Despite having varied opinions, one thing all humans may agree on is the fact that cockroaches are annoying filthy pests. Especially those that keep flying all around— making it hard to get rid of them.
They could be present anywhere— hundreds of them could infest your bedroom, kitchen, or bathroom. Imagine jumping out of your bathtub in the middle of a relaxing bath after seeing a cockroach and getting hurt. Ouch!
To prevent such a confrontation, we talk extensively about getting rid of cockroaches in your bathroom (apart from stomping on them or swatting them).
Why Do Roaches Enter The Bathroom?
Why do cockroaches even bother getting into your bathroom?
Cockroaches infest indoors because they are looking for food, water, and shelter. Your bathroom fulfills all of these necessities and is a perfect place for them.
It is humid and provides alternative food sources that the roaches can feed on, such as toothpaste, creams, lotions, and toilet paper.
Additionally, being nocturnal, they love dark and damp places— drains, cracks, and crevices in your bathroom prove ideal hiding spots.
How To Eliminate Roaches In The Bathroom?
There is no one single easy way to go about this. Instead, you need to throw the kitchen sink at it.
1. Seal The Gaps
Prevention is always better than cure. By identifying and sealing the entry points of cockroaches, you can prevent them from finding their way in and becoming a nuisance later.
- Seal the cracks and nicks on the outlet pipes and around your drains using an appropriate caulk.
- Cracks and crevices around your bathroom sink, cabinets, and bathtub could be hosting a large population of roaches. Identify these spots and seal them using caulk, plaster, or cement.
- Inspect cracks and gaps in your bathroom walls, skirting, foundation, and flooring. Seal them using plaster or cement.
- Remove electrical outlet covers and see if some of these pesky insects are hiding there. Use boric acid dust to take them out.
2. Baking Soda
This is one of the most effective ways to get rid of cockroaches in your bathroom, especially if they are entering through the drains.
Mix baking soda with sugar, then sprinkle it where you’ve seen cockroaches hide or emerge from. The sugar acts as the bait, and the baking soda does the job of getting rid of them.
3. White Vinegar
This works when you mix equal amounts of vinegar and water. Pour the liquid into a spray can.
Spray it in or around drains or anywhere you see cockroaches coming out from. Spraying vinegar directly on them also takes them out instantly.
4. Hot Water
This is one of the easiest methods on the list as long as you’re careful. Pouring hot water down any drain in your house can take out many of these crawly insects.
You can mix the hot water with baking soda if you wish.
5. Boric Acid
This is another good option that does the job effectively. All you need to do is sprinkle a light amount of boric acid on a paper plate and a suitable bait.
Eventually, the roaches will come in contact with it and perish. Make sure the powder is always kept dry for it to work thoroughly.
You will need to exercise caution while using this method if you have children or pets. This is because boric acid can be poisonous and quite harmful.
Also, when using chemicals on your drains, you don’t want to use a lot, so you don’t accidentally damage your pipes.
6. Use Traps
Placing traps in specific areas in the bathroom will help you catch a number of them at once. This method works well alongside other methods.
There are multiple traps to try out, ranging from sticky types to large bait stations. Choose one depending on the level of infestation.
How to Keep Cockroaches Out of Your Bathroom?
You can prevent cockroaches from infesting your bathroom by following the measures below.
Are Cockroaches Dangerous?
1. Allergen Triggers
Cockroaches can cause severe allergic triggers such as skin rashes, sneezing, and watery eyes. This is because their shedding body parts, feces, and saliva contain many allergens.
The allergic reaction could range from moderate to severe depending on the person.
It’s not only allergies they can trigger; they are the worst enemies of asthmatic people. They can cause asthmatic attacks through their eggs. Even if you’re not asthmatic, there’s still a possibility you can have asthma just from inhaling their allergens. This is especially common in children.
2. Health problems
Cockroaches carry many bacteria and diseases and even pathogens and intestinal worms. These organisms cause cholera, dysentery, typhoid fever, salmonella, and many other life-threatening diseases.
Eliminating them all together is in your best interest.
3. It’s Never Just One
That’s the most frustrating part about cockroach infestations. They always come in large numbers to rile you and your family.
If you see just one around your house, the chances are high that there could be more hiding in other parts of the house.
In popular culture, it is believed that cockroaches would be the only living organisms inhabiting the Earth if a nuclear holocaust were to take place in the future. Don’t think your work is done when you search around and still can’t find any.
Some of the below-mentioned places could be hosting thousands of them.
What we’re saying is that they could be anywhere. The female cockroach reproduces at an alarming rate— over a hundred eggs in her lifetime. If this problem is not taken care of quickly, it can worsen in a short period
4. They Contaminate Food And Water
There’s a high chance that everybody has seen a cockroach scurrying away in their kitchen. These insects aren’t fussy and will eat almost anything. Plus, the fact that they can crawl into nearly any space doesn’t help the situation much.
It’s not just the grocery and other food items you need to keep sealed tightly in your kitchen. Do not leave any meal uncovered around the house, even if you intend to get back to it in a minute.
Cockroaches contaminate food by leaving dead skin, hair, empty shells, or defecating on food (gross). It’s not just your food you need to be worried about, but also your water.
5. They Can Hurt You Physically (Sounds Unbelievable But True!)
The pest is not just a threat to your health; it can also hurt you physically. They are rare cases where people have said that a cockroach crawled into their ears and nose while sleeping or on their bodies (that’s more common). Cockroaches inside your body can lead to other life-threatening implications.
In other rare cases, people have said that cockroaches have bitten them on their fingers or nibbled on their flesh and have caused a small wound to appear.
How To Prevent Cockroaches From Entering Your Home?
You can take the below measures to prevent cockroaches from invading your house in the first place.
1. Take Out The Trash
Things that attract cockroaches the most include food leftovers, sugary liquids, meat, cheese, and other substances. Do not leave these items in the trash bin for longer periods.
Also, keep all the food items properly sealed.
2. Clean The Drains Around Your Home
Drains around your house (especially the kitchen) need to be cleaned often with a proper cleaner. The food remnants you wash off your plates can get stuck and attract these pests.
Through the kitchen, cockroaches can find an easy way into your house. Use drain stoppers or covers at night or if the house will remain vacant for a while.
3. Regularly Maintain Your House
Inspect your house from time to time. Close any small openings around your walls and drain pipes.
Make sure the doors and windows shut tightly, and there aren’t small openings through which cockroaches can sneak in.
Take care of leaky faucets as dripping water attracts cockroaches too.
4. Keep Your House And Backyard Clean And Tidy
A messy home is a free invitation to these pests. You would be surprised to know that the roaches can feed on paper, books, and glue. Yikes!
Wipe counters and tables, organize areas of the house and neatly put everything in its designated place.
It’s not only the interior of your house that needs attention— clean and maintain your backyard or garden as well. Do not leave piles of broken branches, twigs, fallen leaves or fruits, or other decaying waste in the open.
Cockroaches prefer rotted logs, tree stumps, and hollow trees to lay eggs and start a colony. Check out these places and nip the problem in the bud.
Conclusion
Cockroaches are pesky little pests that can ruin your house in no time. They pose a significant health risk to you, your children, and your pets.
Eliminating them becomes a challenge as they are pretty good at hiding. Fortunately, our thoroughly researched guide lists all actionable measures and insights that can help you get rid of them.
I have found gardening to be my calling since being restricted to my apartment. I love studying rare species of plants and giving them a mention on my blog. I also love growing organic vegetables in my backyard.
