- Last Updated on June 22, 2021
How to Get Cockroaches Out of Kitchen Cabinets?
Despite all of mankind’s amazing accomplishments, we continue to experience the menace known as cockroaches.
You’ve probably seen these unwanted guests around your bathroom. And of course they may have invaded the sacred space of your kitchen and settled in the cabinets.
A kitchen is the heart of the home. You can’t have roaches living rent-free in the heart now can you? You need a solution ASAP.
We’ve all heard about how roaches can survive nuclear blasts. That’s not possible, but it’s a fact that they can survive a huge amount of radiation…
But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
In this post we’ll shed light on how you can get rid of cockroaches from your kitchen cabinets and hopefully, your house – for good.
We’ll walk you through everything: from why these cockroaches come to be in your kitchen cabinets and how you can prevent that, to how to get rid of them if they’re already there.
So, ready to claim back your kitchen storage? Let’s go!
Why Cockroaches Are In Your Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets tend to be dark and secluded. Some even retain moisture. All these factors attract pests like cockroaches, encouraging them to make a home inside these cabinets.
Moreover, leftover crumbs, sugar granules, or flour remains provide food for the cockroaches.
Poorly fitted pipes and hoses also provide easy access to your kitchen. Leaks may also cause excess moisture to accumulate within cabinets, attracting cockroaches.
Why You Should Get Rid Of Them ASAP
Apart from them being absolutely disgusting, cockroaches are also a big time health hazard.
We all know where they live, and what that entails. When these cockroaches migrate from gutters and drains to our kitchens and cabinets, they bring along bacteria and other filthy microbes from these places.
This can potentially contaminate anything and everything in your kitchen, from your favorite coffee mug to your coffee machine. Nothing can be considered clean.
They can also contaminate the food stored in your kitchen. You DON’T want this. It can cause a plethora of problems, including food poisoning.
Cockroaches also tend to give off a very unpleasant odor, which can be increasingly difficult to live with.
Some people might be allergic to cockroach excrement. This can cause multiple symptoms such as a runny nose, watery eyes, flu, cough, and even severe reaction in your lungs – which can cause breathing difficulties.
Yes, they need to go soon!
How to make it happen? Let’s get right to it…
What You’ll Need
Let’s start your journey to getting rid of cockroaches from your kitchen cabinets. Here are things you’ll need (along with patience):
- A flashlight
- Protective gear such as gloves, a mask, and goggles
- Insecticide treatment: you can choose from a number of treatments depending on the extent of your problem. These can be sprays, gels, powders, or bait stations.
How to rid your kitchen of those Roaches
1. Localize the problem
Start by determining the extent of your problem to decide the best approach to solve it.
You can do this by examining cabinets with flashlights after clearing them out. Pay special attention to nooks and corners, since these are more secluded. They’ll be more preferred by cockroaches.
2. Use insecticide spray
If the infestation is in the early stages and you only have one or two cockroaches, spray them with insecticide to kill them instantly.
Make sure to cover your mouth and nose properly. And DO NOT accidentally spray some on any food.
Note that this is only a quick fix and won’t deal with a long-term infestation.
3. Sprinkle borax powder
Sprinkling borax powder in the cabinets after cleaning them up can eliminate roach infestations.
But because of its powdery consistency, it can be displaced due to air or objects placed in the cabinets.
4. Place roach glue strips
Try placing roach glue strips in cabinets you suspect an infestation in. This will get any cockroaches in the area to stick to it and you can get rid of some roaches.
But these need to be placed strategically to be effective.
5. Try gel bait
You can get a form of cockroach killing gel and apply it on the sides and the back of the cabinets. You can also use it to fill cracks and leaking pipes.
6. Use bait stations
This cockroach poison usually comes in the form of compact disks or cubes that you can easily place in your cabinets for long-term protection.
Bait stations attract cockroaches to come and feed on them. The cockroaches then take the poison to their hiding place, where the poison kills it and the rest of its gang.
Brutal? Yes.
Effective? Also yes!
Some of these bait stations are effective for up to a year, so if you need a long-term solution – go for this one.
7. Other natural remedies
There are a number of natural remedies that people claim are effective. If you want an alternative to chemical solutions, consider these:
- Bay leaf smell tends to repel roaches
- Empty eggshells placed in the cabinets tend to keep roaches away too
- Roaches don’t come near a bowl of red wine
8. Professional help
If nothing else works, or if you’re too busy (or lazy) to do it yourself – just call for professional help.
Professional exterminators will use multiple expert treatments to get rid of cockroaches. They may also fumigate your kitchen and cabinets for you.
These are usually effective for a long time. The only hassle is clearing out your kitchen and staying away from it for the recommended time.
How to Keep Cockroaches Away for Good
Now that you know how to get rid of cockroaches from your kitchen cabinets, let’s see how to keep them away for good.
1. Clean Regularly
Regular cleaning your kitchen every night after you’re done cooking and eating is the first step towards keeping roaches away.
I swear by this method.
Also, make sure to deep clean your kitchen cabinets at least once every month. Preferably with a vacuum cleaner. This will help ensure you’re not leaving behind any food crumbs.
2. Store food properly
Always store your food properly. Use closed containers or at least seal the boxes or packets you’re using.
This especially applies to junk food and things like cereal. Cockroaches are good scavengers and smell food from far away.
Airtight containers not only keep your food safe, but also prevent the smell from attracting cockroaches.
3. Empty the trash can regularly
It’s ideal to empty the trash can in your kitchen daily. Especially if it fills up every day.
Trash cans tend to collect a lot of moisture and gunk. All of which can be a potential breeding point for these cockroaches, which then move to the cabinets as a safe haven.
4. Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink
We know cockroaches love the drains. They’ll come running if they smell food at the end of the drains i.e. dirty dishes in the sink.
They’ll make their way up and move to the cabinets soon enough.
Try to not leave any dirty dishes in the sink for long periods, especially overnight. Not only can dirty dishes attract cockroaches, they’re also a breeding ground for several types of bacteria and contaminants.
5. Check for leaks and cracks
Regular kitchen maintenance will also help you keep cockroaches out of your kitchen cabinets.
Check for any seal cracks or crevices in the walls and cabinets and fix them. Otherwise they’ll soon become cockroach birth zones.
Similarly, make sure all pipes and drains are fixed in place, and prevent any leaks before it’s too late.
Cockroaches are no doubt a menace. They can come out of nowhere and quickly become a big headache.
While it’s awful, it’s fairly common to get a cockroach infestation. So you’re not alone.
Just make sure you’re doing what you can to prevent them. That is, clean your cabinets regularly, eliminate trace food sources, and get rid of potential attractions like trash.
In case you get them, don’t freak out! You can try several ways to get rid of them or call a professional to do it for you.
Whatever you do, don’t overlook the problem. Roaches in your kitchen cabinets are bad news for your health. Now you know how to get rid of them and keep them away for good.
We hope this article helps you solve your problem. If you found this post helpful, please feel free to read other similar ones on our site.
Thanks for reading, and happy exterminating!
Ronald has 25 years of pest control experience under his belt. He scrutinizes each control method, product and process to prevent infestations effectively.
