Every pest that enters your home eventually heads for the kitchen — cockroaches, ants, mice, fruit flies, pantry moths. It has everything they need: food, water, warmth, and darkness behind appliances. The good news: 30 minutes of focused work eliminates most of the conditions that attract and sustain kitchen pests.
Minutes 1–5: Under the sink. Check for leaks (any drip sustains a cockroach colony). Seal the gap around drain pipes with silicone caulk — this is the #1 cockroach entry point in kitchens. Remove stored trash bags and cleaning supplies from under the sink temporarily to inspect for droppings or frass.
Minutes 5–10: Behind and under the stove. Pull the stove forward (most slide on their own). Sweep or vacuum crumbs and grease (this is typically the most neglected food source in the kitchen). Check for mouse droppings along the back wall. Seal any gap where the gas line or electrical cord enters the wall.
Minutes 10–15: Behind the refrigerator. Pull it forward if possible. Vacuum the coils and floor area. The warmth from the compressor combined with food debris makes this a prime cockroach and mouse area. Seal any wall penetrations visible behind the fridge.
Minutes 15–20: The pantry. Check all open food packages for pantry moth webbing or weevil activity. Transfer open dry goods (flour, rice, cereal, pasta, pet food) into sealed glass or hard plastic containers. This single step eliminates the food source for stored product pests.
Minutes 20–25: Gaps and entry points. Check where the countertop meets the wall (backsplash gap), around window frames, and where cabinets meet the wall at floor level. Apply silicone caulk to any visible gap. Install foam gaskets behind electrical outlet covers on exterior walls.
Minutes 25–30: Preventive treatment. Place 2–3 pea-sized dots of gel bait inside cabinet door hinges, behind the faucet base, and at the back corner of the cabinet under the sink. Set a glue board behind the refrigerator and one under the sink for monitoring. Place a TERRO bait station on the windowsill if you've had ant activity.