How to Get Rid of Cockroaches Without Hiring a Professional
There are several creatures more disgusting than the cockroach. The mere presence of one person in your home is enough to cause your heart to pound, while the presence of many more people instantly feels like a full blown crisis. We all know what attracts cockroaches, but they can multiply even if you do everything right, from religiously cleaning floors and countertops to regularly taking out the trash, washing the dishes several times a day, and keeping your home clean.
Here are some ways to exorcise nefarious cockroach swarms if you’re unlucky and forced to fight them.
How do cockroaches get into your home?
Like rats and mice, cockroaches do not invade your home in any obvious or conspicuous manner, but rather through crevices or cracks in your walls, damaged pipes, or snagging on bags or objects that you carry inside. If you live in an apartment building, their most likely means of access is through an adjacent (probably more messy) block, which can make getting rid of them much more difficult.
There are different types of cockroaches, but you are more likely to find American and German cockroaches in US homes. Kobe Schall, an entomologist at the University of North Carolina, told Prevention in 2019 :
“Especially in a low-income environment where people don’t have the resources to spend a lot of money on cockroach control, this cockroach can actually reproduce in such an environment.”
The much larger American cockroach lives in vast sewer networks beneath US cities and usually rises to the surface in the summer months in search of food. As Shawl explained, American cockroaches are more common in ground floor apartments, but certainly not only there.
Stay on top of basic cleaning
One of the best practices that cannot be ignored is keeping your home clean. Cockroaches are nocturnal creatures that hide in dark corners of kitchen cabinets, as well as under the refrigerator and sink (among many other places). They love trash and dirt. This is why regular house cleaning reduces the chances of cockroach infestations.
Cockroaches are scavengers and love to look for pet food that may remain on the floor and tidbits in greasy spots on the stove. So just try to keep your home tidy by sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, washing up, and taking out the trash every day.
How to deal with them
Now for the fun part: you can drown these horrible little animals in a sticky puddle (because it’s nice to hear their exoskeletons crunch). Alas, this will not solve the broader problem, so try some or all of these methods instead.
- Traditional trap “cockroach motel”: these sticky traps usually include some sort of bait in addition to the poison that kills the cockroaches once they get stuck inside. Some newer ones offer liquid bait, which is preferred by many experts, given that cockroaches tend to like stagnant water and damp, swampy environments. Do a little research and get some well-researched traps. Place them where the little bastards swarm and replace as recommended.
- Net bait: Antipesto recommends a chemical bait that disguises itself as a food source but is actually an insecticide. As noted on the website: “Cockroaches swallow the insecticide and return to their nests, where they die. Other cockroaches eat them, spreading the poison to the rest of the nest. ” Place these traps wherever cockroaches live.
- Herbal remedies: Some medicinal herbs, such as peppermint oil, are not as reliable as chemical ones, but can be used to repel cockroaches. There is some scientific evidence to back this up , so you can be sure this isn’t just a hippie joke. Try applying peppermint oil mixed with vinegar and a little water to the affected area as recommended by Apartment Therapy .
- Boric acid: If you want to get really sick and worry about it, you can make what I would call boric acid pancakes. Antipesto describes how they work:
Mix equal amounts of boric acid, flour and sugar to make a dough. Place balls of dough around the house for cockroaches to feed on. Flour and sugar will attract cockroaches, while boric acid will kill them. Just place the dough where cockroaches usually are, or under the refrigerator, stove, and the back of cabinets and drawers. Boric acid will kill cockroaches, which will then become food for other cockroaches.
However, remember where you put boric acid, as it can be harmful to your pets. And if you still can’t get the dreaded pests out of your home after applying many of these measures, your best bet is to simply call a professional exterminator.