Winter is around the corner, a cozy time of year when the chill outdoors heightens the sensation of snugness people while indoors. However, humans aren’t the only ones looking to escape frigid temperatures.

Unlike larger animals that hibernate for the winter, like bears, cockroaches survive by finding warm places to burrow. The last place you want them is the first place you want to be: your home.

If you need German Cockroach control in Toronto or the GTA because the roaches are already inside, call GreenLeaf Pest Control right away! Our specialists will uproot the extermination, so they’re gone, and stay gone, today and tomorrow.

However, if you’re looking for tips to help keep cockroaches away in the first place, please continue reading.

Water Sources

Like all creatures, cockroaches in Toronto need water to stay alive. They gravitate towards moisture, meaning they’re likely to gather near pipes and drains. That’s why cockroaches are often found in kitchens and washrooms.

They may also enter your home through the sewer or through a pipe. To keep roaches away, it’s wise to seal drainpipes, fix leaky taps, look for gaps in the pipes under your sink, and address the root sources of condensation.

If your home is in a building with multiple units, you may not be able to control for all these factors. Do your part to keep them away, and if you need exterminators in Toronto because it’s not enough, call us.

Otherwise, if you think there’s a risk of roaches gathering in a certain place in your home, keep it dry.

Food

Everything alive needs to drink and eat, and while there are many different types of cockroaches, they all need food to survive. Obviously, everybody eats in their home.

But to avoid attracting cockroaches, it’s a good idea to tidy up after yourself regularly. Don’t leave crumbs behind on the cutting board, or bits of food lying around for too long, especially things like decaying fruit.

You probably prefer fresh fruit, but not roaches! They love decaying rinds, so it’s a good idea to throw out your trash regularly rather than store old food garbage indoors for too long. Roaches don’t only eat decaying fruit, they lay their eggs in it, too.

It’s also not a bad idea to clean your dishes regularly and put them away, dry. Moist dishes with food on them are doubly attractive to roaches.

Pet Food

We love spoiling our four-legged friends, but be careful not to leave too much food around unattended. Pests like roaches are also drawn to pet food. Make sure that your dog or cat eats the food provided for them and clean up any crumbs that may fall between the cracks or get trapped under the lip of a dish.

Be mindful not to leave food around that other creatures may want to eat. Even the hungriest dog sometimes misses a bit of kibble here and there. Do a deep clean and ensure the areas where you leave food out are immaculate.

Shelter

Cockroaches can survive in frigid temperatures, but that doesn’t mean they prefer them. The fall is when roaches look for a warm place to sit the winter out.

Some creatures will burrow underground, satisfied to be safe from the chilly exposure outside. Roaches will find a place inside to be and you don’t want it to be your home. Use caulking to seal up any cracks, gaps, or crevices.

Ensure your weather stripping is in a good state of repair, especially around windows and doors, as this helps you control cockroaches in your home. Roaches communicate with each other via pheromones, so it’s best not to stockpile materials which collect odours, like cardboard or wood.

Removing whatever draws roaches in is a little preventative maintenance that can go a long way. If you have the misfortune of having roaches inside your home already, call GreenLeaf Pest Control to uproot the infestation.

We deliver premier cockroach control in Toronto with our custom chemical solutions that aren’t available for sale at your local hardware store. Our expert technicians apply their knowledge to create the most effective chemical for eliminating cockroaches.

The chemicals will be ultra tough on roaches while remaining friendly to pets and the environment. Indeed, the ingredients in all our sprays have been approved by Health Canada.

Unkempt Lawn

Cockroaches will never shout at homeowners to mow the lawn! Roaches like tall grass, bundles of sticks, and piles of wood, which give them some shelter and a nice place to congregate.

They’re also drawn to puddles, making undeveloped parts of the lawn without soil where water can pool is a pull factor. GreenLeaf Pest Control offers a Home Protection Plan where our technicians will inspect your property and grounds and remove anything that attracts pests.

They’ll also look for signs of any existing infestation and uproot it. Then, they’ll give a preventative treatment which keeps the roaches away. You may have tried all the above tips and found that the roaches are still there — our Home Protection Plan is the shield you need to ensure they’re gone now and never return.

You may as well keep the above tactics in mind as a low-cost preventative measure, but GreenLeaf Pest Control’s Home Protection Plan is the ultimate barrier between you and any pest.

Autumn is a nice time of year, when you can walk around comfortably outside in pants and a jacket and it’s not sweltering or freezing. As you prepare to make your home cozy for winter, roaches are making their plans too. Having a few tips to keep cockroaches away is handy, but if you need comprehensive pest control to uproot an infestation or prevent one from happening in the first place, call GreenLeaf Pest Control Today.