Evict pesky roaches from your appliances
Watching a cockroach crawl out of or enter a beloved appliance is enough to make any homeowner flinch. These dreaded pests are attracted to warm locations like appliances, but the last thing you want to deal with is a cockroach infestation. With these simple tricks for how to get roaches out of appliances, you can outsmart them and send them packing.
If you spot two or more roaches in your home, it's time to call in a professional exterminator. Don't hesitate to take pest control action to prevent the infestation from growing.
Cockroaches are commonly found in kitchens and often enter the home through the sink. Once they're in your kitchen, they'll look for a place to call home and appliances such as the stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher make attractive locations. Not only could they provide food for the pests, but they offer a warm, dark spot to camp.
Roaches have the ability to squeeze their bodies through tiny cracks. Appliances typically have small openings around seals, which makes a perfect entry point for all types of cockroaches. Aside from kitchen appliances, roaches can make a home in any household appliance such as the washer and dryer, TV, internet router, and other electronic devices. It's even possible for them to take residence in electrical outlets.
Removing cockroaches from appliances is a relatively low-cost DIY solution. The price of bait traps ranges between $10 to $20. To use compressed air, you would spend less than $15. If you need to purchase a silicone sealant to fill in cracks in appliances, you could spend less than $20. Overall, the cost to remove roaches from appliances should be no more than $50 if you DIY.
Removing cockroaches from appliances takes special care and attention. You want to avoid damaging the appliances or risking the health of your family.
Bait traps are one of the most effective solutions to coaxing roaches from your appliances. Cockroaches have a keen sense of smell and will be attracted to the scent the baits give off. Once they eat the gel bait, they pass the poison to other roaches, which effectively kills any that are within your home. Place the baits close to the appliance they've inhabited and other areas within the room.
After about a week, you'll need to go through and clean the appliances. Depending on which one it is, you may need to open it up and clean out any leftover residue, feces, and dead bugs.
An effective method that works with smaller appliances is freezing out the roaches. Wrap the appliance with plastic and place it in the freezer for 3 to 5 days. Roaches thrive in warm climates and the cold temperature will cause them to die.
It's best to enable this method if you have an extra freezer in your home rather than utilize your family's only icebox. You don't want any food living with the infested appliance, even if it is protected in plastic wrap. Clean and sanitize your freezer thoroughly following this step.
Appliances typically have plenty of nooks and crannies cockroaches can slip into, making it difficult for you to access to clean them. Use pressured or compressed air to blow roaches out of appliances such as computers, gaming consoles, and other small electronic devices. Roaches dislike pressured environments and will vacate their home.
When completing this step, it's best to perform it outside, if possible. The air won't kill the cockroaches, just coax them out, so they could end up finding another place to make camp inside your home. If you do have to perform this step indoors, set out bait traps nearby.
Both a solution and preventative measure, deep cleaning the appliance and surrounding area is effective at ridding roaches. One of the main reasons a roach has infiltrated an appliance is because it can access a food source, so eliminating any crumbs that it could feed on will create an unwelcome environment.
For smaller appliances, use items around your house such as Q-tips or a soft washcloth to clean up finer areas to rid them of residue. Some kitchen appliances such as microwaves or toasters can be cleaned outdoors to prevent any little crumbs from falling where they shouldn't.
Another step that also works as a preventative measure, sealing off cracks in appliances that could be entry points for cockroaches preventing them from accessing the area. Use a silicone caulk on appliances to seal any open areas. In addition to appliances, it's also a good idea to seal any cracks in the walls, floors, or drains where roaches could be entering your home.
Ward off a future cockroach invasion by practicing these roach-proofing techniques.
Ensure there aren’t any food sources available for cockroaches to prevent them from getting into your appliances.
Before you go to bed each night, wipe up any residue left on the countertops.
Rinse off and clean any dirty pans to avoid leaving them overnight.
Avoid leaving caked-up dishes in the sink and put away leftovers in the refrigerator.
Remove standing water sources, such as buckets and pet water bowls.
Eliminate clutter that roaches can hide inside.
Seal cracks and crevices in walls and doors.
If you catch cockroaches early, you're at an advantage of removing them from appliances on your own. It's a simple task most homeowners can handle. However, if you have stubborn cockroaches that aren't vacating your appliances or you think you're dealing with an infestation, it's best to hire a local exterminator to effectively rid your home of these pests. Cockroach exterminator cost ranges from $100 to $600 and can offer peace of mind that your home is roach-free.
While cockroaches can contaminate appliances and their contents, they won't cause damage. Cockroaches can spread bacteria like E. coli and salmonella, making it important to keep them out of places where food is stored, such as a refrigerator. When it comes to electronics, however, cockroaches could potentially damage internal electrical components. As the pests navigate inside a TV or console, they may touch high-voltage components that could short out your product. This damage could lead to costly repairs or require replacements.
Yes, due to its warm and dark nature, roaches find appliances to be the perfect location to lay eggs. It's for this reason that addressing a cockroach in an appliance should be handled quickly. Once the roach makes a home in an appliance, it's only a matter of time before they nest and begin laying eggs.
Cockroaches are attracted to the smell of food. They're particularly attracted to grease, meat, cheese, sugar, and starch. Any rotten food such as fruits or vegetables puts off a strong odor that attracts the pests as well. Even dirty clothing can be enticing for cockroaches, which is why they're often found in laundry baskets.
