What Do I Do if I Have Roaches on the Bottom of My Fridge?

Health Dangers

• Aside from the gross-out factor that many people experience when they see roaches in their homes, cockroaches carry real dangers as well. Since cockroaches enter any dark area with a food supply, which consists of anything organic from food scraps to cardboard, they are likely to travel around your kitchen at night, spreading germs over anything with which they come into contact. These germs can cause a variety of illnesses. Cockroaches can also be an allergen to sensitive individuals.

Roach-Proof the Refrigerator

• Before attempting to get rid of the roaches on the bottom of the fridge, roach-proof the refrigerator to keep them from crawling inside where the food is stored. Check the seal around your refrigerator door to make sure the seal fits tightly against the door. If the seal has any gaps or tears, replace the seal if you can buy one the same day. If you cannot buy a seal same day, caulk the gaps or tears to close up any spaces, because roaches can squeeze through small cracks.

Clean Under the Fridge

• If and when you can see roaches hiding on the bottom of the fridge, use the hose of a vacuum cleaner to suck all of the roaches up into a vacuum bag or canister. Once you have pulled out all of the roaches, throw the vacuum bag away or empty the canister away from your house. If you want to ensure that the roaches are dead prior to disposal, Barb and Clyde Ogg of the University of Nebraska recommend freezing the vacuum bag or canister for several hours before throwing it away.

Kill Hiding Roaches

• Even after vacuuming up visible cockroaches, some roaches may linger, hiding in cracks in the floor, walls and cabinets. Keep cockroaches from reentering your kitchen through cracks by filling the cracks with caulk and keep roaches from entering through drains by keeping them plugged when not in use. Kill roaches already inside of your home by setting out roach bait for several weeks until you cease to see roaches or signs of roaches, such as droppings or skins, around your home.

Preventing the Return

• After eliminating roaches from the bottom of the refrigerator, clean the bottom of the fridge, the floor beneath the fridge and all surrounding walls with soap and water to remove the residue left behind by roaches, which can attract other roaches to the area. Keep your kitchen, especially the area beneath the fridge, free of food crumbs, and package all food in pantries and on countertops in airtight containers. Also, sprinkle boric acid beneath the fridge to deter and kill roaches if they do return.