It’s a universal experience to jump in panic at the sight of cockroaches ANYWHERE in the house. Outside your yard, the bathroom, your bedroom—no place is safe for versatile pests like roaches.
And before you know it, they’re now inside the kitchen. Or worst, they somehow found a way inside your handy microwave.
Oh, the horror!
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The one place you can warm up your food, and it’s INFESTED by roaches and their droppings and eggs and everything awful and sickening and, ugh, my gut’s already turning just IMAGINING it!
Now, before you go freak out, you have to be ready if this ever happens at some low point in your life.
So here’s everything you’ll need to know about cockroaches found in a microwave!
Why the Microwave?
On the outside, a microwave looks like a simple box, right? Little did you know, these microwaves are designed to have LAYERS inside to handle heat well. Layers that these pests know all about!
Since they’re small, they already have a layout for any potential shelter’s ins and outs. And your microwave happens to be their target. Likewise, you should also timely check your dishwasher for roaches because they tend to lodge in those areas as well.
And please don’t forget places like refrigerators and toilets for roaches since they are a common breeding place.
What’s more, these nasty little things aren’t mammals that have blood flowing through them. Instead, they have a slow cell cycle and the inability to produce water molecules which spells out their high resilience.
These are a few of what ensures a cockroach’s survivability despite the extreme heat from the microwave and everything in their environment that probably could’ve killed humans the second any of these happen to them.
And with food spattered all over the inside of the microwave after heating it, these cockroaches will merely crawl out of the coolest, comfiest layer they found to eat their fill.
What’s cool, though, is this little amount of resources already means there are YEARS left in your roach friend.
Unfortunately, it’s not cool knowing they can survive for years inside a microwave, so prepare to get them out!
How to Stop Cockroaches from Getting in the Microwave
Wipe Out!
You must wipe your microwave clean from any remains of food after each use. Be it chunky spattering or as measly as grease—wipe them all off until the four corners of your microwave are squeaky clean!
Then, if you want to be extra sure that no pesky roaches will come crawling back in, why not try out some home remedies for repellent?
Vinegar’s the most well-known solution because of how it’s both effective on roaches whatever life stage they’re in AND a kitchen is never without one, so that’s an easy find!
Another great option is peppermint oil! Not only do roaches hate peppermint with a PASSION, but it also brings in that minty fresh scent to cool off the mind. And, you’re not only getting rid of roaches with this peppermint oil but other pests like rats, too!
However, if you’re not that confident about these kinds of alternatives, you can turn to the usual pesticides!
Be sure to wipe them down thoroughly after spraying, though, or else you’re looking at a possible case of food poisoning.
No Food Left Behind!
If the last point wasn’t clear enough yet, here’s a repeat: DON’T leave any traces of food inside your oven!
Whether it’s a dried stain from spilled soup or oil from some piece of deep-fried meat, you need to be mindful of what your food leaves behind.
Because like any living thing on this planet, cockroaches will eat anything to survive, be it a Michelin-star meal or a rotten chicken leg in a dumpster.
And since these pests go anywhere where food is, who the heck knows what kinds of dirt and bacteria they’ll bring with them!
In turn, what kind of dirt they’ll bring to YOUR food because your microwave’s where they’re staying, remember? So, clean after yourself each time you heat something, and you bet there won’t be any roaches crawling in!
Or, if you’re a lazy potato, put your food in a container where it has a lid on it. That way, your microwave will look a lot less like a crime scene and more of a standard microwave!
Block It Out!
Remember that little detail about microwaves having layers upon layers inside their cube bodies?
Well, for a heating piece of tech, it’ll need ventilation. A LOT of ventilation. That means there’s a butt-load of holes for your resident roaches to crawl through.
Then, through these holes, they now have access to the microwave’s layering system, making it easier for them to go in and out whenever and wherever they want!
Clearly, the holes are the problem, right? In this case, you can’t exactly do anything when those holes are your oven’s venting, so what if we go outside the microwave’s holes and focus more on the gaps around the house?
Because that’s another issue, you need to pay attention to!
Cockroaches LOVE a warm, toasty home like any other person, so you bet these dirty bugs will come crawling in whatever opening they find that goes straight to your home.
So what you can do here is look for these openings. A chipped window, a door hanging ajar—anywhere that comes from outside hunt them down.
Then, you seal them all away for no creepy crawlies to come in!
Tips & Precautions To Keep Roaches Away from Your Microwave
Wet Wipes Away!
Simply using a paper towel would be challenging in cleaning up your mess, especially if there’s grease included.
So, to make it a quick and easy clean-up, use wet wipes! Or spray some alcohol on your paper towel if you have more of those!
This way, you’re sure your microwave is all nice and squeaky-clean with less chance for any cockroach to approach it.
Play It Safe!
Now, we all get your bloodlust for those cold-blooded bugs. If anything, most of us relate to your intent.
But are you SURE you want to use a heavy-duty pesticide like a spray raid or a bug bomb inside your microwave?
Sure, either of these two can kill the bulk of the infestation, no problem. However, a new issue arises when there’s a residue left behind from the pesticides you used.
With how strong their chemicals are, I doubt you could’ve got them all, even when you wiped them down.
So if you have the time, don’t just wipe them down once. Do it again and again until you can’t smell any of that chemical.
Or, if you want to be quick about it, just use a regular spray.
As long as you give them a thorough cleaning afterward, you’re looking at zero chances to have food poisoning!
Wonder of Routines
In the end, it all goes down to this: routine.
For whatever number of times I’ve said it, make it a habit to clean after warming up your meal! Crumbs, grease, spills—clean them all up, so there’s no excuse for those roaches to come in.
Once you add “clean the microwave” to your routine, you bet there won’t be any signs of cockroaches anywhere!
Final Words
Despite their size, cockroaches are one of the most versatile and EXTREMELY resilient creatures on this planet.
As long as humans don’t come interfering, that is. Because once they do, it’s all over for these roaches! Especially if they’re plotting to get inside a fully functioning microwave oven!
Getting between you and food is a death sentence those roaches better be prepared for because after you’ve read this article, you’ll be armed to the tits with wet wipes and vinegar!
We hope this article about cockroaches in microwave helps you keep them away from your house indefinitely!
