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How Water Leaks Cause Cockroach Infestations

Do you have cockroaches in your kitchen, despite all your best efforts to keep them away? Here's the thing: Plumbing and pest problems are very much intertwined. Leaks attract pests.

Why do Leaks Attract Pests?

Pests are constantly scouring for ways to fulfill their basic needs: food, shelter, and water. Pest control experts recommend that you deprive them of those needs in order to get rid of them. This is done by closing up any cracks around doors, windows, and utility access areas, by storing your food in airtight containers and by taking out the trash regularly. Here at Anta Plumbing, we recommend that you also repair any water leaks.

German cockroaches can survive for a few weeks without food, however, they will die within days of no access to water.

Pests, such as cockroaches tend to congregate in laundry rooms, under kitchen sinks, dishwashers, and around bathroom fixtures where they can find water. Cockroaches and other pests drink from leaky pipes, gaps around pipes, and dripping faucets. You may not notice minor leaks, but rust around valves, fixtures and drains indicate the presence of water where it should not be.

Cockroaches like damp areas, so a leaky sink trap in your kitchen cabinet, is pest paradise. If you have shut-off valves underneath or behind your sink, you should have them replaced before the pests start festering in your home.

In order to discourage pests from making a home in your home:

  • Fix leaky faucets
  • Replace worn washers
  • Ventilate moist areas
  • Seal around the water pipes, basin, and toilet

Keep Your Home Dry With Regular Maintenance

Regular house maintenance is key to keeping the home in perfect condition. Your home maintenance plan should include checking the pipe installations and other fixtures. Here are some of the things you should do to keep your home moisture-free, so as to discourage pests from inhabiting your home:

  • Remove any decaying plant matter from around your home
  • If there's moisture in your basement, install a sump pump
  • Install dehumidifiers to remove excess moisture from your home
  • Check and repair broken roof flashings
  • Clean any debris from the roof and gutters
  • Check the condition of your gutters, and observe how well they drain
  • Remove bird and insect nests from soffits and eaves
  • Check the condition of the downspouts and ensure that they are directed away from the foundations
  • Ensure that any runoff, including that which comes from dripping hose faucets, are channeled away from the foundation of your home
  • Inspect your chimney and make the necessary repairs
  • Ensure that no water can enter the chimney
  • Ensure that there is no earth within 6 inches to the siding of the home

In conclusion, you can prevent cockroach infestations by cutting off their basic supplies: food, shelter, and water. Food smells first to attract them, and if they can find a cosy hideout in your kitchen cabinet, they are good. Add to that a nice water leak that creates a damp environment, and they are in paradise.

Just because you have a leak in an awkward spot, does not mean that it can't be repaired. Anta Plumbing can take care of anything from the simplest to the most complicated plumbing problem in no time. Give us a call!

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Written by Anta

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