With no disrespect to the mosquito, there's no other pest in the world that is so widely despised as the cockroach. Sure, mosquitoes are a nuisance, and spiders may scare those with phobias, but there aren't many people that wouldn't hit the roof at the sight of a cockroach crawling over their bare foot. But if you live on planet Earth, it's pretty much guaranteed that you've had a confrontation with one. Aside from the grotesque look, cockroaches also carry disease-causing bacteria and have recently been discovered to be a source of allergies in humans.
The trick to avoiding a face-to-face meeting with a cockroach is to avoid attracting them to begin with. Once you have a few cockroaches, you could quickly end up having a few thousand, thanks to their speedy reproductive capabilities. There are a few things cockroaches look for when scoping out a potential crash pad: warmth, moisture and food. For this reason, keeping your home clean is the first step in prevention. Empty your garbage on a regular basis, especially during the summer months. It's also a good idea to not put a lot of stinky food waste into your bin because these smells really attract roaches. Make sure your outdoor garbage can isn't located right beside your house either. If it's parked directly by the back door, you could be leading them right into your house.
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Keeping your recycling clean is another key. All those little bits of soda, beer, wine, milk and juice that drip out into your recycling bin are a haven for cockroaches. Make sure you do a thorough rinse of any liquid containers as well as food jars and bottles. Keeping your pantry tidy and making sure all the food is sealed tight is another good tip. Try keeping your cereal and other grains in plastic containers. Also, boric acid has always been an effective cockroach deterrent as long as you use it properly. Its toxicity is low for humans, but deadly to cockroaches. When spreading the boric acid, go light. In fact, the acid should barely be visible to you. A very light line under the stove and refrigerator, behind the trashcan and nears cracks and crevices near doorways will help keep roaches at bay.
