with disinfectant wipes, a solution of bleach and warm water, or the cleaner of your choice. Mopping floors with the same solution, or using a steam mop will kill any remaining germs on those surfaces. Vacuum all carpets to take care of roach feces, dead roaches following the treatment, etc.
It takes about two weeks for all the roaches to be flushed out. Severe infestations might even require a second treatment. But your exterminator should let you know if this is needed.
A particularly stubborn or severe infestation could require this level of treatment. It is possible to completely get rid of roaches in your home with the right type of treatment but they will not stay away forever. Once you eradicate the current infestation you need to stay proactive about keeping them away.
The Presence Of Food
Available food is the single most powerful reason cockroaches enter our homes. These insects aren't picky eaters—almost anything left out on your kitchen counters is fair game to them, and they'll be drawn to it.
Unfortunately, bleach is a very ineffective method for killing cockroaches. It has a very strong smell, so it doesn't work as bait, and cockroaches won't willingly go to it. The only real way to kill a roach with bleach is to drown it, and there are much more effective ways of killing cockroaches.
Seeing roach feces or droppings.
Seeing an unusual number of droppings in a specific area will also help you track where the roach shelters are. Best to cut off any water or food source near this location so prevent further infestation.
Thoroughly vacuum your furniture, carpet, drapes, pillows—anything made of fabric. Carpet is especially important, leave no inch un-vacuumed. Take all of your bed linens and wash them, along with any other laundry and towels. If the infestation is bad, throw away pet bedding.
1. Bait them. Since they are looking for food and water, a carefully crafted blend of food, water, and insecticide like that found in Ortho® Home Defense Roach Bait is a good way to kill roaches hiding behind walls and in cracks.
The most common places for a roach nest in the house are in kitchens or bathrooms, particularly behind refrigerators, in cracks and crevices, and under furniture. Roaches prefer a warm, humid environment, so these places should be considered first, especially if they are close to a food source and water supply.
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.
Baking soda and sugar
You can try this method to eliminate the producers of the eggs. In a small container (or a bottle), make a mixture of equal parts baking soda and sugar. Sprinkle it at places where you've seen cockroaches. This is one of the easiest roach killers.
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.
Distilled vinegar does not kill or repel roaches, making it completely ineffective. Distilled vinegar will help keep your kitchen clean, giving cockroaches less to snack on. However, roaches can live for months at a time without any food at all, and they will eat almost anything to survive.
If they're living inside your small appliances (e.g., a toaster), bag them up and put them in the freezer for five days, then bring them back inside and clean them. Cockroaches can't withstand extreme cold. Don't let them in. Seal holes or cracks where they could be getting in.
Crawling inside through small holes and cracks in the building. Hitching a ride on bags, backpacks, suitcases and other containers. Finding openings around doors and windows. Moving from one apartment to another through pipes and other holes in shared walls.
Roaches are resilient and extremely hard to get rid of once they have established themselves in your home. As long as the temperature indoors is above 50 degrees, roaches can remain active year-round, although they are more prevalent in the spring and summer months.
What Attracts Them? One of the most common sources of problems with German cockroaches are used items like furniture and luggage. Pre-owned electronics are also hiding places for the pests, which gravitate towards these warm devices.