It’s the time of the year when cockroaches attack homes while seeking shelter, food, and an excellent place to create a nest. Although the pests can prevail an entire year indoors, during the spring and summer months, the cases of cockroach infestation drastically rise. There is a significant cockroaches-related pest control call bump when the temperatures rise above 10 degrees Celsius. This temperature allows cockroaches to migrate between houses and buildings without freezing over or dying in the cold weather. However, the UK will most likely experience this surge a bit earlier due to the abnormally high temperatures this winter.
So to help you prepare for the inevitable confrontation, we prepared a list of the most common places cockroaches like to hide. We even threw in some places that people usually ignore to check.
Signs of a cockroach infestation
Cockroaches are not the stealthiest pest out there, as they are pretty messy when scavenging for food. They often leave vast amounts of clues that they were operating. A common misconception, however, is that if there is one cockroach, there are most likely others. Cockroaches usually don’t group unless there is a good enough habitat. So, if you see a single cockroach, don’t go into battle mode right away. This might be just a scout, and if you kill it and keep your home clean and tidy, chances are you won’t experience a full-blown infestation.
You will notice more cockroaches around your home if there is an infestation. Moreover, you will notice their droppings, which look like tiny black dots. Those are usually found in places where cockroaches operate most, like behind appliances, inside kitchen cabinets, and around food sources.
To add insult to injury, you will notice damage to your food and belongings if there is an infestation. The pesky little bugs are not particularly careful when trying to steal your food and will chew through carton boxes and sometimes even wooden furniture. You will notice some small chunks of the carton, wood, or fabric missing. It’s as if they were sprayed with acid.
Unfortunately, when you don’t take measures early enough, you will likely find some shed skin, as this happens when the cockroaches grow up. They usually do it 5-8 times over their lifetime. So you will usually find the piece of shed skin near the entrance from where they attack your home.
Finally, if you get cleaning inside house appliances or behind the fridge, you may also find some egg capsules. Usually, the German cockroach, the most common in the UK, will lay up to 48 of these capsules, each one consisting of 18 eggs. So, having a pregnant cockroach can quickly spiral your situation out of control.
So, if you don’t want to be in the middle of a B-rated horror movie, we suggest keeping your home clean and tidy and, most importantly, regularly checking for unwelcome guests in the five hotspots where cockroaches love to hide.
Five places where cockroaches hide in your home
Though not the stealthiest pests you will find in your home, Cockroaches are particularly sneaky, as they can fit in very tiny spots and cracks. This allows them to hide in places where we humans rarely consider anything can live. However, professional pest control service providers have long since discovered where these pesky bugs make their nests. Some of these places might surprise you, but as per the advice of Fantastic Services, one of the most prominent cockroach control service providers, you should regularly check all of these places, especially if you start finding proof of a cockroach infestation.
Inside kitchen appliances
Each one of your house appliances emits a huge deal of heat when working. Not only the oven, the coffee maker, or the microwave, but also the fridge, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, and any other thing with a motor. Unfortunately for you, cockroaches love the warmth and feel like they are on a SPA. So naturally, they will hide near the appliance’s motor or even inside the machine. Thus, regularly cleaning behind your kitchen appliances and deep cleaning them every six months will help prevent the pest from establishing a foothold in your kitchen.
In cabinets and pantries
As we already mentioned, cockroaches can chew through wood, so even if your cabinets and pantries are sealed, it’s likely to have some cockroaches hiding there. This goes double for cabinets that are rarely opened. So, to prevent any of your storage spaces from getting overrun by nasty cockroaches, clean and dust them regularly and check for any cracks or holes. If there are such, you can try to fill them in with some silicon.
In pipes and behind the insulation
As pipes provide water and are usually hidden from plain sight, they are the perfect place for cockroaches to organize their attacks on your home. Behind the insulation is another great spot where cockroaches usually make their nests. This way, they are protected from human activity and are not very easy to find. Still, sealing all cracks and holes on your wall will prevent them from entering your home unobstructed.
Behind or inside furniture
The furniture is another place where you will find cockroach nesting. They will often try to build their nest at the foot of furniture that’s been stuck to the wall. Usually, they will find a way through a crack in the joint between the floor and the wall and make their nest there. Otherwise, they may even try to build their nest in a furniture’s fabric, but that’s more often seen in stored items.
Nooks and Crannies
Having some holes and cracks inside your house is simply impossible. However, if you know where they are, you can easily check them regularly for uninvited guests. For example, your paintings are usually hung on the wall. Unfortunately, that’s a good enough entry into your home for the cockroaches, especially as it obstructs your view of the painting. Still, regularly checking the painting, and keeping any clutter away from it, will help you notice the pesky pests far more quickly.
Unexpected Cockroach Hotspots in Your Home (with bullet list)
Cockroaches are becoming even sneakier in their attempts to remain hidden inside your home. So, naturally, this leads them to branch out into some other unexpected places where almost no one will think of checking out.
- Old telephone receivers
- Wall sockets
- Lamps
Don’t wait for the infestation
If you still haven’t got an infestation, don’t wait for it to happen to start cleaning your home and checking if there are unsealed entry points. The best way to ensure there are no cockroaches inside your home is to ensure your home is not a suitable habitat for them, with no food, water, or hiding places.