You might have wondered how can roaches travel from house to house. This happens especially when you notice that houses in the neighborhood has an infestation of cockroaches.
Then, it become more alarming when even a refurbished house become infested with cockroaches.
Here, you’ll see how roaches can move from house to house and what you can do about it.
Five Ways Roaches Move from House to House
Cockroaches have multiple ways that they can move into a house. For thousands of years, they’ve been living with humans and have perfected the act of moving in with people. Despite being small, roaches are very smart creatures. You have to watch out some of these ways that they get into your home.
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Stowing Away in Luggage
It might sound funny but cockroaches can travel with you.
An unexamined luggage can contain roaches. Cockroaches can live in some of the worst conditions. Since inside the luggage is dark and warm, roaches will thank the host for helping them move.
The worst part is that roaches can feed on almost anything. Which means the content of your luggage can serve as food for them.
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Hiding Inside Plants
Plants can be a source as to which cockroaches can get into your home. After all, they’ve lived amongst plants for millions of years.
Potted plants provide a ready accommodation for roaches. The soil can camouflage the activities of roaches especially its feces and eggs called ootheca. This can make it harder for you to fish them out. So, you might end up taking roaches with you from one house to another.
Plants in your residence can also help get cockroaches into your home.
Since they move fast, they can get into your house or apartment by moving into the plant, then getting into your house.
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Hiding Inside Electronics
Electronic devices can be a ready source of transportation for roaches.
Roaches can infest a number of electronics. On the internet, you’ll find complaints of roaches infesting PCs, MacBook computers, Xboxes, printers and a plethora of electronic devices.
At night, the roaches can crawl out of these devices to look for food. If they find the condition inside your house better than inside the electronics, they’ll never return to the electronics.
You might wonder how can roaches travel from house to house. Especially if your former house was infested by roaches and your new house still have roaches. The answer might be in your electronics.
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From Cracks and Holes
This is one of the ways roaches get into homes.
Roaches travel at about 3 miles an hour. Thus, they can move within the neighborhood looking for a better place to stay. Cracks and crevices can grant them access to your house.
Not just cracks but holes under the ground can help them get into your home. Additionally, space under your door can help roaches get into your house.
The cracks can also become their colony.
From that point, they’ll come out in the night to look for food and water inside your home. If the crack is close to your kitchen, it’ll help them breed faster.
READ MORE: Does Mothballs Get Rid of Roaches?
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Moving into Your Home Through Drains
Roaches can move into your home through drains.
They can wriggle through tight spaces. Thus, a cockroach can move from the streets into your home through the drains. They can also get into your apartment from another person’s apartment through the drains.
If you’re generous with your food, they’ll turn your place to their home.
Since the sink in your kitchen leads to the drain, there is a chance that if you live in an area that’s infested with cockroaches, they might find a way to get into your kitchen from the drain. It’s gross. But that’s the way it is.
Why Do Roaches Move to Your Home?
You might have wondered why cockroaches move to your home. It becomes even more annoying when you’re the only one who has an infestation of roaches.
Well, there are several reasons why cockroaches will build their home in your house.
However, all the reasons are tied to one thing – dependence. Cockroaches depend on human for a lot of things. These include food, water and shelter. If there are scraps of food in your home, that can be enough to sustain the cockroaches. At first, you won’t even know you have cockroaches in your home due to their nocturnal nature.
It is almost late when you begin to notice them. The camp has become too small for them.
How to Prevent Cockroaches from Moving to Your Home
You can prevent cockroaches from moving into your home by doing some necessary preventions. The following tips can help you prevent cockroaches from moving from another house to yours.
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Prevent Clutter in Your Home
A cluttered home can help cockroaches. For instance, if you mistakenly bring a luggage that contains roaches. It’ll be far easier to kill the roaches if your space is tidy. When the space is untidy, the roaches can scurry to a corner.
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Ensure Your Kitchen is Tidy
When your kitchen is untidy, roaches will get scraps of food that’ll keep them increasing. This is not to say they won’t survive without your kitchen. But a clean kitchen will slow the rate at which they get their food and water.
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Fix Your Drain
Since roaches can get into your home through the drains, make sure your drain is in order. Fix broken pipes. Clear clogged sections of the drains.
One way to outwit roaches that come through the drains to your kitchen is to cover the kitchen sink.
You can also cover the sink and every opening in your bathroom. Cockroaches can’t pass through the toilet due to the water inside.
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Seal Cracks and Crevices
Check your walls and floor for signs of crack. Seal the cracks up. If you can’t do that yourself, get a professional to do that for you.
Also check your windows and doors for any gap. Those gaps can allow roaches get into your home. Remember that roaches can climb too.
Cockroaches Should Not Live in Your Home
The best way to stop roaches is to stop them from moving into your house. In order words, prevention is better than cure. If you follow the above precautions, you can keep cockroaches away from your home for a long time.
