How Do Cockroaches Get Into The House?

10 Ways Roaches Get Into Your Home

Most homeowners are at their wit’s end before they call us for help. After you’ve chased a few roaches with your bedroom slipper and a chemical from the hardware store, you realize the battle is more extensive than you can handle. Our customers always ask our technicians, “How did these roaches get into my house?”

If you take your trash out regularly, ensure that you clean up after meals, and keep a clean home, you might wonder what’s drawing these pests. Here are some of the most common entry methods for this and other insects to get into your home.

1. Cardboard

Roaches have an affinity for cardboard boxes. One of the reasons is cardboard provides nourishment as the fibrous base is easy for them to digest. Additionally, they will feast on the glue used to make them too. When the cardboard is wet, they can drink the water from it and use the box as a new home.

Your first thought might be that you don’t have any cardboard sitting around in your home. However, consider your shopping habits. Even eggs come in cardboard containers, so it’s possible that one could be hiding inside. Any cardboard boxes that come into your home from delivery services or shopping should be removed and recycled.

Another major issue with cardboard is it makes an excellent place for females to lay their eggs. The newly hatched roaches can also find shelter within the confines of a box, so remove them at all costs.

2. Suitcases and Other Luggage

Never let anyone borrow a suitcase, as you don’t know where it will go or what it will encounter. Keep your luggage off the floor in a hotel room. The luggage stands are perfect for keeping things like bedbugs, ants, roaches, and whatever else from entering your bags.

Suitcases have a lining that makes it easy for a roach to hide behind, and in many cases, cardboard is used inside to help with the structures. It’s easy to see how this is a recipe for disaster. Now, if you fly the friendly skies, your luggage will be in a compartment with 100s of other bags that could be infested with such pests.

Leave your suitcases in a garage or outdoor storage area for a few days to ensure you don’t transport anything into the home. Some sprays can help to kill anything that might get in them, so you’re safe to bring them inside.

3. Drains

Roaches love water and rotting decay, and there’s no better place to hang out than around drains and plumbing systems. Did you know that roaches can crawl from a drain into your home.

If you live in a shared dwelling like an apartment complex, the chances of them entering through these methods increase. Now you know why some people keep their drains covered when not in use. Additionally, ensure there’s never food particles put down the sinks, unless you have a garbage disposal.

4. Used Goods

There’s something great about getting a secondhand bargain at the local thrift or antique store. Even buying a used gaming system from an online marketplace can be dangerous. Roaches love electronics, as they provide heat.

We’ve had many customers tell us stories about plugging in a used DVD player or other device and roaches come crawling out of them. Additionally, roaches will hide around the electrical outlets in your home, as it’s a great place to take cover and be warm.

One of our customers bought a used playpen from a yard sale. When she made it from the sale to her house, about a 20-minute drive, her car was full of roaches and needed fumigation. She thought she got them all but brought some inside, which quickly became a massive nightmare.

The playpen wasn’t such a bargain when you consider the cost of exterminators for her home and the fumigation of her vehicle. Be careful when you shop at secondhand stores, and always check and recheck around the item, lifting any overlapping materials. There could be eggs hiding inside or live roaches, and you don’t want either in your vicinity.

5. Cracks on or Around Walls and Foundation

If you have cracks on the walls or foundation of your home, you’ve got a couple of issues to handle. First, cracks indicate foundation troubles, such as one that’s sinking. The location of the cracks and the size can tell you a lot about your home, so it’s best to get an expert out to evaluate the situation.

Second, these cracks offer an easy entry point for bugs and other vermin. Depending on the size of the split, you can have all sorts of critters that use them as an entry point. Check around the windows. When caulking is loose or damaged, roaches will use it to come inside. Remember 1/16 of an inch is all they need to gain entry.

Seal any cracks on your foundation with new caulking until you can get an inspection to see if repairs are needed.

6. Shared Walls

Living in an attached dwelling significantly increases the chances that you’ll have issues with cockroaches. If your neighbor has roaches, bedbugs, or any other kind of critter, you can guarantee they will soon make their way to your home.

7. Firewood and Mulch Piles

There’s nothing better than a fire made of wood harvested from nature. The crackling sounds are calming after a long day. While you might enjoy the sounds and warmth from a real fire, the wood pile you use for holding your wood offers a shelter to many bugs, insects, and other wildlife.

A woodpile or mulch mound is full of decaying matter. You know that for anything to rot, it must have moisture, which roaches love. If you have an infestation in your woodpile, you run the risk of bringing these insects inside every time you reload your firebox.

It’s always best to keep firewood in a cool and dry place and try to cover it to keep moisture from penetrating it. It would help if you never stored large amounts of wood inside your home, as you’re asking for trouble. It’s best only to bring in a few pieces and keep them close to the fire.

Roaches may seem invincible but won’t live through a roaring blaze. Additionally, limit the amount of wood you keep in your pile outdoors too, as the more extensive the pile, the greater the risks of wildlife moving in.

8. The Space Under Doors

If you have ample space large enough to feel a draft under entry doors, a roach can walk right inside. Some doors have larger spaces than others, and some have guards to protect such bugs from entering your home.

Since a roach can get into a space that’s a mere 1/16 of an inch wide, it’s best to put a door sweep up for protection. If a roach can get in through an opening, ants and other pests can also crawl inside.

9. Torn Window Screens

Having the windows open in your home allows fresh air to cleanse the place, and it can bring a much-needed breeze on a warm day. Consequently, your screens must be in top shape to avoid anything crawling inside. Even a small hole is large enough for a roach to crawl through. While it might not work for the largest roach in the area, the American, it certainly will be sufficient for a smaller cockroach.

10. Visitors

It’s remarkable to consider that people can bring roaches into your home. If a lady carries a purse and has a home infested with these pests, her purse can quickly move a straggler into your abode. You know cockroaches love to hide, so coats, shoes, purses, and other goods brought into your home from visitors can introduce you to a significant roach issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we get from our customers about roaches.

1. Why do roaches run every time I turn on the lights?

Roaches are nocturnal, so they prefer darkness. When you come into a room and turn on the lights, they scurry for cover. The roach sees you as a threat, so they will stay far away from you. Additionally, they move quickly when needed, reaching speeds of up to 3 mph.

2. Why do the roaches keep coming back?

Dealing with a cockroach infestation takes work, even for professionals. If just one egg or roach is missed, it won’t take long for the infestation to begin again.

It’s always best to work with a professional team and do several treatments to ensure everything is killed. Also, if you correct the issue that brought them inside initially, you will eliminate the problem.

3. I have no food for them to eat, so why are they still here?

Getting rid of roaches is more challenging than just removing their food source, though it’s helpful. Roaches can live up to two months without water and go a month without food.

So, removing the food source will only help a little when they’ve already invaded your home. Remember, they will eat cardboard and books to stay alive. It’s hard to starve away a pest who will eat almost anything.

4. Do I need to remove my furniture if I have an infestation?

Many people will get rid of furniture after a bed bug infestation, but with some elbow grease you should be able to salvage your furniture when dealing with roaches. You need to clean it and ensure no eggs or live bugs are in the cracks or around the seams.

5. Does having roaches make me a dirty person?

No! Just because you have roaches doesn’t mean you’re a dirty person. Many people get roaches, and the key is to take care of the issue immediately. It’s dirty to keep them and not do anything about the problem. While some people have cockroaches because they are lax on house cleaning, others get them because of their location or because they’re brought inside innocently.

6. Are roaches a health hazard to my family?

Roaches are filthy insects, and they crawl through fecal matter, dirty plumbing, and sewers and then crawl all over your kitchen. They transport lots of bacteria on their legs, and their presence can make anyone in your home sick. These critters trigger allergies and asthma and can spread serious diseases like E. coli, typhoid fever, salmonellosis, and dysentery.

7. What are the signs that I have a roach infestation?

It’s not difficult to indicate a roach problem. You’ll likely see them crawling about at night, find fecal droppings, and smell a strange, musty odor throughout your home.

Calling Our Team for Help

Roaches prefer a temperature of around 75-80 degrees, so summer is the most active time for infestations. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t have an issue with roaches anytime of the year. Roaches reproduce quickly, and being vigilant about keeping spills wiped up and the trash covered is essential.

If you’ve taken all the proactive measures you know to take and still have an issue, you need professional help. We can combat roach infestation and bring peace and tranquility back to your home.

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