell household appliances, which not only have a lot of hiding places, but are also warm. This often applies to TVs, which are always on in stores.

In other stores where there is unsanitary conditions, cockroaches crawl into bags on their own - to do this, just put it on the counter. They can be found in cereals, meat, fish and other products, which no one knows about.

From a long trip

During long journeys, a person stays in different places where cockroach families can be located. Unnoticed by you, they crawl through the microscopic cracks of suitcases and bags, are placed in electrical appliances, cosmetic bags, etc.

Even if you check things carefully, there may still be eggs in them, from which young individuals will later hatch.

Through the garbage chute

This is a favorite place for red-haired “aliens” - there is always something to eat here, but there is no clean water, so the pests move into apartments to get drunk. If their conditions suit them, they settle here for permanent residence.

Garbage chutes in old houses do not have tight-fitting lids, so the entrance/exit for cockroaches is always open.

With guests' belongings

If you invite people who have unsanitary conditions at home, be prepared for the fact that they may also bring cockroaches with them. They are usually hidden in bags, wallets, and gifts. As soon as the brought object remains motionless, the insects begin to climb out.

By mail

Cockroaches love to live in layers of cardboard, among paper, so there is nothing strange in the fact that larvae are found in the parcel. Insects end up in packages at the sender’s home and crawl out of the post office, as they live there thanks to the employees’ food leftovers.

The best advice is to open the parcel immediately upon receipt, carefully check and clean the items.

Other reasons

There are many more reasons why cockroaches appear in your home. Among which the following stand out:

through a ventilation hole when insects are in search of new living conditions;
from cafes, restaurants, shops and other establishments that are located on the ground floors of new buildings;
from a sewer pipe - found immediately in the bathroom, distinguished by its large size and black color;
when purchasing used equipment.

Penetration through a garbage chute

The best place for cockroaches is considered to be the garbage disposal. This is an abundance of food, moisture, good shelter. They are unlikely to want to run into an apartment from such a comfortable corner, unless there are too many of them separated. Parasites can penetrate from the garbage chute into apartments to settle in new areas.

To do this, the scout cockroach inspects the premises; if it finds it suitable, then several dozen individuals move to a new living space. But the scout may not like the cleanliness, lack of moisture and available food.

Tatyana, Saratov:
“We have a garbage chute in a multi-story building. He caused a lot of trouble at first. The cockroaches climbed as if they were asking for food. The children were afraid to take out the trash. We couldn't have done it on our own. First they called a special service, they fixed it for us, but they only gave us a guarantee for half a year. It's so little. Then we ourselves began to spray some kind of poison inside every week. Each floor is different. Young people read on the Internet that they should bully different people. Now there are no insects, not even flies in the summer.”

Habitats and breeding places for cockroaches in an apartment

There are the most comfortable conditions for red-haired “guests”, in the neighborhood with which they prefer to localize. Namely:

abundance of food - these pests are omnivores, so they don’t care what foods are left on the table, they feed from unwashed dishes, from the trash can and everything else that attracts their attention;
presence of water - running taps, unfinished drinks, wet sink (cockroaches cannot live without water);
heat is an important indicator and it does not matter where exactly the appropriate temperature is (in the apartment itself, in the microwave oven, in household appliances);
secluded places - cracks, refrigerator, furniture, decor, cracks in walls, etc. (they hide in them during the day and lay eggs).

Cockroaches consume not only food, but also paper towels, soap, and sheets of paper.

It is not easy to detect insects at first, so most often people find out about their presence when the insects are already breeding - just turn on the light at night and they will scatter in different directions.

Experts recommend paying attention to the following:

there are traces of excrement in the form of black dots on the walls, baseboards and floors;
a specific smell, but it appears when there is a large concentration of pests;
eggs in crevices;
remains of cockroaches in cabinets, on the floor (they look like hollow, dry shells);
in complete silence - rustling, rustling, rustling, especially at night, when they are activated.

Most often, the place where cockroaches are localized is the kitchen and bathroom, where moisture is always present. To discover them in person, just look at these places:

open household appliances (they will be inside);
move the refrigerator;
examine cracks and crevices;
open the ventilation hole;
remove the hanging shelves (located between the cabinet and the wall);
move the baseboards.

The optimal habitat and breeding areas are hidden from human eyes. The presence of crawling insects in daylight is a sign of the prevalence of cockroaches, that is, there are already a lot of them.

When moving

Penetration of cockroaches is possible when moving from an old apartment to a new one. This way you can take over the old tenants along with your belongings.

It is enough to take the eggs of parasites, not adults. Insects love to settle in the folds of upholstered furniture and mattresses. There are a lot of them in wooden cabinets, boxes, and books.

When moving, it is difficult to maintain cleanliness. And patient parasites can survive long journeys in poor conditions. For food they will find something inedible, but suitable to satisfy their hunger.

Effective folk methods of disposal

The easiest way is to buy professional chemicals, but it is not always appropriate to use them, since they evaporate substances harmful to humans and pets into the air. In such cases, it is advisable to use traditional methods.

Boric acid

This is an organic product to which cockroaches cannot adapt, so it can be used for a long time. If you place boric acid in places inaccessible to children and animals, there is no threat to your health. But pests happily consume such delicacies.

There are also disadvantages - only individuals are destroyed, and the eggs remain alive, which is why you have to use the substance repeatedly (every 15-20 days, when new bugs hatch).

What you can do - recipes:

mix 10 g of boric acid powder (this is 1 sachet) with raw yolk and 1 tsp. homemade vegetable oil, roll into balls, place around the apartment;
add 1 boiled egg and a boiled small potato to 20 g of the substance, again add a little sunflower oil;
dilute 10 g of acid in 500 ml of sweet water and spray the habitat.

You can also add other products to the balls that lure with aroma and taste - honey, jam, vanillin, sugar, etc. Don’t be afraid if the mass turns out to be runny - just add flour.

Homemade traps

This is the easiest way to catch cockroaches. To make a trap, any containers are used - cans, bottles, containers, plates. The main thing is that there is bait inside (water, sweets, leftover food).

How to make a water trap with your own hands:

Prepare a plastic bottle (can be from a sweet drink bottle, unwashed).
Cut off the top and neck just above the middle of the container.
Pour water up to half of the resulting bowl.
Unscrew the cap, turn this part over and insert it into the base.

If you are making a food trap:

Place food in a glass jar.
Lubricate the inside of the upper part of the container with vegetable oil/vaseline.
Leave in a place accessible to insects.
Check the traps every day, be sure to destroy any pests and add new food.

Chlorine

An aggressive but effective method, since cockroaches cannot tolerate the smell of bleach. Both dry powder and liquid solution are used.

Directions for use:

sprinkle chlorine under the floor covering (linoleum, carpet, rug), along the baseboards, on cabinets, etc.;
combine 500 ml of liquid white with 6-7 liters of water - wash the floor, walls, and other surfaces;
dilute dry bleach with water (you should get a 2% solution), spray the accumulation areas.

After treatment, leave the room for at least 2-3 hours. If there are animals or children in the apartment, it is forbidden to scatter the powder, as it will release chlorine into the air for 5-6 days.

Freezing the premises

The method is used only in winter and during severe frosts (minimum -10°C). To carry out the procedure, follow the instructions:

Turn off all electrical appliances and heating.
Cover radiator pipes to prevent them from bursting.
Open all the windows, and if this is a private house, then the doors.
Leave the apartment for 4-6 hours.

The result is that the cockroaches run away, but to prevent them from returning again, take preventive measures.

Ammonia

The product has a pungent, persistent odor, so when using it, it is advisable to leave home for a day, but a minimum of 8 hours is acceptable. Rules for exterminating cockroaches:

Mix 10 liters of water with 80-100 ml of ammonia.
Rinse the floor and all surfaces.
Close all windows and doors. Leave the room for 4 hours.
Return to the house and perform the treatment again.
Leave for another 4-5 hours.

Don't forget to wear a respirator and rubber gloves. Otherwise, you will get burns to the skin, mucous membranes and respiratory tract.

Warming up a room using a heat gun

Such methods are considered highly effective; they are used as an additional method by exterminators from the SES service. The temperature at which pests die is from +50°C and above.

For processing you will need a heat gun - a device that releases hot air. Instructions:

Unplug the refrigerator and other household appliances.
Turn on the thermal device.
Direct it to places where cockroaches accumulate - under baseboards, cabinets, behind wall shelves, household appliances, under the sink, in crevices.
Press the special button, process.

You can use liquid fog, but in this case you will have to leave the apartment for a day, since it settles for at least 10 hours.

Plants and herbs

Not all vegetation is tolerated by baleen insects, since many of them emit an unpleasant aroma. These are medicinal herbs, indoor flowers and other plants, among which the following are especially distinguished:

geranium growing on the windowsill;
mint, lemon balm;
wormwood;
elder;
Bay leaf;
honeysuckle;
anise;
tansy;
wild rosemary;
eucalyptus;
medicinal chamomile.

Application options:

hang with branches in the kitchen;
Pour crushed herbs into woven gauze bags, hang or spread around the room;
set fire and fumigate the apartment.

Remember that plants should always be indoors and should be periodically replaced with new ones.

Pyrethrum, which is sold in pharmacies and is made from chamomile inflorescence and is available in crushed form, deserves special attention.

Other folk remedies

Pay attention to other folk methods of getting rid of cockroach infestations, which are also considered effective. Among them:

Borax. It is made from boric acid, so it is poisonous. Mix 190-200 g of borax with 25 g of vanillin, 1 boiled potato and 1 hard-boiled egg, roll into balls and place on surfaces.
Arsenic. Just sprinkle the poison under the sink, along the baseboards, etc. Please note that children and pets should not be in the room.
Gypsum. Buy construction alabaster, add a bait product to the powder, but only in dry form, since hardening will begin upon contact with a damp environment. This process must take place in the cockroach's stomach, which is why it will die.
Essential oils. They act as a deterrent. The oil used is mint, geranium, citrus, lavender, cedar, eucalyptus and fir. In order for the red bugs to escape, leave the ether in an open container in all rooms. Another option is to pour 8-10 drops into 500 ml of water and carry out the spraying procedure.
Sticky tapes. Buy fly tapes and secure them to any surface. The second variation is to use double-sided tape, glue it to a piece of cardboard, and place the attracting food on top in the center of the sticky surface. When enough cockroaches have stuck, change the tape.

What are they afraid of?

Despite the vitality and adaptability of pests, there are some things that cockroaches are afraid of in an apartment. There are three factors that can make your home uncomfortable for cockroaches.

Strong odors. Cockroaches cannot tolerate chemical odors. That's why they run away from the house during renovations. If you paint, for example, a radiator with oil paint, pests will not want to stay in the room.
Temperature changes. This factor can be used in the cold season, when the heating season begins. Ventilate the apartment daily for 15-30 minutes. Pests will not like frosty air.
Bright light. Keep the curtains open during daylight hours. Screw bright light bulbs into chandeliers and sconces.

Cockroaches cannot tolerate the aroma of essential oils. They especially dislike anise, wormwood, mint, citrus fruits and pine needles. Light an aroma lamp with your favorite ether every day to prevent unwanted proximity.

Professional approach

These are radical methods that most often involve the use of aggressive substances that are harmful to the health of humans and pets, so you must act carefully. But there are also safe devices that do not have special requirements for operation.

Purchased funds

There are products on sale that have been used by humanity for decades. But you can also find innovative developments. Main types:

Syringes with gel. Safe for health, quickly applied, easily washed off, but destroys only those individuals that are already crawling (does not apply to eggs). The gel will have to be changed once a week. To use, simply squeeze the gel-like mass onto a piece of paper or any surface using a dotted method. Well-known brands - Raptor, Dohloks, Absolut.
Crayons. These are Mashenka, Brownie, Tornado, etc. Pencils are harmless; they are used to draw solid or dotted lines in places where there are large concentrations of cockroaches.
Traps. These are structures with holes containing bait substances inside. An insect that gets into a trap spreads poison throughout the family. The most famous brands are Kombat, Raptor, Dohloks.
Powders and granules. They scatter over surfaces, consist of substances that are poisonous to insects, and do not destroy larvae. The powder needs to be renewed twice a week. Example - Super Fas, Phenaxin, Clean House, Absolute.
Aerosols. They contain elements harmful to humans, so after spraying on surfaces (walls, tables, floors, etc.), you must leave the house for at least 2-3 hours, then thoroughly rinse the surfaces with which you come into contact. Popular brands are Get, Raptor, Dichlorvos, Regent, Ultra Magic.
Ultrasonic repellers. These are devices that operate on mains power or batteries. A mechanism is built inside that emits ultrasonic waves, to which only insects and small rodents react. The device causes cockroaches to escape from the room. If they do not have time to do this, then the nervous system is affected, after which paralysis and death occur. There are such brands on sale as Typhoon, Rexant, Tsunami, Tornado.

Calling specialists

If you do not have the opportunity or desire to hunt cockroaches on your own, or for some reason it is impossible to remove them, contact a special service. But before that, talk to the residents of the apartment building, since the destruction must be comprehensive.

Otherwise, after treating your territory, the pests will move to other apartments and then return again. You can contact the city SES, especially if there are cockroaches in the basement. In this case, the city authorities provide the service free of charge.

You have the right to choose a private pest control company, but you will have to pay at least 2-3 thousand rubles. How the procedure goes:

Specialists treat the entire room using steam and chemicals.
You leave the apartment for 5-10 hours, depending on the means used.
Upon return, thoroughly wet clean.

Be sure to remove dishes, towels and other items first. Cover the furniture tightly with film.

What should you do before removing cockroaches?

Preparation for the procedure of baiting cockroaches is carried out to increase the effectiveness of the products and safety. What you need to do first:

Decide on a method to get rid of insects. And buy the product if required.
Prepare protective equipment. Rubber gloves (preferably high, reaching to the elbow) and a respirator (it is recommended to take with additional protective filters). This is a mandatory requirement when using substances harmful to the body.
Remove food and sources of moisture. To do this, remove all food and liquids from the kitchen. If baiting is done using safe methods, make sure every day that there are not even crumbs left anywhere, as well as a full trash can and water. Without food, cockroaches live for about 20-30 days, but without water they die after 5-7 days.
Do a thorough cleaning. Wash the floors with bleach/bleach, wipe the window sills, sweep away all debris, crumbs, etc.
Seal any cracks through which cockroaches may pass. To do this, buy a special solution or putty at a hardware store. Pay attention to cracks in the wall, cracks near water pipes. Be sure to hang a device with a very fine mesh (like a mosquito net) on the ventilation hole so that pests cannot escape from the apartment through it.
Warn your neighbors about the impending “attack.” Let them prepare too. Otherwise, your pests will be able to move in with them. But even better, agree with them on joint destruction.
Prepare the poison. Mix the required ingredients if necessary.

Along with the purchase

You can bring pests home with food from a store, supermarket, or market. They can easily sneak into a bag and wait for the right time to come out.

It is difficult to notice them; they are able to take cover well, hide in small crevices, and crawl through narrow passages. Just one brought female will give rise to an entire colony of parasites.

When buying clothes or other non-food items, insects get into bags by accident. This can happen all the time in food aisles. This is especially true for markets that are poorly controlled.

Prevention of cockroaches

To prevent cockroaches from ever visiting your home, pay attention to preventive measures.

Prevention methods:

Take out the garbage before going to bed or at least tie the garbage bags tightly;
do not put garbage in a bin, use bags;
keep it clean - wash the floors at least 2-4 times a week;
do not leave crumbs and other food items in the public domain;
do not eat outside the dinner table;
remove all water sources at night, wipe the sink and bathtub, close the toilet;
seal the cracks and hang nets on the ventilation compartments;
periodically wash the floor with bleach;
plant geraniums or lemon balm on the windowsills;
use aroma lamps with repellent essential oils;
for prevention, apply chalk pencil or gel to inaccessible areas;
repair a leaking faucet or pipeline.

By following these simple rules, you will be freed from an infestation of cockroaches, but still be vigilant, as longhorned beetles enter the house from the store, etc.

To avoid bringing insects back from your trip, experts recommend placing mint and eucalyptus leaves inside your suitcases, or placing sachets with repellent plants.

Receipt by mail

Currently, online shopping is very popular. They are delivered via mail. This type of delivery can bring mustachioed parasites into the house.

Previously, this is how these parasites spread throughout the world. This is how completely uncharacteristic black, American representatives appeared in our latitudes.

Slava, Belebey:
“We ordered things from the online store. They arrived without any problems, but with an unpleasant surprise - a cockroach jumped out. We have a complaint against the post office - they, of course, deny it, they refer to the sender, I don’t know who to believe. There were no products in the package, what should he do? Now at the post office they sell everything, just like in a store, there may be cockroaches. You have to be careful."

Peculiarities	Red-haired individuals (Prussians)	Black pests (sewer)
Preferred Residence	Near people and above ground level, so it is difficult to eradicate completely as they return.	In sewers, basements, that is, where there is practically no light. They do not appear after destruction.
Water requirement	Medium, which is why even after eating poison they can live safely for several days.	Increased, so they move easily even in water. If access is completely blocked, they die or leave.
Reproduction	Swift and numerous. Red-haired barbels carefully hide their future offspring. To get rid of it, you will have to carry out the procedures repeatedly - as newbies appear.	Slow and irresponsible - they lay eggs anywhere and leave them unattended. It is easy to find larvae, and after baiting it is enough to treat the room 1-2 more times.
Where are they coming from?	From the garbage disposal, ventilation, etc. There is an increased risk of return.	Through toilets, holes in sinks and bathrooms. Extremely rarely - by land. To prevent the occurrence, it is enough to close the toilet lid tightly and install strong small mesh over the holes in the sinks/bathtubs.
Dimensions	From 1 to 2 cm. It is difficult to detect at a young age, but small parameters contribute to the rapid perception of toxic substances.	From 3 to 5-7 cm. Easy to see, but more toxic agents are needed.
Type of movement	It is very fast, so it is impossible to act, for example, with a spray directly on an insect.	Slow, so you can spray on a cockroach and it will die immediately.

Reasons for the appearance of cockroaches in the apartment. How to get rid of them?