Finding a cockroach anywhere near your food is a great cause for concern. This will prompt you to look into every nook and corner of your kitchen to ensure that all their hiding spots have been found.
But after all the thorough inspection, you might have forgotten to check somewhere vital: Are there cockroaches living in the fridge?
Before we get to that, let’s understand the living environments and habits of the cockroaches to get a definite answer to the question.
See Also: 9 Different Kinds of Roaches
Can Roaches Live In a Refrigerator?
Cockroaches are cold-blooded creatures, so there is very little probability of one surviving in your fridge.
Even if you find one in the fridge’s interior, the chances are that it just came there for the food. After all, the refrigerator is the most significant source for food items, so how can they resist the temptation?
Some resources may say that they can live in the refrigerator. But one thing is agreed on universally; they won’t thrive in those cold temperatures.
In short, the chances of roaches living in the “interior” of your fridge are pretty minimal. Same goes for other kitchen appliances. While you may find a cockroach in your dishwasher, it’s not common.
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If Cockroaches Don’t Live In My Fridge, Why Do I Keep Finding Them There?
That is the heart of the question, isn’t it?
Sure, the interior of your fridge is too cold for cockroaches to live and survive long term, but the same can’t be said about the exterior of the refrigerator.
If you explore the back or the bottom of the refrigerator, you will find a set of warm coils. That temperature is very suitable for the roaches, so there is a high chance there is an infestation somewhere in that circuitry.
While roaches are attracted to food crumbs, they are known to live a long time without eating. Despite nothing to eat, the environment around your fridge is perfect for them.
See Also: How to Get Roaches Out of a Microwave
Why Are Cockroaches Attracted to Refrigerators?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cockroaches like to eat sugary or starchy foods. They will feast on sugar, pastries, sweet chocolate, milk, dairy products like cheese, grain products, and even different types of meat.
All of that could be easily found in your fridge. It’s difficult for us to resist the temptation of food lying around like that, so imagine how they feel!
How Can Cockroaches Enter a Fridge?
By now, we’ve established that just because roaches can’t live in your refrigerator, but that doesn’t mean that they’ll stay away from it.
They can and will be able to enter and stay for some time, successfully stealing your food while contaminating it.
Often, they’ll find any cracks or holes left from different components. Also, if the rubber seal of the refrigerator door is loose, detached, or cracked, it can easily slip inside.
Where Do Roaches Like to Live?
Cockroaches prefer dark, tight spaces where there is enough moisture. A nearby food source is always a bonus. Because cockroaches are cold-blooded, they prefer warmer temperatures.
You’ll often find these disgusting and smelly pests where there are people, garbage, poor hygiene, and plenty of food.
When Are Cockroaches Most Active?
Cockroaches are more active in summers, mostly at night when it’s dark. You will find more roaches near places where there is food and moisture.
Is it Really a Cockroach?
There are a lot of bugs that look like cockroaches. So are those pesky pests hanging around your fridge really roaches?
If you aren’t able to get a good look, try to find some frass. Cockroach droppings are easy enough to identify with a magnifying glass. You may also be able to find a few corpses around. When in doubt, place a few cockroach traps and see what ends up in them.
Are Cockroaches Dangerous?
Cockroaches don’t produce any type of poison, and they bite very rarely. The real danger lies in the various health problems they cause due to their mere presence.
For example, these insects are a source of an allergen, and due to that, they can trigger an asthma attack.
They’re also carriers of other bacteria and diseases, including intestinal diseases, diarrhea, salmonellosis, cholera, dysentery, typhoid fever, and others. If you find cockroach poop, take extra precautions when cleaning it up.
How To Keep Cockroaches Away From Your Refrigerator
#1 – Deep Cleaning the Fridge
A refrigerator is an electrical appliance, so you can’t simply hose down the entire unit. However, you can remove the shelves and vegetable cabinets and wash them instead.
For the appliance’s interior, you can wipe it down by using a rag soaked in a safe disinfectant. Keeping the entire fridge clean and storing food in air-tight containers can greatly reduce the risk of a roach infestation getting stuck inside.
#2 – Professional Maintenance Service
Ask any HVAC technician, and they will tell you how important it is to clean the refrigerator or condenser coils. But that part of your fridge is not a simple shelf that you can unmount and clean, even though it looks like one.
To get these coils cleaned, it would be better to call a professional HVAC technician. While they are busy with that, you can apply a disinfectant to kill the cockroaches.
#3 – Use Natural Repellents
Many naturally occurring repellents can be used to keep the cockroaches away. The list includes a variety of essential oils and other items.
- Lavender oil
- Tea tree oil
- Peppermint oil
- Cedarwood oil
- Natural essential oils
- Bay leaves
- Mint
- Cinnamon
- Garlic
- Onion powder
- Cayenne
- Fresh coffee grounds
For example, take at least 6 or 7 bay leaves. Place at least one or two each in the entry points for cockroaches. The strong scent will prevent the cockroaches from even entering the refrigerator.
#4 – Roach Traps
Nowadays, you can easily find non-toxic traps that are safe for you and your family. Both gel bait traps and more traditional sticky traps are available. Just place them around your fridge to get the desired results.
- Quick Kill Formula – Your secret weapon against roaches Starts working as soon...
- Eliminates the nest – Roaches take the bait back to the nest, killing tother...
- Protects your home – Child resistant bait stations provide continuous maximum...
#5 – Boric Acid
Humans remain safe from it, but roaches will definitely die from exposure. So line the floor and the entry points with almost invisible lines of boric acid and any roaches that come in contact will die soon after. You can also use it to make a homemade cockroach bait.
Related: Does Borax Work on Roaches?
#6 – Keep Your Home Clean
What if cockroaches aren’t living anywhere in the vicinity of your refrigerator, but you still find them occasionally in the appliance upon opening the door? The actual cockroach infestation may be living somewhere else in your home and coming to the appliance in search of food.
Truthfully, keeping your home clean will solve many problems for you. Just make sure to also apply disinfectant anywhere cockroaches frequent.
#7 – Contact Local Pest Control
When you have exhausted every other option, call a pest control specialist, and hand over the entire matter to them. Not only will they give you a fair price, they can help you make sure the roaches don’t come back later.
Conclusion
Refrigerator interiors are cold, so it’s unlikely that cockroaches will live in there. But that does not mean that they can’t make their way inside and stay for a while.
It’s entirely plausible to find a colony living in the back of the refrigerator. All you have to do is take proper measures to ensure that they can’t reach your food and contaminate it or you could face a multitude of health problems.
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