How To Get Rid Of Roaches Behind The Fridge – 8 Simple Steps

If you have roaches behind your fridge, you need to apply the techniques mentioned in this article to get rid of them. Before starting, you need to know that roaches can seriously threaten your health if you don’t control them timely. 

Roaches are omnivores, which means that they feed on both plants and animals. They eat food and spread bacteria through cross-contamination. They leave behind their droppings and other wastes that are not good for our health. 

You should keep roaches away from the areas where food is stored, especially from refrigerators, because they can contaminate your food. In the kitchen, when you turn on the light suddenly, you see these pesky creatures crawling behind your fridge. This article is all about how to get rid of roaches behind the fridge. 

How To Get Rid Of Roaches Behind The Fridge?

Cockroaches are attracted to food residue, waste warmth, and dark places. So first of all, you need to keep your area hygienic. If you have a dirty area behind the fridge, clean it to eliminate their food sources. The following steps have been proven successful in eliminating roaches behind the fridge. 

Step 1: Cockroach Traps

Cockroach traps are the devices used to attract and trap them. There are many cockroach traps you can use but the vanilla trap is the most common one. 

In vanilla traps, vanilla extract is used as a lure to attract cockroaches. In this trap, a cotton ball is soaked in vanilla extract and placed in a jar with a lid that has small openings to enter cockroaches in the jar. 

Cockroaches are attracted to the scent of vanilla and enter the jar for investigation through the small openings in the lid. As the jar has a slippery surface, they can’t get out of the jar and get stuck in the trap. You can prepare this trap at home. 

Step 2: Clean Up Any Spills Or Leaks

As we discussed above roaches are attracted to food crumbs and warm places and they hide where they find these things. The area behind the fridge can provide them with these necessities. 

You should keep the area behind your fridge clean and neat. If you don’t, these roaches can multiply in no time, and you will find them everywhere in your home.

Step 3: Covering The Surfaces With Paper Towels

You can use paper towels to capture them. To capture roaches with a paper towel, first of all, take a thick and absorbent paper towel. Then wet it with a solution of water and soap to make it difficult for roaches to escape. 

Cover the surface where you have seen cockroaches with this wet towel paper and leave for several hours. Soap works as a killer for roaches. 

You should keep checking if there are roaches on the paper towel. If there are, then dispose of them in a sealed plastic bag. 

Step 4: Vacuum Behind Fridge

You should daily vacuum your house, especially behind the fridge, to avoid any infestation. Before starting vacuuming, first of all, unplug your fridge and remove all the items around the fridge that can block the vacuuming behind the fridge. 

You should pay special attention to the corners of your kitchen where they hide. After vacuuming, if there are roaches in the vacuum bag, dispose of it to prevent the spread of roaches. 

Step 5: Seal The Cracks With Silicon Sealant

If you are seeing cockroaches in your kitchen or around your fridge, it means that your kitchen has some entry points for them. You should go for a permanent solution to get rid of them instead of a temporary solution. 

Raches enter your home through small openings, gaps, or cracks in the walls or ceilings. You need to seal these cracks and gaps with some good material. You can use silicon sealant for this purpose. It is an adhesive material that is commonly used to seal cracks.

Step 6: Use A Gel Bait

If you want a quick and effective solution to eliminate cockroaches from your home, then go for gel bait. It is a type of insecticide that comes in tubes or syringes.

It is applied in the form of droplets in the areas where you have seen cockroaches. The scent of gel attracts them. When they come in contact with this gel, they feed on it and carry it back to their colonies and nests on their legs.

This gel works as poison for them and it eliminates the whole colony of roaches. You need to be cautious while using it. When you’re done using it, you must wash the areas where you’ve placed the gel to ensure that no child or pet comes into contact with it.

Step 7: Oil Or Sugar Traps

This trap works in the same principle as the vanilla trap works. As we know, cockroaches are attracted to the oily and greasy surfaces to feed on them. You can create a trap using oils that will attract and trap roaches. Roaches are also attracted to sugar. You can also make a sugar trap for them. You can use an oily jar to trap them. Once they enter the jar to investigate, they can’t escape due to its slippery surface.

Step 8: Washing With Baking Soda

Baking soda works as an effective killer for roaches. You can use baking soda to get rid of them. Roaches hide in the corners, cracks, and crevices in your home. 

If you have a larger roach infestation, then mix baking soda with water to make a paste. Fill the corners, crevices, cracks, and openings, especially around the fridge where you have seen roaches, with this paste. When it dries, wipe the dried baking soda with a brush. You can use this method after every 3 months. 

Why Do Cockroaches Hide Behind a Fridge?

Cockroaches need a dark, moist, and warm environment for their survival. The heat and moisture coming from the fridge and from its condensation pan make the fridge’s back the most suitable environment for cockroaches to live in. 

If there are food crumbs or spills behind your fridge, then these things may also attract them. As it is an undisturbed area and is often hard to reach and clean, therefore roaches find it a peaceful area for them. All these things make the back of the fridge a favorable environment for cockroaches to live and reproduce. 

What Are The Home Remedies To Eliminate Roaches?

Certain home remedies act as natural roach killers.

1.  Mixture of Baking Soda And Water

Baking soda is very effective in killing roaches. Mix equal amounts of sugar and baking soda and sprinkle this powder near your fridge where you have seen cockroaches. Sugar is mixed with baking soda to attract cockroaches. 

2.  Mixture of Boric Acid and Sugar

Boric acid is also very cruel in killing roaches. It is also used in the same principle as baking soda. You need to mix an equal amount of boric acid and sugar to attract and kill cockroaches. 

3.  Bay Leaves

Bay leaves are natural roach repellent. These leaves are not poisonous to roaches but they are good repellent. Simply crush some bay leaves in a bowl into a powder form. Then sprinkle this powder near your refrigerator. Roach will leave their place unwillingly. 

Can Roaches Damage A Refrigerator?

Yes, roaches can damage a refrigerator. The motor area of the refrigerator produces heat that can attract roaches to stay inside it. A larger roach infestation in the motor part can damage the cooling system of your fridge. 

A large roach infestation in the motor part means a large number of their droppings. These droppings are pretty sticking in nature and stick to the wires and components of the motor.

These droppings need professional help to remove. You should not use any potent chemical solution in the motor because this solution can damage the wirings and components of motor. 

Can I Spray Raid Behind My Refrigerator?

Yes, you can spray Raid behind and under your refrigerator. Cypermethrin, a widely used broad-spectrum insecticide, is one of the active ingredients in Raid. Spraying Raid can kill all the roaches and bugs around your fridge. Before spraying, you should cover all the food items or place them in a separate room. If you do not know how to spray Riad to get rid of roaches behind your fridge, it is better to contact a professional for assistance. 

How To Keep Roaches Out Of The Fridge?

After cleaning and disinfecting your fridge, you should go for a permanent solution so that no roach enter your fridge. For this purpose, you need to seal all cracks and holes in the fridge as well as around the door. You should take the following measures:

Get A Tight Fitting Door 

First of all, to prevent roaches from entering your fridge, you should get a tight-fitting door. A tight-fitting door means there are no gaps and cracks left and there are fewer chances of roach entering your fridge. 

Get a Magnetic Door Guard

You can also get a magnetic door guard to prevent the fridge door from being opened. 

Keep Your Fridge Clean

Cockroaches can cause serious health problems to humans. They can cause serious bacterial infections. You need to keep your fridge clean and neat to reduce contamination. 

Conclusion:

If you want to get rid of roaches behind the refrigerator, you need to take several preventive measures. You need to make sure that your kitchen area is free of food crumbs and debris. Place the roach baits behind the fridge where you have seen cockroaches. 

You can also use spray raids to kill cockroaches behind the fridge but make sure that you cover all other items in your kitchen before using raids. You can use an absorbent paper towel, a vanilla trap, or a sugar trap to capture them.

For a permanent solution to stop roaches from entering your fridge, it is better to get a tight-fitting door or a magnetic door guard.

FAQs

What Attracts Roaches To The Fridge?

Several factors make the fridge area an ideal environment for roaches to live in. They find heat, food sources, silence, hiding spots, and moisture there. When roaches find these basic things to survive, they start reproducing and hanging out.

Warmth

Cockroaches are cold-blooded insects, which means that they need heat to keep their body temperature regulated. The heat from the motor area provides an ideal spot for cockroaches to hide, especially in cold sessions. 

Moisture

The moisture forming in the condensation area at the back of the fridge provides moisture for the roaches. Cockroaches can live without water but can’t live without water. This is another reason for cockroaches to live behind the fridge. 

Food sources

Food crumbs and debris left behind or under the fridge are also major reasons for attracting cockroaches. Therefore, it is important to clean the area to avoid any infestation. 

Hiding spots:

Cockroaches like to live in an undisturbed area. They prefer to hide in the dark area. The area behind the fridge is often difficult to reach and clean regularly. This thing also makes this area a favorable environment for cockroaches to live. 

How To Clean A Bug-Infested Refrigerator?

A bug-infested refrigerator may be challenging for someone but if you use the right techniques, you can do it easily.

You need to follow our instructions step by step to clean a bug-infested refrigerator. 

Unplug Your Refrigerator

First of all, turn off your refrigerator to ensure your safety and prevent any type of damage.

Empty Your Refrigerator

After turning off the refrigerator, discard all the expired and unused items. Empty all the products from the refrigerator and place them in another cooler place. 

Remove Shelves And Drawers

After emptying your refrigerator of products, remove all the drawers and shelves and wash them well using hot and soapy water. 

Clean the Interior Of the Refrigerator

Now the next step is to clean the interior of the refrigerator with a sponge and a damp cloth. You should scrub the fridge’s interior well. If there is any strain or spill in your refrigerator, then you need to use baking soda and warm water to wash it. 

You should not use any harsh chemicals in your fridge, as this may damage the fridge’s surface. 

Do Vacuuming  Around The Refrigerator

If there are food crumbs or debris behind or under your refrigerator, you need to vacuum the area to clean it. 

Reassembling

After vacuuming, reassemble your refrigerator by putting all the shelves and drawers back into it. Place all the food products back into the refrigerator. It’s better to discard any food that hasn’t been used for a long time.

Why Do I Suddenly Have Roaches In My Kitchen?

There are many things in the kitchen that attract roaches. There is food, moisture, and shelter in the kitchen that attracts them. 

If cockroaches have suddenly appeared in your kitchen, it’s possible that your drainage pipe has a crack or hole. Cockroaches live in the sewer system. If drain covers in your kitchen are not covered properly, they can come out from these drain openings. 

Make sure the sink drain is properly covered and that the drain pipe is not damaged. 

Cracks or gaps in your windows or walls can also serve as entry points for roaches to enter your kitchen. Therefore, it is important to fix any gap or crack to prevent roaches from entering your kitchen. 

Can Roaches Survive Inside a Fridge?

It is very rare for roaches to live inside a refrigerator. Roaches are cold-blooded insects, which means they need a warm environment to survive in an area. The refrigerator has a cold, and roaches can’t survive in cold. You may find roaches behind or under the fridge that provide heat to roaches for their survival. 

It is possible that roaches may enter your fridge for food or vegetables for short intervals of time, but they can’t stay in for a longer time. Also, the hygienicity of fridges plays an important role in attracting roaches.