The Trick To Keeping Oriental Cockroaches Out Of Your Bay Area Home

Oriental cockroaches can be dangerous houseguests. Fortunately, they're not well suited for living inside your home. They would much rather be in a storm culvert or sewer system where it is very damp, and where water is plentiful. In the Bay Area, these damp locations can have thousands of Oriental cockroaches living in them. But Oriental cockroaches can, and do, get inside Bay Area homes. This is never good. Oriental cockroaches are dirty insects that are considered to be a serious health concern. They can spread several harmful bacteria, at least seven human pathogens, six parasitic worms, and their presence in a home can lead to an increase in hospitalizations for asthma-related symptoms. The trick to keeping Oriental cockroaches out of your Bay Area home is to understand how and why they get in. Here's what you need to know.

Why Oriental Cockroaches Come Close To Your Home

You would be amazed at how routine maintenance around your home can protect your home from these insects. Consider the following reasons Oriental cockroaches might come near to your home, and what you can do to deter them.

• Oriental cockroaches like to live in mulch beds. If you use mulch in your landscaping, you can invite these insects near your exterior walls, and this can lead to accidental entry. Don't worry; we're not going to suggest that you get rid of your mulch. It may be enough to reduce the dampness of your mulch. You can do this by cleaning your gutters, fixing leaks, watering your plants in the early morning, and by removing unnecessary vegetation.
• Oriental cockroaches love wood and leaf piles, and are strongly attracted to rotting leaves and sticks. Keep organic matter raked up and cleaned up, and prevent it from sitting damp on the ground near your home.
• Oriental cockroaches are attracted to tight spaces. They are particularly fond of rock piles and rock walls. If you give them gaps to explore, they're going to take you up on your offer. Remove rock piles and do your best to seal gaps in rock walls. Also, consider gaps in your foundation walls. These are going to be of particular interest to Oriental cockroaches.
• If it smells, Oriental cockroaches are attracted to it. Remove rotting organic matter and dog droppings from your yard. Keep your trash in covered containers, and keep the containers clean. The scent of a dirty trash receptacle is like ringing the dinner bell for these cockroaches.

Why Oriental Cockroaches Get Into Your Home

We touched on this, but it bears further discussion. These insects get into your home by accident. They find tight spaces, and they enter them. But there are some ways that they commonly get inside. Consider these potential entry points and seal things up to keep cockroaches out.

• Roaches run along pipes and often get into structures through gaps around pipes.
• Wires that pass through foundation walls can have a gap around them. These gaps are low to the ground and easily accessible to Oriental cockroaches.
• An exterior door that has a missing door sweep is an open invitation.
• Holes created by wood-destroying pests are often created in damp, decaying wood. These are perfect entry points for Oriental cockroaches.
• When Oriental cockroaches establish themselves underneath a deck or in a crawl space, their close proximity increases the chances of accidental entry. This can be a compound problem if you have leaves underneath your deck, patio, stairs, or some other exterior structure.

Why Oriental Cockroaches Might Stay In Your Home

Once inside your home, Oriental cockroaches are going to stay in the basement and first story wall, ceiling, and floor voids. They will gravitate to areas of high humidity, such as boiler rooms, laundry rooms, and bathrooms. You might be able to drive them back out by ventilating these areas, and by installing dehumidifiers.

The Best Trick We Know To Keep Oriental Cockroaches Out

At Bay Pest, we offer year-round pest control services for residents in the Bay Area. If Oriental cockroaches are a concern for you, we can help you get the best control possible. Contact us today with any questions you may have, or schedule to meet with one of our licensed pest professionals. We're here to assist you with all your pest control needs.