An underrated movie from 1996 called Joe’s Apartment has lead actor Jerry O’Connell moving into an NYC apartment. Once he arrives, he discovers that a few thousand singing and dancing cockroaches are already living there.
In the movie, the roaches become Joe’s best friends. When you find a great place to live in Brooklyn today, that outcome might not be what you want to achieve.
Several strategies are available to help you keep cockroaches out of your apartment. Here are some of the proven methods that work when they’re implemented consistently.
1. Use Diatomaceous Earth at Each Opening
Diatomaceous Earth works as a natural insecticide. Food-grade bags of this fossilized and pulverized algae can be found at most gardening and home improvement stores. It contains sharp particles that dehydrate the roaches, causing the exoskeleton to become damaged.
You can sprinkle a light coating anywhere you’ve seen insect activity. It’s safe for pets and kids, but it gets messy. You must also find dead roaches when the product works.
2. Put Out Baking Soda
Baking soda works as a low-cost cockroach bait for Brooklyn apartments. You’ll need to add a few diced onions into the mix. Once the bugs sense the food’s presence, they’ll consume the recipe and get the worst case of gas imaginable.
When enough is consumed, the roaches burst.
This option isn’t recommended for anyone with dogs since anything in the allium family is toxic. Furthermore, it’s even messier than the first option.
3. Glue Traps
Roaches congregate in specific areas around apartments and buildings. The most common spot for them is wherever food storage occurs, but any entry point into the premises could serve as a place to set traps.
With today’s best glue traps, the smell from the product lures the roach onto the strip. Once their feet get onto the adhesive, they cannot escape. This option works well under the sink or behind the refrigerator.
4. Caulk Any Open Entry Points
Although reactive responses can resolve infestations, the goal should be proactively eliminating their presence. It helps to seal the various gaps and entry points for your apartment to ensure the roaches can’t enter the premises.
The best places to look are the spaces between the walls and windows. Look for spots where the weather stripping is degraded and replace it. Caulk wears out, so you must check it yearly to ensure a firm barrier exists.
5. Have Leaks Fixed
If cockroaches can’t find food, they’ll still be attracted to your Brooklyn apartment if a water source is available. Some leaks are apparent, like the ones that drip from your faucets, sinks, tubs, or showers.
Others are less noticeable, like the ones that can develop behind a refrigerator or dishwasher.
Even a tiny drip is enough to attract roaches. So once your plumbing is inspected, it helps to review all your water-producing areas to ensure there isn’t excess moisture produced.
6. Remove Paper Products
Cockroaches love it when newspapers or cardboard boxes are strewn around an apartment. These areas make perfect homes because the materials are ideal for nesting. Since every home in Brooklyn faces some risk level for an infestation, it’s better to be safe than sorry with these items.
Place all your recyclable materials into appropriate containers for pickup. You can deliver the items to local centers or disposal areas if you don’t want to wait. Once these items are gone, take a few moments to clean your apartment to ensure there aren’t residual materials that could attract the roaches.
7. Clean the Kitchen Appliances
A clean home resists roaches, especially if you follow the steps in this guide. These bugs love it when the grease and fatty deposits are available in the kitchen, so you’ll want to take extra time to ensure your cooking appliances don’t have food particles.
The biggest offenders in this category are the garbage disposal, stove drip pans, and air fryers that collect grease on the bottom. You’ll also want to address your counters, cabinets, and backsplashes to ensure no residues act as attractants.
If you need help sealing your apartment from cockroaches in Brooklyn, our team is here to help! We can professionally inspect your property, look for cracks and gaps, and then apply the appropriate products to deliver a resilient barrier. You can also trust our team to manage those hidden drips and leaks. So let’s talk today to have them start singing a different song if you’ve spotted some roaches.
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