Finding roaches inside your microwave is nothing short of a nightmare.
These resilient creatures can withstand high heat (perhaps even nuclear radiation) and contrary to our belief that the heat inside the microwave can roast these cockroaches, the fact is that they can withstand much high heat without dying.
So these little cockroaches can infect your food, and above all, they can be a good hiding place for roaches. If you are wondering how to get roaches out of microwave, then keep reading.
We will discuss why these little creatures take refuge in your microwave, how they affect your food, and most importantly, how to get rid of them.
The short answer is:
To get roaches out of microwave you can use either the natural agents such as bay leaves, neem, vinegar, or boric power.
All of these methods will require you to have patience while the cockroaches fall to their doom.
The only instant method to rid your microwave off of cockroaches is to use commercial insecticides/disinfectants.
Why You Have Cockroaches Hiding in Microwaves?
Kitchen appliances are the favorite hideouts of cockroaches and other pests. They are warm, have plenty of food in the form of food residues left inside, and they have too many pockets that can be a comfortable home for these tiny creatures.
So, a microwave is only the perfect home for cockroaches. It is warm inside, and there is plenty of space to hide and not to mention they have plenty of food inside, especially if you are not very careful about cleaning it.
The smell of food lingering back in your microwave long after you have used it invites these pests and it’s like providing them with a perfect home.
How Can Cockroaches Be Harmful?
Cockroaches or other pests residing inside the microwave or even in your kitchen are not safe at all. They are difficult to get rid of. No matter how hard you try, they will come back in a few days.
Cockroaches residing in the microwave are not just unpleasant to see; they pose some serious threats to your food safety as well.
Cockroaches leave behind many types of bacteria. When they attack any food, they usually pick up bacteria in that food. Those bacteria live in their guts, and they spread them everywhere they go in the form of waste.
So cockroaches living in your microwave means they are spreading all types of bacteria inside your microwave. These bacteria can seriously infest your food, making it very unhealthy. You may catch several diseases including diarrhea, food poisoning, and many more.
This cross-contamination of cockroaches can spread some serious bacteria, salmonella, streptococcus, and pseudomonas aeruginosa in your microwave. Food cooked inside the microwave is contaminated.
Read more: What is Microwave Safe Bowl
Harmful For the Microwave
Not only these roaches spread some serious bacterias around, but they are also very harmful to your microwave or any other home appliances.
These nasty creatures not only eat food crumbles or residues but they eat paper, plastic, and other such material as well. They will eat the wires or other small parts inside the microwave, rendering some serious damages to your appliance.
How To Get Roaches Out of Microwave?
Getting rid of roaches that are residing inside the microwave is not easy. First cockroaches are very resilient. Then there is always more than what you see.
There are cockroaches, and baby cockroaches, and even eggs that produce more cockroaches. So even when you make sure you get rid of all roaches, they reappear after some days.
Here are a few ways you can get rid of roaches.
1. Use of Vinegar
It’s an all-natural cleaning agent that is perfectly safe for food. You can wash the interior with vinegar. Heat the water and vinegar mixture and wait for these roaches to come out of their hideouts.
But it may not be very effective in getting rid of all the cockroaches as there are plenty of them sitting inside wirings, clock and button area. You can remove the outer cover and use a cotton cloth dipped in vinegar.
2. Boric Powder
Boric powder is another safe agent that you can use. Spread the boric powder inside and outside the microwave. Make sure you put plenty of it in every hole and creases you notice inside or outside the microwave. Let the boric powder do its job, and once they are out, kill them without mercy.
You can’t expect immediate results as we said there are plenty of them back in hideouts. So it may take two-three weeks before they are all dead.
3. Use of Peppermint or Mothball
Peppermint oil or mothball can be used for cleaning the interior of the microwave. These are the safe options that you can use if you are concerned about using commercial disinfectants.
4. Commercial Disinfectants
Commercial disinfectants are more effective for getting roaches out of the microwave. But the use of disinfectant is not very safe. Even when you clean the area carefully, it may leave behind traces of chemicals that can enter your food when you use a microwave.
If you are using a disinfectant, make sure you clean the microwave interior thoroughly after the spray. It is recommended to take the microwave out in the open, so the cockroaches leaving the microwave do not hide inside your kitchen.
There are some gel baits available in the market that you may use for trapping and killing cockroaches.
The problem is even if you are ready to spray some disinfectant inside the microwave, you don’t want to spray inside the electrical section which is a good hiding place for cockroaches. So they may come back sooner than you expect them because of the hidden ones inside the electrical elements.
If you are facing some serious insect problem, it will be wise to unscrew the body of microwave oven either yourself or with the help of an expert and then disinfect it.
How to Prevent Cockroaches From Entering Your Microwave?
Eliminating cockroaches from the microwave is not easy if your home is infested with them already. Prevention is still easy, and you should try to prevent these nasty pests from entering into your microwave.
The best way to prevent these cockroaches from entering into your microwave is to take care of basic hygiene. Keep your microwave as clean as possible. After using, wipe it off properly.
Make sure there is no food particle or any crumb left inside. The habit of properly cleaning your microwave daily, and almost after every time you use it, will not only prevent any pests infiltration, but it will keep the interior free of any stains.
So Wipe it off with a damp cloth even after you are sure there is no residue left. The steam coming out of your food may leave some small particles on the sides.
Wiping it off completely will remove food smells from the microwave as well that attract these pests.
Not only wipe it off completely but make sure to properly clean the microwave interior with a strong agent like vinegar. This natural solution will prevent roaches and other pests from entering into your microwave.
You can try neem or bay leaves for preventing roaches as well. These are natural repellents that will keep the roaches and other pests out of your microwave. Spread them around the microwave. Leave them inside the microwave overnight.
Read more: How to Make Your Oven Smell Better
Conclusion
Even after trying every possible way of getting rid of roaches out of the microwave, they can come back like a bad dream if your house is infested with these pests.
The best way to control these cockroaches and other pests is to take care of cleanliness in your kitchen. Keep it neat. Make sure there is no food left open that may invite these pests. Keep the food in tight containers and perfectly wrapped. Also, keep the dustbin covered.
If you see some cockroaches in any part of the house, immediately call the nearest pest control services and let them deal with these nasty roaches professionally. You know how to get roaches out of microwave but you might still need professional help when dealing with this hideous creature.
Even after trying all this, you still find some roaches inside or around your microwave it is probably time to replace it with a new one as nothing is more important than the safety of your loved ones.
FAQs:
1. Can you kill a cockroach in a microwave?
Cockroaches do not die when placed in a microwave.
A microwave is used to cook food in areas where the x-ray and gamma-ray have a significant difference. Thus, while microwaves cannot kill cockroaches, nuclear explosions can due to the high explosive heat produced by cobalt 60 and gamma rays.
2. Can cockroaches live in microwaves?
Yes, cockroaches will invade your microwave oven as well. Microwaves are known to be able to kill insects due to the dead zones created by the radiation. Since microwaves cause water molecules to vibrate, which causes them to heat up, cockroaches can establish a permanent residence in microwave ovens.
3. Can I spray Raid in my microwave?
No, spraying a highly toxic pesticide in your microwave is not a good idea. The spray residue may remain in the microwave and contaminate your food.
4. Why do roaches get in microwave?
The microwave is not an ideal environment for cockroaches. Therefore, if you have roaches in your microwave, it is most likely that they entered by accident and, upon discovering a constant supply of food, made it their home. They conceal themselves in the microwave's nooks and crannies and seek refuge in the heat.
5. How do you get roaches out of electronics?
Place a roach bait gel, such as Maxforce FC Magnum, on a piece of tin foil or plastic wrap and place it on and beneath the electronics. The roaches should be attracted to the gel and consume it, which will aid in their eradication. It will not, however, prevent them from dying inside the device.