Have you seen big, dark brown roaches crawling in your kitchen, bathroom, or basement? You’re likely dealing with oriental cockroaches—also called water bugs or black beetles. These pests are a common problem for homeowners in Louisiana, especially during hot and rainy months.
Let’s talk about how to get rid of them and keep them out of your home for good.
Key Takeaways
• Oriental cockroaches get inside through cracks and drains, so sealing entry points with caulk can help block them.
• Damp areas like basements and crawl spaces attract roaches, so fixing leaks and using dehumidifiers helps keep them out.
• Dirty kitchens and outdoor mulch give roaches food, so cleaning countertops and removing trash helps stop infestations.
• Boric acid and traps can help, but professional pest control keeps roach numbers low and prevents future problems.
Find and Seal Entry Points
Oriental roaches get into homes through tiny cracks and gaps called entry points. They can come in through your walls, near sewer pipes, around faucets, or from your floor drains. Use caulk to seal up these cracks and crevices, especially in basements and around sinks.
Don’t forget to check outside your home. Make sure your gutters are working right and not leaking near your foundation.
Get Rid of Moisture
Oriental cockroaches need water to survive, so they love damp areas. Fix any leaking pipes or faucets. Use a dehumidifier in places like crawl spaces or basements to keep things dry. Outside, make sure your gutters move water away from your house.
They will often be found where there are standing water sources or a musty odor—these are signs of an oriental cockroach infestation.
Clean Up Food and Organic Matter
This cockroach species will eat almost anything, including trash and organic matter.
Indoors, keep your countertops clean, store food sources in sealed containers, and take out the garbage often. Don’t leave pet food out overnight. Also, clean under your fridge and stove—roaches like to hide there.
Outside, avoid piling mulch against your house. It holds in moisture and can attract roaches.
Use Boric Acid to Kill Roaches
One DIY method for cockroach control that works well is boric acid. You can put it near baseboards, under sinks, and around floor drains where you’ve seen roaches.
The powder sticks to them and poisons them when they clean themselves. This helps lower the number of cockroach populations in your home.
Just be careful to keep it away from pets and kids.
Set Sticky Traps
Sticky traps can help you see how bad your infestation is. Put the roach traps in places like basements, under sinks, and near drains. If you see a lot of roaches or droppings in the traps, it means you need to take action fast.
You might also see baby roaches, called nymphs, which means egg cases or egg capsules have already hatched.
Call a Professional Pest Control Company
If a large number of roaches keep coming back, it’s time to call a professional pest control team.
At LaJaunie’s Pest Control, we know how to handle oriental roaches and other types of cockroaches, like German cockroaches and American cockroaches. We use safe, effective treatments to target where they live and stop them from coming back.
As a local pest control company serving Louisiana, we offer fast service and stand behind our work.
Keep Roaches Away for Good
Stopping roaches before they take over is the best way to avoid allergens, health risks like salmonella, E. coli, and other pathogens that can cause food poisoning or dysentery.
To prevent oriental cockroaches from coming back, schedule regular pest control services. At LaJaunie’s, we offer pest management plans that protect your home from roaches, termites, and more.
Contact us today to get started and keep your home pest-free year-round.
