Roach infestation can be frustrating. These pest when they come invade your home will make themselves comfortable in your kitchen, bathroom and any other place in your house as they search food. Unfortunately, roaches tend to multiply fast which it can be hard to deal with. How do you get rid of roaches effectively? Read more to understand the most effective way to get rid of the roaches and the best roach killers.
Read also: How to Get Rid of Cockroaches in Your Apartment, Permanently, Naturally
What are the Most Common Roaches in the US?
In the United States, there are a few different species of roaches that invade homes. The most common roaches are the German and the American roaches. These common roaches are active year round and nocturnal in nature, meaning they come out at night in search of food and water.
Read also: German Roaches, Pictures, How to Get Rid Fast, Naturally, Home Remedies
: American Cockroaches, Facts, Information, How to Get Rid Instantly, Naturally & Home Remedies
What Attracts Cockroaches to Your Home?
Roaches like many other pests would invade your home for food and water. If your home is where they can easily find food and water, then they are mostly likely to get into your home and build nests. Roaches multiply rapidly, before you know it, you will be dealing with a huge infestation. Other than food and water, roaches are drawn to humid and warm areas.
Here is a list of things that attracts roaches in homes:
- Dirty dishes in the sink
- Garbage
- Crumbs
- Leftover food
- Damp places
- Excess moisture
Read also: What Attracts Cockroaches to Your Home?
How Cockroaches Enter Your Home
How do roaches enter your home? Cockroaches will enter you home for quite a number of reasons as discussed earlier in the post. To get into your home, these pests have to pass through: cracks, crevices, pipes and holes in vents and hitching onto items. Once they get access into your home, they will hide behind kitchen cabinets, drawers, baseboards, under refrigerator and in microwave. If they are not eliminated, their infestation gets large really fast.
How to Get Rid of Roaches Effectively
Here are number of ways to get rid of roaches effectively.
1. Cleaning Your Home Thoroughly
The key step to get rid of roaches from your home is to start by cleaning your home. Roaches are filthy thus are attracted to dirt. Roaches are always on the move in looking for food. You will see them near the kitchen counters, cabinets etc. if you have a habit of not cleaning your home, then you are going to attract roaches in your home.
Here is how to get rid of roaches in your home effectively:
- Wash dishes as soon as possible
- Take garbage out regularly
- Clean kitchen counters, draws, cabinets especially food spills.
- Seal food in containers
- Wash your house regularly
- Remove crumbs
- Clean grease from the stove
2. Use Boric Acid to Kill Roaches
At home, you can use boric acid as one of the natural remedies for killing roaches. This is good if you want to DIY.
Here is how to use Boric acid to get rid of roaches at home:
- Mix equal amount of boric acid, flour and sugar
- Mix evenly to make a dough
- Place the dough around the possible nesting spots for roaches where they can feed on
The mixture of boric acid, flour and sugar is made to attract the roaches and at the same kill the roaches. Sugar and flour will act as bait that attracts the roaches while boric acid will kill them. The bait should be places where the roaches are found in large number such as under the fridge, stove and near or back of the cabinets and drawers.
While using boric acid, make sure your children and pets are kept safe. Boric acid can be dangerous.
3. Baking Soda
Does baking soda kill roaches? Baking soda has the same effect to boric acid. You can use baking soda bait to kill the roaches just as in the case of boric acid. Mix baking soda and sugar to make a bait. Place the mixture in places where the roaches are likely to be hiding. Once the roaches feed on the bait, they will begin to die.
4. Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth is a common natural roach killer. It is a safe product for humans and pets. This powder absorb water from the roach shell, dehydrating them thus causing rapid death. Sprinkle the powder on the infested area- Buy on Amazon
5. Liquid Concentrates
To effectively get rid of roaches in homes, apply liquid concentrate. It helps to deter roaches from invading your home. Dilute liquid concentrate and make a spray out of it. Spray in places such as cracks and crevices and many other places where cockroaches are likely to hide.
Diluted liquid concentrate can be used to wipe counters and mopping the floor. This will reduce the infestation of roaches significantly.
6. Roach Traps
This is approach is also effective in getting rid of roaches. The traps uses scent or baits to attract roaches. Once the roaches come in to contact with the traps, they become caught by the sticky substance in the trap.
7. Roach Baits
This is one of the common way to get rid of roaches in homes. Baits are chemicals manufactured as food to attract the roaches. Once the roaches ingest the baits, the carry some to their nest to feed the rest. But little do they know that they ingested poison and start dropping dead.
8. Sprays
Other than baits, sprays are the most type of products used in getting rid of roaches. A spray will kill the roaches on contact. This means they only those roaches that come directly to the sprays are killed, usually the adult roaches.
Manufactures have however created sprays that remain effective long after application. This means even newly roaches will be affected.
9. Insect Growth Regulators, IGR
Insect growth regulators are meant to disrupt the development cycle of growth of roaches. They are not as fast acting as insecticides but after sometime, you will notice the reduction in number of cockroaches.
When applied in a roach infested home, they affect the larvae and nymphs such that the process of growth such molting is inhibited. This helps to control population of roaches.
10. Roach Repellents
Think of what cockroaches hate? Repellents. Roaches are afraid and hate the smell of repellents. Repellents deter the roaches from invading your home. Most repellents are essential oils such lavender oil, tree oil, neem oil and peppermint essential oil.
Use peppermint essential oil to spray infested areas such in kitchen cabinets, drawers, baseboards, cupboards. The spray can also be effective in hard- to reach places like cracks and crevices or walls.
11. Hire a Professional Exterminator
Roaches are persistent and you may not individual get rid of all the roaches in your coming. They will keep on coming as long as there is food and moisture. Sometimes, the infestation could be large such that it is almost impossible to deal with them. This is where you will need a professional pest control exterminator.
Best Cockroach Killers – Reviews:
In this section, we will discuss the 6 best roach killers:
1. Advion Pest Control Gel – Best Cockroach Killer Bait
Advion is one of the common effective cockroach killer bait. It is packed such that it comes with four 1.06 ounce tubes enough to get rid of large infestation of roaches in spaces. It is highly used in eliminating German roaches, but it also works well against other pests.
The main active ingredient is indoxacarb, which is said to have a nerve effect. All other ingredients are meant to attract roaches to the bait. It doesn’t repel or deter roaches but attracts them to feed on the bait.
It has a convenient packaging, a syringe with an extended nozzle, which makes it easy to use and apply especially in hard to reach places.
Pros:
- Kills all kind of roach species
- Affordable
- Easy to apply and use
- Effective and give almost fast results.
Cons:
- It can be a little messy in application
2. BENGAL Gold Spray
If you think of the best insecticide spray, then Bengal Gold Spray is one of the best available spray to get rid of the roaches.
Although it is considered highly priced than other sprays. Its effectiveness is worth the price. It leaves no residue and is odorless.
It has Permethrin and Nylar as the two active ingredient that helps to effectively get rid of roach population. Other than killing roaches, the spray prevents development of larvae and nymphs.
It is easy to use and apply. Just follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. The spray is toxic and should be sprayed when your pets and kids are out of the infested area.
Once applied, the effect can last up to six months which makes it effective to eliminate even large cockroach infestation.
Pros:
- Highly effective
- Easy to use and apply
- Leaves no residue or stains,
- Last up to 6 months
Cons:
- Considered a bit pricey
3. Gentrol Point Source
Insect growth regulators area also effective in eliminating roach infestation. Gentrol Point Source is packed in special containers such that a single piece can cover an area of 75 square feet.
You only use one of the 20 to get rid of roach infestation in your home. This implies that once you buy the whole package, it can serve you up to a year.
It has Hydroprene as the active ingredient which prevents the nymph and larvae from developing into adults. This stops the cockroaches from multiplying and soon after the colonies will be eliminated entirely.
4. Hot Shot Indoor Fogger
To get rid of a large infestation of roaches, use Hot Shot Fogger to eliminate the roaches. This product contains three 2-ounce cans. A single can handle one room of 2000 square feet.
Once applied in the infested area, the effect of the spray can last up to two months. It has Tetramethrin and Cypermethrin which kill roaches on direct contact.
This products leaves no stains or sticky residue once sprayed. The product is toxic and should only be applied in empty rooms. Other than roaches, the products works well against other pests such as ticks, roaches, ants and fleas.
5. Black Flag Glue Trap
Other than baits, insecticides and IGRs, you can also use Traps to get rid of roaches. Black Flag Glue Trap is effective in trapping roaches and other pests.
The product is a small cardboard box covered with an adhesive solution from the inside. Once the roach steps on the trap they cannot get out.
The trap doesn’t contain pesticides or toxins which implies that it is safe to use. It comes with four packs, each with two traps. Make sure to change them from time to time say after four months.
6. Viper Insecticide Liquid Concentrate
To get rid of roaches and other pests such ticks, scorpions or spiders you can use this viper insecticide concentrate.
Has Cypermethrin as the one of the active ingredient to get rid of the roaches.
It is easy to use. Just dissolve the concentrate in water and apply all the places infested with roaches.
This product comes in 16 ounces containers thus it can last for a long time. Before applying the infested area, make sure the room is well ventilated since it has a characteristic petroleum scent.
Prevention Tips for Roaches in Homes
Let’s discuss on the ways and tips to prevent roaches invading your home.
Here are some of the tips to stop and prevent roaches:
1. Remove Newspapers & Cardboard Boxes
Cardboard boxes and newspapers are some of the thing that attract roaches. If these items are in your home idling around, you are inviting roaches. Cockroaches love to hide in cardboard boxes and newspapers for breeding purposes. Clear them out of your home.
2. Remove and Clear out the Clutter
To control and prevent roaches from invading your home, make sure you clear out the cutter. Items lying around the house occupy space providing a perfect nesting spot for the roaches. This is also where the roaches hide out especially during the day.
3. Seal Cracks, Crevices & Fix Plumbing Issues
We discussed how roaches enter homes. They crawl inside through cracks and crevices. The areas include around the windows, doors, along the foundation, roof and around holes, pipes etc.
If you notice cracks and holes in your home, use caulk to seal them. Fix pipes and the entire plumbing system if it is faulty.
