Cockroaches are best controlled with a good Tulsa pest control company. Cockroaches are gross. They’re sneaky, hard to kill, and love to live in the trash. If you’re a residential property manager, you probably like them even less than the average person. Nothing ruins a properties’ reputation quite as fast as a cockroach infestation. That makes prevention and keeping cockroaches out of your rental property a major part of your job.
But that doesn’t make that job of your Tulsa pest control company an easy one. Roaches are very persistent, infamously difficult to kill, and very good at infiltrating buildings. Luckily, preventing a cockroach infestation is possible with help. All it takes is a little elbow grease and a few tips from the pros. You provide the elbow grease, and we’ll provide the tips! To keep cockroaches out of your residential property, you have to…
The first thing you have to do is separate them from their food sources. This is the most important step in cockroach infestation prevention. Keep dumpsters and trash receptacles as clean as possible. We recommend rinsing them out weekly after the garbage is collected. Its the grime that builds up over time that roaches find irresistable. If your building has a trash chute, get it professionally cleaned at least every six months. If you haven’t figured it out already, cockroaches love feeding on garbage and waste. If your rental property is dog-friendly, make sure the wastebaskets are cleaned daily. Dog waste is a huge draw for roaches.
Next, you have to separate them from all possible water sources. Now, of course, there is no way to completely remove water from your properties. Rain water and other natural sources of water are impossible to completely eliminate. That said, there are ways to limit what’s available to potential pests. Stay on top of plumbing fixes. Repair any leaky faucets or pipes as soon as possible. Check the property’s perimeter regularly to check for pools of standing water. When you find them, figure out where they came from and fix the problem. Keep your Tulsa pest control company in the loop.
Thirdly, try to create barriers to living spaces. If roaches can’t get in, they can’t cause problems in your building. Perimeter control is a great way to keep them out. Walk around the perimeter of your building regularly. Look out for holes in screens, cracks in doors, worn-out weather stripping, crumbling brick, and broken concrete. Any time you see problems, fix them immediately. Keep yard debris, shrubs, and firewood as far away from the perimeter as possible. These places make great hiding spots for cockroaches. If there aren’t any hiding places around the perimeter of your building, pests are less likely to find their way inside.
Lastly, educate your tenants on how to keep a bug free environment. We know it’s nearly impossible to get everyone to attend an in-person training session, even if you offer snacks. That’s why we recommend posting fliers or sending out educating emails to your property’s tenants. Teach them about exclusion and best Tulsa pest control practices for cockroaches like the ones listed in this post. Ask them to let you know immediately if they notice any pests in their rental. Be communicative and accessible, and they should respond in kind.
Whether you manage a duplex or a high rise, you know that keeping cockroaches out of your rental property is your highest priority. If, despite your best efforts, you ever suspect that your building has a cockroach problem – don’t worry! All you need to do is give us a call here at TermMax. We’ll send someone out to quickly, quietly, and efficiently get pests out and your property back in order.