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How can I get Rid of Roaches?

Holly Collins
Holly Collins

Getting rid of roaches is tough but often necessary. Usually if one roach is visible, many more exist. Roaches are nocturnal and like to move around the edges of things rather than out in open spaces. They can enter a house through cracks, crevices, drains and vents. When trying to get rid of roaches, it is helpful to know where they are coming from.

Roach killing sprays, gels and traps can be purchased for home use or a professional exterminator can be called to apply similar techniques. Most commercial insecticides kill roaches on contact and can be dangerous to humans and pets. They are best used as barriers to keep insects from entering where they are not wanted. Commercial traps often utilize some sort of adhesive housed in a childproof container to contain the insect.

An American cockroach, which is sometimes called a palmetto bug.
An American cockroach, which is sometimes called a palmetto bug.

Homemade roach traps can be fashioned from a Mason jar. Coat the inside rim of a jar with a generous layer of petroleum jelly and put a small amount of food in as bait. Set the jar on its side in a corner or area where roaches might be entering. As the insects are attracted by the food and crawl into the jar, the petroleum jelly will prevent them from getting out.

Baking soda can be mixed with sugar to kill roaches.
Baking soda can be mixed with sugar to kill roaches.

A simple, inexpensive, non-toxic way to get rid of roaches is to spray them with a soap and water solution. Roaches breathe through the skin on their heads and belly. Spraying these parts with a soapy solution creates a thin film over these breathing pores blocking their ability to take in oxygen and causing them to suffocate. Immediate disposal of the bodies is recommended with this method as they can sometimes revive themselves after a time.

A dusting powder can be made from equal parts sugar and baking soda. The sugar will invite the roach to feed on the powder. The baking soda’s rising properties will produce excessive gas in the roaches’ stomach, killing the insect.

To create a homemade roach trap, coat the inside rim of a jar with a generous layer of petroleum jelly and put a small amount of food in as bait.
To create a homemade roach trap, coat the inside rim of a jar with a generous layer of petroleum jelly and put a small amount of food in as bait.

Crushing roaches with a shoe is not a good way to kill them. The eggs of the female roach will hatch outside of her body, so stepping on one can result in those eggs becoming scattered and attached to the bottom of a shoe. They can then be tracked to other areas where they will hatch and produce more roaches. The best method for disposing of a dead roach is to flush it down the toilet and then thoroughly clean the area where it was found. Garbage cans present an ideal environment for the hatching of roach eggs.

Insecticides can be used to get rid of roaches.
Insecticides can be used to get rid of roaches.

An alternative approach to maintaining an environment free of roaches is keeping a live gecko. Geckos hunt and eat roaches as well as other insects so encouraging the presence of geckos in a yard, or keeping one as a pet, can create a hostile roach environment. This can help solve an existing roach problem as well as prevent future ones.

Discussion Comments

Logicfest

@Melonlity -- Good point and there is a way around resorting to those poison traps. Call a good exterminator to get rid of your roaches and then clean up those areas that are attracting roaches. Often, roach infestations are brought about by unclean areas in your home. Clean those up after the roaches are killed by an exterminator and that will help keep roaches from plaguing your home again.

Melonlity

A lot of people put out roach traps that are simply full of poison to trap and kill roaches. If you have pets in your home, bear in mind that there is a good chance they will find and eat those traps (dogs are particularly bad about that). That could cause the dog to get ill.

If you are all about killing roaches, make sure you don't do things that could harm or kill your pets in the process.

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    • An American cockroach, which is sometimes called a palmetto bug.
      By: R_R
      An American cockroach, which is sometimes called a palmetto bug.
    • Baking soda can be mixed with sugar to kill roaches.
      By: Vidady
      Baking soda can be mixed with sugar to kill roaches.
    • To create a homemade roach trap, coat the inside rim of a jar with a generous layer of petroleum jelly and put a small amount of food in as bait.
      By: blueee
      To create a homemade roach trap, coat the inside rim of a jar with a generous layer of petroleum jelly and put a small amount of food in as bait.
    • Insecticides can be used to get rid of roaches.
      By: Hemeroskopion
      Insecticides can be used to get rid of roaches.