Cockroaches are nasty bugs that can invade many homes. They come in through cracks in the foundation, gaps between doors, vents and can even be brought into your home via box, or even wood.
Most cockroaches live for up to a year and in that year a female roach can give birth to as many as 400 little roaches. Male cockroaches are slightly bigger and have wings. Did you know a roach can survive decapitation? Cockroaches have two brains, one located in the head with another near the rectum. This enables them to live without a head until they die of starvation or dehydration. It is said that in the event of a nuclear bomb, cockroaches would be the only thing to survive.
Cockroaches do not but and are generally scared of human. They will hide once the lights are turned on. Perhaps this is way most homeowners do not think cockroaches pose any kind of health risk to their families but this is very wrong.
Cockroaches carry allergens that are much worse then that of a dog or cat, because of this they severely irritate those of us who suffer from asthma and allergies. Aside from causing breathing problems cockroaches also carry some pretty bad germs and viruses. Cockroaches pose a very serious risks to our health.
The est way to safe guard our selves and our families is to avoid a roach infestation. However if you do find yourself to be infested one thing you can use to rid your home of roaches is boric acid. Boric acid costs about 5 dollars a pound and can be found at most hardware stores. It is odorless and also kills silverfish and ants. Boric acid power is safe to use on all surfaces including carpet and hardwood. It is toxic to children and pets so you’ll want to make sure they don’t get into it.
to treat your home start in the kitchen. Cockroaches are driven by three things; hunger, thirst, and the need to pro-create. Two of their basic needs can be met in the kitchen so this is a good place to start. Spray a fine mist behind and underneath your refrigerator. Remove the broiler pan from your stove and if possible remove paneling under cupboards. You’ll want to cover these areas with a fine mist as well. Put the boric acid anywhere where children, food, and pets cannot come into contact with it. I even spray some into my garbage pail.
As I said before, roaches are attracted to water so you’ll want to treat your bathroom as well. Use boric acid under cupboards, behind toilets, underneath bathtub. My washer and dryer are in my bathroom as well so I spray some underneath and behind each.
About once a week I treat all my carpets as well. I do this at night when my children, who are both still small, are asleep so that I don’t have to worry about them coming into contact with it. I use boric acid under dressers, in closets, beneath couches and chairs, anywhere my children won’t get into it.
Boric Acid kills roaches within 3 to 10 days, basically as long as it takes them to starve to death, as the boric acid clogs their mouths and pore so the cannot it or drink. In addition to using boric acid it is important to vacuum frequently and keep things picked up. Make sure to keep foods sealed tightly and that your garbage can has a tight lid.
