If You're Seeing Roaches In A Clean Home, This Could Be Why

cockroach in bathroom sink

Finding a cockroach in your home is alarming, especially if you keep your house clean and tidy. While it's often thought that cockroaches flock toward unhygienic environments, they can end up in clean homes for a variety of reasons. Roaches can be brought into homes on luggage, backpacks, clothing, or other bags and items that enter the house. Access to shelter, water, and food is what will keep the roaches inside your home.

These pests are not only creepy looking but can be hazardous to your health. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, roaches can carry bacteria that lead to staphylococcus, streptococcus, and salmonella if they come into contact with your food. They may also cause people with asthma to experience attacks, and others are allergic to their eggs, saliva, or feces. These potentially dangerous insects may also enter your home through cracks or gaps in the exterior of the house. If you live in an apartment building, they could be coming from another unit.

Read more: 13 Hacks That Will Help Keep Insects Out Of Your House

Why Roaches Are Living In Your Clean House

Once these pests are inside your house, they'll likely stay because of the shelter and access to water, even if there isn't an abundance of food. Cockroaches are able to go without eating for up to a month, and some varieties, such as the German cockroach, will eat items that aren't food. Toothpaste, soap, leather, and glue are some things that can sustain roaches when real food isn't present.

These insects love moisture, and leaking pipes provide a good environment for them. Overgrown plants may attract cockroaches to your yard, and from there, they may seek shelter in your home if they find an easy way inside. If you see one roach in your home, you likely don't have an infestation, but without proper management, one could develop. Even if your home is extremely clean, these pests will stick around and reproduce as long as there's water available.

Preventing Roaches From Coming Into Your Home

To keep roaches out of your home, make sure there are no cracks in your foundation, and use caulk to seal any openings around doors or windows that the insects could squeeze through. Sometimes, roaches make their way inside through dryer vents, but covering these areas with wire mesh or steel wool can keep the insects out. Making sure your house isn't easily accessible to these pests is the best way to keep them from getting inside. It's also helpful to ensure your plumbing has no leaks.

Besides cleaning up any crumbs or spills quickly, cutting down on clutter will give roaches fewer places to hide and make your home more unattractive to them. If you're worried you may be dealing with an infestation, contact a professional extermination company right away. These insects reproduce rapidly, so it's best to eliminate cockroaches quickly before they become out of control.

Read the original article on House Digest.