If you suffer from cockroaches in your house or apartment then you will know how horrible it can be. There are many different types of roaches and they thrive in warm, humid atmospheres and usually live in areas where there are sources of food which is why they are commonly found in and around the kitchen.
They aren’t just confined to the kitchen, however. They love dark, warm confined spaces usually in cupboards, under undisturbed furniture, water heaters and drains. Wherever they are they move fast and you can find them crawling anywhere making it hard to know where and when to target them. If you have a cockroach problem then try these tips to eradicate them from your house.
Using Deterrents To Ged Rid of Roaches
If you want to deter the roaches from your home rather than kill them, then there a number of things that they don’t like and will stay away from. Try these different methods to keep the cockroaches at bay.
1. Keep a Clean House
Roaches love dirt and food. Keeping a spotlessly clean home will be a basic but essential way to stop them invading your space as they’ll most likely go off and find a better feeding ground. Cleaning up straight away after meals is necessary to stop attracting the roaches into the kitchen and crawling all over the dirty plates and leftover food. Make sure you take the rubbish out on a regular basis so as not to tempt them in. A good and thorough cleaning routine will keep those roaches away.
2. Bay Leaves
It has been found that roaches hate the smell of bay leaves. Crush up a bunch of fresh or dried bay leaves and sprinkle around the house. It’s best to put them near where they are nesting if you know the location. This will cause them to leave and find a better-smelling place to live.
3. Ammonia
Another way to get rid of roaches is to use ammonia – not the best smelling substance for us either so this may need to be a last resort. Cleaning surfaces with ammonia, however, will deter the roaches all the more so mixing 2 cups of ammonia with a bucket of water and using this as a cleaning solution will help deter the cockroaches away.
Using Traps to Get Rid of Roaches
Homemade traps are a great way to attract the roaches to a source and trap them. Although this won’t get rid of a huge amount it will at at least keep some pesky roaches away from food and living areas.
1. Glass Jar Trap
A simple glass jar can be used as an effective trap. You can put any number of attractive things in it including peanut butter, food scraps or coffee. Creating a trap out of a glass jar, water and an attractive meal or smell can get some of those roaches out of your way.
- Get an empty, clean glass jar and fill it half way with water.
- Smear some vaseline around the inside top of the jar to make it slippery and hard for them to escape.
- Add some stuff to attract them e.g. coffee granules.
- Mix it up and place in different areas of the house. Once a few roaches have entered the trap and died get rid of them and re-make the trap.
2. Borax and Sugar Trap
Cockroaches are attracted to the sweet stuff but borax will inevitably kill them so this is a perfect and cheap trap to construct. Don’t feel too deterred if you don’t find many dead cockroaches with this one as any roach that steps on it will then take it back to the nest and will act as a poison to the rest of them killing them at the source. It is NOT advised to use this method if you have small children or pets as Borax is very toxic if ingested. Keep it out of reach or use a different kind of trap.
- Mix equal parts of Borax and sugar.
- Put this into a container or tray and place anywhere in the house where you get a high number of roaches. You should see dead roaches within a matter of hours.
3. Cucumber with an Aluminium Can
Some say this is effective while others don’t but have a go and see if it works for you. Apparently the roaches will be attracted to the cucumber but then putting cucumber into an aluminium can causes a chemical reaction that gives off a putrid smell that cockroaches can die from. Not overly sure if this is the case but worth a try!
- Get some fresh cucumber peels and an aluminium can.
- Rub vaseline on the inside of the can to stop the cockroaches from being able to escape.
- Place the cucumber into the can and place in a convenient place.
- Check after several hours to see if any have been caught.
4. Sticky Tape Traps
Using sticky tape for pest control isn’t a new idea but it can be really effective with roaches. Placing good-quality sticky tape traps around the house can stop cockroaches in their tracks.
- Purchase some good-quality sticky tape.
- Make sure the tape is arranged sticky-side up and place these around cracks, opening, floorboards and anywhere else you know they enter the house from. It’s best to do this before you go to bed as the roaches are mainly nocturnal and will be most active at night.
5. Soda Bottle Trap
Using an empty soda bottle trap is so easy and effective. This makes it really hard for the roaches to escape once they’ve fallen in.
- Get an empty soda bottle and cut of the top (around a couple of inches from the top)
- Fill the bottom part with something attractive and sweet like sugar or mix coffee and sugar together.
- Turn the top part of the bottle upside down and place inside the bottom part to create a funnel shape.
- Place around the house and revist after a few hours to see how many roaches you’ve trapped.
Homemade Sprays to Get Rid of Roaches
You can buy insecticides that are effective in getting rid of the cockroaches but making your own is a cheap and equally effective way to kill them off without the harsh chemicals. When spraying a cockroach make sure you aim for the head and abdomen in particular if you can flick one upside down and spray its stomach then this would be even better.
1. Soap and Water Spray
Simply using soap and water can be a good way to get rid of roaches head-on. Just add a few drops of soap to a spray bottle of warm water and shake well. Once sprayed the roach will still run but will stop dead after a minute or so.
2. Listerine and Washing up Liquid
Using listerine (or other mouthwash) with a bit of washing up liquid will help repel the roaches away. Mix equal parts listerine and water and add a few drops of washing up liquid. Give it a good shake in the spray bottle and either spray around the house or directly at the cockroaches. This will send them on their way and potentially kill them if aimed straight at them.
3. Hairspray
Although not homemade, investing in a cheap bottle of hairspray can be a great way to kill off cockroaches. Spraying them with hairspray will cause their wings and legs to stick together and they will slowly suffocate. If you don’t like that idea then make sure you squash the cockroach once it can’t move to eliminate any suffering.
Featured photo credit: Catt Liu via stocksnap.io
