Some bugs, like ladybugs, butterflies, and caterpillars, can be pretty cute. Others are anything but cute. For many people, cockroaches are pretty high on the list of bugs that are just creepy and gross. No one wants to see them in or around their homes. So, what can you do to discourage them from making themselves at home in your house?

 Cockroaches don’t like to be out in the open. They like to hide where it’s warm and dark until it’s time to eat. Keep your home clean and tidy to reduce the number of places they can hide. Cardboard, unfinished wood, and paper are particularly popular hiding spots, so avoid allowing them to pile up. Inspect your packages when you bring them into the house and get rid of the packaging as soon as possible.

It doesn’t take much food or water to sustain a cockroach. That can make it tough to eliminate food sources for them, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do your best. Start by limiting your eating to the kitchen or dining room rather than anywhere in the house. Store your food in sealed containers. Keep up on washing dishes in the kitchen and try not to let garbage sit for too long. Thoroughly wipe down your countertops and vacuum your kitchen floor each night before you go to bed to get rid of any crumbs they could eat. Remember to clean under your kitchen sink as well.

It’s a lot easier to prevent cockroaches from making your home theirs if you can keep them out in the first place. That means paying attention to outdoor prevention. Limit their food source by emptying any pet food bowls at night and keeping tight-fitting lids on any outdoor trash cans. Store the trash cans away from your doors. Try to avoid stacking firewood against the house for long periods, as it could act as a great hiding spot for roaches–and so can heavy vegetation near your walls, including thick grasses, vines, weeds, and tall bushes and flowers. If you must have them, at least make sure they’re well maintained and not right up against your walls.

Prevention is always best when it comes to dealing with cockroaches. They can be a dangerous allergen source and asthma trigger, not to mention a carrier of bacteria that can be a dangerous food contaminant. Watch out for funny smells, roach droppings, chewed food packages, and egg cases, as these are early signs that you could have a cockroach problem. Contact Proterra Pest Control immediately so you can get rid of them as soon as possible.

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