Cockroaches are very difficult insects to get rid of. They are very well protected and the adage that after the apocalypse all that will remain are twinkies and cockroaches rings true. The reason for this is their size. They are small enough that they can hide in places that are very hard to access like cracks and crevices. They can flatten their bodies out completely and slide into impossible spaces and can even hide under carpets and be stepped on and not be killed. This is why they are so difficult to find and treat as they can hide in drain pipes and escape into the sewer system if they need to avoid treatment. The worst part about it is when you are living in an apartment building the cockroaches from your neighbour’s apartment can come into yours without having to use a door. They can travel through the interconnected drain pipe and come out of your sink’s drain. If you lived in an apartment building for a long time you may have even seen this happen. They are very difficult to treat in an apartment if all the apartments aren’t being treated at the same time. If you keep getting cockroaches even after treatment it may be because one of your neighbours has them and they haven’t told anyone about it. This can result in you having to deal with cockroaches forever or having to move. That being said, once the apartment has been treated there are some important measures to follow.
Always follow the instructions of the technician or company you booked with. You will always need to clear out the kitchen and bathroom cupboards and the counters every time you get a treatment. You will need to pull out the large appliances as they will need to spray inside the motors and often inside the actual oven back which is hollow. When you come back in after the vacancy you will need to be careful not to over-clean. Dry cleaning is best to do for the first two weeks. That is to wipe down counters with a dry cloth. If you spill something, you can clean it up but try not to use chemicals that could affect the pesticides and make them less potent. Vacuuming and sweeping are fine but mopping the floors can affect the baseboard spray which is a common treatment in most professional cockroach treatments. Keeping cleaning dry at least for the first two weeks can save you the hassle of having to get a new treatment done and will be more effective in killing and controlling cockroaches. Once the two weeks have passed you can start wet cleaning again as the pesticides will have done their job. This will make the treatment more effective and stop you from having to get retreatment depending on the population in the apartment. Always speak to your landlord before calling a company. Your landlord or building management company is legally obliged to treat your apartment for free and even if you want treatment from some one else you must still as their permission.