If you’ve found yourself in a dreadful situation involving pests (been there, done that), then you’re probably about ready to call it quits with your apartment. Hold off on your plans to flee your home and break your lease because of roaches in your apartment – we can help! Remember, this is your home, and you may have roommates, but they definitely don’t have antennas and six legs. These homewreckers have got to go, so let’s figure out the severity of your situation to determine next steps, shall we?
Determine the Severity of Your Pest Situation
You saw a roach scurry across your kitchen floor when you went to refill your water glass late last night, and now you’re freaked – to say the least. It’s cringe-worthy, I know. But before you start packing your bags or spraying your place with store-brand insecticide, figure out what kind of roach is calling your apartment home. Is it a German cockroach? Most likely, yes. These little critters are the most commonly known apartment roach. They’re light tan in color and about half an inch in length. Perhaps you found one of these creatures crawling on top of your wine bottle when you went to pour a glass after a long day (this is hitting a little too close to home). You may be one of the lucky few with just a few roaches in your home – but unfortunately, these bugs multiply quickly. What’s the next step after you’ve realized that you have a serious German roach infestation on your hands?
Steps for Getting Rid of Roaches
These disease-carrying critters are not welcome in your home, and they need to hit the road immediately. Try not to panic – take the proper steps to get these unwelcome visitors out of your apartment for good:
- Notify your landlord or property manager. This should always be your first step when it comes to pests. Your landlord or property manager will either handle the situation (as defined in your lease) or give you tips for dealing with this predicament. Typically, it is outlined in your lease what their responsibilities are when it comes to pests in the apartment. You may live in a community where you pay a monthly fee for pest control. They may spray once or twice a month in certain units as requested by the tenant. If this is the case, put in a maintenance request or directly contact your landlord or property manager to request that your unit be sprayed on the next round. If they do not have an outside contractor regularly scheduled for this type of maintenance issue, then request that they hire someone to fix this situation as soon as possible. Check your lease to see who is responsible for what.
- Clean, clean, and then clean some more. Roaches love nothing more than food crumbs and dark, damp spaces. Behind your fridge, under your dishwasher, or in your cabinets sounds like a nice place to hide, right? German cockroaches are inhabiting your apartment, most likely in your kitchen, so to be safe, clean every room in your apartment – especially in the places you may not see or clean regularly, like behind the refrigerator. Use a disinfecting spray, a sponge, vacuum, mop, and whatever else you need to get all of the dirt, crumbs, and grime that could be potentially attracting roaches to your home. And please, for the sake of you and the smell of your apartment, take out your trash on a regular basis – capiche?
- Seal all cracks and holes in doors, windows, and plumbing. Because roaches are attracted to not only crumbs, but sources of water as well, cracks, holes, and openings in your plumbing system (typically under your sink) are huge attractions for these water-loving critters. Make sure your faucets and pipes in all rooms don’t have any visible leaks, and be sure to treat (or have pest control treat) under your sink on a regular basis. Any cracks in the walls, doors, or windows are great places for roaches to get in, and the nooks and crannies are a great place for them to hide. Caulk them shut (or have maintenance do it – depending on your lease agreement) and spray or treat them how you (or maintenance) sees fit.
- Use reputable sprays, treatments, and baits. If you don’t have pest control, or if you don’t feel like the treatment isn't doing enough to get the roaches out of your apartment, then there are plenty of reputable repellents that work to treat your roach infestation. You can choose from baits, sprays, and sticky traps. Though sprays and sticky traps are often used by many apartment dwellers, you may find that baits are the safest and most effective type of treatment for roaches. Gel bait should be applied to the nooks and crannies of your apartment where you suspect the roaches to be coming from. The bait works over time, killing roaches on the spot, or allowing the infected roach to carry the poison back to the others hiding in the shadows. Sounds shady, but it’s effective!
How to Stop Any Future Infestations
If one thing is for sure, it’s that you don’t want German roaches, or pests of any kind, inhabiting your apartment longer than the time it takes to exterminate them. But just because the issue seems to be solved after a few pest control treatments, it doesn’t mean they are completely gone. If there are any eggs or larvae left from the pests, you may find another infestation on your hands a few months down the road. To keep this from happening, follow these steps:
- Stay regularly scheduled for routine pest control. The best way to keep these uninvited visitors out of your apartment for good is to have your unit routinely treated by pest control. Feel free to do a spray treatment of your own with an indoor repellent, as well. Just be careful what products you choose to use around children and pets – if you have a child, pet, or both in your apartment, it’s probably best to use gel bait, as it’s the safest form of treatment.
- Keep your apartment clean and dry, especially your kitchen. Don’t be dirty. This is the best tip you will find on keeping roaches out of your apartment. Clean up after yourself! Wash your dirty dishes, vacuum up the crumbs, mop the floors, and keep the place tidy. The same goes for your bathroom or any part of the apartment that roaches may find damp and safe as their nesting place.
- If you see any sign of them, don’t hesitate to treat. Bait, bait, and then bait some more. Whether your landlord or property manager is sending out pest control to treat your apartment, or you’re taking matters into your own hands (or both), don’t hesitate to treat your apartment if you see any sign of roaches, such as droppings or physically seeing one scurry across the floor. If you do vacuum any of them up (dead or alive – preferably dead), be sure to empty your vacuum into the trash and immediately take the trash out of your apartment and into the dumpster – this way, no larvae or eggs can hatch in your apartment, and you can end the cycle right then and there.
If the infestation gets beyond repair even after numerous treatments, making the conditions of your apartment unlivable, then it may be in your best interest to pay for the consequences of breaking your lease (typically two months’ rent upfront). However, this problem can definitely be solved with the right treatment, persistence, and some patience. By maintaining a clean apartment with regularly scheduled pest control, you and your apartment should be free of these monsters, and you’ll be back to feeling at home in no time!
Published April 24, 2019
