• 7 Sep

• 5 Foods that Attract Cockroaches Quickly

Cockroaches are the most common of all the household pests that you’ll find in your home.

They can be found all over the world, except for one continent.

Did you guess the Antarctic? If you did, you are right! The continent’s freezing temperatures are not a fond favourite of the roach. Instead, they like warm climates, mainly in tropical regions such as Singapore and other Asia Pacific countries.

 Although there are many different kinds of cockroaches, you can find four common species in Singapore. The American and German cockroaches are the most frequently seen in Singapore homes. If you’re interested in identifying which species the pest in your house belongs to, you can try placing it from the pictures here! You might also wonder what they like to eat apart from where they live.

It’s interesting to note that cockroaches are omnivores. They eat plants and animals. But they are also not fussy eaters – that said, even the least picky eater has a preference. So, here’s a riveting look at the top 5 cockroach’s favourite foods.

What Attracts Cockroaches Quickly?

1. Piles of Paper Garbage

Cockroaches are known for being attracted to garbage. They’ll eat anything and everything, but garbage is their favourite. Especially garbage made of paper materials. That includes cardboard, newspapers, and other paper products.

Why is cardboard so attractive to roaches? That’s because paper comes from trees –  cockroaches can feast on the material if they need food. The glue on cardboard also usually uses animal products, providing nutrients for the roach. While they usually cannot chew through cardboard, torn, old or wet cardboard is feast friendly for them.

Besides, most people store cardboard in a dark area. There might also be other items such as clothes and books that they can eat. Hence, while it’s not their first choice of food, often, it’s attractive to them because they can stay there and breed, especially if the area is dark and damp, which is their favourite habitat choice.

If you see thin and worn cardboard, it’s likely a food source for roaches. Therefore, if you do have plenty of paper garbage, it’s best to recycle them quickly or keep them in a dry place so as not to attract roaches.

2. Stale Food

The most common favourite food that attracts cockroaches is stale food. This is because the smell of food attracts cockroaches, and they will eat it if they find it. Besides, their diet is like a human’s.

Sugar is the top cockroach’s favourite. Any sugar used to bake, make tea, or even juice and soda will lure them to your kitchen. If you’ve spilt sugary drinks on the floor and forgot to clean up, cockroaches can smell it easily. Fruits with plenty of natural sugar are also delicious, which is why you’ll always see roaches surrounding rotten fruits in the trash.

But roaches are not fussy eaters. Apart from human food, they are attracted to the smell of pet food, even rotting food. If they have infested your home, you will probably see them in your kitchen or near food prep areas looking for scraps. Keep the places where you store and prep food clean and wipe down to prevent infestations. Wash all pet bowls when your pet is done eating. Even the smallest crumbs can attract cockroaches.

3. Moisture

While cockroaches can go for long periods without food, they can’t live very long without water, and some need water more than others. According to researchers, American cockroaches can survive a few months without food but not without water. German cockroaches – another common species found worldwide – can only go 12 days without water. When cockroaches can find a water source in your home, it signals that conditions there may support them.

The most known water-loving roach is the American cockroach, often seen in sewers and drains. Urban dwellers, prefer moist areas and will stay there. For example, the bathroom is a significant source of cockroach problems because there are so many sources of water to attract them.

Other places are prone to having moisture build-up around them, such as under your refrigerator or cabinets where water from leaking pipes may be collecting, or under sinks where drains tend to get clogged with hair and other debris. These areas tend not only to attract cockroaches but other pests as well because they provide shelter and access to food sources.

4. Alcoholic Beverages

It might surprise you, but cockroaches also love beer and wine! This is likely due to the sugars in alcoholic drinks.

Cockroaches, especially American cockroaches, are attracted to alcoholic beverages when opened and left out. When you pour a drink, cockroaches can smell it from far away. If they don’t get to your beverage immediately, they’ll wait until you’re asleep or distracted before drinking up what’s left in your glass or cup. Cockroaches that have had alcohol can also get ‘drunk’ or become intoxicated with the high alcoholic content.

If these aren’t enough reasons to keep your food and drinks covered up all the time, consider this: cockroaches will gladly eat solid foods containing alcohol (like bread) and then die of poisoning within minutes! Therefore,  you don’t want to feed on dead roaches accidentally, remember to rinse your beer jug before you sleep at night.

5. Grease

Cockroaches are attracted to grease and will go out of their way to get it. Grease is a food source for roaches, so they’re willing to crawl through any space and make themselves present in your kitchen if there’s a chance, you’re using grease.

Because it’s high in fat and readily available, roaches love grease. Even the thin film of oil around oven hoods and stoves is enough for one or two cockroaches. Likewise, if you’ve left out fries or anything oily, the smell attracts them, especially if you’ve left the food out on accessible places such as kitchen countertops.

If you’re cooking something that involves oil or butter, cover the surface with aluminium foil or plastic wrap until you’ve finished cooking. This will prevent grease from spreading throughout your kitchen and attracting cockroaches.

Food Cockroaches Don’t Eat

As mentioned, cockroaches truly do eat anything and everything. They’ve been around for a while (longer than humans!), and have adapted to survive in the most challenging conditions. Etymology places these pests as old as almost 125 million years!

That means they’ll eat almost anything that originated from something that comes from a living organism. Cockroaches don’t get food poisoning. Bacteria in faeces, rotting flesh, and garbage cans do not affect them!

And since they can survive in almost any place with water, they’ve probably lived in many different environments and picked up plenty of bacteria as they travel. If  you have any signs of a cockroach infestation, you need to worry about the bacteria these creatures bring into your house!

Keeping Your Home Clean & Pest Free!

One of the best ways to avoid attracting cockroaches is to remove any food, water, or shelter sources. Doing so raises the threshold for cockroach control measures such as insecticidal baits. That way, your baits can effectively trap pests.

You can minimise the risk of cockroach infestation by removing their food source and reducing humidity. It’s also vital that you keep your home clean, so they don’t have a place to hide when they come out looking for food or water. Finally, if there is any sign of an infestation, call professional pest control services immediately!

At First Choice Pest Specialist, we always make sure to inspect your premises first. Instead of providing standard packages, we make recommendations based on what you need. Trust our competent team. Our pest control experts are ready to provide a thorough consultation to ensure your home or office remains pest free.