How To Get Rid Of Roaches?: Cockroaches are a big time dilemma, they are just so hard to rid. No matter how much you try, they somehow keep finding their ways back into the house. These pests transmit bacteria, diseases, spoil your wallpapers, damage books and the list goes on. Such nasty pests, aren’t they? So how do you keep them from coming back once and for all? Here are some of the best ways to get rid of cockroaches.
Basic Rules To Get Rid Of Cockroaches (Roaches)
- Keep the house clean, precisely the kitchen. Make sure to clean your kitchen counter with anti-bacterial spray.
- Wash your dishes after meals, do not let them sit in the sink for too long.
- Always sweep and mop the kitchen floor to clear all the crumbs and spills. Make sure there are no sticky spots on the floor.
- Take your trash out regularly. Do not let the trash sit in the house for any longer than two days. This will attract the cockroaches. Also, make sure to have a trash bin with lid.
- Fix water leaks. Remember that cockroaches love the water. They can live up to a month without food, but not longer than a week without water.
- Rinse your cans and bottles before putting them into your recycling bins.
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Tips to Cut off Food Supply for Cockroaches
- Keep food sealed or stow them away in your refrigerator. We suggest you keep food sealed even in your fridge.
- Paint your drawers and cabinet shelves with enamel. This will help you keep it clean. Enamel is glossy and does not get sticky or attract dirt. Simply wipe clean with a wet cloth from time to time.
- Use covered dustbins for moist garbage and try to keep the bin outdoors.
- Even dry items such as sugar, flour and pasta should go into covered containers.
Tips to Cut off Water Supply for Cockroaches
- Fix a leak as soon as you spot one. Regularly inspect pipes, flush tanks, and taps for leaks.
- Clean the drains every single day.
- Keep all the places in your house spotless, and more importantly clean and dry.
- Use a mop to dry any area that gets wet.
Tips to Eliminate Hiding Places of Roaches
- Rummage through your storage spaces including shelves, drawers, and closets.
- Simply throw out anything that you do not use.
- Avoid using shelf paper as roaches simply love playing hide and seek.
- Inspect your home and conduct regular home repairs. Cracks and openings must be attended to immediately if you live in a region that’s prone to cockroach infestations. Be sure to get rid of chipped paint too.
- Remove lose wallpapers or have it repaired without delay. The same holds true for plaster too.
- Inspect the books in your shelves or racks from time to time. Also, look behind picture frames and wall hangings, and under the sink and even unused kitchen appliances.
Best Ways To Get Rid Of Cockroaches At Home
If you have tried the baits you bought at stores and they keep coming back, we reckon that you try homemade baits instead. The main idea of homemade roach bait is to keep them away and kill them at the same time.
1. Coffee grinds
The aroma of coffee attracts roaches and some experts claim that the caffeine in coffee can kill them. To make this bait, you will need a few jars, coffee grinds, water and small cups. Fill the jars halfway with water. Inside the small cups, put wet coffee grinds. Place such cups into all the jars, and then place the jars in roaches-nesting areas. Once cockroaches enter the jars, they should not be able to escape. Clear the jar along with the water every two to three days, or every time the jar traps a number of cockroaches. Later, refill the jar with some water, add more coffee grinds to the cups and repeat the process until you see no more cockroaches in the jars.
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2. Flour and boric acid
This is one of the most effective homemade baits to kill roaches. To make the bait, you need to mix together one part powdered boric acid, one part white flour and one part powdered white sugar. Sprinkle this powder mixture in areas such as kitchen cabinets, backs of drawers, under the stove, bathroom drain covers and so forth. Boric acid is not highly toxic to humans and pets, but can however cause food poisoning
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3. Fabric softener
Did you know that roaches cannot tolerate fragrance? Since they breathe through their skin, it makes it easier to rid them by spraying anything that’s fragrant. This will make them suffocate and slowly get killed. But however, fabric softeners are a wiser alternative as they are soapy, and cockroaches cannot breathe in soapy solutions too. All that you have to do is to mix together a cap of fabric softener with half cup of water. Pour this solution into a spray bottle, and voila, you have your very own natural insecticide spray.
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4. Pandan leaves
Pandan leaves are a type of sweet, vanilla-like scented herb that are used widely in Asian cooking. Apparently, this herb can serve as roach repellent too. Cut a pandan leaf into half, and then tie them into knots and place them all around the house- in the cabinets, drawers, under the dining table, rooms, wardrobes. It also helps keep your house smelling fresh. Replace them as soon as they dry out.
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5. Cayenne, garlic and onion.
This is another natural repellent that can get rid of roaches effectively. Boil 4 cups of water. Into the boiling water goes one clove of crushed garlic, one crushed onion and one teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Turn off the stove and allow the solution to cool down. Pour it into a spray bottle and spray it in reach-infested areas.
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6. Hair spray
Who knew hair spray could come in handy for ridding homes of roaches? The major plus point of using hair spray to eliminate cockroaches relates to its sticky liquid. So when sprayed on roaches, it will glue their wings and seal their skin, making sure the roaches do not escape and slowly get killed due to suffocation. So whenever you see a roach coming next time, make a grab for your favorite hair spray.
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7. Baking soda and sugar
Baking soda is a safer alternative to borax for those who have kids and pets at home. It serves the same purpose as borax, only that it is much safer to use around pets and kids. Make a mixture of equal parts of sugar and baking soda. The sugar in this remedy attracts the cockroaches, and then the baking soda kills them slowly by building up gas in the creatures. Sprinkle this mixture in all roaches-infested areas to get rid of cockroaches.
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8. Cucumber peels
Some swear by the effectiveness of this remedy, while the rest turned out to be less happy with the result. However, since cucumbers are easily found and don’t cost much, we suggest that you give it a try anyway. The idea of it is to repel roaches naturally– the stink emitted from the cucumber peels when placed in an aluminum can is intolerable by roaches. Place freshly cucumber peels in the can and leave it in the infested area.
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9. Catnips
Catnip is a type of herb that comes from the mint family. As much as it is harmless on pets and humans, it can make the cats go crazy. It stimulates their brains and hormones and creates an ecstasy effect. So you might want to opt for another repellent if you have cats at home. Simply get small sachets of catnips and leave them hanging in all the infested areas. You may also make tea out of it and use it to spray on the areas that you suspect roaches hide at.
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10. Soda bottle traps
Now you probably know this already. It’s a common homemade roach trap and is in fact one of the best ways to get rid of cockroaches. All that you need to do is cut off the top part of the soda bottle (from where the curves begin). Take out its cap, and place it inverted (it should look like a funnel) into the body of the bottle. Then mix a solution of water and soap and pour it into the bottle. The roaches will crawl onto the bottle and then drown into the soap solution.
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11. Bay Leaves
Yet another remedy off your kitchen rack, bay leaves can help you get rid of cockroaches like no other repellant on the market. This leaf, like pandan leaves, is used primarily in cooking and can be easily found at most grocery stores. Users claim that roaches detest the aroma let out by these leaves and simply keep away from regions that are sprinkled with these leaves. How do you use bay leaves to get rid of roaches? Simple! Use a mortar pestle to crush a handful of these leaves. Sprinkle the powder in roach infested areas. The roaches will soon be the story of yesterday.
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12. Ammonia Water
Ammonia lest out a rather pungent odor, something that will make you want to dash out of the room. Diluted ammonia has the same effect on the pesky pests. Add a few capfuls of ammonia to a large bucket of water. Wash the hard surfaces of your home especially the kitchen, bathroom, and garages with this liquid. Do this for at least two weeks, and the roaches will stay away from your home sweet home.
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13. Essential Oils
Okay, so we tried ingredients that let out pungent odors to get rid of roaches. What if we say that you can use pleasant scents to rid them too? Yes, there are several essential oils that are maybe soothing to our senses, but make roaches dizzy! You can simply dip a blob of cotton into some cedar or rosemary oil, and place it near places nesting cockroaches. Alternatively try this simple yet effective remedy that will make your home cockroach free. In a large bowl, mix 2 cups of baking soda with 3 tbsp of borax powder. Tho this add 10 drops of cedar oil, 4 drops of lemon essential oil and 4 drops of white fir oil. Sprinkle this mixture around your house and behold its magic.
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14. Listerine
Put your mouthwash to good use in repelling roaches from your home. This remedy is quick, affordable and highly effective. Listerine has anti-bacterial properties and can help disinfect your home. Dilute Listerine with water and fill it in a spray bottle. Spray your house from time to time with this solution to keep cockroaches away.
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15. Petroleum Jelly
While this remedy may take its time in helping you get rid of roaches, it surely does work. All you need to do is line the rim of as many jars as you can collect with the jelly and throw in some food as a bait. The roaches will hop in to feast on the food, but will not be able to get out!
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That will be all from us on best ways to get rid of cockroaches. Should there be a query, do comment below.
