What if you’re standing next to your deep freezer to take out your favorite ice cream, only to see a bunch of cockroaches scurrying around? You open the door, and they’re inside too!
These tenacious little pests have invaded your deep freezer, and you need to get these nuisances out! But how to do so?
Here are three ways you can get roaches out of the deep freezer:
- Use cockroach gel bait to lure and kill them.
- Apply insecticidal products.
- Clean out the roach infestation in detail.
You’ll have to be careful when cleaning out roaches from your deep freezer. After all, it’s the place you store your food, and it’s an electrical appliance, so caution is necessary.
Let’s find out how these pests get inside the appliance and what simple steps you can take to clear them out.
How Do Roaches Get Inside a Deep Freezer?
Cockroaches love hiding in dark, humid, and warm spots. Doesn’t it sound like the insides of a deep freezer?
Well, the cockroaches don’t live inside the cooling area. They usually hang around:
- The motor
- In between the internal and outer walls
- Along the heat dissipation pipes
- Water and wiring pipes
This is the perfect invasion point for them to perform hit-and-run tactics on your stored food.
Cockroaches can get inside a deep freezer in the following ways:
Going In Through the Door
Because roaches are sneaky and quick, they need only a second or two for the doors to open and get in the freezer.
They can smell the morsels of food inside, and all they have to do is wait for the right moment.
They’ll dash right in as soon as you open the door for your tummy time!
Cockroaches are among the fastest insects on the planet, with a top speed of 5 feet per second! That means they’d be moving at 135 miles per hour if they were human-size!
Worn Out Door Gasket
If you have an old deep freezer, the gasket seal around the door can get worn out.
The gasket is supposed to keep the deep freezer air-tight closed, and after a few years of wear and tear, the gaps will allow the roaches to get in and out as they, please.
Aging Internal Components
Just like the door gasket, the metal components of the deep freezer can get worn out over time. The metal plates and the wire hoses can loosen up, creating openings for the pests to make their way in.
This is how the roaches make their home in the dark full of moist spaces like the motor, coils, condensation pan, fan, and compressor.
Because these places are out of sight, most people don’t bother looking unless there’s an issue that needs fixing.
3 Ways To Get Roaches Out of Deep Freezer
Cockroaches carry many germs, viruses, and bacteria potentially harmful to humans.
So if you find this creepy crawlies having a buffet in your deep freezer, it’s time to take action!
Here are three ways you can kick them out for good:
1. Bait, Trap, and Dispose
Roaches love to follow scents that potentially lead them to food. So how about luring them out with something extra tempting to eat, cockroach baits?
These baits are infused with scents that the roaches find irresistible. It makes them want to eat it even though it’s filled with pesticides.
Place these baits before going to bed around your deep freezer to lure them out in the dark. In the morning, you’ll see them lying around motionless.
You can also place glue traps around the deep freezer to trap these pests when they come out to scavenge. Once they’re stuck, the roaches are fair game!
2. Carefully Use Pesticides
Remember, you have stored food in the deep freezer, so ensure not to contaminate it with any pesticide.
For the motor area, you can use non-liquid pesticides like insecticidal dust. You can put it in the motor area so that when the cockroaches touch it, they will gradually perish.
You can also put it around the deep freezer, as the roaches will also come out to scavenge at other places.
This way, they’ll have to crawl all over the dust to get to another spot, resulting in them getting poisoned.
3. Clean Out the Deep Freezer Completely
It’s time to take the battle to the roaches, hit them where they live, and hide!
The best way to get roaches out of the deep freezer is to perform a proper cleansing and extermination.
Yes, this may be daunting, but it’s the best way to eliminate these pests!
Follow these steps:
1st Step: Take Everything Out
Power off the appliance, take everything out one by one and wash them down in a large water-filled tub.
This way, the pests won’t be able to escape!
It’s safe to say that if you see any roaches attached to their favorite meal container, let them drown!
2nd Step: Sanitize and Dry
Once the containers and other items have been washed, sanitize them and leave them to dry for a while.
You can also pat them dry with a paper towel and place them in another freezer before they start melting and going bad.
Use pesticides and insect-killing dust to draw out the roaches from the exterior backside of the appliance.
Once they’re out, don’t squish them; just let them be till they pass out.
Squishing a cockroach not only releases more bacteria and germs into the environment, but the scent also attracts more bugs to the crime scene!
3rd Step: Cleaning Out the Roaches
Take out all the separations and compartments. Wash and sanitize them to remove any roach gunk and dung.
Now use a sponge soaked in an antibacterial dishwasher (food-safe cleaner preferably) and clean the entire insides of the deep freezer. Make sure it’s fragrance-free to not leave a smell inside.
Wipe down every nook and cranny, removing any of the pest’s remains.
Next, spray the entirety with a sanitizer and leave it for a few minutes to kill any germs and bacteria.
Don’t forget to clean the top area, handles, and bottom area of the freezer, as these, too, can host pests.
4th Step: Final Wipe Down and Reassemble
Once the sanitizer has done its job, you should check every nook and cranny, top to bottom.
Once you’re satisfied that there are no more roaches, you can put everything back in place and turn the deep freezer back on!
Takeaway
Cockroaches can reach epidemic levels if not stopped early in the infestation. They love places with easy access to food and moisture while remaining hidden and safe.
This is why they infest appliances like deep freezers. However, even if they do make your deep freezer a home, you know how to get the roaches out:
- Use cockroach gel bait to lure and kill them.
- Apply insecticidal products.
- Clean out the roach infestation in detail.
If any of the abovementioned methods don’t work, you’ll have to call in professional pest control to take care of the roaches!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Are There Roaches in the Deep Freezer?
Cockroaches are attracted to the food inside, especially the dropped bits and pieces that accumulate at the bottom over time.
Can Roaches Live in a Deep Freezer?
Even though domestic cockroaches cannot survive sub-zero temperatures for long, their eggs can pull through for at least 7 days.
Can the Deep Freezer Be Fumigated?
You can fumigate the deep freezer by switching it off and removing all edible items. Once fumigated, leave it in an airy spot for a few days before wiping it clean and reusing it.
