Let the cockroaches have their own space, but the important thing is that they stay outside yours!
Steps
Step 1. Insecticides alone do not help and are bad for you
Companies that disinfect homes from parasites enter and "bombard" everything with toxic substances. Now, keep in mind that there is always a halo of residues of these harmful substances on furniture, floors, walls and toys and what to do with the insects that survive hiding in other spaces? What about the people who use and touch everything contaminated in the house? The time has come to say no to "bombing" against parasites.
- To really solve this problem, you need to plan on staying there for a while. If you're only staying there for a month or two, it might be worth looking for a different place. Otherwise it is not possible to do the surgery or it is not convenient.
- This method worked for me. I got rid of the cockroaches in the apartment 100% without exposing my family to toxic pesticides. I no longer had to check out my kids in the night and see a giant pregnant female cockroach crawl along the head of the bed (and the classic reaction: Kill it Kill it Kill it!).
- I used the "barrier" method. It works really well for insects. Basically, cockroaches live in the walls. People don't usually know, so I figured I wouldn't let them know. I just block them as soon as they try to get out of my side of the apartment (outside the wall). Let's start!
Step 2. At home, put the silicone tube in the silicone gun (see:
“Things You Will Need). Cut the tip of the tube, but leave a small hole, to have a good control of the work.
Step 3. Start with the kitchen
Keep a damp paper towel handy to clean your hands if necessary. Examine all the cabinets. The hanging cabinets on the walls may have openings that you cannot see or seal, so, to avoid mistakes, seal all around the cabinets with silicone. If you do a good job, the landlord won't even notice your intervention. He will only be able to challenge you if you make a big mess. Eventually ask for help, if you've never done this job before. Wet the silicone along the crevice, then smooth it with a damp finger. Clean up what's left over.
Step 4. Keeping a sponge and bucket of water close together is also helpful
Wet the sponge, squeeze it and slide it along the entire side of the top (or surface) you want to seal. Don't press too hard, let the sponge run along the edge. Eventually a fine, smooth line will remain. Wring out and rinse the sponge after each stroke.
- Make sure you seal each cabinet where it connects to the next wall cabinet. Climb onto the workbench as well to check the top side of the shelves and seal there as well. Check inside the cabinets and seal all openings on the back wall. Make sure the sink is sealed to the countertop.
- If you find large holes (I had found a huge bug behind a white panel when I moved all the old cabinets) use the foam to fill them. If there are large holes they are an invitation for bugs and you are much more exposed, so plan to fill them with foam to do a better job.
- The secret opening that cockroaches know, but not you, is the gap between the kitchen countertop and the cabinets. Extract all their contents and seal! Apply silicone to all wall cabinets and all sides throughout the kitchen.
Step 5. Now you need to do an exhaustive search
Look around the sides of all the rooms. Anywhere the wall meets a floor, ceiling, window sill, door jamb or cladding feature it must be sealed. This takes time and a lot of silicone. If you have any doubts, apply it anyway, so as not to be mistaken.
Step 6. Switch covers
This is where you should call an exterminator. There are special baits that specialized personnel can use, while private citizens are forbidden to use them. Before removing all the covers from the switches and sealing around them, the exterminator can put a bait in the walls. Tell him to put a lot of it on, as it will be difficult to put it back on once you have sealed it. The cockroaches that eat the bait return to their shelter, they die, they are eaten by their peers who die in turn. A comforting thought.
Once the bait problem has been solved, you must remove every single panel of switches and the covers of electrical sockets of any type, seal them around the inner edge and lock them again (clean any silicone spots that come out). You may think they come in through the plug poles, but it's hard from that point. You can always use socket covers if that worries you
Step 7. Countertops are the hardest thing to fix if the panels have large holes (from the size of the pencil eraser, for example)
You should replace the pegboards or hire a company to putty and paint them. Ask the homeowner if he can take care of it, or at least if you can, if you are a tenant. This type of panel is usually glued to the ceiling and may contain asbestos, so don't move it.
If the panels are fibrous and have no holes, you can paint the whole thing to seal between the panels and the metal strips that separate them, or you can lift each panel, apply silicone around each, and reposition it
Step 8. You can now inspect your home plumbing
This is a very important step, since cockroaches need water even more than food: for the latter they have nest mates! Make sure the tub is completely sealed, even at the top of the wall trim. Seal the gaps with putty if the room is tiled. Bend over and apply the silicone all around the base of the bath. Pull the thin metal flanges on the wall from which the pipes come out and seal everything around. Silicon around the sink cabinet, or around the sink itself if it hangs on the wall.
Step 9. If you have hot air vents, lift the vent covers and apply silicone or foam around the opening
Make sure you leave space for the vent cover to come back and not get stuck in the sticky insulation. If it seems to you that the ducts have holes in the wall that you can't reach, the cockroaches may enter. You can attach fabric screens under the vent to prevent access. A hot glue gun would be useful for this job. Be sure to clean these screens periodically.
Step 10. The last thing to do is fill in the very small spaces between the wooden floorboards
A wood flooring professional would not recommend this method, but a person who wants to get rid of parasites would!
Step 11. Keep your eyes peeled
If you see any cockroaches, follow them and find out where they are coming from. They will soon go away, they will disappear. I lived on the upper floor of a group of students who did not take care of it. The exterminator confessed to me that it was one of the worst places he had ever seen, but I managed to get rid of it. The cockroaches have been defeated!
Advice
- Storing pantry food in containers is a good idea to avoid many types of parasites, as well as for your peace of mind. I have bought so many Tupperware containers for some time that I was able to get a discount.
- Get rid of garbage and separate collection regularly, and wash the dishes and sink on time, if you don't want to find a new colony of parasites in your home.
- Don't forget to check behind any objects hanging on the wall, such as the door bell or thermostat. Usually in these places there are holes leading into the walls.
- Now that you have closed every possible entrance for the cockroaches, carefully clean up any debris they left behind to make sure they don't come back.
- I have not had this problem, but if you do, you must seal all the mosquito nets on the doors and windows. Make sure you seal the openings around the air conditioning unit.
- Before solving the problem, I told my preschoolers that the insects we had in our home were large ants, a socially acceptable insect. That way I didn't have to cringe when they proudly told their kindergarten teacher that they had found the parasite. I don't want to have so-called ants again - and I shouldn't. It was a good feeling - like stopping the invasion of the Visigoth horde. Have fun, and happy cockroach hunting!
