Educate customers to prevent returning cockroaches

Noel McCarthy, Staff Writer, Sterifab

When your clients ask you what they can do to keep cockroaches from coming back, here are some helpful hints:

• Cut off their food supply. Cockroaches are scavengers, and they’ll eat practically anything. But it’s easier for them if there are breadcrumbs on the counter, pet kibble on the floor, dishes in the sink, etc. Remember, cockroaches love sugar, carbohydrates and protein.
• De-clutter the environment. Cockroaches love old newspapers and magazines, dirty laundry in hampers, cardboard boxes left in the basement, etc. Not only do these pests love a mess, but they have a way of alerting their friends when they discover a new, safe habitat.
• Clean, clean and clean some more. Regularly wipe down shelves, moldings and baseboards. Vacuum floors, then mop thoroughly. Remove those food crumbs, and keep waste bins empty.