One of the most common household pests, cockroaches, live in dark, damp spaces with easy access to food and water.
These insects can infest anything and everything in our homes. Additionally, they are challenging to eliminate and bring with them many diseases.
Now, you wouldn’t think that they could invade dishwashers.
The doomed truth is that these appliances are no exceptions to this threat. Roaches can breed an entire colony in your dishwasher. By the time you notice, you have a sudden appearance of cockroaches and an infestation on your hands.
Then, what can and should you do to prevent roaches from getting in your dishwasher?
Before moving on to that, let us look into and understand the origin of the issue.
Why Do Cockroaches Like Dishwashers So Much?
Like all living organisms, cockroaches need food, water, and shelter to survive. They can live in very hostile conditions.
Unfortunately, dishwashers provide an ideal and comfortable environment and living conditions.
- Food: Uncleaned dishes in the dishwashers have traces of food left in them. Even if you rinse them beforehand, you cannot completely eliminate these food remnants. It may also be that the food has not gone down the drain and is in a place where these pests can access them. Since cockroaches can feast on anything, a small piece of bread provides them with a decent meal.
- Water: The water source available in a dishwasher is ample for the roaches to survive and grow. Other factors can be the water left on the dishes after cleaning, the walls of the machine, and the drainpipe.
- Shelter: Generally, cockroaches do not live in the main compartment of the dishwasher. They settle in the damp, confined, dark space under the appliance. Conditions are suitable for them in this area. In other cases, they can also live inside the dishwasher’s door.
How Do Cockroaches Get Into A Dishwasher?
Cockroaches cannot survive in the main component of the dishwashers due to the heat during operating conditions. Certain situations can result in the opposite. Roaches can enter if your device has design flaws, leakage, unnecessary gaps, and loose seals.
Furthermore, the roaches can get into your dishwasher through the open doors. If you leave the appliance door open for too long, cockroaches find an entrance to creep through. They can get very flat!
Cockroaches under the Dishwasher
If you see a cockroach inside your dishwasher, the insect may be living under the appliance.
Dishwashers have a space under them where the pipe fixing is present. This void is large enough for roaches and shelters them due to its dark, warm, and damp nature.
Keeping an eye on the dishwasher and its door cannot obliterate the root cause. Hence, the best method is to get rid of the cockroaches themselves.
Methods to Prevent and Stop The Infestation of Cockroaches In Dishwashers
It is a fact that dishwashers are delicate. Because of this, the entire process of eliminating cockroaches becomes especially onerous.
The key to a cockroach-free dishwasher lies in vigilant steps and follow-up treatments.
Here are some methods on how you can achieve that:
Traps and Baits
- The foremost step in cockroach infestation cessation is the eradication of adult roaches. It’s pest control 101!
- Getting rid of cockroaches prevents the laying of eggs and the growth of the next generation of insects. It curbs the number of cockroaches.
- For this purpose, you can use gel baits and cockroach traps to eliminate roaches. Both are cheap and efficient.
- Cockroach traps are thin cardboard sheets that have adhesive substances on one surface. This is where the roaches get stuck when they walk over it. You can slip these in the space below the dishwashers where most cockroaches dwell.
- Roach baits encompass some food that the cockroaches find appealing. These are laced with potent insecticides harmful or lethal to their nervous systems. You can place these anywhere inside or below the dishwasher. You must ensure that the bait is fresh.
- Compared to traps, baits are more effective since the roaches share food and even eat the carcasses of their kind. This process allows one poisoned cockroach to pass on the contagion to a whole colony.
- These traps and baits also help to monitor the continuing cockroach infestation. It checks the progress that you are making in eradicating them.
Leak or Seal Repair
- A cleaner and well-maintained dishwasher are less likely to get a cockroach infestation. The appliances that have leakages and broken seals are susceptible to pest infiltration.
- Cockroaches can access the inside of the dishwasher from the unclosed door or weakened or broken seal. To prevent this, examine all seals of the dishwasher. Remove the door panel, get a flashlight and check the space under the machine for any such sign.
- Leakages from the drain pipes and tubes can also allow the cockroaches to enter the dishwashers. As such, you must ensure the regular maintenance and repair of the appliance parts.
Adequate Cleaning
- Smelly and unhygienic places attract cockroaches. The dirt, food scraps, and other waste under or inside your dishwasher add to it.
- The preventative method to guarantee the prevention of these factors lies in regular sanitation. Clean your dishwasher to eliminate the smell that entices the roaches.
- On a fixed interval, remove all parts and items from inside the dishwasher and cleanse them. Do it by hand to get the desired result.
- You can also use Insecticidal Dust. It kills the cockroaches by destroying their exoskeletons., leading to death by dehydration.
- Use boric acid or dishwashing detergent to clean the areas behind, under, and near the unit.
- Another effective method that you can go for is using vinegar. You can place a cup of vinegar on the top rack of the dishwasher. Let the appliance run for about an hour, set at the hottest temperature. It drives out the cockroaches and sterilizes the cabinet.
Conclusion
This post has given why cockroaches love your dishwasher so much!
Although the head generated during the normal operating cycles of a dishwasher will kill off most bacteria, having cockroaches in the dishwasher may cause health problems.
Perform regular checks around your dishwasher door to ensure it is still in good condition, and always check for leaks and loose food particles! If you want to get rid of cockroaches, the best thing you can do is remove the things they are looking for.
Good luck!
