Nobody likes finding a cockroach scurrying around their home, unless maybe you are a chicken looking for a tasty snack. Most of us were trained to grab Raid or other harsh chemicals to rid our house of these disgusting insects. But why use harsh chemicals to get rid of them when there are safer ways to do so? Read on to discover 10 home remedies to kill roaches!
Cockroaches unfortunately show up in the most unwanted places…are there really any “wanted” places for roaches? Maybe in the chicken pen but definitely not in your home. We really don’t want harmful chemicals/pesticides either. Fortunately for us, there are many great home remedies to kill roaches! Read this blog to learn more. You most likely have some of these items laying around your house just waiting to be used.
This blog is all about home remedies to kill roaches.
1. Borax and Sugar
For this home remedy, mix a ratio of 3:1 of Borax and sugar. Spread in areas where you have seen roaches frequent and let it do it’s thing! Sugar is the bait that will attract the roaches. Borax will dry out their exoskeleton and effect their digestive system which will ultimately kill them.
2. Diatomaceous Earth
To use Diatomaceous Earth, sprinkle some of this dehydrating powder where you commonly find roaches scurrying about.
This method is not the most effective, nor it is quick.
In order for this method to work, the roaches need to walk through the powder. Diatomaceous Earth kills any insect which has an exoskeleton. It works by dehydrating the exoskeleton and ultimately the insect.
A benefit to using this method is that it will have the same fatal effect on other insects as well.
Make sure you purchase food grade Diatomaceous Earth such as this one.
3. Moth Balls
Moth balls not only deter moths with their smell, but they also repel gross roaches! In rare cases, moth balls will cause the roaches to restrict their breathing which can kill them.
4. Dish Soap
Dish soap, as I have learned, can take care of so many problems, including getting rid of roaches in your home! Mix 4 Tablespoons with 1 Liter of water and spray around infested areas. This type of home remedy to kill roaches is especially effective for German Roaches.
5. Cornstarch and Plaster of Paris
Corn Starch and Plaster of Paris is another great home remedy to kill roaches! The corn starch lures roaches for a tasty snack while the Plaster of Paris will kill them quickly. Use equal parts of each and mix together. Place the mixture in any crevices, cracks, or holes that you think they could be hiding in.
6. Essential Oils
One of the best home remedies to kill roaches is to use essential oils. They are holistic, natural, effective, and they smell great! Below are the top essential oils to use.
Peppermint Oil
Roaches can’t stand the strong potent scent of peppermint oil. They will avoid it and therefore avoid your home. It is also a good choice to use for a deterrent because it is safe around children. Mix 15 drops of oil with 10 ounces of water and spray around problem areas.
Cypress Oil
Cypress oil is another great home remedy to kill roaches! Simply dilute the oil with water (15 drops of oil with 10 ounces of water) and spray where you have commonly seen roaches. The smell, similarly to peppermint oil, will keep the roaches at bay.
Lemongrass Oil
Lemongrass is one of the most effective essential oils you can use to get rid of roaches. Dilute the oils like the oils listed above (15 drops of oil with 10 ounce of water.)
Catnip Oil
This is another great essential oil to use. Make sure you keep your cat away from the area you are trying to get rid of roaches. Dilute the oils like the oils listed above (15 drops of oil with 10 ounce of water.)
7. Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is a great choice for a home remedy to kill roaches in your home! First off, it smells great and will make your home smell nice and clean. Secondly, it gets rid of the roaches! Simply mix 2-3 Tablespoons of lemon juice and mix with a few gallons of water. Wash your floors with the solution.
8. Neem Oil/Powder
There are a few different ways to use neem oil. The first is to make some neem oil spray. Dilute a small amount of neem oil with water, and spray in common areas where roaches come around. You can also use neem powder. Sprinkle the powder in areas where you think roaches visit/live. Another way you can use neem is to gather some of it’s leaves, grind them up, and add them to water to make a paste. Pour the water, add to a spray bottle, then spray frequented areas.
9. Petroleum Jelly/Duct Tape
These two methods involve trapping the roaches, but using different tactics. The first method is with petroleum. While petroleum is not toxic to these gross bugs, it will help to trap them.
The first thing you need is a glass jar. Rub petroleum jelly on the top inside of the jar. This will make it too slippery to escape. Put some bait at the bottom of the jar. Sugar will attract roaches the most but starchy foods or small pieces of meat will also work.
After this step, your jar is complete, you just need to add a way for the roach to be able to get to the bait in the jar. You need to create some type of ramp…straw, piece of cardboard, or whatever you have on hand. Create a ramp from the ground to the top of the jar.
Duct tape is the other form of trap you can use. Place a strip of duct tape on the floor with some kind of bait on top. A good form of bait would be something sugary. Place them all over the house during the night. The roaches will get caught on the duct tape and show you where they frequent the most.
10. Getting Rid of Roaches for Good: Cleaning
The best way to keep roaches from even coming into your home is to keep a clean home. It’s recommended to do a weekly deep clean, clean up your kitchen each night, vacuum regularly, clean up crumbs, and stop leaking water.
Deep Clean Weekly
It’s important to do a deep clean around your home weekly. By doing this, you will be eliminating those hidden crumbs you didn’t know you had. Get under that couch, chair, any corners of your kitchen. Do a thorough job so you can prevent roaches in the first place.
Clean Up Kitchen Every Night
It’s so tempting to leave those dishes for the morning/next day. But it’s the perfect place for a feeding ground for roaches to get their next meal. Try to avoid leaving dishes in your sink as much as possible. You will be thankful in the long run that you did.
Keep a Lid on the Trashcan
Roaches aren’t particular about what kind of food they can find. Therefore, a trashcan is a great place to find roaches feeding on old food. One way to prevent this from happening is to have a lid on your trashcan so they can’t get in.
Vacuum Up Crumbs
This goes along with the information above. Clean up all dropped/old food. Do a thorough job with vacuuming up crumbs. This is especially important if you have carpet since the crumbs can get down into the fibers. Vacuuming slowly gets up way more crumbs/dirt than vacuuming quickly.
Stop Leaking Water
Get all leaky facets fixed. Clean up any spilled water. Roaches only need one drop of water per day to survive!
Conclusion
There’s no argument that roaches are gross. Nobody wants them in their home. There are plenty of ways to get rid of roaches by using harmful chemicals. But if we don’t want roaches in our homes, why would we want harsh chemicals that can cause us to be sick in our homes? This article tells you how to use home remedies to kill roaches that are safe for your health and your family’s health.
This blog was all about home remedies to kill roaches.
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