After testing, we rated the Advion cockroach gel bait as the best overall roach killer. These gel-filled plungers can be easily applied around your home or workspace, both indoors and outdoors. This roach killer begins working immediately, and it can produce results as soon as 24 hours.
Most familiar to householders are boric acid and diatomaceous earth. For controlling cockroaches, boric acid tends to be more effective. Roaches succumb to boric acid after crawling over treated surfaces.
Boric acid
They'll eat it while preening. As long as it stays dry, boric acid kills roaches indefinitely.
You might see more roaches as they are exposed to the treatment. Life Cycle: If there are eggs that haven't hatched yet, you may notice an increase in roach activity as those eggs hatch after the treatment. Typically, these issues should resolve over time.
Baking soda is a fast and effective way to kill roaches. When a roach ingests baking soda, the baking soda expands inside them, causing the roach to explode. Simply sprinkle baking soda on food, such as an onion, and leave it near where you've seen roaches overnight.
Some strong scents, such as lavender and mint, have been known to repel cockroaches.
Getting rid of cockroaches can be a real headache, and it's something everyone wants to address as quickly as possible. Depending on the severity of the cockroach problem and the methods used, it can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to completely eradicate an infestation.
Boric acid surpasses even baking soda at killing cockroaches instantly. Boric acid performs as an all-natural toxin that kills unclean roaches in just a few days with a couple of sprinkles on the floor. Put another way, dust a paper plate with flour and bait it with a piece of orange peel in the center.
Roaches can reappear after extermination due to their adaptive nature. Continued prevention and maintenance are vital to keeping cockroaches at bay. Recurring infestations might require additional professional treatment and advice.
For homemade cockroach control, you can make a simple bait using boric acid, sugar, and water. Mix equal parts of boric acid and sugar, then add a bit of water to form a paste. Place this mixture in small containers or on pieces of cardboard and put them in areas where you have seen roaches.
At Terminix, our approach to cockroach control is both comprehensive and customized. Our expert technicians will implement customized solutions tailored specifically for you, which may include a combination of granular baits, liquid residuals, and residual dust treatments.
The most common materials and methods exterminators use to perform cockroach extermination are gel bait insecticides, fumigation, boric acid, hydramethylnon, and fipronil. The last two chemicals cited above are typically part of a spray that exterminators spread around the perimeter of your home.
After testing, we rated the Advion cockroach gel bait as the best overall roach killer. These gel-filled plungers can be easily applied around your home or workspace, both indoors and outdoors. This roach killer begins working immediately, and it can produce results as soon as 24 hours.
Citrus is one of the scents cockroaches are most known to hate, notably lemon and orange. Keeping a dish of lemon juice on your kitchen counter can deter these pests, as well as placing lemon peels around the home to discourage cockroaches from coming out of hiding.
Ethanol Directly Kills Cockroaches
Using a simple spray bottle full of ethanol can be a great way to spray those unwanted pests when they crawl across your floor. After spraying and killing roaches, make sure to dispose of them quickly as other cockroaches commonly feast on roach carcasses.
What smells are cockroaches afraid of? 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.
Roach nest, unlike birds' nests, isn't a physical structure but rather a hidden congregation point for roaches, typically in dark, moist areas close to food and water sources. To find a roach nest, look for signs like droppings that look like coffee grounds, oval-shaped egg casings, and increased night-time activity.
After the treatment, it's typical to see dead roaches for up to two weeks. Additionally, more cockroaches are frequently observed. This is due to the pesticides your pest control company used to render the roaches' typical hiding places uninhabitable.
The Best Ways to Repel Roaches Naturally
Baking soda: Coat a piece of food in the soda and leave it out overnight. Diatomaceous earth: Scatter a few spoonfuls anywhere you notice roach activity. Peppermint oil: Dilute 5-10 drops in a water-filled spray bottle and spritz around your home.
The scent emitted by the peppermint oil will act as a barrier, making these areas unattractive to roaches and encouraging them to seek shelter elsewhere.
Rubbing alcohol is one such product that is believed to repel roaches.
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.
Advion Roach Bait Gel needs to be replaced every 2 weeks (or sooner, if it gets consumed) during an active roach infestation. The increase in number of roaches you are seeing is due to the active ingredient being transfered throughout the colony and causing the roaches' nervous system to overex…
If it is between 10 to 25 roaches, it can be a moderate one. But if it exceeds 25, it can now be classified as a heavy infestation. You should know that the few roaches you see at home are not the only ones you have to deal with. There may be 40 to 50 roaches hiding within your place that you don't know.