This guide provides precise instructions on how to keep roaches away from electronics. The techniques and products mentioned have been employed by professionals in pest control, ensuring your ability to effectively manage roaches in your electronic devices. Whether you’re engrossed in a TV show marathon or immersed in game consoles, your affinity for electronics is undeniable. Regrettably, cockroaches share this fondness for these devices just as fervently.
In the event of a cockroach infestation in your home, particularly within your electronic devices, there are various chemical and non-chemical approaches available to regain control over the situation.
Step 1: Identifying the electronic devices roaches nest in
Apart from cockroaches entering your household in search of food, they are also drawn to warm, shadowy, and private spaces where they can comfortably nest and lay their eggs.
Various electronic devices and appliances, including power supplies, game consoles, internet routers, and refrigerator motors are exposed to roach infestation. You’d then find their droppings and eggs.
Roaches are particularly attracted to electronic devices like game consoles and broadband internet routers, as they often generate heat through regular or continuous operation, making them an appealing environment for these pests.
Not only are cockroaches attracted to outdated devices, but even brand-new electronic items can also be invaded. Clocks, TVs, radios, and laptop batteries are among the frequently targeted electronic items by roaches, primarily due to the warmth they emit. This is evident in the case of German cockroaches, which prefer electronic environments.
If you observe cockroach presence around your electronic devices, they could be German cockroaches. Cockroaches are not merely unpleasant and bothersome, but they can also have financial implications on your gadgets. They can compromise internal electrical components. Moreover, these pests navigate within consoles or TVs and can come into contact with high-voltage elements, leading to short circuits and potentially expensive repairs or replacements.
Step 2: Spotting roach hotspots and potential infestation
Before you begin the cockroach treatment, you want to thoroughly examine your residence and electronic devices for indications of infestation. This process enables you to assess the severity of the infestation and determine the appropriate steps to eradicate the roaches while safeguarding your electronic equipment.
Where roaches hide in electronics:
Check the apertures and ports of your electronic devices, and focus on areas such as the power supply port and other potential entry points that cockroaches may exploit.
You also have to inspect your electronics for the following signs of roach droppings.
- Roach droppings. These like black pepper-like specks and are commonly found near the power supply or wire ports of your device.
- Look out for egg casings, known as oothecae, which resemble brown capsules.
- Presence of roaches themselves, as they may gather in groups within your electronic device or beneath a power supply.
Step 3: Treatment to keep roaches away from electronics
You will need pesticides to address roaches in the electronics. Experts often recommend a dual strategy comprising an appealing gel bait and a residual spray insecticide to protect your gadgets.
You have to be cautious and not directly apply the insecticides onto or inside your electronic devices to avoid additional harm. Consider the following methods to keep roaches away from electronics:
1. Bait roaches with Apex Gel Bait
Apex Cockroach Gel Bait uses irresistible attractants that cockroaches consider appealing. If you are dealing with German roaches, I have comprehensively suggested the best gel bait. This bait has a delayed effect on the roaches that come in contact, ensuring that they have enough time to consume the bait and take it back to their nest to spread the poisonous bait to the entire roach population.
You only have to place a small amount of bait, approximately the size of a pea, on an index card near the affected electronic device. You can use the index card tool for this purpose. Try to position the card in a location that is inaccessible to children and pets.
Cockroaches scavenge in various areas, including bathrooms and kitchens, so extend the Apex application to these locations. Only use small beads of Apex around cracks and crevices found in the following places:
- beneath the fridge
- cabinets
- shelves
- cupboards
- pantries
- behind your toilet
- microwave
- plumbing fixtures
You should notice a decrease in cockroach activity within 3-5 days. Check these areas where you applied the bait after 1 or 2 weeks and reapply as needed until there is no longer any sign of cockroach activity.
2. Buy residual spray with Novacide
Consider using Novacide Aerosol for your next step. Novacide is a residual spray that you can apply to floor surfaces and baseboards to kill adult cockroaches upon contact. It contains an insect growth regulator (IGR)¹ which disrupts the life cycle and reproductive abilities of roaches. IGR hampers the egg-laying process of adult cockroaches and prevents the hatching of eggs, as well as the growth of younger roach stages into adults.
When applying Novacide, use a downward sweeping motion to spray the areas surrounding your electronics, including:
- along your entertainment center setup
- near your power strip
- around all baseboards and floorboards
- around the internal perimeter of your home
This application procedure will create a potent barrier lethal to cockroaches. The IGR present in Novacide should last up to 7 months. Never spray Novacide directly onto electronics to prevent any damage.
3. Clean up your electronic devices
After removing the roaches from your electronic appliances, your next step is to perform a comprehensive cleaning to keep roaches away from electronics.
Begin by unplugging the device, then use a screwdriver to open it up and carefully eliminate all roach eggs and fecal matter. Don’t use using water or any liquid cleaner during this process, instead, use brushes, a soft cloth, or Q-tips for cleaning the affected areas.
If your electronic device is new and still under warranty, check if opening it up would void the warranty, otherwise, don’t. Some devices, including game consoles, often come with warranty-void stickers. In such cases, only clean the device from the outside by blowing air and gently shaking the device to remove any roach droppings and eggs.
4. Use a blower to get rid of remnants
Get compressed air with a narrow spray tip and blow away deceased cockroach bodies from the various crevices and corners of your electronic device.
Prepare for potential messiness during this process because you might have live cockroach scatterings or ones flying out.
Note that this task is best completed outdoors. After removing the eggs, feces, guts, and roach body parts, concentrate on applying preventive measures with Novacide throughout your home to keep roaches away from electronics.
5. Freeze out any remaining cockroaches
Cockroaches are attracted to the warmth provided by your electronic devices, however, they are susceptible to cold temperatures. With freezing temperatures, you can rapidly eliminate cockroaches.
Seal the device in a plastic bag and put it in your freezer for 3 to 5 days. Alternatively, if you reside in a cooler region where freezing temperatures are common, consider sealing the device in a bag and placing it in your garage.
Before you proceed with this method, check whether the electronic device can tolerate low temperatures. Electronics equipped with LCD screens, for instance, can get damaged if exposed to such conditions for a long time.
Once the roaches are gone, retrieve the item from the cold environment and give it time to dry to prevent potential problems. Condensation may occur when the cold appliance returns to its normal warm operating temperatures.
Read also: best roach bait station
Summary
- Cockroaches infest electronics such as computers, game consoles, and internet routers due to the warmth and seclusion of these devices.
- You can eradicate roach infestation in your electronic devices using Apex roach bait and Novacide. Apply these products around your electronics and throughout your home to keep roaches away from the electronics.
- After the roach treatment, clean up your device to get rid of any remains of dead roaches, droppings, and eggs.
Resource
- “Insect Growth Regulators.” National Pesticide Information Center
