15 BEST WAYS TO GET RID OF ROACHES

Cockroaches present a chronic pest problem to any household or homeowner as getting rid of them is not an easy task. Everyone is thus constantly looking for the best ways to get rid of roaches. While there is no actual method to completely eradicate cockroaches, there are some safe and easy ways which can at least keep them out of your home. Moreover there are some natural methods you can use to get rid of the roaches that enter your home instead of using toxic insecticides which are harmful to not only cockroaches but also to infants and pets.

While stomping cockroaches seems to be the most natural’ means of getting rid of cockroaches, it only kills one cockroach and in no way contributes at eradicating a cockroach colony. As cockroaches are prolific breeders, you need to implement a plan to prevent its multiplication.

Preventive measures

The main thing to remember is to prevent cockroaches from coming in by practicing good sanitation and sealing potential entry points to eliminate harboring places. Get rid of unnecessary rubbish which creates their breeding spots. This means keeping garbage cans away from the walls and as far from entry spots as possible and bag all the trash.

Seal around the garage door and all the cracks and crevices through which pests enter. Place fine mesh screens on exhaust vents. As it is impossible to fill ALL entry points, you could spray a low-toxic insecticide, which is safe on your health, onto your house perimeter. Practice cleanliness as roaches tend to feed on food scraps. This means you should not leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight and make it a point to eat only in the dining area.

Once you have blocked all the possible entry points for roaches, you need to work at eradicating the existing cockroaches in your home. Don’t expect miracles overnight as if your home is infested, cockroach eradication takes time and patience. These time tested techniques can however help at eliminating and preventing a cockroach infestation.

Boric acid

Boric acid not only has industrial uses but is also an effective insecticide. While lethal to cockroaches, it is safe to humans but should preferably be kept away from children. Just lightly dust the powder in cracks and crevices and if it’s a large opening, spray steel wool with boric acid and stuff in the opening.

Boric acid kills roaches in two ways. It is an abrasive to the roach’s exoskeleton and thus ends up dehydrating the roach and if the powder is consumed while roaches preen each other, it can also poison their digestive system.

Another option involves mixing a bit of powdered boric acid, white flour and some granulated white sugar and then pouring this mixture into the areas most infested with roaches. While the sugar acts as bait, the boric acid kills the roach. This method helps to permanently get rid of roaches in your home. Even mixing boric acid, flour and cocoa powder gives the same results.

Roach baits

Roach baits are best used for killing roaches in volume by attacking a roach infestation. The insecticide used in roach baits are slow-acting wherein the cockroaches die only after a few days of consuming the bait. Moreover, infected cockroaches infect others in the colony as others eat the infected roaches’ sputum, feces and even corpses.

You just have to place the baits in your kitchen and bathroom areas about 1.5 to 2 feet apart, preferably in the most likely places where roaches hang out. Cockroach traps also work on the same principle; the only difference is that an adhesive material in the trap entraps the cockroach after it tastes the bait.

Water trap

A water trap also helps get rid of cockroaches. This trap constitutes of a jar with water and a lure, with a funnel in the jar mouth. Place the entire trap in front of the roaches’ nest so that when cockroaches smell the bait and step out of their nest, they fall and get stuck in the trap because of the funnel and eventually drown.

Even a solution of water and regular bathing soap helps. Make a mixture and splash it directly on the roaches and if they don’t die instantly, just kill them manually.

Fabric softener

As roaches breathe through their lower body part, spraying fabric softener on the roaches makes it difficult for them to breathe. Roaches thus die of suffocation, making fabric softener an effective remedy to eradicate roaches.

To do this, you need to make a spray of 3 parts fabric softener with 2 parts water and fill the spray bottle with the mixture. Then spray the solution on the roaches, making sure it hits the lower mid-region and head of the roaches. Spray the solution wherever you see roaches for its eradication.

Bay leaf

Bay leaves helps push roaches away from your home and not kill them as roaches cannot sustain its strong smell. To use bay leaf to get rid of roaches, you need to first dry some leaves in the sun and powder it using a tool. Then sprinkle the powder near the roaches’ nest and you soon find the roaches leaving the nest and relocating somewhere else.

Coffee

Coffee is said to help get rid of cockroaches. There however are lots of speculations on how it works as some say it’s the perk in the coffee which kills the roaches and others say that it’s the smell. To use coffee to eradicate cockroaches, you need to fill 2-3 large glass jars halfway with water and place some wet coffee grinds in 2-3 small cups.

Then place one cup in one large glass jar and place the jar near the roach nesting or wherever you see roaches the most. Attracted by the coffee aroma, the roaches try to enter the jar and once they fall into the water, it’s practically impossible for them to escape.

Check the jar every day and once you’ve caught many roaches remember to toss them and empty the bottles to place the trap again and catch more roaches. Repeat till there are no roaches in the jar which will take a few days.

Catnip

As catnip is a natural roach repellant, you can safely use it to get rid of roaches without worrying about it harming kids and pets. The nepetalactone is its active ingredient which is safe to humans and pets. To use it, you need to keep small catnip sachets wherever there are cockroaches.

You can also make a catnip tea stewing a teaspoon of catnip in 2 cups of water. Then fill the solution in a spray bottle and spray it on baseboards, roaches nests, behind counters and wherever you want to get rid of roaches.

You need to be careful using catnip as though it gets rid of cockroaches, it can make cats crazy. So if you have a cat at home, it’s better using some other remedy to get rid of the roaches.

Pinesol and blanch

The strong smells of a mix of pinesol and blanch helps eradicate cockroaches from their places of hiding. Make the mix by mixing 2 cups of blanch with 2 cups of pinesol and some boiling water. Then just pour the mixture on the roach infested regions and wait for 20-30 minutes to see results. Not only do you have to clean up the place after this, you need to make sure you open the windows of the rooms while doing all this as the mixture has a very strong smell.

Ammonia and water solution

The sharp smell of ammonia makes it a great repellant for roaches; so clean all hard surfaces with an ammonia and water solution. Make this solution by mixing 2 cups of ammonia to a water bucket and wash your kitchen and bathroom hard surfaces with the solution. As this makes roaches quickly leave your home, it’s better to use the solution periodically or at least once in a fortnight to prevent roaches from reentering your house.

Cayenne pepper

Cayenne pepper is another natural repellant for roaches. However it’s not clear if its smell or some other ingredient does the work. To use cayenne pepper to get rid of roaches, mix a tablespoon of cayenne pepper with a crushed garlic clove and a crushed white onion.

Then boil a quart or 4 cups of water and put off the fire after adding the mixture to the boiling water. Once the water has cooled down, pour it into a spray bottle and spray on the roach-infested regions. Alternatively, you can also sprinkle cayenne pepper behind any place or thing you think roaches stow away.

Listerine

Listerine is a good cockroach repellant. However it should not be used directly but it should be diluted with an equal quantity of water. Also and add two drops of dishwashing fluid to it and pour the mixture into a spray can and sprinkle wherever you find cockroaches or if possible, directly on the roaches. This helps eradicate cockroaches.

Bundling trap

The sticky side up of super quality bundling tape can also help get rid of roaches. If this doesn’t work, glue sheets can also be used for catching mice. Just place the tape in places like baseboards and countertops and behind the stove and cooler with the sticky side up.

It’s better doing this before sleeping at night as this is when roaches are the most active. Repeat this for 2-3 days and if you find it difficult making the sheets, you can always use the sheets used for mice control in the market.

Petroleum jelly trap

This trap is easy to make and use. All you need to do is apply some petroleum jelly to the inward edge of a wide mouthed bottle or jar. Then place some apple, banana or mango peels inside the bottle and place the jar overnight in places frequented by roaches.

While the fruit peel smells attract the roaches to the jar, once inside, they are trapped as the petroleum jelly prevents them from coming out. You of course just have to empty the jar the next morning, if you find roaches in it.

Cucumber

Using cucumber to get rid of roaches is something which has been highly debated. Moreover, it’s said that the cucumber peel reacts with the aluminum can to produce a stink which kills the roaches. As cucumber is available in your fridge, there’s no harm seeing if the cucumber peel remedy reacts to them or not.

To try this remedy, you need to place cucumber peels in an aluminum can and then place the can somewhere you think there are various cockroaches. Then wait for the roaches to die.

Spraying them with the help of insecticides

We have many effective insecticides on the market that you can use to kill all the cockroaches by spraying. These insecticides contain Cyfluthrin, a poisonous chemical responsible for killing roaches. Before you buy any insecticide, ensure that you look at its properties because some do not work. If you are not sure about the right chemical to buy, seek for advice from any of the pest control companies within your reach. After buying the insecticide, thoroughly spray all corners of your house where cockroaches are likely to hide. Some of the areas you need to spray are vents, drainage areas, cracks on the walls and trash. While spraying, ensure that you follow the safety measures that accompany the chemicals and keep any pets or children away as you spray.

Additional tips

While the above ingredients and techniques all help get rid of roaches, there are some things you need to bear in mind before using these techniques.

• Avoid inhaling any and all chemicals you use for killing roaches as it can lead to breathing problems or lung irritations.
• Always get rid of half-dead or knocked out roaches and clean up the mess properly. Properly dispose of any dead cockroaches, preferably by flushing into toilets.
• As there is a high chance of babies or pets consuming all the baits and chemicals you use in your traps, make sure you always keep them in a place where only roaches can access them. Though these ingredients may not be very dangerous, it’s better to keep them hidden or protected.
• Remember, you need to reduce the chances and reasons for roaches infesting your household. So you need to dispose of your garbage regularly, and do not leave any food half eaten or leave anything to ferment anywhere. Even pet excreta has to be properly disposed as cockroaches are attracted to them.

So with the right roach eradication tips, and proper sanitation and maintenance of your homes, you will be able to slowly but surely make your home free from a roach infestation. Roach eradication is not a onetime affair as you never know when they may infest your home again.

It is always better to periodically spray one of the above mentioned sprays on all the roach locations to prevent and stop cockroaches from raiding your home!