Gross. Nobody likes roaches – except maybe for entomologists. These creatures are an unwelcome addition to garages, sheds, and workshops. Finding that they’ve moved in, however, doesn’t mean you could use some lessons in cleanliness.
Roaches have roamed this planet for more than 280 million years. They’ve evolved to be highly resilient. Did you know they can live for a month without food? While they don’t necessarily reflect on your own housekeeping – or shopkeeping – they’re associated with health and safety risks. Here’s how to keep your garage, shed, or workshop free of roaches.
What Roaches Like
Roaches can withstand temperatures as low as 32 degrees, but they prefer it to be warm and moist. Add a source of food and roaches can live just about anywhere. In fact, they’re found all over the world. If you see one in your shop, garage, or shed – and you suspect more – look for dark and humid areas. This can be a garbage can or recycling bin, but keep in mind that roaches may choose to live nearby and not in a garbage can.
Roaches tend to hitch rides on things we bring into garages, sheds, or workshops. You may not even be importing adult roaches, either. They ley eggs on cardboard boxes, in paper bags, and other convenient (for them) transportation methods.
Getting rid of cardboard boxes and bags can often put you in front of preventing a roach problem. Roaches have an appetite for the starches in the adhesives found on these paper-based items. They tend to lay their eggs where they find food. The unfortunate part is that cardboard boxes and paper bags often are convenient ways to store what we place in garages, sheds, or workshops. Your choice is to get rid of the paper products, or deal with the roaches. The good news is that any type of air-tight plastic storage alternative can go a long way towards banishing a roach problem that’s been caused by cardboard boxes.
Keep It Dry
A bad gasket on a garden hose or a dripping workshop sink faucet creates sufficient water for a sizeable population of roaches. They can eat just about anything, and survive without food for a month, but roaches will perish in less than a week without a source of water.
Fix sources of dripping or standing water, and you may discover that you’ll no longer have a roach problem. If you still see them around, it might be time to move on to more serious pest control – but often all it takes is getting rid of where they like to live and a source of water.
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