Sealing Your Home to Prevent Cockroaches
There are a few ways that roaches can get into homes in NYC. If they are German cockroaches – which almost exclusively live indoors – they usually get in by hitching rides on boxes, bags, and furniture, and cannot be easily prevented without examining every item you bring into your home.
But other roach species like American cockroaches, Oriental cockroaches, and Brown Banded cockroaches live outdoors and make their way inside for food and shelter.
The larger of the cockroach species, the American cockroach, can fit through a crack as narrow as 2 pennies stacked together. That is ⅕ their usual size. For smaller roaches, there are even more potential entry points. Your best defense against cockroaches is to locate any of these gaps and seal them up, reducing roaches’ access to food and ability to get into your home.
How to Seal Your Home Against Roaches
Roaches are after three things when they come into a home – food, water, and shelter. Removing sources of food and water is effective, but it can be hard to get every source. An infestation of cockroaches can be resourceful when finding food, needing only a few crumbs, and the constant cleaning required to get rid of food sources for roaches may be more than you maintain on a daily basis.
If you truly want to prevent roaches, you have to look at how they get in, not why. Roaches typically have entry points. Sealing off entry points is the only realistic long term way to prevent roaches, as long as you do it effectively. The places where you should look for potential cracks and seal up any you find include:
- Windows
- Doors
- Screens
- Vents
- Faucets and Drains
- Foundation Cracks
- Masonry
- Air Conditioning Units
- Trash Areas
- Pantries
How you seal each of these areas will depend on the type of opening. If something is broken, such as a screen or window, it is best to replace it since that will provide the most effective block. Adding screens and door sweeps can help protect doors and windows.
For cracks and gaps that have developed over time, caulk and weather stripping are the best sealants. When using caulk, use a silicone-based one. These are long-lasting and roaches cannot chew through them. Some caulks also contain boric acid, which is poisonous for cockroaches.
Yet even with dedicated roach sealing, it can still be possible to find cockroaches in your NYC home from time to time. Many of the holes they get in through are so small and hidden that they can be impossible for someone without experience to locate. Part of the reason that we are one of the best choices for cockroach removal is because we have the ability to find even the smallest of entrance points and the knowledge needed to seal them.
24 Hour Pest Control is a cockroach control company in NYC that can get rid of roaches fast whenever they get inside and help you pinpoint how they are getting in to prevent a repeat infestation. Call us today to learn more about roach control.
