Table of contents
- cockroaches
- Repel cockroaches with light
- Alternative eviction methods
- frequently asked Questions
Cockroaches are among the most disgusting pests that can appear in living spaces. But the disgust factor is only one side of the coin. The other is that the crawlies contaminate food supplies with pathogens. It is therefore essential to declare war on insects. Can cockroaches be repelled by leaving the light on at night?
cockroaches
The designation cockroaches, also known as cockroaches, includes several types of cockroaches. As a cultural follower of man they make themselves comfortable in apartments and houses and feed on supplies and food leftovers. Here is the German cockroach (Blattella germanica) the type of cockroach that occurs most frequently in this country. The Common cockroach (Blatta orientalis) rarely occurs in normal homes. In warm areas, the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) enter human dwellings.
Source: Lmbuga, Blattodea. Cascuda. Santiago de Compostela 1, Edited by Home Garden, CC BY-SA 3.0
Anyway, all of the mentioned cockroaches have the following characteristics:
- extremely agile in locomotion
- photophobic
- nocturnal
The German cockroach spends about 75 percent of the day well hidden. The cockroaches use a variety of places as hiding places. Areas with temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius are particularly popular when there is a source of food and moisture nearby.
A notice:
A gap of five millimeters is sufficient as a hiding place for adult cockroaches. It is therefore not surprising that they often spend the day behind door frames, in wall joints or under broken tiles.
Repel cockroaches with light
Since cockroaches are afraid of light, it is reasonable to think of scaring them away with light at night or to keep them from their nocturnal feeding expeditions with the lamp on. However, the bright lamplight during the night is not an effective measure against the pests. The reasons for this are:
- Cockroaches get used to the light
- don't want to starve (overcome photophobia)
- also occur during the day when hiding places are overcrowded
Since cockroaches will not be repelled by turning on the light, the question arises as to whether suddenly switching on a lamp at night is useful for finding the daytime hiding place. Unfortunately, this strategy can also be answered with a no. The cockroaches may flee from the brightness, but they don't necessarily flee into their hiding place. For example, even a small gap under a piece of furniture serves as protection from the light. There the animals wait until you have switched off the lamp. When it's dark again, they'll come out again to pounce on your supplies.
Alternative eviction methods
Instead of leaving the lights on, we recommend the following best practices to repel roaches.
Vinegar
Vinegar is considered a natural barrier for the pests. To keep the roaches away from food sources, spread vinegar around their lair. If you sprinkle pepper on it, the effect will be intensified.
A notice:
Cockroaches do without food for a long time. Therefore, starving the cockroaches is a long-term project.
Damp wipe
Lay a damp wipe on the floor at night. The warm, humid environment allows the cockroaches to crawl underneath. The next morning you can dispose of the cloth and the cockroaches.
A notice:
It is best to dispose of caught animals in a tightly closed bag with the residual waste.
sticky traps
Sticky traps are available online or in hardware stores. If you want to create a trap yourself, proceed as follows:
- lay out double-sided tape in front of the hiding places
- fill with sweet foods
Laurel and Catnip
Cockroaches do not like strong smells. Therefore apply laurel and catnip as a home remedy for pests. Distribute a few leaves of one or the other plant in those places where you suspect the cockroaches.
soda and sugar
Sugar attracts the cockroaches. Baking soda kills them. Mix both together in equal parts and scatter the mixture around the house or apartment as a food source.
waterfalls
- Set up a shallow bowl or plate with a mixture of water and oil
- drinking cockroaches choke on the oil
frequently asked Questions
For private apartments There is only a legal obligation to register in Berlin. There, an infestation must always be reported to the responsible health authority. Landlords to whom tenants have reported an infestation and owners of a hospitality business must - throughout Germany - report to the official authority if they are unable to take measures themselves to control the pests remove.
The costs for the exterminator must be borne by the person who caused the infestation. If several apartments are affected in an apartment building, it is often not possible to determine where the infestation started. In this case, the landlord or the community of owners will bear the costs.
Mirko
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