You must be wondering whether catnip repels cockroaches or not! Surprisingly, catnip is a natural cockroach repellent. Cockroach infestation in your home could lead you to anything as long as it works to get rid of these pests. Placing catnip around your home is one of the effective way to repel roaches away.
Read Also: What Do cockroaches Hate? – Cockroach Natural Repellents
Does Catnip Repel Cockroaches?
Does catnip repel roaches? Yes, catnip is as effective as any other natural repellent to keep roaches away. Catnip has a compound called nepetalactone, which is offensive to roaches. This smell is too strong to the roaches such that their senses are thrown out of balance.
You can repel roaches away by sprinkling it over the infested areas and where the roaches are lurking. Be sure to make catnip tea by brewing some leaves in boiling water, putting it into a spray bottle and spray it around your home.
The bad news is that catnip can’t kill roaches, but if it can keep roaches away then it can help in dealing with an infestation. It can also prevent roaches from coming back.
Do Roaches Dislike Catnip?
Cockroaches hate catnip for obvious reason; it repels them. Catnip has a chemical compound called nepetalactone which is the active ingredient found in catnip plant. Cockroaches hate the smell of catnip since it confuses their sense of smell and makes them lose direction. This makes catnip one of the best insect and cockroach natural repellent.
What Does Catnip Do To Cockroaches?
As mentioned, catnip won’ kill roaches but it can only keep the roaches away as you apply other effective methods like pesticides and diatomaceous earth.
What does catnip do to cockroaches? Remember catnip is one of the best cockroach natural repellent. Cockroaches hate the smell of repellents. Catnip has a chemical compound called nepetalactone as the active ingredient. It belongs to the same family as mint which is harmful to cockroaches.
According to a study done at the Lowa State University, catnip was found to be 100 times more effective at repelling cockroaches than DEET; the most common active ingredient found in most insect repellents.
Although catnip won’t kill roaches but it helps to deter the cockroaches invading your home. You can also use catnip to flush roaches out of their hiding spots. Catnip does this by confusing the roaches’ nerves, causing them to lose their sense of smell and lose direction.
Can You Use Catnip To Get Rid of Roaches
Yes, you can use catnip to get rid of roaches. Catnip is a natural insect repellent that keeps insects away. Roaches are sensitive to chemical nepetalactone; the active ingredient in catnip. This however doesn’t mean that catnip can kill roaches. It just keep roaches away owing to the strong sensitive smell that it gives. Be sure to use catnip to drive roaches out of their hiding spaces.
How To Get Rid of Roaches Using Catnip
As mentioned earlier, placing catnip around your home helps to repel roaches. This can be a more effective method than using one of those dangerous pest control methods. If you have kids or pets in the house, this natural approach to get rid of cockroaches is the safest way to go about it.
To get rid of cockroaches using catnip, do the following:
a) Sprinkle Catnip Strategically
Roaches hate the smell of catnip, to keep them away you can either sprinkle around your home. Catnip leaves produces a strong scent that cockroaches cannot tolerate.
Identify and locate the spots where the roaches are lurking and frequent most. Sprinkle catnip leaves in small cup. Places that are harder—to-reach including under the doors, behind the cupboards, sprinkle the leaves onto the surfaces directly. To achieve good results, replace the leaves every day until all the roaches are gone.
b) Spray Catnip Directly on the Roaches
This approach is efficient when you can visibly locate the roaches. To repel the roaches, spray them directly with catnip powder. You can also spray the catnip directly onto the eggs to drive the roaches away.
c) Prepare Catnip Tea
Preparing catnip tea is one of the most effective approach to get rid of the roaches. It is simple to do so. Here’s how to:
- Bring water to boiling point
- Add a teaspoon into the water
- Brew the catnip for about 10 minutes
- Allow it to cool to room temperature
- Put the solution in a spray bottle
- Spray your home with the catnip tea especially in the kitchen, bathroom and any other place where the roaches are hiding
Catnip won’t kill roaches but will only repel them away from your home. You may use other methods to kill roaches in case of a large infestation.
What Smell Repel Cockroaches
There are quite a number of smell that keeps roaches away. Although they may not kill the roaches, they help to drive the roaches as you apply other effective pest control methods. Here are some of the herbs and essential oils that are effective cockroach natural repellent.
Read Also: Cockroach Smell – What Do Cockroaches Smell Like?
Bay Leaves
Ba leaves is one of the effective natural cockroach repellent; it has compounds like eucalyptus that drive roaches away from your house.
To repel roaches away with bay leaves, sprinkle fresh bay leaves around your home and anywhere you’ve seen cockroach movement. The smell of bay leaves will drive and flush roaches out of their hiding places. Consider using dry bay leaves since they retain their fragrance for longer; meaning you don’t have to replace them every now and then.
Peppermint
Peppermint is one of the commonly used natural repellent to get rid of pests. Peppermint can kill roaches if they come into contact for a longer period of time. But it works best more a natural repellent than as a killer. To use peppermint against cockroaches, mix a few drops of peppermint oil with water, shake and spray where the roaches visit frequently and their hiding spots.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus smell is strong enough to throw cockroaches out of balance and confuse their sense of smell. To repel roaches with eucalyptus, make a spray of the solution by adding 5 drops of the oil to 1 cup of water. Put the solution in a spray bottle and spray around the infested area. The smell will drive the roaches out of their hiding places and move out of your home.
Cypress
Cypress is derived from Mediterranean tree. It is one the most effective insect repellent. At home, you can make a cypress spray; add a few drops of cypress oil with water and spray it around your home especially the kitchen, bathroom and the places where the roaches are known to hide including underneath furniture and cupboard.
Cedarwood
Cedarwood is another effective insect natural repellent; it will repel and also kill the roaches on contact. When you spray cedarwood directly on the roaches, it removes moisture from them, drying them leading to their death from dehydration.
Cedarwood confuses the cockroach pheromones, making it hard for the roaches to look for food. When cedarwood oil is sprayed on cockroach eggs, it dissolve them thus making it difficult for new colonies to emerge.
Lemon
Lemon is useful in repelling roaches around your home; though it won’t kill them. One of the most effective way to get rid of the roaches using lemon is by using it to clean your home and wiping surface. Cockroaches hate the smell of lemon and they will not invade or move near the smell of lemon.
Oregano
Oregano is a herb that can naturally repel cockroaches effectively. Other than using it to season your food, use it to drive cockroaches out of your home. The good news is that once you apply oregano, it can take up to a week before it loses its strength. The simplest way to use it is by adding a few drops of the oil to water; put in a spray bottle and shake well before spraying on cockroaches and the infested areas.
Rosemary
The smell of rosemary is one of the most toxic against brown-branded cockroaches – according to the Journal of Arthropod – Borne Diseases. From research it was found out that a concentration of 2.5% – 30% was enough to kill 100% roaches. This means that other than repelling roaches, rosemary can kill roaches.
To use rosemary; cut fresh rosemary into 2 – 3 inches ling pieces, scatter then where the roaches visit quite often.
