Once roaches have moved into your house and made themselves comfortable, they can be extremely difficult to get rid of. Cockroaches are one of the most common household pests in the world, but even though millions of people suffer from these
It is possible to completely get rid of roaches but most homeowners need the help of a professional to make this a reality.
Infestations are hard to get rid of because the insects hide in a host of areas, breed quickly, have a very high reproductive potential and may develop resistance to pesticides. Cockroaches often taint food with E. coli and Salmonella bacteria, so it's not safe to ignore these pests.
These pests are also quickly adapting to strong pesticides, making them harder to kill with typical chemicals. The infestation won't die overnight, either. It can take around two to three weeks to eliminate all of the roaches in your home.
Neem. Neem has been used as a desi natural remedy for a lot of things including pests over the years. Neem oil or powder contains potent components that can kill cockroaches. To use it in oil form, mix a small amount of neem oil with water in a spray bottle and spray it in places where you have spotted these pests.
The best way to get rid of roaches fast is to sanitize your home, eliminate hiding spots and stagnant water, store food in airtight containers, and use glue strips, bait, boric acid, or liquid concentrates.
Filling a spray bottle with dish soap and water, shaking it, and spraying a roach from above will kill it quickly.
You will find roaches year-round in California. In other states, the warm and moist spring and summer months are the roach's favorite time for foraging and breeding. But, in states like California with wEarth climates, the cockroaches have no off-season.
With an exoskeleton of overlapping plates connected via a stretchy membrane, their bodies are extremely flexible and their legs are fast making cockroaches hard to kill. Their speed allows them to squeeze into the tiniest cracks and crevices and to crawl away quickly as soon as a foe is detected.
They can also sneak into houses by hiding in suitcases, used furniture, moving boxes and plants; therefore, a single colony can infest not only a single home but multiple houses if not handled correctly. A handful of cockroaches is all it takes for an entire house to become infested.
Cockroaches are believed to be in 63 percent of homes in the United States.
Dirty houses are certainly more prone to attracting cockroaches and causing other types of pest infestations. However, even a clean house is not immune. In other words, you don't have to be a hoarder to have a roach infestation.
If the infestation is very large, it may be best to discard small electric and electronic appliances such as coffee pots, alarm clocks, etc. These provide excellent hiding places for roaches, and it is virtually impossible to treat the appliance with any treatment product.
Sprinkle boric acid in areas the roaches frequent; when they walk through it, it sticks to them. They later ingest the boric acid, which then kills them. When using boric acid, be sure to limit your exposure; don't place it anywhere that children or pets might find it, as it's toxic when ingested.
A typical roach infestation requires one to three treatments, including a combination of insecticidal spray, glue traps and gel bait. The most severe infestations could require fumigation.
German roaches are one of the most common household pests and also one of the most difficult to get rid of.
It's also common to see more roaches even. This is because your pest company has sprayed their normal hiding places with pesticides, making them inhospitable to the roaches. As a result, the roaches will scramble to find new hiding spots and die off because they've already been exposed to the pesticides.
Food & Grime
Crumbs, spills, and food that has been left out are a great way to end up with a roach infestation quickly. The key to keeping roaches out is to keep your home, but most importantly your kitchen, as spotless as possible. After cooking or preparing a snack, wipe up crumbs and spills immediately.
The most common areas where roaches rest in your home during the day are as follows: Underneath or behind appliances like stoves and refrigerators. Beneath sinks in your kitchen or bathrooms. Near plumbing or your washer and dryer machines.
It's a fact that cockroaches are afraid of humans and other mammals or animals that are bigger than them. They see us as predators and that fear triggers their instinct to scatter away. However, they dislike strong and distinctive scents such as citrus, peppermint, lavender and vinegar.
Because cockroaches cannot survive temperatures above 115° F to 120° F, it is possible to use heat to eradicate cockroaches from restaurants and food service establishments. After heat- sensitive equipment is removed from the building, the temperature is increased to about 140-150° F for five to six hours.
Home remedies like diatomaceous earth, baking soda, boric acid, citrus, essential oils, and borax can be effective ways to get rid of roaches. If you want to take a more aggressive approach to eliminate roaches, glue traps, bait stations, and liquid roach deterrent concentrates are all excellent options.
Sprinkle the diatomaceous earth around areas where roaches travel and frequent. The sharp particles of diatomaceous earth damage the waxy, protective exoskeleton of the roach, causing it to dehydrate and die, typically within 48 hours of contact.
Best Overall
Hot Shot Ultra Liquid Roach Bait features a liquid bait that contains both food and water, the latter the first sought after by insects and often not included in traps. After using it in our own home, we found the traps to be odorless and easy to use, earning the top spot on our list.