Nothing makes a person queasy faster than the word “cockroach.” Supposedly, even in the event of a nuclear bomb, cockroaches will make it alive on the other side. In other words, they’re not just gross but hard to kill. A sudden flash of light can make them scurry away. They’re always close by, in the shadows.

You may be able to tolerate an ant or two, but one single cockroach inside your kitchen crosses a red line. Let’s take a deeper dive into controlling cockroaches in your home, including looking at the different types of cockroaches out there, their habits, and why calling professional exterminators is essential.

Places They Congregate

Knowing a few tips to deter roaches can help you steer clear of this problem altogether. There are a few places where cockroaches tend to appear, like kitchens, basements, and bathrooms.

Cockroaches are drawn to areas with water, which explains their fascination with bathrooms and kitchens. They also love grease residue and food, which may be found on stovetops or your range hood or in the areas below coils or grills.

Indoor garbage bins are a major attractant for roaches and other pests too. The basement laundry machine is one of the cockroach’s favourite hiding places. The darkness and the humidity make them feel at home here.

Bathrooms in the basement that don’t get much traffic may be appealing to roaches for the same reasons. There are just tips on some likely places to spot them, but for professional cockroach control in Toronto and the GTA, don’t hesitate to call GreenLeaf Pest Control.

Avoidance Tips

Knowing what cockroaches don’t like is a great way to keep them out of your life and home. Erect barrier exclusions by sealing up or repairing tiny cracks near drains or electrical outlets. Examine the plumbing to ensure no gaps where a pipe enters the wall.

Fix the tiny cracks in the walls behind cabinets and appliances. If you live in an apartment building, this is twice as true. However clean your home may be, you can’t account for how your neighbours live. Homeowners will want to seal up their foundations to ensure cockroaches can’t get in.

Seal up any food in the kitchen tightly, so roaches can’t get in and won’t be drawn to the smell. Throw out any container with a crack. Don’t keep recycling material in your home for long — reducing this kind of clutter removes one of their favourite hiding places.

These tips will help you avoid a cockroach infestation, but it won’t do any good if the roaches have already breached the gates.

Eliminating German Cockroaches

If the German cockroach was native to the European country, they have travelled far afield. The German cockroach is now one of the most pervasive cockroach species found anywhere.

However, while they might enter your home, they’re more associated with industrial or commercial settings, like restaurants, factories, hotels, food processing centres, but also nursing homes and other institutions.

You might see wings on their back, but they seldom fly. They tend to be runners who gather in warm, humid places. If the population is large enough, German cockroaches produce a musty odour. They secrete this odour as a form of communication. You may not be able to hear them talk to each other, but you can smell it, and the smell is gross.

GreenLeaf Pest Control specializes in German cockroach control, so you don’t need to concern yourself with how to identify them or what their habits are. Feel peace of mind that they’re gone, so you can open the kitchen cabinet confidently without fearing that there’ll be a sudden exodus of roaches racing for the exits.

Oriental Cockroaches

One of the larger species of cockroach that tends to target homes is known as the Oriental cockroach. They’re also called “waterbugs” because they are drawn to damp areas or “black beetle cockroaches” due to their smooth, dark bodies.

Whatever name they go by, you don’t want them to visit you. Oriental cockroaches get into homes by going underneath doors or through gaps in the siding. They also follow pipes, sewers, and drains into a structure.

If you see one of these big pests, you’ll want professional Oriental cockroach control right away. It’s not enough to kill one or two. You need to feel confident that the infestation has been ripped out, root and stem.

GreenLeaf Pest control always uses effective chemicals you know are safe because they’re approved by Health Canada. Tough on pests, soft on pets.

Not only are cockroaches disgusting to look at, but there are also cockroach health risks to consider, such as potentially spreading disease, activating allergies, and more. Pest extermination keeps your home clean, safe, and healthy.

Home Protection Plan

Tips for reducing the odds of a cockroach infestation are helpful. It’s even better to engage GreenLeaf Pest Control’s home protection plan for proactive pest control in Toronto and the GTA.

Our experts can visit your premises to scan for existing cockroaches or pests or anything that might attract them. We’ll do a preventative treatment to the exterior and a follow-up inspection to ensure your home remains safe and clean.

In the very rare event that additional pests are observed, we’ll eliminate them free of charge. When you get our home protection plan, you can sit back and feel peace of mind that your home is pest-free and will effortlessly stay that way.

You can always count on a local, family-owned business for excellent service with a personal touch. If you want friendly, polite pest control experts to eliminate these unfriendly, uninvited guests from your home, call GreenLeaf Pest Control today.

Cockroaches are famously gross. You don’t need to be told that: you already know! But they can also spread pathogens and diseases. Whether it’s cleanliness or a healthy environment that you’re after, you want to ensure there are no cockroaches around. If you have any other questions about our services, prices, or any pests we exterminate, don’t hesitate to call GreenLeaf Pest Control at 416-998-9473.