How to Keep Cockroaches Out of Your Apartment Building

If you spot one or more cockroaches in your apartment, chances are good that these pests have already invaded your building in large numbers. Cockroaches in your apartment complex are also a pest issue for other tenants. These critters swiftly move from one unit to another, traveling through common walls and ceilings.  

What attracts cockroaches to an apartment building?

Cockroaches come into apartment buildings to seek food, water, and shelter. Once these pests have infested just a single unit in your building, it’s easy enough for them to travel to other apartments to find what they need to survive.

What attracts cockroaches in apartments?

Bits of food, protected environments, and moisture are the main attractions for cockroaches in an apartment. Specifically, these can include:

• Food: Crumbs sitting on a kitchen counter, unswept floors, pet food left in bowls overnight, or improperly sealed food containers all act as open invitations for cockroaches to come feast. Cockroaches aren’t picky and will eat anything, even eating the glue used in cardboard boxes or book covers and packaging to get at food.
• Damp areas: Bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms are prime locations for cockroaches. Any areas where you frequently use water can draw out cockroaches, like leaky pipes, a moist sponge, or dirty pots soaking in water. The insects need only one drop of water per day to survive. 
• Cracks and gaps: Cockroaches like to shelter in the gaps between pipes and electrical systems and the cracks in walls and moldings.
• Other food sources: Cockroaches feed on decaying organic matter, not just human foods. Cardboard, book bindings, grease spots, and dead insects might attract these pests to your home.

Do cockroaches spread diseases to humans?

Cockroaches can carry dangerous bacteria and viruses, spreading diseases to humans and irritating people who suffer from allergies and asthma. Some germs can be present in cockroaches’ digestive systems for months or years. The insects may crawl over food, vomiting or defecating on it as they go. These bacteria or viruses can infect humans when they eat or handle contaminated food. Cockroaches’ droppings on apartment floors, countertops, tables, or cabinets can also make humans sick.

How to keep cockroaches out of your apartment building 

It’s difficult to keep cockroaches out of an apartment building without enlisting the services of a professional pest control company. 

Even if you’re keeping your apartment very clean, other apartment dwellers in your building may not be as diligent. Once cockroaches have infested someone else’s unit, it’s only a matter of time before these pests travel to other homes within the building. You can also bring cockroaches directly into your apartment complex on grocery packages or luggage.

How to prevent cockroaches in apartment buildings

The best way to prevent cockroaches from infesting apartment buildings is through regular visits from a professional pest control company, like Hawx Pest Control. Maintaining a clean living space will also help keep cockroaches from invading your apartment, but these pests will even nest in immaculate apartments if the conditions are right for them. Books, hair, fecal matter, and general clutter are all attractants that make it hard to prevent cockroaches in your apartment building.

Apartment building tenants should keep their units very neat, encase food in airtight containers, seal cracks, fix dripping pipes, and be careful about bringing packages in that might harbor pests. However, these pests can still get into a building even with all these precautions, which is why professional maintenance is crucial.

Signs of a cockroach infestation in your apartment building

There are a few things to look for when you suspect a cockroach infestation:

• Droppings: Cockroach droppings look like specks of pepper. Seeing a large number of these tiny pellets indicate an infestation.

• Musty odor: Most cockroaches give off a foul, musky odor left behind in their droppings. As more cockroaches infest an apartment building, the smell becomes stronger.
• Egg casings: One cockroach egg casing is capable of holding between 16 to 50 eggs. Cockroaches often leave the egg case in place after the eggs have hatched. 
• Neighbors reporting an issue: If a neighbor mentions cockroaches in their home, it’s often just a matter of time before these pests find their way into your unit.
• Seeing a cockroach: If you turn on a light late at night and see one or more cockroaches scurrying away, it’s a sure sign there’s an infestation or the beginning of one.

Cockroach pest control services 

At Hawx Pest Control, we provide a safe and affordable service to keep cockroaches out of your apartment building. Our highly trained professionals are available year-round to address issues with cockroaches and other pests. We use a multi-layer process and state-of-the-art tools to keep cockroaches away. Call us today for a free estimate to get your pest control issues managed.