Cockroaches are common household pests! Unfortunately, besides being a nuisance in your home, these extremely filthy pests are also the most embarrassing way to ruin any occasion! That's because most people associate them with dirty and unsanitary homes, which may be true to some extent!
Cockroach waste and saliva contain bacteria that contaminate food, causing food poisoning and diseases like cholera, campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis, leprosy, and more! Perhaps you're wondering whether roaches in the garage present any danger?
You'll be surprised to know that besides exuding a nasty and unpleasant odor, the mere sight of roaches in your garage can cause considerable psychological and emotional distress.
Psychologists warn that pests like bed bugs and roaches can lead to negative psychological and emotional manifestations like flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, insomnia, trauma, and personal dysfunction.
So you want to get rid of cockroaches in garage as soon as you suspect an infestation. Let's look at what attracts these nasty invaders in your garage and how to exterminate them for good.
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Is It Common To Have Cockroaches In The Garage?
Homeowners dread the sight of roaches scurrying in their cars or garage. Even if there is barely any food or water available in your garage, it's not uncommon for cockroaches to build colonies in there.
These invasive pests will soon discover other benefits like seclusion. Roaches prefer to stay hidden in secluded, dark, and warm places. Garages tend to be hot with less foot traffic, making an incredible shelter for roach colonies to scavenge for food, breed, and hide in the numerous nooks and crannies.
Roaches are not picky eaters, and they are skilled at scavenging. This makes it easy for them to find plumbing leakages, trash, animal, and plant materials that you may fail to notice in the garage.
For these reasons, garages are very welcoming places for cockroach infestations. Besides, cockroaches can easily leave the interior of your house and squeeze through the small cracks and crevices in walls, and open doors into your garage!
Why Do I Have Roaches In My Garage?
Cockroaches constantly search for warmth, moisture, and food to survive. And though different roach species can invade homes, each of which has specific needs, you will commonly find them hiding in the dark, damp areas of your garage.
Unknown to many homeowners, garages have all varieties of foods for many types of invasive pests to thrive. People often leave trash, food particles, and dirty garbage cans in their garage for an extended period. This attracts roaches!
These invaders are omnivores, and though they prefer meat, sweets, and plant material, they will consume anything they can get, including hair, paper, and decaying matter. Additionally, garages have numerous hiding places for roaches to take up residence, like boxes, bags, and cluttered corners.
Perhaps you have noticed one cockroach in your garage? Don't panic. The high chances are that it's just a wayward wanderer that luckily managed to squeeze its way in the night. And if you can't find its lair, maybe taking off your shoe and calmly planning an attack will take care of the pest.
But you'll need to contact a pest expert to do a thorough inspection of your entire home and in case of an active infestation, get rid of roaches effectively.
What Attracts Roaches Into My Garage?
It's a common belief that roaches can't infest garages just because they don't have ample food and water like kitchens. However, as seen above, this area of your home offers many benefits for roaches.
And several factors might propel the pests to seek out shelter in your garage. For instance, your home may be immaculately clean and doesn't provide the pests any food sources. or pest treatment has forced them further into hiding, or maybe you have a full-blown infestation and the roaches have spilled into your garage.
Let's have a thorough look at factors that attract roaches into garage:
Little To No Activity
Most people rarely visit or spend time in their garages. You're almost always only there a few minutes to park your car-roaches thank you for that!
Though these pests readily infest homes where there are ample food sources, they actually prefer dark and quiet places. Here, there's a reduced risk of attack from predators like toads, frogs, and lizards.
As a result, roaches in garages multiply rapidly, creating large colonies that colonize the space without disturbance. Unfortunately, you will rarely notice a cockroach colony in your garage unless the infestation has grown massively. At this point, you will need to get rid of roaches in the garage immediately and effectively to ensure the infestation doesn't spread to other areas of your home.
Dirt In The Garage
Roaches are gross and filthy by nature. They thrive in places with rotting waste, debris, and particularly enjoy decaying food leftovers and mold.
Garages are susceptible to debris because they are readily exposed to the outside world. For instance, your car tires may bring plant debris and grim. And If the garage door is left open, dirt from outside may drift it. The result? A garage full of cockroach best foods.
Dirty Waste Bins And Recyclables
You are generally advised to rinse empty cans, jars, and bottles before tossing them into the waste bin. And though you don't even need to use dish soap or sponge to clean out the remaining contents in recyclables and trash, most people don't do it. Roaches will scurry through unwashed waste bins, trash, and recyclables to eat the leftovers.
Cracks And Open Doors
Roaches do not discriminate clean garages from dirty ones. As long as there's even the smallest opening, like cracks on the wall, they will squeeze through into your garage. Leaving your garage windows and doors opened readily invites pests from the outdoors. Additionally, an improperly sealed, insulated, and weatherproofed garage provides enough spaces for cockroaches to crawl through.
Moisture Availability
A study found that roaches can survive many weeks without food and water. But these pests thrive in places with moisture. Often, garages will have problems like damaged and leaking pipes that remain unaddressed for long. Other faults like worn-out and outdated roofs can cause leaks that provide enough moisture for roaches to survive.
Leaks aside, your vehicle can bring snow and moisture during the winter season. Poorly ventilated garages also accumulate a lot of moisture in the air, which is a great attractant for roaches.
How To Get Rid Of Roaches In Garage
Getting rid of roaches in garages is much easier once you've understood the factors that attract them into your garage. Consider the following tips:
Rinse Recyclables And Waste Containers
The insides of plastic containers are typically dirty with leftovers and spills of sugary soft drinks. The rotten smell wafted out from these containers instantly draws roaches into the garage and encourages the ones already there to stay.
Consider rinsing trash containers and regularly cleaning recyclables to discourage roaches and a plethora of other pests. Containers with food spillages and residues should be washed with soap and water.
Keep in mind that besides attracting insects into your garage, mold grows in just about any food or drink container. Mold spores are a health risk and can irritate your eyes and respiratory tract.
Remove Moistures
Any places with moisture and water, for instance, leaky pipes, roof leaks, and damaged sinks, can potentially lure roaches. Moisture is a big cockroach attractant, and it will bring them into even the cleanest garages.
Inspect leaky pipes and faucets and seal any cracks and fissures. Doorways are a common problem that allows water to leak into the garage. Ensure adequate caulking around the doorway and seal up the gaps under the door.
Check all areas you suspect can accumulate water and dry up any puddles. Removing moisture and water is an effective way to get rid of roaches in the garage.
Get Rid Of All Trash
Trash is another big cockroach attractant! Perhaps you store trash in your garage? Consider taking it out more frequently or storing it elsewhere. You can increase how often you remove trash from your garage by taking advantage of every available pick-up. If that's not an option, you will need to store your garbage more securely.
A great trick to keep roaches out of your trash is wrapping the waste tightly in heavy-duty trash bags. They act as a barrier between your trash and invading pests. Besides, you don't have to stow trash in your garage and attract uninvited pest guests- put all garbage in outdoor bins and make sure the lid is secured at all times.
Remove Papers And Boxes
Cockroaches are attracted to papers and boxes. They like wet papers and cardboard even better! In fact, wet papers are a full course meal for roaches!
Besides emitting smells that roaches easily pick up, they eat the glue, starch, and other organic materials found in these items. Not only do these items provide shelter for roaches, but they also keep them hydrated.
A cockroach colony will quickly expand in such an area. Therefore, you'll need to toss out all cardboard, papers, and boxes. Consider the following tips:
- Store all paper products in a sealable plastic container.
- Replace cardboards used for storage with thick plastic containers.
- Immediately get rid of any wet or moist items.
- Perhaps you have an active cockroach infestation in the garage? The best thing to do is throw out all paper and discourage the colony from multiplying further and spilling into your clean home.
Keep Roaches Out Of Your Garage
Of course, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Clearly, keeping cockroaches away is better than fighting them. Let's quickly go over how to keep cockroaches away from your garage:
- Seal all cracks like broken window seals and gaps along doors.
- Small holes in light fixtures and around pipes should also be sealed.
- Keep your garage clean at all times, for instance, by cleaning out leaves, debris, and drying puddles.
- Keep the outdoors of your garage clean, neat, and dry to keep cockroaches away.
When To Call A Professional
Conventional cockroach treatments like baits and sprays will get rid of roaches in the garage. But that's only if the infestation is still very small. Removing food, water sources and hiding spots like papers and boxes will also drive roaches away.
But if the cockroach colony has grown big, your chances of eliminating them successfully are minimal to none.
The best thing to do is seek help from pest control experts near me. The professionals are trained to inspect your entire home and garage and identify cockroach hiding spots. They will then customize a treatment plan to get rid of roaches in the garage and prevent re-infestations.
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