How To Stop Cockroaches From Coming Under The Door?
Cockroaches are crafty and can squeeze into the tightest of spaces.
Even if it doesn’t seem like enough space, they can usually make their way through the crack under your door.
The best way to stop cockroaches from coming under the door is to seal the opening with a weather strip or other physical barrier. If that’s impossible, the next step is to clean the area thoroughly to remove any crumbs or other food sources that may attract them. Finally, spray the area with essential oils and/or pesticides to deter them or poison them if they try to enter.
How to Deter Cockroaches From Doorways
If you notice that cockroaches are coming from under your doors or just seem to be hanging out in your doorways, you may have an infestation, and there is likely a nest nearby.
You can inspect the area for signs of an infestation and try some methods to deter the roaches.
Door Seals
You can add rubber or silicone strips to the bottom of your doors that help to seal them and make it difficult for roaches to get under them.
These are available for interior and exterior doors and can usually be found at your local home improvement store.
You will need to measure your doors and find the right fit to ensure the seal is tight.
Keep the Area Clean
Roaches are attracted to easy access to food and water.
If there are crumbs or liquids around the door, cockroaches will find them.
You can help repel them by keeping the area clean.
If there are no crumbs or food to attract the roaches, they might not find your home appealing.
You should also make sure other rooms are clean and free from food and water spills. Roaches may crawl under doors because they are trying to get from one room to the next.
Spray Essential Oils Around the Door
There are certain scents that cockroaches will not tolerate, and many of them can be found in essential oils.
You can use these oils to keep the cockroaches at bay by using them around your doors.
The best method is to add 15-20 drops of highly concentrated eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil, oregano oil, or tea tree oil (or a combo of any of them) to a spray bottle with warm water and white vinegar.
Spray the mixture on both sides of the doorway after thoroughly cleaning the area.
When cockroaches come in contact with any of these oils, they immediately retreat.
Essential oils evaporate eventually, so you must repeat the process every 3-5 days.
While this method keeps the cockroaches away, it’s not a permanent solution to an infestation and should be used in conjunction with other methods.
Use a Pesticide Around the Door
Certain pesticides can help ward off cockroaches or even kill them.
Sometimes cockroaches can hide behind the trim on a door or in small holes and cracks around a door frame.
If the pests enter through an outside door, they may be hiding under siding, near porch lights, or under deck boards.
By spraying all these areas, you will get into all the nooks and crannies where the insects may be hiding. When they come in contact with poison, they will die.
Those that aren’t killed may move away from your home to find a new place to nest where they feel safer.
It’s best to contact a local exterminator to find out which pesticides work best, as some species of cockroaches are immune to certain ones.
Keep the Lights On
Roaches like it dark, so if you can keep the area around the door lit, you may be able to keep them away.
If you have a roach problem near an outside door, you can use a porch light to keep the area illuminated.
Just keep in mind that this may attract other insects.
If you have roach problems with an interior door, you may want to leave the light on in the room on the other side.
If the roaches don’t feel they can travel around safely and in the dark easily, they will be less likely to crawl under the door and move on to a darker area.
Conclusion
If you have a cockroach problem, you may see them crawling around and under your doors.
There are many reasons why this may be happening, and it’s a good idea to find the cause so you can come up with a solution.
If you aren’t successful at eliminating an infestation on your own, call a professional exterminator to help you take back your space.
