How to Get Rid Of Cockroaches in Your Sink and Drains

Cockroaches are known to enter homes through pipes. They often use the drain of your sink as a pathway. So, in this guide, we’ll show you how to prevent cockroaches from entering your home through the kitchen or bathroom sink.

It is common for cockroaches to live in or near the drains of bathrooms and kitchens, where they have access to water. Despite being able to survive for up to a month without food, they can only last 7 days without water, so you are more likely to see roaches near water sources, such as your kitchen sink or bathtub.

Apart from being unpleasant, cockroaches bring dangerous germs, bacteria, and allergens with them when they finally get into your home. So preventing them from entering is a crucial part of a healthy environment.

Just like rats and mice, cockroaches can squeeze through the tiniest cracks, all thanks to their amazing exoskeletons. In addition, they can spread their legs out to the side, which means they can flatten their bodies if necessary.

Where the Cockroaches Come From and How They Get In The House

It is possible that roaches lived in your house before you moved in. They may have hitched a ride from your previous home to this one or entered your house from your neighbours’.

Stay calm! Finding cockroaches in the kitchen or bathroom is not at all a reflection of your house-cleaning abilities, since they can get in no matter what you do. There are times when it's not just about how clean your house is, but if there's a hole or breach in your home that's letting roaches in.

These critters are very sneaky and great at hiding, so unless you spend a lot of time up and about your home late at night, you may not notice them until you randomly see one or two scuttling around on the floor.

Read more: Where Do Cockroaches Live?

How to Block Cockroaches’ Entry Points

• Seal any cracks or holes in your drain pipes. Use a flashlight to inspect and seal all possible entry points with caulk.
• Find any gaps around the pipes under your sink and fill them with silicone or urethane foam. Fill larger holes with steel wool or copper mesh before sealing them. The same applies if you are dealing with a rodent infestation.
• Ensure that your faucets are not leaking. Standing water attracts many household pests like cockroaches, flies and ants. Fill the crevices and holes around drain pipes with caulking, plaster, or cement.
• When you remove the roaches' water source, they will go somewhere else for water. Condensation-prone pipes should be protected with insulation foam and tape.
• Cockroaches are terrible swimmers, so installing trap primers is another way to stop them from crawling up to the drain. Plumbing professionals can install one at every water supply source. The primer detects when there's no water in the trap. The device then releases a small amount of water to refill it. This method is great for dealing with cockroach infestations in commercial buildings.
  
• You can set up a liquid trap seal primer as a DIY solution. You can purchase this at any hardware store. This will prevent your drains and pipes from drying out. In some cases, you may be able to deter roaches for 3 to 6 months.

How to Prevent a Cockroach Infestation

• Keeping your counters and appliances clean is extremely important. Never leave food sitting on your counters or kitchen sink overnight. As long as you continue to provide the three necessities - food, water, and shelter - they will continue to come back. The food they eat comes from leftover crumbs, spills, and dirty dishes left in the sink.
• Use an approved sink cleaner to rinse your kitchen drain and remove food particles that attract roaches.
• At night, cover the drains with a stopper, such as rubber drain covers or metal drain screens. Cockroaches are nocturnal, so it's most important to prevent their entry during the night.
• Under your kitchen or bathroom sink, garbage cans can attract roaches. Make sure you keep the lid closed at all times.

How to Get Rid of Sewer Cockroaches

In the event that you have a sewer roach infestation, you should really act quickly, especially if it continues to get worse.

• A gel bait will kill a sewer roach colony;
• Placing glue traps around will help you find their entry point;
• Make sure your drains are clear;
• Use foam cleaner or a similar product to remove food and grease that may attract roaches;
• In addition to cleaning and disinfecting drains, bleach kills the roaches hiding in them.

There are two chemical-free, easy-to-use options for those who prefer to use natural products - borax and diatomaceous earth.

Borax

The mineral borax, scientifically known as sodium borate, is found in locations where seasonal lakes have dried up. It is most commonly found in household cleaning powders, as well as some laundry detergents and cosmetics.

Hint: Borax is only effective against cockroaches if they consume it.

This substance sticks to cockroach legs via static electricity- just like when you rub a balloon on your head. Later, the cockroach will ingest the powder to clean itself once it is back in its hiding place. Once the powder is in its stomach, the substance acts as a poison.

Additionally, it damages a cockroach's exoskeleton. A roach won't die instantly if it walks through borax. Instead, it'll go back to its hiding place and eat any borax dust it picked up. You might not notice the bugs' deaths at first, but you should see them drop in numbers in two weeks.

Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is a fine powder made by grinding up the fossilized shells of tiny ocean animals. It is similar to sand, but more finely ground and composed of only one material. Despite being non-toxic to pets and humans, diatomaceous earth kills insects by destroying their exoskeletons.

DE dissolves the hard wax coating on cockroaches' exoskeletons, leading to their dehydration. It gets stuck to their legs and they ingest some of it. They usually die of dehydration a short time later after returning to their nest.

Apply the diatomaceous earth in cracks, outlets, and gaps. A common place for roaches to lurk is around wiring, too. You'd be surprised at the variety of places roaches can appear. The powder's versatility is one of its strengths: it can be sprinkled or sprayed behind appliances, under furniture, or even outside! If you have a larger infestation, it will take more time to eliminate. Be sure to reapply!

Baking Soda

Baking soda and vinegar can be used together to clean drains naturally. Pour 1/4 cup baking soda down the drain and follow it with 1/2 cup vinegar. The chemical reactions between these two ingredients should be enough to get rid of any waste in the drain. Wait for a couple of minutes and then pour boiling water down the drain.

In addition, you should also know that baking soda's pH balance will remove odours. As cockroaches are attracted to drains by the scents that linger in them, this is an essential feature to consider.

Bring In the Pest Experts and Say Goodbye to Roaches

A cockroach's breeding cycle is so rapid that even if a few eggs survive, it can quickly replenish its population. There is no place for kindness here. It is a must to deal with cockroaches as soon as possible. 

Consider calling your local pest control company if you're worried about a cockroach infestation getting out of hand. You can learn more about treatment options and what might be causing the problem after an inspection by a professional.