They are especially attracted to starch, sugar, grease, meat and cheese. Decaying food items are particularly delicious for a hungry roach in search of his next meal. These household pests are often attracted to very strong smells, such as garbage or compost, but can quickly find small crumbs or a drop of grease.
Attractor #1: Food
What attracts cockroaches more than anything is food. Roaches need food to survive. Eliminating access to food can help eliminate a roach problem. Throw away any food that has been left out on the counter.
Cockroaches are most attracted to the smell of garbage and rotting food–one of the biggest reasons they enter homes is in search of food sources. Because of this, it is important to regularly clean your kitchen and remove your trash before it gets too full.
Cockroaches are blessed with an amazing sense of smell. This is what they use when seeking food and mate but at the same time, this is also their weakness. A cockroach's sense of smell can be used to get rid of them.
Cypress or Peppermint Oil
To utilize peppermint oil as a repellent, a common recommendation is to mix two parts water with one part white vinegar and add 10 drops of peppermint or cypress essential oil. Shake this mix up in a spray bottle then apply the mixture to areas frequented by cockroaches.
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.
Droppings: Small, black pepper-like droppings in drawers or on countertops signify roach activity. Unusual Smell: A musty, oily odor lingering in your home can indicate a sizable infestation.
Leaving the light on doesn't deter cockroaches effectively because they can navigate in low-light conditions. While they're mostly active at night, they may still come out in search of food or water. During the day, cockroaches hide in dark areas not directly exposed to light.
The best roach killer, based on our research, is the advion 383920 Cockroach Gel Bait; a commercial-grade roach killer set that is easy to use and lasts months after application. It can kill all sorts of cockroaches, including the American and German variety, and it's even safe to use if you have pets or kids.
Apply petroleum jelly to the inner rim of your jar, and add fruit peelings to the jar (bananas, mangoes, or apples do the trick nicely). Place the jar in an area where you have seen roaches before. They'll be drawn to the fruit smell and will crawl inside.
Ethanol Directly Kills Cockroaches
While white vinegar won't kill those pesky insects, ethanol—also known as common alcohol—will kill cockroaches. Cockroaches are particularly sensitive to ethanol and a direct hit from it will take them down.
Sugar. Sugar is by far the most attractive substance to a cockroach. They love sugar and can smell it from anywhere. This means you'll want to keep your sugar containers, fruits, and other sweeteners sealed in air-tight containers that are up off the floor.
Improper sanitation, presence of food and water sources, and favorable living conditions are common causes of roach infestations. Maintaining a clean and hygienic environment, storing food in tightly sealed containers, and promptly cleaning up spills or crumbs can help prevent roach infestations.
Squashing cockroaches can spread these pathogens onto surfaces, increasing the risk of disease transmission to humans. For example, if you squash a cockroach, now the sole of your shoe is contaminated. Wherever you walk next may also become contaminated.
Cockroaches are repelled by the smells of peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender, citronella, and cedarwood oils. These scents can be used as natural deterrents to keep them away from your home.
Baking Soda and Sugar
You just need to Mix equal parts of baking soda and sugar and sprinkle the mixture in areas where cockroaches are likely to be found. The sugar will attract the cockroaches, and the baking soda will kill them when ingested.
Boric acid: Used correctly, boric acid is one of the most effective roach killers. It's odorless, has low toxicity to pets, and since it isn't repellent to roaches, they will not seek to avoid it, crawling through it repeatedly until it kills them.
Seeing a cockroach crawl across a bed isn't unusual if the insects are already making a home in your bedroom or a nearby bathroom.
DIY spray: Spray the solution in areas prone to cockroach infestation, such as kitchen cabinets, under sinks and around appliances. Apply every few days for the best results.
What causes roaches in houses and apartments? What attracts roaches to a clean house primarily consists of their basic needs: food, water, and shelter, although they are usually brought into houses and apartments on other items, such as luggage or clothing.
American cockroach
Their egg capsules are roughly ⅓” long and are dark reddish or blackish brown in color. Each ootheca holds about 16 eggs.
Typically, cockroaches stay away following a treatment or service, but sometimes these pests may return with a vengeance! Keep reading to learn more about recuring cockroach infestations and what you can do to prevent these pests from returning.