The city occasionally receives calls from residents concerned about roaches.
Callers have asked if they're originating from the sewer system. We want you to know that the city has an extensive roach control program that involves painting our sewer manholes with a special paint that effectively controls roaches in our sanitary sewer system. While nothing is 100 percent effective, we take the problem seriously and spend thousands of dollars each month to keep these pests at bay.
We've consulted leading pest control specialists and they tell us many roaches originate on private property. Roaches live in the expansion cracks next to home foundations, as well as in planters, water meter boxes, under storage sheds and in earthen cracks at the foot of palm trees and other vegetation. Sealing cracks and crevices around your home is a good way to rid your property of roaches. Areas that can't be sealed can instead be treated with diatomaceous earth. If you or a family member suffer from asthma, avoid using sprays and foggers.
How to Manage Roaches
Just like people, roaches need food, water and a place to live. Here are some tips to help limit roaches in your home:
- Don't let them in. Cockroaches may enter houses via sewer connections, under doors, around utility pipes, air ducts, or other openings in the foundation. They love cracks and can squeeze in just about anywhere. Young roaches can fit into a space as thin as a dime. An adult male needs a crack about the thickness of a quarter.
- Attach well-fitting door sweeps.
- Fill holes where pipes disappear into walls with silicon sealant, steel/bronze wool. Search for cracks along foundations, baseboards, pipes, windows, vents, cabinets and doors.
- Install or repair window and door screens.
- Install screens over vents, ducts and floor drains.
- Keep sink plugs over drains in sinks, showers, etc., which are not used often.
- Keep them away from food. A roach can find a snack just about anywhere. They eat crumbs, pet food, dead leaves and trash.
- Store food in tightly sealed containers or in the refrigerator and put pet food away overnight.
- Don't leave open bags of food or candy lying around.
- Clean up spills and crumbs right away, especially from under appliances, and wipe all counters and tables after use.
- Rinse food and drink containers before disposal, empty trash and recycling frequently, and use trashcans with tight-fitting lids.
- Clean your dirty dishes right away and keep the stove grease and food free.
- Wash or replace sponges and dishrags often.
- Keep them thirsty. Roaches need water to live. Without it, they die within a week even though they can live up to a month without food.
- Fix dripping faucets.
- Don't overwater houseplants; soggy soil is a water source.
- Prevent condensation from your A/C unit from pooling near your foundation.
- Make it hard for them to hide. Roaches spend most of their lives hiding. If roaches can't hide, they'll find someplace else to live.
- Move woodpiles, stockpiled bricks and other clutter away from outside walls.
- Raise boxes and stored items off your garage floors and away from walls.
- Take your recycling out promptly; avoid letting old food cans, stacks of newspapers or magazines pile up.
- Consider using baits, traps, diatomaceous earth, or consulting a pest control company.
If you decide to use a pesticide:
- Consider using a professional pest control company to treat your home and yard.
- Use pesticides safely, read the label and follow all directions. Keep pesticides out of reach of children and only use them in locations where they will not come in contact with people or animals.
- An effective alternative to pesticides is the use of diatomaceous earth or boric acid applied near cracks and crevices in and around your home. For best results, the powder should be applied in a very thin layer barely visible to the naked eye. Piles or heavy accumulations will be avoided by foraging cockroaches.