Do you get cockroaches inside your flat or villa? Have you tried all the cockroach killers on offer in Dubai, only for the pests to come back every time? Well no need to suffer any longer. We’ve put together a simple 5 step guide to getting rid of cockroaches using all-natural methods.
Follow these steps on how to get your home back from unwanted creepy crawlies, without using harsh chemicals.
- Deep clean your home
- Seal up any cracks and holes
- Removes sources of food and water
- Keep your home cool
- Make your own natural cockroach bait
Before you can start to tackle creepy crawlies such as cockroaches, you need to deep clean the areas around your home which typically attract them. If you’d prefer to avoid disinfecting your home with harsh chemicals such as bleach, you can use a mixture of tea tree oil, household white vinegar, and water to thoroughly clean everywhere – drains, sinks, dishwasher, rubbish bins, and all the spaces underneath and in between these fixtures and appliances. It’s also a good idea to clean your floors.
Pay special attention to the spots underneath your furniture, your kitchen and laundry room cabinets, and anywhere that you’ve found evidence of an insect infestation.
If you’re living in an apartment building, there’s unfortunately no guarantee that your neighbours maintain the same standards of cleanliness that you do. That’s why it may be worth checking to see if you have any cracks or holes in your dividing walls, your kitchen cupboards, and between the baseboards of your walls. If you do find some, you can either use a tube of caulk and a caulking gun to do the job, or call in a handyman.
Like all insects, cockroaches need something to feed on to survive. And although they can live for months without eating, they will only live for a week without water. That’s why it’s important to remove their source(s) of water as soon as possible. Start by checking all of your taps, pipes, and appliances that use water. If you spot any leaks, call in a handyman to properly address the problem.
Likewise, it’s vital to properly store all food, and not to leave out any leftovers. Place all of your perishable food in your fridge and opt for airtight containers for your cupboards. Remember to properly clean and disinfect your kitchen surfaces and floors at least once a week to catch all those crumbs and spills.
Cockroaches need a warm, damp, and dark environment in order to survive and breed. Because they’re cold-blooded, they don’t survive very well in extreme cold. Domestic cockroaches don’t develop or reproduce when temperatures drop below 7 °C, so it’s possible to ‘shock’ them to death by dramatically lowering the temperature of your home for at least 3 hours. Essentially, by keeping your flat or villa super cool just for a little while, you can discourage pests from hanging around.
If you’d like to avoid using store-bought cockroach traps and want an organic option, it’s easy to make your own natural cockroach bait. Mix three parts boric acid with one part powdered sugar, and then sprinkle the mix along the edges of cupboards, the back of appliances, and underneath sinks. The sugar attracts the roaches, whilst the boric acid kills them. Boric acid isn’t toxic to people or to pets but it can irritate your skin and eyes, so you should use gloves for this step. If you have small children, it’s best to keep them away from this mix.
Getting rid of pests like cockroaches can be a slow process. But getting rid of these bugs naturally not only prevents your family from being exposed to harmful chemicals, it also prevents the problem from reoccurring. It’s vital to keep your home really clean to deter the creepy crawlies. Whether it’s getting rid of fruit flies, ants, or any other household pest, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Your villa or flat should be kept spic-and-span.
But if you don’t have time to clean your home from top to bottom every week, why not consider hiring a Helpling? You can hire a part-time maid or cleaner to give you some extra help around the house, and to keep all those nasty bugs at bay!
