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How long can cockroaches live in an empty house?
Me and my wife are trying to sell our old house, but it has a nasty cockroach infestation. We’ve already moved out of the house and into our new place. The house is completely empty so there's nothing for the roaches to eat. It’s been weeks and they’re still there. I thought they would have starved by now. How long can cockroaches survive in a totally empty house?
Patrick Price · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Oh no! I’m very sorry to hear about your cockroach infestation. It can be very difficult to sell a house if it has roaches. Cockroaches are one of the most resilient organisms on the planet. They can live for a month or more without a single scrap of food and one to two weeks to die of dehydration, even in an empty house.
You’re going to need to take steps to get rid of the roaches, as waiting for them to die or leave will not work. Here are a few things you can try:
- Sprinkle diatomaceous earth or baking soda in problem areas. Diatomaceous earth and baking soda are lethal and can be purchased at a supermarket. Sprinkle them around problem areas or mix them with onions to lure in the pests.
- Mix lemon juice with water and use it to mop. Citrus of any kind is an effective roach repellent. If you mop your floors with a water and lemon mixture, it should encourage the roaches to leave.
- Set traps. Glue strips and bait traps are the best options for trapping roaches.
- Hire a professional exterminator. Hiring an exterminator is probably what you’ll have to end up doing. Because roaches are so resilient, it is nearly impossible to clear out an infestation yourself. Some methods can cull their numbers and keep them out of certain areas of your house. But they will likely keep coming back until you get professional help.
It sounds like you recently moved, so make sure to get your new home protected with good
homeowners insurance
by using Jerry
. A licensed broker that offers end-to-end support, the Jerry app gathers affordable quotes, helps you switch plans, and helps to cancel your old policy. Even better—Jerry will help you bundle your home and auto policies for maximum savings.
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