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Does Mulch Attract Roaches or Repel Them? (Explained)

Mulching is a very popular method of retaining the water that evaporates from the soil. Mulching will largely reduce the watering of your plants. The pile of mulch that you spread over your soil will improve the quality of soil as well as it will ensure that there is enough air movement inside the soil.

However, there are some drawbacks of mulching and one of the main drawbacks is an infestation. Therefore, in this article, we are going to discuss whether mulch attracts roaches or repels them.

Does mulch attract roaches or repel them?

Mulch does attract roaches as the wood shaving above the soil provides a better hiding place and there are organic mulches full of nutrients which makes it more suitable for roach inhabitants. Also, the mulch holds the moisture from the soil and, therefore, the roaches love to live in the mulch.

The mulch can be of different types, however, there are two main types of mulch that the roach gets attracted to. One of them is bark shavings and another is pine straw mulch. The bark shavings attract the roaches as the roaches are known wood loving insects. The bark shavings or chips provide them moisture, necessary nutrients and enough space for living.

On the other hand, the pine straw mulch is a lightweight mulch that is made from pine needles. Therefore, this mulch attracts the roaches most because the roaches can climb onto these barks easily. The pine straw mulch also provides necessary nutrients and enough moisture that the roach needs to survive.

One of the main reasons the mulch attracts the roaches is for the moisture and shelter it provides. Usually, the roaches look for places that provide a better hiding place. In addition, the roaches also love to live in places which are shadowy as well as the temperature is cool. As the bark shavings provide a better hiding place and also it holds the moisture from the soil which keeps the place much cool, therefore, the roaches get highly attracted by the mulches.

On the other hand, organic shavings or chips contain lots of nutrients. Therefore, the roaches get attracted by the organic mulches and also the decaying wood provides the protein they need for living. As organic mulches provide nutrients for the plants, therefore, the roaches prefer to live under these types of mulches. The roaches live on by feeding the decaying bark or wood as they love to intake the nutrients that the decaying mulch provides.

Does fresh mulch attract roaches?

It doesn’t matter if the condition of the mulch is fresh or rotten or dry. Because the roaches always look for mulches that have moisture, a better hiding place and enough food to live on. However, it is found from the study that the roaches only get attracted by the decaying woods. Also, the roaches are known as natural decay woods loving insects. As the decaying wood provides a lot of nutrients to the roach, therefore, they love to live under those decaying shavings or chips.

In addition, the roaches also get attracted by bark shavings or chips. The bark shavings or chips hold the moisture as well as it provides better space for breeding. Also, the pine straw mulch also provides necessary nutrients and also enough moisture which these type of mulches are their favourites. Therefore, these type of mulches attracts the roaches more than the fresh mulches.

4 reasons why mulch attracts roaches

There are a lot of reasons why mulch attracts the roaches. The reasons are mainly related to the environmental factors that make the mulches a perfect place for roach inhabitants. Without any further words, let us look at the reasons:

Makes a better hiding place:

The mulches make a better hiding place for the roaches. The space under the mulches is a dark and moist area as sunlight cannot easily pass through the wooden shavings. As roaches love to live in a dark place, therefore, the mulch is the perfect place for living.

Holds moisture:

As we have discussed earlier that the mulches retain the moisture from the soil perfectly. Later it provides this moisture to the plant and therefore you won’t need to water your plants frequently. Also, the roaches prefer places that are moist and shadowy. Therefore, the roaches get attracted by the mulch.

Full of nutrients:

Organic mulches provide a lot of nutrients to the plants. Also, the mulches contain decaying wood which is the primary source of nutrients for the roaches. Therefore, the roaches prefer to live on the mulches because they can get a lot of food from there.

Better breeding place:

There is enough space in the mulches which is completely suitable for the roaches to breed. In addition, the mulches provide a cool and shadowy shelter which is perfect for the roaches. Also, the offspring of the roaches can also get necessary nutrients from the mulches.

Do cockroaches live in mulch?

Yes, cockroaches love to live in mulch and there are many reasons behind it. One of the main reasons is that the mulches offer them much more space as well as it is completely moist and dark inside the mulch. Therefore, for living as well as for breeding the roaches loves to live in mulch.

Also, the mulch has different kinds of shaving or chips. Some of them are pine straw mulch, stone mulches, wood mulches etc. However, the roaches love to live on the wood shavings or chips as the chips trap the moisture from the soil which always keeps the place moist. As the roaches prefer to live in the dark and moist areas, therefore, the roaches live in mulch.

What kind of mulch does not attract roaches?

Inorganic mulch does not attract roaches. Well, you can make mulch by using different sorts of materials. Mostly the materials are based on nature but not all kind of mulches attracts the roaches. Plastic, stone, rubber or even cedar wood mulch does not attract them. In addition, the mulches which are made from wood or bark of the woods are the ones that attract the roaches.

Usually, there are two types of mulch that attract the roaches. One of them is Shavings of bark and the other one is pine straw mulch. The bark shavings are the preferable mulch for the roaches as the bark shavings are made from wood. As the roaches are known as wood insects, therefore, the bark shavings or chips attract the roaches the most.

In addition, the bark shavings provide a lot of space for the roaches to live as well as breed. The bark chips also offer the perfect shelter for the roaches to hide. Most importantly, the bark chips trap the moisture well enough which makes the place moist and ideal for roaches.

The pine straw mulch is one of the lightweight mulch and it is also one the attractive mulch for the roaches. This lightweight mulch can be dug through very easily. Also, the pine straw mulch holds the moisture well enough and also this mulch provides perfect shelter for the roaches. Therefore, these two types of mulches are the most vulnerable to roaches.

How do I keep roaches out of my mulch?

There are a lot of ways or methods you can follow in order to keep out roaches from your mulch. You just need to follow the idea of mulching carefully and need to take care of it. However, below we have discussed the ways you can follow in order to keep out roaches from your mulch:

Mulch type:

The first and foremost thing to take into note is the type of mulch you select for mulching. Normally, the organic mulch attracts the roaches very much. Therefore, you should set up inorganic mulch like pebbles, stones or rubber.

Keep your yard or garden clean:

Well, people have a tendency to stock up the leaves or waste on one side of the yard. The pile-up of leaves or waste attracts the roaches highly and soon they will find a way to your mulch. Therefore, do not stock up on the leaves or waste near your house.

Keep your firewood away from the house:

Sometimes the roaches enter your house or mulch through the firewoods. As the roaches love to live in woods, therefore, it will be better if you stock up your firewood far away from your home. Also, avoid stacking up the firewood on the ground and make your stack up them keeping a distance from the ground. This will not let the insects hide inside the woods and then find the pathways to your mulch.

These are some of the methods you can follow to keep out roaches from the mulch.

Final Thoughts:

The roaches are fond of mulches, especially the pine straw mulch and the wood shavings. Because these type of mulches provides the cockroaches with the ideal place to live. However, if you want to keep out roaches from the mulch you can go for inorganic mulches.