When you spread rubber mulch well across your landscape, it provides your soil with a barrier against excessive moisture evaporation. Additionally, the mulch ensures evenly distributed ground temperatures.
But, when you fail to install the mulch properly, you leave room for cockroach infestation. Although roaches aid natural decomposition, they also reproduce in large numbers in the mulch, becoming a nuisance.
But does rubber mulch attract roaches?
No, rubber mulch doesn’t attract roaches because there’s no food in that environment for them to survive. Instead, the rubber mulch provides your yard with a protective layer against the roaches. Hence, it leaves no room for infestation. Additionally, rubber mulch doesn’t disintegrate like other organic mulches.
Let’s examine why rubber mulch is an effective anti-roach landscaping material:
Also Check – Does Rubber Mulch Attract Snakes?
Does Rubber Mulch Attract Roaches?
Rubber mulch is one of the best mulches in roach prevention. It’s a natural roaches repellant. Also, it’s an inorganic mulch, and unlike other wood mulches, it doesn’t feed roaches. So, the best way to keep roaches away from your yard is to mulch carefully.
But how do you mulch carefully?
By using inorganic mulch such as gravel and rubber mulch. If you need to use wood mulch due to the soil-enriching benefits, you need to leave a minimum of 12 inches. This distance should be between the home’s foundation and the rubber mulch layer edge.
Thus, it ensures that if cockroaches access the mulch, they don’t have a direct pathway in the foundation cracks.
What Causes Roach Infestation in Mulch?
Improper installation causes roach infestation in mulch. Also, other aspects that lead to roach infestation in mulch include:
Moisture Content
Roaches require a constant water supply to thrive and multiply – and move to a different environment once the dry spells set in. Consequently, when installed correctly, mulch gives room for water to penetrate organic mulches to the ground.
If mulch layers mat together, they trap moisture, creating an environment that the roaches relish. Cockroaches love, especially if the water pools in the internal crevices or on the surface of the mulch.
Protection
Roaches comb their environment at night as they look for food and security. It makes mulch the perfect place for hiding and feeding. If your mulch is thicker than 6 inches, it provides lots of space for roaches to breed.
In this environment, the roaches feel protected from predators. But, if you spread the mulch between 3-6 inches, roaches won’t have space to hide. As a result, they relocate to a different environment.
Non-Chemical Control
One of the ways to avoid using chemicals to prevent roach infestation is by leaving a 12-inch distance to your house. Furthermore, you’ll need to spread a thin layer of mulch to deter cockroach infestation.
If water flows in the thin mulch layer, there’ll be no wet, dark, and warm conditions for the roaches to take advantage of. Also, it would be best if you confirmed the cockroach species. It helps you know how to best deal with the infestation.
For instance, the Asian cockroach is attracted to light. Therefore, you may use light or keep the environment dark to discourage roaches from infesting your environment, depending on the species.
Mulch Alternatives
You can opt for rubber mulch, especially if you have a crazy infestation. Pine straw, an organic mulch option, attracts cockroaches because it provides shelter and food.
Roaches don’t have a haven, nor can they obtain moisture from inorganic mulches.
How to Keep Cockroaches Off Your Mulch
One of the options you can use to keep roaches off your yard is to apply the appropriate mulch thickness. Experts advise that if you intend to use wood mulch, let it be 3-4 inches thick. This way, you’ll have water collected moving fast. If you use more thickness than 4 inches, the water stagnates underneath. Therefore, this harbors roaches and other bugs.
In other cases, the only way to do away with roaches is to change your mulching. Before you can do that, identify the roach species lurking around and choose the mulch that repels them.
When all else fails, use roach baits. But this method may not be as effective outdoors as it would inside the house. Also, diatomaceous earth is one of the safest methods of controlling pests around plants. The powder dries out the roaches. It draws out the roaches’ oils and moisture, dehydrating them to death.
That’s what you’d want, right?
After all, cockroaches carry pathogens such as E.coli and Salmonella. You, therefore, want to make sure you keep them as far away from your loved ones as possible.
Mulches Most Prone to Cockroaches
Here are some of the mulches that attract cockroaches the most:
Pine Straw
Pine straw attracts cockroaches due to its lightweight nature. Hence, they burrow into it quickly. Generally, roaches love moist, dark, and warm places for shelter during the day and hide away from predators at night.
Pine straw contains enough moisture, which helps in the prolific breeding of the roaches. Furthermore, roaches such as the smoky brown species prefer pine straw because darkness prevails and contains proper humidity levels.
Bark
Bark shavings and chips are a favorite to wood cockroaches. These roach species shelter in woodpiles for food and safety. Additionally, they love light from outdoor fixtures and windows.
Asian roaches prefer wood mulches and may also enter your home as they look for food. The roaches eat decaying wood because they source energy from the plant cellulose, and it also helps them in rapid reproduction.
You can still use organic mulch in your yard. But to keep the roaches away, you should have 3-4 inches of bark, and pine straw should be a maximum of 6 inches. Thus, when you stick to these depths, water drains through the mulch rapidly, repelling roaches looking for moisture.
In addition, when you reduce the space in which roaches can shelter, they’ll move to new areas.
Mulch Options that Repel Roaches
There are mulch options available in the market that help you repel cockroaches from your yard. They include:
Rubber Mulch
Rubber mulch is an excellent option for keeping roaches away because it neither provides food nor shelter. Instead, it offers your landscape a protective layer against the roaches.
But one thing you’ll need to keep in mind is that rubber mulch may not be the most effective against nymphal Asian and female cockroaches. Other mulch options provide a better solution against these species.
Tea Tree Mulch
This mulch is a natural repellant for insects and is highly effective against cockroaches. The mulch comes from leftovers of the oil-making process. Roaches hate tea tree mulch, which keeps them away and kills them upon contact.
Once the roaches come into contact with the mulch, it destroys the entire colony. And the best part? Tea tree looks great in your garden because it doesn’t compromise aesthetics.
Sugar Cane Mulch
Sugar cane mulch breaks down faster than other mulch options, which means that roaches cannot create a home in it. The mulch comes from dried sugar cane leaves and tops. It’s widely used as a mulching option because of its inexpensive nature.
Plus, the mulch reduces weed growth prevents erosion while improving the soil.
Cocoa Bean Shell Mulch
Cocoa bean shells help keep roaches away from your yard. The cocoa bean smell repels roaches. But, you may want to keep away from this mulch if you have dogs because chocolate causes them toxicity.
Plastic Mulch
Also referred to as reflective mulch, this mulch repels roaches using light reflection. It’s made from silver polyethylene or aluminum and reflects light onto plant leaves.
Plastic mulch comes in two types:
- Clear polyethylene
- Black (polyethylene) film
However, plastic mulch traps moisture and heat and may not be a fool-proof method of preventing roaches, especially when not correctly installed.
That said, it serves as a great temporary measure.
Cypress Mulch
Just like cedar mulch, roaches don’t love cypress mulch. They don’t even get near it, let alone getting comfortable in it. Therefore, cypress mulch is an excellent choice around your house. You can also spray a diluted solution around your house.
According to some research, Asian cockroaches like Cypress mulch last, making it a great option.
One of the most incredible benefits of cypress mulch is it doesn’t decay as fast, lasting longer than other mulch varieties. While it also ensures that nutrients reach the soil, your mulch is safe from cockroaches and other pests.
Cedar Mulch
Cockroaches loathe cedar. It repels them and ensures that they don’t make the mulch their home. Cedar contains natural chemicals and oils that roaches don’t like. It also keeps ants, carpet beetles, moths, and termites away.
Cedar repels roaches and destabilizes their pheromones, which hinders them from mating. They’re also incapable of communicating with other roaches to join them and cannot search for food.
The roaches use pheromones to communicate to the rest of the colony. Accordingly, spread the cedar around your yard to discourage roaches from settling there.
Are Roaches Beneficial to Mulch?
Unless they’re causing havoc, you might need to think twice before you get rid of them. We know that cockroaches are, without a doubt, the last thing you want to see in your yard or home.
As explained here, roaches are composters. They break down rotting matter as they nibble on it. Consequently, this benefits plants by giving them the nutrients needed for faster growth.
The cockroach bodies achieve this because they have bacteria and protozoa needed for converting waste material to nutrients. Roach waste also serves as an excellent nutritional option for plants.
Once the roaches consume decaying waste material, they excrete nitrogen, nourishing trees and plants.
Therefore, allowing a few roaches into your yard adds to the benefits. Wood roaches are some of the cockroaches you can let be. However, they may wander into your home.
Lastly, another benefit is that cockroaches degrade within three days when they die. And as they rot, nutrients are released from their bodies. As a result, they help add nutrients to the mulch. Therefore, when you choose to get rid of the roaches, leaving their bodies sprawled around the mulch is advisable.
FAQs
What Bugs Does Rubber Mulch Attract?
On the contrary, rubber mulch reduces the risk of roaches, fungus, insects, and weed infestation. Unlike wood mulch, rubber mulch helps curb the need to use harsh chemicals around your landscape when getting rid of roaches.
Do Cockroaches Like Rubber?
Cockroaches eat almost anything, including certain types of rubber. Therefore, the domestic cockroach’s feeding options include any food people eat, trash, dead insects, insulation, wax, feces from animals or people, and so on.
Can Roaches Come in Mulch?
Organic mulches such as pine straw attract cockroaches because it provides shelter and food. Thus, rubber mulch is recommended to keep roaches away.
Does Mulch Deter Roaches?
To deter roach infestation, keep the mulch at least 12 inches from the foundation of your home. Also, keep the mulch at the recommended thickness. A thick mulch layer creates a wet environment that attracts roach infestation by creating hiding spots. Accordingly, when there’s a reduction in the shelter space, the roaches move to other areas for food and safety.
Does Cedar Chips Keep Roaches Away?
Cedar chips are effective in repelling insects, including cockroaches. They have natural oils and chemicals which they release to repel the roaches.
Do Roaches Like Pine?
Pine kills roaches upon contact. Fabuloso and Pine-Sol are similar to bleach, and they’re used for all-purpose household cleaning. Therefore, it’s suggested that you use Pine-Sol in your house to deter roach infestation.
What Smells Keep Roaches Away?
Cypress, cedarwood, and peppermint oils keep roaches at bay. Additionally, they hate the smell of coffee grounds and steer clear of bay leaves. You may add boric acid and powdered sugar to the oils to eliminate them.
The Bottom Line
Rubber mulch doesn’t attract roaches compared to bark and pine straw mulch. But that doesn’t imply that rubber mulch is entirely safe from roaches. Therefore, you need to keep your mulch in the most suitable conditions to ward off infestation.
Thus, this begins by learning about the most appropriate mulches you should use to keep your environment bug-free.
