Cockroaches are one of the most hated household pests. They are unsightly and can also transmit disease and cause allergic reactions. Like most people, you want to keep cockroaches out of your home, especially where you store food like potatoes. So the question is how to keep cockroaches away from potatoes.
Following are a few natural ways to keep cockroaches away from where you store potatoes, protect your food, and make your home a healthier place for you and your family.
- Store potatoes properly
- Clean up spills and crumbs
- Essential oils
- Boric acid
- Seal cracks and gaps
- Sticky traps
- Airtight containers
- Diatomaceous earth
- Keep the area dry
- Remove any old potatoes
- Bay leaves
- Garlic
- Vinegar
- Catnip
In this article, we’ll look at effective ways to keep cockroaches away from potatoes so that you can enjoy your spuds without unwanted pests.
Do Roaches Love Potatoes?
Yes, cockroaches love starchy foods, like potatoes, a lot. Potatoes are a food source for cockroaches and can help them live and grow in your home. When potatoes are left out in the open or not stored properly, cockroaches can eat them, leading to an infestation.
Roaches like potatoes because they have a lot of starch in them. They are also attracted to the moisture that can build up around potatoes, which makes them even more appealing.
Cockroaches can leave their waste and saliva on potatoes, which can make people sick if they eat them. Cockroaches are scavengers that eat almost anything, including dead things, grease, and starches.
Why Are Cockroaches Attracted To Potatoes?
Cockroaches like potatoes because they have a lot of starch in them. Starch is a type of complex carbohydrate that gives life its energy. Like many other insects, cockroaches can break down starch and use it as a food source.
Potatoes can be a food source for cockroaches because, in addition to the starch they contain, they can also provide moisture. Roaches need water to live, and potatoes that have been left out or stored in the wrong way can start to get wet. Cockroaches might like them more if they look like this.
Cockroaches eat almost anything they can get their hands on, including dead things, grease, and even each other. But they like starchy foods like potatoes and other carbohydrate-rich foods like bread and cereal in particular.
Signs Of A Cockroach Infestation Near My Potatoes?
If you think there are cockroaches near your potatoes. Here are some signs that you might have cockroaches:
- Finding live or dead cockroaches near where you store your potatoes is a good sign that they are breeding nearby.
- The droppings of cockroaches look like small, dark pellets and are often found near food. If you find droppings near where you store your potatoes, it could mean that there are cockroaches there.
- Cockroach egg cases are small, brown, and oval. They often live in dark, damp places, like near places where potatoes are.
- Cockroaches give off a strong, musty smell that can be especially noticeable when there are many of them. If you smell something bad near where you store your potatoes, it could mean that there are cockroaches there.
How to Keep Cockroaches Away from Potatoes?
To keep cockroaches away from potatoes, here are some effective tips and techniques:
Store Potatoes Properly
To stop cockroach infestations, it’s important to store potatoes properly. Moisture is something that cockroaches like, so it’s important to keep potatoes in a cool, dry place away from other food.
Using containers that let air in, like mesh bags or baskets, can help keep moisture from building up. Check potatoes before storing them to make sure they are not rotten, which can attract cockroaches. It’s also important to use the oldest potatoes first and switch them out often, so they don’t go bad, and cockroaches don’t move in. Cleaning the storage area regularly can also help keep pests away.
Clean Up Spills And Crumbs
To keep cockroaches away from potatoes, cleaning up spills and crumbs is important. Cockroaches like food scraps and moisture in crumbs or potatoes that have fallen on the floor. Wiping down surfaces with soap and water regularly can help get rid of food particles that could attract cockroaches.
To keep cockroaches from getting to them, it’s also important to keep potatoes in airtight bags or plastic bags. Cleaning the area where potatoes are stored and check them before putting them away can help catch any signs of cockroach activity early and stop them from taking over.
Use Essential Oils
Essential oils can keep cockroaches from eating potatoes. Some essential oils, such as peppermint, lavender, and tea tree oil, have properties that make them effective cockroach repellents.
Add a few drops of each of these oils to water, and then spray the mixture around where you store potatoes. You can also soak cotton balls in essential oil and put them near the storage space. The oil’s strong smell can keep cockroaches away and stop them from coming back.
Use Boric Acid
According to the Journal of Economic Entomology, boric acid can be a good way to get rid of cockroaches and keep them from eating your potatoes. It works by negatively affecting the insect’s outer shell, which makes it lose water and die.
Spread a thin layer of boric acid powder around where you store potatoes, paying special attention to where cockroaches are often found. You can also mix boric acid with water to make a spray that you can use to kill cockroaches on surfaces or in places where they are.
Seal Cracks And Gaps
To keep cockroaches away from potatoes, it’s important to seal up cracks and holes. Small holes and cracks in walls, doors, and windows can let cockroaches in. Check the area where you store potatoes for cracks or holes, and fill them with caulk or weather stripping. By securing potential entry points, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of a cockroach infestation in the potato storage area.
Use Sticky Traps
Sticky traps can be a good way to get rid of cockroaches and keep them from eating your potatoes. Place sticky traps near the potato storage area, focusing on cockroach hotspots. The traps catch cockroaches when they walk over the sticky surface, so they can’t get to the potatoes.
But it’s important to remember that sticky traps shouldn’t be the only way to get rid of cockroaches. Check the traps often and replace them when they get dirty or full.
Use Airtight Food Containers
A simple and effective way to keep cockroaches away from potatoes is to store them in airtight containers. Airtight containers prevent moisture buildup and make it harder for cockroaches to get to the potatoes.
Place the potatoes in a container with a tight-fitting lid, like a plastic storage bin, and check them before putting them away to ensure they are not rotten. By storing potatoes in airtight containers, you can make it less likely that cockroaches will move in.
Diatomaceous Earth
Following Molecules using diatomaceous earth to control cockroaches and keep them away from potatoes is effective. Diatomaceous earth is a fine powder of fossilized remains of diatoms that works by drying out the exoskeleton of insects and causing dehydration.
Spread a thin layer of diatomaceous earth around where you store potatoes, paying special attention to where cockroaches are often found. You can also mix diatomaceous earth with water to make a spray that you can use to kill cockroaches on surfaces.
Keep The Area Dry
Maintaining a dry storage area for potatoes is essential for keeping cockroaches away. Moisture attracts cockroaches, found in damp places or on wet surfaces. Make sure the area where you store potatoes is dry and doesn’t have any standing water or moisture buildup. Use a dehumidifier or fans to reduce humidity levels, if necessary. By keeping the area dry, you can make it much less likely that cockroaches will start living there.
Remove Any Old Potatoes
To keep cockroaches away from potatoes, it’s important to eliminate any old ones. As a source of moisture and nutrients, rotting or decaying potatoes can attract cockroaches. Check the area where you store potatoes regularly for any old ones. If you find any, take them out and throw them away right away.
Don’t put old potatoes in the storage area for potatoes or in the trash because this can bring cockroaches to the area. Also, clean the area where you store potatoes often to get rid of food scraps and potato peels, which can also attract cockroaches.
Use Bay Leaves
According to research published in the Journal of Applied and Natural Science, you can use bay leaves to keep cockroaches from eating your potatoes. Even though it sounds strange, it’s true! The chemical eucalyptol in bay leaves keeps cockroaches and other insects away. This natural cure works is safe, and won’t hurt you. So, if you’re sick of finding cockroaches in the place where you keep your potatoes, try bay leaves.
Use Garlic
I have one more way to keep cockroaches from eating your potatoes. Allicin, found in garlic, is a natural insecticide that keeps cockroaches away. Just crush a few garlic cloves and put them near where you store your potatoes or sprinkle garlic powder around the area. This will not only keep cockroaches away, but it will also make your pantry smell nice. So, the next time you buy a lot of potatoes, remember to add some garlic to your shopping list!
Use White Vinegar
Vinegar is another natural way to stop cockroaches from feeding your potatoes. It is a natural way to clean and keeps roaches away. Put equal parts of water and white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray the mixture around where you store your potatoes. This will not only keep the cockroaches away but also clean the area and eliminate any smells that are still there.
Use Dried Catnip
Catnip is a herb with a chemical called nepetalactone that makes cockroaches and other insects want to stay away. You need to put small bags of dried catnip around where you store your potatoes. You can also sprinkle powder catnip around the area or make catnip tea and spray it around the storage area. This will keep cockroaches away, and the smell will make your cats happy. So, give catnip a shot and see what happens.
Is It Safe To Eat Cockroach-Infested Potatoes?
If you find cockroaches in your potatoes, you might wonder if you can still eat them. The good news is that cockroaches don’t spread diseases to people. This means that eating potatoes with a few cockroaches crawling around is not dangerous. But you should know that cockroaches carry bacteria and other germs on their bodies, which could get on your potatoes and make them go bad faster.
So, even though it might not be dangerous to eat potatoes that have been touched by cockroaches, it’s best not to eat them and throw them away instead. Remember that preventing problems is always better than fixing them, so take steps to keep cockroaches from getting into your potatoes in the first place.
Can Cockroaches Contaminate Potatoes With Diseases?
Even though cockroaches aren’t known to spread diseases to people, they can spread bacteria and other pathogens to potatoes. When cockroaches crawl over your potatoes, they leave feces and saliva and shed skin, all of which can harbor pathogenic bacteria. This can make the potatoes go bad faster and, in some cases, make them too dangerous to eat.
Also, cockroaches may carry salmonella and E. coli, which can spread to potatoes if they come in contact with their bodies. Eating spoiled potatoes can make you sick, which can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, and vomiting, among other things.
Can Cockroaches Lay Eggs On Potatoes?
Yes, cockroaches can lay their eggs on potatoes. Cockroaches can lay their eggs in many places, like cracks and crevices, food waste, and even on potatoes. The eggs are laid in an ootheca, a protective case holding up to 50 eggs. When the eggs hatch, the nymphs start eating the food around them, which could be potatoes.
FAQs
How Often Should I Clean The Area Where Potatoes Are Stored?
It is recommended to clean the storage area at least once every few months. But how often you need to clean may depend on the size of your storage space, how often you use it, and the weather and humidity in your area. If you live in a place with a lot of rain or high humidity, you may need to clean the area more often to keep moisture from building up and causing mold to grow.
Should I Refrigerate Potatoes To Keep Cockroaches Away?
Potatoes should not be refrigerated since the cold can cause them to become starchy and lose flavor. Instead, please keep them in a cool, dark place with good airflow. Cockroaches won’t come near the potatoes if you use natural repellents like bay leaves or catnip.
Can Pesticides Be Used To Keep Cockroaches Away From Potatoes?
Pesticides may be effective at killing cockroaches but can also be dangerous to humans and animals. Bay leaves, garlic, or catnip is good natural methods for repelling cockroaches away from potatoes. If you decide to use pesticides, read the directions carefully and only use the recommended amount in a well-ventilated area.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, keeping cockroaches out of where you store your potatoes is important for keeping food safe and avoiding health risks. There are many ways to keep cockroaches away from potatoes, such as using essential oils, boric acid, sticky traps, diatomaceous earth, bay leaves, garlic, vinegar, and catnip.
However, cleanliness is the most important thing. A cockroach infestation is much less likely if potatoes are cleaned and stored properly. Also, be aware of the possible health risks of cockroach infestations and, if necessary, consider hiring a professional pest control service.
References
Donkor ES. Cockroaches and Food-borne Pathogens. Environ Health Insights. 2020 Apr 30;14:1178630220913365.
Kroschel, J., Mujica, N., Okonya, J., Alyokhin, A. (2020). Insect Pests Affecting Potatoes in Tropical, Subtropical, and Temperate Regions. In: Campos, H., Ortiz, O. (eds) The Potato Crop. Springer, Cham.
Ahmed Q, Agarwal M, Al-Obaidi R, Wang P, Ren Y. Evaluation of Aphicidal Effect of Essential Oils and Their Synergistic Effect against Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Molecules. 2021 May 20;26(10):3055.