How to Make a Home Roach-Free

Use the insecticides to proactively eliminate cockroaches coming in to your home. Different insecticides will have different application instructions, so consult the manufacturer's instructions. Insecticide dusts are effective when applied to dry places and can penetrate areas that other insecticides cannot. Residual insecticide sprays are also effective and will last anywhere from two to four weeks.

Clean any food left on counters, even small crumbs. Clean out appliances, like the toaster, that may contain small amounts of food residue. Similarly, put away any groceries or purchased food immediately. Regularly clean all food storage areas.

Regularly empty garbage disposals, drain traps and garbage cans to eliminate sources of interest to cockroaches.

Eliminate any standing water, such as the water left in a sink or a bathtub after use. Other possible wet spots, such as beneath a fridge, should also be cleaned regularly to eliminate any standing moisture that will attract cockroaches.

Keep surfaces clean of food and water residue, particularly in the kitchen. Constant vigilance regarding sanitation is important to discourage cockroaches from entering your house.

Use caulking glue and similar sealants around plumbing and electrical connections that have gaps or cracks through which a cockroach might enter. Similarly, keep window and doors closed when possible and use screens on open windows and doors.

Run the water periodically in bathrooms and kitchens that are not often used. Cockroaches often make their way in to a home via dry plumping pipes.

Use glue traps to monitor for cockroaches and kill them. Glue traps will provide you with a good estimate of how well you are managing to control cockroach infestation.