You love to clean.

In fact, having a clean place to come home to is one of the best parts of your day.

Yet, this doesn’t seem to be enough to stop cockroaches from staying at your home.

You’re frustrated and wonder what you’re doing wrong.

You’re not alone.
Here will cover why roaches seem to flourish in your home despite being squeaky clean.

1. Your Region

If you live in an area where there’s plenty of roaches, it’s likely that you’ll have cockroaches in your home.

That can be true even if your apartment is spotless.

Here is a map of the most infested cities in the U.S. as of 2020.

If you live in one of these states, you are more likely to get roaches.

Cockroaches are especially prevalent in the south, where it’s humid.

The cities on the map are either close to a body of water or receive massive rain.

Some also experience fairly consistent weather year-round, which makes it easier for roaches to breed.

Here in Los Angeles, for instance, we experience pretty consistent temperature year-round.

While we do experience cold weather, it’s rare and only lasts for a short time.

To make it worse, Los Angeles is a big city where many live in apartment buildings.

These small buildings make it easier for roaches to populate and grow into a massive infestation.

If you live in these areas, you can expect to see these pests in your home despite cleaning regularly.

They may enter your home through a gap in a window seal or a door left ajar.

One roach can lay an egg with 40 more cockroaches and start a full-blown infestation.

Inevitably as the infestation grows, roaches will travel to your neighbor and create a new infestation.

2. Your House is not Thoroughly Clean

Your apartment may look clean.

But, when was the last time you cleaned under your fridge or sink?

When we clean our homes, we often clean the most visible areas.

We sweep our floors and vacuum the carpet.

We wipe our stoves and countertops.

We do our laundry and wash our dishes.

But, cockroaches don’t thrive in these bright, highly exposed areas.

They flourish in the darkest, dampest, most ignored parts of our home.

They hide in small crevices and holes.

They spend time under the bathroom and kitchen sink.

And they congregate in the attic and basements.

But when was the last time you’ve cleaned those areas?

American, German, and brown-banded roaches love hiding under appliances.

And if there are even the smallest crumbs that get in these areas, cockroaches will have plenty of food to survive.

If your house is “clean,” but you continue seeing roaches, perhaps it’s not thoroughly clean.

3. You Have Open Food Container

Cockroach loves fresh crackers, chips, and cereals.

They especially love their crumbs.

If you’re experiencing roach problems, it could be that you have open food containers in your cabinets or a pantry.

Even the tiniest cracks or tears in food packaging are enough for the cockroaches to get in.

Roaches eat pet foods too! So if you have a pet, check if critters may be getting access to their meal.

If you have a fruit bowl on your table, it’s also a potential food source for roaches.

It is unlikely that cockroaches will eat fresh fruit. But, once they begin to decompose, cockroaches will want to get a hold of it.

Remember, cockroaches eat their feces, which means that only a few roaches need to get food to feed the rest.

4. You Have Easy Access Entry Points Around Your Home

Cockroaches can slip through the smallest cracks and holes in your walls, walls, or widows.

It may be that you’ve gotten rid of them all and kept your home clean, but you’ve left a door open for them to return.

Some entry points are much easier to spot, such as open doors, windows, or broken screens.

But there are subtler ones such as pipes, holes on your floor, and gaps around air vents.

Your home may be clean and without food sources, but if your neighbor is experiencing an infestation, cockroaches will come in for more space.

Most cockroaches can go on without eating for up to 6 weeks.

That means that even if there are zero food sources in your home, they can survive and reproduce for up to 6 weeks.

Another thing worth mentioning is the outdoor cockroaches.

The more entry points you have, the more likely these outdoor critters will crawl into your home.

That’s because they are attracted to light. So, at night, when it’s dark outside, they will be drawn to that small gap you have underneath your door.

Cleaning your house is a great way to keep roaches away.

But it doesn’t end there.

Make sure you secure all the entry points around your homes.

Apply caulk to any holes or cracks outside your home.

Likewise, seal up any voids or holes on the inside of your home (near pipes).

Weatherstrip your windows and doors e to prevent cockroaches from sneaking in between the crevices.

Make it as hard as possible hard for roaches to get.

If it’s easy to find a way in, they will.

5. Your Home is A Good Source of water

Roaches need water to survive and will wander into your home to access it.

These critters are drawn to leaky faucet or pipe

They also like condensation from your air conditioners and refrigerators.

Roaches also love to hang out under your kitchen and bathroom cabinets, where it’s dark and damp.

Check your house for any possible sources of water for roaches.

Remove or seal them up to discourage cockroaches from coming to your home.

6. You Have an Unmaintained Garden

Your home may be sparkling clean, but what about your patio and garden?

It could be that you are nurturing roaches outside your house by not keeping them tidy.

Outdoor roaches such as Oriental, American, Asian, and Wood cockroaches can find shelter in your garden weeds.

Roaches also love trash bins for both shelter and food. They can easily slip through the lid of your containers and flourish.

As mentioned, roaches need water to live. So gutters, flowerpots, and water fountains, birdbaths and ponds will make them want to stick around.

Outdoor roaches are attracted to light.

That means, even if they are happy outside, they will gravitate to go inside your home at night.

7.You leave Your Trash Bins Open

Another thing most people overlook is trash bins outside their homes.

Do you have a bad habit of leaving your trash bins open?

Are you able to empty your bin regularly?

Do your trash bins have any cracks or holes?

For roaches, trash bins are perfect not only for shelter but also for food.

They can easily slip through one of your containers and flourish.

So, to get rid of these critters, you must always cover up your bin.

You’ll also want to avoid leaving your trash full.

Roaches have an extremely sharp sense of smell and can smell food quickly and easily.

8. You’re Dealing With A Hitchhiker

Do you go to places that are likely infested with roaches?

Cockroaches can hitchhike on items you bring in from outdoors. 

For example, German and brown-banded cockroaches are notorious for hitchhiking on cardboard, grocery bags, or even clothes at laundry mats.

Outdoor cockroaches such as American and Wood cockroaches are also known for hitchhiking.

Cockroaches are excellent at hiding.

If you keep seeing cockroaches in your home, you may have been carrying them home with you. 

9. You’re House is Untidy

Your house may be clean, but is it tidy?

Roaches are shy and appreciate places where they can hideout.

So a clean but cluttered home is like a big playground to them.

Piles of books, clothing, and papers are all great hiding spots for a roach.

Stacks of books and newspapers in your attic or basement is an excellent place for roaches to mate and hide their eggs.

Keep the items in your house to a minimum.

Both cleanliness and organization play an important role in keeping roaches out of your home.

Less clutter means fewer places for the roaches to hide.

10. They’re Thriving on Unconventional food sources

Roaches are scavengers and will eat practically anything.

And if they are running out of food, they’re even less picky.

They go from eating crumbs and grease to consuming cardboard boxes, glue, wallpaper, rotting wood, dead human skin, and hair.

Roaches especially love damp cardboard boxes, as they are easy to break apart.

So, even if you have eliminated all conventional food sources for these critters, they could be thriving on non-conventional food sources.