Roaches thrive in humid environments, so using a dehumidifier is a good way to send them looking for a more humid place to live. If you use a dehumidifier in a large area like a basement, be sure you choose one that is specifically made to cover the area's square footage.
Cockroaches crave moisture and love to get wet. Areas where pipes come into your home (e.g., through walls, floors, and the backs of cabinets, washer/dryer hookups) usually provide enough warmth and humidity to be a draw for roaches.
Roach Repellents
Peppermint oil, cedarwood oil, and cypress oil are essential oils that effectively keep cockroaches at bay. Additionally, these insects hate the smell of crushed bay leaves and steer clear of coffee grounds. If you want to try a natural way to kill them, combine powdered sugar and boric acid.
People don't like it too dry – Many of us use humidifiers in our homes to keep things comfortable. Cockroaches appreciate that, too, because their bodies dry out easily if it's not humid enough.
One of the main reasons bugs and other pests are attracted to humidity is that they need moisture to survive. Spiders, for example, need a humid environment to spin their silk web so they can trap their prey. Roaches thrive in a humid environment as well.
German cockroaches are hardy and fast and have few natural predators inside human habitats. For these reasons, their populations tend to grow rapidly and can be hard to get rid of, often requiring professional treatment.
Boric acid: Used correctly, boric acid is one of the most effective roach killers.
Is There a Queen? Is there a queen roach? Cockroaches are not truly social insects (like honey bees or termites). As such, they do not have a queen.
Bed Bug. Bed bugs are sometimes mistaken for cockroach nymphs – especially baby German roaches. Both are typically reddish-brown in color (the German nymph only at a certain stage), lack wings, and have an oval shape.
Using a Dehumidifier can eliminate cockroaches, silverfish, earwigs, centipedes, bugs and other common pest insects by reducing relative humidity in your home. The reason is most of them need moisture from environment for their survival.
Humidifiers are great devices to have when you're sick, having trouble breathing, experiencing skin problems and more. So having humidifiers stationed in every room allows you to reap their benefits without always having to shuffle the only one you have from room to room.
While we tend to despise air that is thick with heat and water vapor, most bugs actually thrive in it and need it to live. Unfortunately, this means that the impending summer humidity in certain parts of the country is about to bring these pests out in a big way.
Spiders like moisture and high humidity so drying out damp areas like basements will make the space less desirable to spiders.
"Insects and spiders need high humidity and protection from direct sunlight," said Dr. Townsend. "The things you can do, to open up ventilation, to deny protection for them, and also to plug the gaps that they can enter indoors from are the best things to do."
The smell of lemons repels cockroaches to a great extent, keeping them away from areas that reek of the fruit. Hence, it is advisable to mop floors with water that has a few lemon drops in it.
Citrus. You may love the smell of fresh citrus, but cockroaches hate the scent. That means you can use citrus scented cleaners in your kitchen and bathroom to chase any lingering roaches away. You can also keep a few citrus peels around your home in strategic places.
Does Cinnamon repel cockroaches? No, cinnamon doesn't repel cockroaches. But there're are other essential oils or spices that can work against cockroaches. You can use bay leaves, garlic, and catnip to reduce some amount of cockroach activity in your home.
Bug infestations: Many insects thrive in moist conditions. If you notice an increase of pests in the home, this could be an indication that you need to lower the relative humidity in the house.
Humidifiers add moisture to the air when it is too dry. Generally, people use humidifiers in the wintertime to combat the dryness of winter air. A dehumidifier takes moisture out of the air when it is too humid. Dehumidifiers are used during the spring and summer.
Install a Dehumidifier
Moist air might be enough to attract desperate bugs. Install a dehumidifier in your home to remove moisture from the air and keep your relative humidity around the ideal 45 percent.
Cockroaches have been clocked running up to 3 miles an hour, which is very fast for an insect.