What to do if you see a cockroach in the kitchen

Why do they appear?

Cockroaches need food, water and warmth, which is why they most often settle where they can find everything they need - in the kitchen. There are several factors that increase the likelihood of insects, including:

• unsanitary conditions (unwashed dishes, leftover food, uncleaned food, garbage);
• leaking taps, leaks in pipes, blockages;
• cracks in the floor, walls, sink or sink attachment points.

In the sink

Cockroaches can get into your kitchen in many ways, such as:

• from a neighboring apartment, garbage chute, entrance or basement;
• with purchased equipment or furniture (warehouses are often infested with insects);
• with the parcel arriving by mail.

You can bring a cockroach from vacation or a business trip, bring it from work or from a store. Even one cockroach can cause a widespread infestation. If a pregnant individual appears in the kitchen, then after a while the number of insects will begin to increase rapidly.

Types of uninvited guests

There are quite a few synanthropic species among cockroaches, but our kitchens are threatened by the appearance of only two varieties of mustachioed pests - red (Prussian) or black.

Red Prussians

Red cockroaches are the most common species in houses and apartments. These are insects with an elongated, flattened body of a light brown or red color and long mustaches. The size of an adult Prussian is 1 – 1.6 cm, but in the kitchen you can often find many small cockroaches. These are nymphs - larvae that have not yet reached sexual maturity, which are very similar in appearance to adults.

Prussians are fertile (the female lays up to 50 eggs in one ooteca) and is very caring towards the offspring. Therefore, the colony grows quickly, even if only a few cockroaches initially appeared in the kitchen, very soon there will be a lot of them.

Black cockroaches

Black cockroaches are the main competitors of Prussians for a place in a warm kitchen. But they are less common, since, firstly, females lay fewer eggs (there are rarely more than 15 of them in one ooteca). And secondly, black cockroaches are careless about their offspring. Immediately after the formation of the ootheca, the female gets rid of it, which negatively affects survival.

Living next to a black cockroach in the kitchen is not only unpleasant (the insects are large, reaching a size of 3 - 3.5 cm), but also dangerous, since they often come from garbage dumps and sewer manholes, bringing numerous infections.

White cockroaches

If you find a white cockroach, there is no need to panic. This does not mean that a new species has appeared in the kitchen, which appeared through the process of mutation. The white cockroach is just an insect that has recently undergone a molt. For the first few hours, the chitinous cover remains light, but as it hardens, it darkens, acquiring a shade characteristic of a particular species.

How do they repopulate?

Oddly enough, these insects reproduce sexually. The male fertilizes the female, in which eggs develop in the abdominal region (ootheca). This capsule gradually enlarges as the eggs develop and become larger in size.

When the time comes, the female separates the edema from herself in a certain place where humans and other animals have no access. This is done to protect their offspring. The period after which small barbels appear lasts about 2 months. After hatching, they will grow rapidly and molt several times. After only 3 months, small nymphs turn into adults capable of continuing their race.

Ways to fight in the kitchen

Cockroaches will never leave the kitchen voluntarily, especially if there is something to eat in it. To get rid of pests, you will have to try. The most effective method of controlling cockroaches will be a combination of chemicals, folk remedies and preventive measures. Before starting disinfestation, it is necessary to do general cleaning (wash the floor, wipe off dust, wash all shelves and drawers in cabinets), as well as remove or seal food and block access to water for insects (wipe the sink dry, fix leaking taps, close containers with water). After this, you can start bullying.

Plumbing repair

Store funds

Manufacturers produce insect repellents in various forms. You can get rid of cockroaches in the kitchen using the following means:

• gels are the most effective remedy, helping to destroy cockroaches in a short time, while remaining active for several months;
• sprays - the product is convenient to use, it has a high penetrating ability, so it can kill hidden insects, the minus is the short-term effect of the drug;
• crayons, powders - a means of prolonged action, allows you to get rid of adult cockroaches, and then kills small pests that hatched after treating the room;
• traps are the safest for people and at the same time effective way to combat cockroaches; the smell of the bait helps to lure out insects, and the insecticide leads to infection of relatives and mass death.

Electronic Pest Control Products

This category includes two types of devices:

• electrical traps;
• ultrasonic repellers.

The principle of operation of the former is very simple - following the smell of bait, the cockroach gets inside a metal device, where it is killed by an electric discharge. The devices are quite effective, but they cannot be placed in places of high humidity, and they must be constantly plugged in.

As for repellers, according to many experts, they only act on those insects that perceive ultrasonic signals. Cockroaches are not one of these, therefore, to get rid of them, there is no point in using the device.

Folk methods of struggle

Folk remedies for cockroaches can also be very useful. It may not be possible to completely destroy parasites using them alone, but as an additional method of control they are very effective. Most often used:

• boric acid is the most effective method;
• essential oils (eucalyptus, fir, mint, lemon);
• geranium, mint, elderberry;
• kerosene or turpentine.

Another option is to wash the floor with vinegar or ammonia.

Causes and consequences of cockroaches appearing in kitchen appliances

Very often, cockroaches live inside kitchen appliances. Most often they inhabit the microwave, but they can also live in the refrigerator or dishwasher. There are several explanations for this attraction of pests to kitchen appliances:

• many secluded corners that a person cannot reach;
• food residues, crumbs, grease and smudges on the walls;
• a constant source of heat that is released during operation of the device;
• regular arrival of new products, which the owners put away for storage (in the refrigerator) or heat up (in the microwave).

Cockroaches inside kitchen appliances pose a danger to people primarily because they crawl on food, leaving dirt, helminth eggs and microbes on it. In addition, the presence of insects can cause overheating or damage to the device.

Infected equipment

Therefore, if you find cockroaches in a microwave or other device, you should not think long about what to do, but immediately start cleaning and disinsection.

Signs of the presence of Prussians

You can tell that cockroaches are living near you by the following symptoms:

• an unpleasant odor began to appear in the home;
• black dots appeared on the table, floor, walls;
• Cockroach eggs in the form of small oblong balls were found on dishes and furniture.

The first and main sign of the presence of Prussians in a home is a specific smell. It is difficult for a person who rarely leaves the house to detect it. Returning home after a two-hour walk, you will feel it immediately. This smell comes from pheromones that females secrete to attract males. For such a smell to appear in the apartment, it is not necessary to create unsanitary conditions. At the initial stage, for several pairs of insects to live and reproduce, a trash can found in the house is enough.

Inspect the bathroom and toilet carefully. Cockroaches also settle there and leave traces of their presence. There is high humidity in these rooms. And water, as we have already noted, is the most important condition for the life of these creatures. Inspect hard-to-reach places in the bathroom and toilet. There is a high probability that you will find a clutch of cockroach eggs or adult cockroaches there. After discovering even single copies, we must immediately begin to destroy them.

Features of pest control in household appliances

You should get rid of cockroaches in kitchen appliances (microwave, refrigerator, coffee machine, etc.) as soon as possible, but you must act carefully so as not to damage the appliance. Procedure:

1. Disconnect the device from the power supply.
2. Remove all debris and thoroughly wash the body outside and inside, removing all shelves, drawers and other removable parts (you can add ammonia or vinegar to the water).
3. Remove the back cover. Use a dry cloth or brush to remove dust and debris from all parts.
4. Disinfect the device, paying special attention to the back surface (aerosols are most preferable, since toxic vapors penetrate even the most inaccessible places.

To remove cockroaches from the microwave, both chemicals and folk remedies are used. Most often, the outside of the device is treated with insecticides, and safer means are used for the inside, for example, wiped with ammonia or vinegar.

After waiting the required time after disinsection, dead insects are removed (you can use a vacuum cleaner), and the device is thoroughly washed again with soap or soda solution. After it is completely dry, it can be used.

Crayons and powders

The most affordable are special crayons and powders against cockroaches.

They are convenient to apply, but almost impossible to treat hard-to-reach areas.
It is also not possible to treat the entire room. Both crayons and powders can be used indoors and are harmless to people and animals. But, if there are a lot of cockroaches in the house, these remedies may be ineffective. They can be used as a prophylaxis after treatment with stronger drugs. The following products have proven themselves to be effective:

• "Mashenka";
• "Tornado"
• "Super Fas";
• "Clean house";
• "Phenaxik".

How to prevent cockroaches from getting into the microwave oven

It is much easier to take preventive measures and prevent cockroaches from getting into the microwave than to then waste time and energy to evict them from there. In order not to one day discover a nest of pests in a microwave oven, it is necessary to provide protection not only for a specific device, but also for the entire kitchen:

• maintain cleanliness, do not leave garbage overnight, wash dirty dishes immediately after eating,
• place food in the refrigerator or seal it tightly;
• regularly ventilate the room;
• monitor the condition of pipes, taps, mixers, promptly eliminate leaks and blockages;
• Keep the microwave clean, remove heavy dirt immediately, and carry out preventive cleaning every 10 to 14 days.

Thorough cleaning

Additionally, you can wipe the surface of the oven with water with the addition of vinegar or essential oil. Next to the microwave you can put a sachet with herbs (mint, wormwood, bay leaf).