Do Cockroaches Die In Winter?
For the insectophobes among us, the question remains: do cockroaches die in winter? When freezing temperatures come around, Canadian homeowners often feel relief from the onslaught of flies, bees and mosquitoes endured during the warmer months.
When technically answering “do cockroaches die in winter”, direct exposure to frigid weather does kill them. However, these nasty buggers have made escaping the cold an art form. Cockroaches achieve this by seeking refuge in our homes.
Cockroach Infestation Signs And Causes
Cockroach infestations in Canada tend to occur when roaches hitchhike their way indoors. Carried indoors on products and belongings, it’s no wonder that cockroaches want to avoid the great outdoors. When temperatures reach -10°C, any cockroaches that remain outdoors begin to die. In other words, it’s a life-or-death situation living rent-free.
Fundamentally tropical insects, cockroaches enter our dwellings at this time of year not only seeking shelter but humidity and food too. This is all part of the reason why cockroaches tend to set up shop in our kitchens and bathrooms.
It only takes food dirt on kitchen countertops, dirty dishes in the sink, or food crumbs lying on the floor to attract cockroaches. Nocturnal pests too, their evasive nature means that cockroach infestations may not reveal themselves until you’ve got a full-blown problem.
Where Do Cockroaches Hide In Homes During Winter?
Masters of subterfuge, there are many tell-tale cockroach hiding places throughout our homes, including but not limited to:
Cabinets
Unfortunately, wooden cabinet doors are no match for inquisitive cockroaches. Roaches can sniff out the tiniest food crumbs and can use their slender bodies to infiltrate gaps in your cabinets.
Appliances
Pooping where you eat, this is homeowners’ worst fear. Stoves, heaters, microwaves, coffee machines and toasters are all cockroach hotspots. It’s your duty to clean these appliances regularly to deter these pesky intruders.
Pipes
Cockroaches use pipe networks in homes to travel from one part of properties to another. A dark and moist harbourage area providing roaches the perfect environment they need to thrive; you should always check your pipework for leaks.
The ceiling
Believe it or not, cockroaches hide on ceilings too! Laughing in the face of gravity, you can seal cracks and holes in your ceiling to prevent roaches from burrowing deeper into your property.
The trim and moulding
Thought the cracks in your trim and crown moulding were too thin for roaches to breach? Think again! Cockroaches are more than adept at squishing themselves into the tightest of places just like this.
Electronics
Who isn’t a multitasker nowadays? If you work from home and eat lunch by your laptop on your desk, remember that any beverage spills or crumbs will attract roaches into your home office.
Furniture
We all enjoy eating snacks and refreshing ourselves with drinks on the sofa or couch. During your next Netflix binge in hibernation season, bear in mind that any rogue popcorn or chip crumbs will attract pesky roaches.
Ultimately, cockroaches will get comfortable anywhere that’s nearby a water source.
Notoriously difficult to dislodge once they make themselves at home, the best way to prevent a cockroach infestation is by keeping your residence clean. By making sure you don’t leave out discarded food items, partially washed dishes, or other food residue, you stand a better chance of eliminating roaches.
How Do I Get Rid Of Cockroaches?
Sure, cockroaches can’t survive Canada’s extreme winter weather. However, you’ll want more of an effective cockroach removal strategy than simply leaving your windows open during a snowstorm!
In short, effective cockroach control involves diligent sanitation to eliminate excess food, water, and harbourage areas. You can use gel baits and dust as effective means of cockroach control. If you’ve been recommended glue traps before, these are helpful but are seen more as monitoring devices than a cockroach control tactic.
If you have a vacuum cleaner handy, use it to vacuum cockroaches’ harbourage areas. By destroying cockroach eggs, you’re effectively neutralizing the cockroach populations living within your house.
We won’t lie to you. Cockroaches lay their eggs aggressively and persistent cockroach treatment is required to effectively solve the problem. That’s why you need to call a professional cockroach exterminator like Terminix Canada.
Leave Professional Cockroach Extermination To The Terminix Canada Team
Now you know the answer to “do cockroaches die in winter”, do something about your roach infestation with Terminix Canada. Our cockroach pest control strategies kill cockroaches quickly with minimal disruption to your home. Roaches have learned how to breach homes in winter, but they won’t breach our team.
Backed by over 90 years of professional pest control experience, our cockroach control and cockroach removal teams have ended thousands of cockroach infestations from Halifax to Vancouver. To learn more about how we get rid of cockroaches, call us today.