How to Prevent Cockroaches From Rubbish Chute? (8 Methods)

If you have a rubbish chute in your home, it can be a haven for cockroaches. 

So, what can you do to stop the roaches from getting into and crawling up your rubbish chute?

The best way to prevent cockroaches from coming out of your rubbish chute is to have it fitted with a door that has an airtight seal. Or, you can replace the rubber liner around the chute’s door so that roaches can’t crawl inside your home. 

8 Methods to Keep Cockroaches Out of a Rubbish Chute

It’s no secret that roaches love trash, so if you have a rubbish chute, you will probably find them there from time to time. 

But, of course, having roaches in the garbage chute gives them easy access to your home. 

Thus, I’ve created this guide to help you keep roaches from climbing up your garbage chute. 

And when reading this guide, you should keep in mind that you may need to try several of these methods to keep roaches away from your trash chute. 

Method 1: Get a Door With a Seal 

Most modern rubbish chutes have airtight seals which prevent anything unwanted from creeping into your home. 

However, some older models may not have these. 

So, if you have one of these old doors and want to keep insects, like roaches, from crawling into your home through your garbage chute, you will need to buy a new door. 

To get a new door installed, you can either hire someone to put it in for you or save some money by doing it yourself. 

But, even if you put the door in yourself, you should still expect to spend quite a bit of money. 

Typically, a new stainless steel chute door with an airtight seal will cost you around $300 to $400. 

Method 2: Replace Your Old Seal

If your rubbish chute door already has a seal but roaches are still getting in, it is probably time to replace it. 

And luckily, replacing the seal is much cheaper than buying a whole new door. 

On average, you can expect to pay about $20 to $30 for a new chute door gasket. 

Method 3: Tape the Door Closed 

If you no longer use your chute or can’t currently fix the problem, you may just want to tape it closed. 

Although this isn’t the greatest solution, especially since roaches eat glue, it will help to keep the pests out of your home for a while. 

Just make sure that when you tape the door closed, you cover every gap because roaches are pretty flat and can squeeze through any tiny cracks you leave. 

Method 4: Keep Your Chute Clean 

Roaches are primarily attracted to garbage chutes because of the build-up of food that eventually coats their walls when no one cleans them for a while. 

So, if you want to keep the roaches out of the chute, you must get rid of the grime. 

Now, of course, the best way to keep your chute clean is to prevent it from getting dirty in the first place. 

Thus, you should be careful about how you dispose of trash when you send it down the chute. 

You need to use leak-proof garbage bags and double bag your trash if it contains anything that could easily spill out. 

Doing so should allow you to maintain a clean chute, which will keep the insects away. 

Or, if the sides of your chute are already full of grime, you ought to give them a good rinse. 

If you want to clean the chute yourself, you can simply dump pails of water down it to wash off any trash matter that has accumulated. 

For a deeper clean, you will need to hire a cleaning service to do the job. 

Method 5: Keep Your Chute Door Clean and Dry 

Roaches are tiny, meaning they don’t need much food and water to stay alive. 

Thus, even if there is a little bit of trash residue around your chute, the roaches may be able to live off it. 

Therefore, you should always clean and wipe down the door to your chute so that roaches have less of an incentive to come into your home. 

Method 6: Don’t Leave Your Trash Can Next to Your Garbage Chute 

Although it’s convenient to place your trash can next to the rubbish chute, the smell of old food and other garbage will give the roaches a reason to come inside. 

So, it is best practice to place your trash can at least 10 feet from your chute. 

Method 7: Call Your Landlord 

If you have roaches coming out of your garbage chute in a rented abode, you should inform your landlord. 

Your landlord will have more resources to deal with the issue than you do, meaning what they do will probably be more effective. 

Also, a quick note, you should never do anything to your garbage chute before asking your landlord first. 

Method 8: Put Out Traps 

If roaches continue to come in through your trash chute, you should place traps near the chute’s door to catch them as they try to enter your home. 

And there are several options for roach traps, including glue, bait, gel, and powder traps. 

In general, though, most people have the best luck with bait traps. 

Bait traps work by exploiting roaches’ love of food. 

Basically, the trap will include a food bait doused with a poison that doesn’t work immediately. 

The poison has a delayed reaction because it gives the roach enough time to return to its nest, where it will die. 

The other roaches in the nest will eat the dead cockroach, which will poison them as well. 

Conclusion 

When it comes to preventing roaches from getting into your home through the garbage chute, your primary course of action should be to ensure the chute has a proper seal. 

It also helps if you wash the chute and clean up around the door so that the roaches do not have an incentive to come into your home.