How to Get Rid of Cockroaches

Use store-bought cockroach bait. Cockroach baits can be placed in a container that children cannot open or as a gel containing a slow-acting poison mixed with attractive food (for cockroaches). ^[1] The cockroaches will eat the poison and bring it back to the nest where all the other cockroaches will eventually die.

• Place bait where cockroaches frequent such as along baseboards, under sinks and in corners. Place the bait as close to the cockroach’s nest as possible because more cockroaches will eat the bait and bring it back to the nest.
• Most cockroach baits contain the active ingredient fipronil 0.05% or hydramethylnon 2%. Cockroaches will eat the poison, then excrete it at the nest and other cockroaches will die when exposed to that waste.
• This method of getting rid of cockroaches can take several weeks. When the first generation of cockroaches is destroyed, the eggs will hatch, and there will be more cockroaches to bait before you can completely eliminate their entire nest.

Try homemade cockroach baits. Mix one part powdered boric acid (not granular), sometimes called a cockroach repellant but often sold in pharmacies), with one part white flour and one part pureed white sugar. Sugar and flour will attract cockroaches, and boric acid will kill them. ^[2] Sprinkle mixture behind drawers and drawers, under refrigerators, stoves and similar places.

• You can also try making the same mixture with 1 part fenugreek, 2 parts flour, and 1 part cocoa.
• Wait for at least 3 cycles of disappearance/reappearance of the cockroach colonies becoming less and less frequent, lasting about 2 weeks. Continue using boric acid until the cockroaches are gone.
• Children, dogs, and some other pets can also inadvertently ingest the mixture. Boric acid is not very toxic to people or pets but should only be used on the skin, so you should place it in a place that can only be accessed by these insects.
• The mixture will harden into cakes in a humid environment, so you should use paper or aluminum trays to protect the floor and cabinets.

Use a soap and water solution. This is an easy way to kill adult cockroaches. Make a solution of mild soap (bath soap is also good) and water diluted enough to be sprayed with a spray bottle. ^[3] You can sprinkle, spray or simply splash this solution on the cockroaches. Just 2-3 drops of soapy water is enough to kill them. Make sure the solution is in contact with the cockroach’s head and lower abdomen. If you can turn the cockroach upside down, attacking the cockroach’s belly is the best. They will run or try to run away, but will suddenly stop and die almost within a minute.

• Soap water kills cockroaches by creating a thin film that seals off the cockroaches’ breathing holes and stays that way because the surface tension causes the cockroaches to suffocate.
• Throw away cockroaches as quickly as possible, as they can recover when the water dries out or the water doesn’t cover most of their body.

Use insecticidal spray. Buy a specialized cockroach insecticide that contains the active ingredient cyfluthrin or another insecticide. ^[4] Spray where cockroaches can hide or enter your home, including along walls, in cracks and ventilation holes.

• Keep children and pets away from the spray and follow the directions for use on the product label.
• If using cockroach bait at the same time, you should not spray near the place where the bait is located. Insecticides can infect the bait and keep the cockroaches away.
• Cockroach spray works to get rid of cockroaches immediately, but it can also drive cockroaches deeper into walls, making the situation worse. Treating the whole cockroach nest is just as important as killing the cockroaches on the spot.

Use concentrated liquid. The use of a liquid concentrate that was once exclusive to professional services has now been formulated for widespread use. A concentrate is a poison or repellent chemical that is diluted with water and sprayed or wiped onto any surface, crevice, or crevice frequented by cockroaches. These products are especially effective at preventing the return of cockroaches, as they usually keep cockroaches away for 1-2 weeks or more.

Buy a professional insecticide. In the most severe cases, you can buy the strongest drug as a last resort. Look for medicines that contain cypermethrin. ^[5] Pheromones-based baits, glue traps, and other specialized sprays are much more effective than those bought at the home store. Cy-Kick CS is a very effective microencapsulation product in killing cockroaches. You may have to buy it online, as this drug is not usually sold at home stores. They can kill live insects and are effective for up to 3 months. Spray around the house and places like basements.

• The downside of this method is that it kills all kinds of bugs and insects, including cockroach eaters like spiders and millipedes.
• Use this only as a last resort, and do not use it when children and pets are around. This is a very potent poison and will harm anyone who swallows it.

Use store-bought cockroach traps. Cockroach traps have the effect of attracting cockroaches to crawl and stick inside. Buy lots of cockroach traps and place them everywhere you see cockroaches hang out. This method is effective in killing cockroaches in small numbers, but it is not effective for the whole cockroach nest.

Use a water bottle. A simple and effective home method to lure cockroaches into traps is to use a jar placed next to the wall. This trap allows cockroaches to crawl in but cannot get out. You can put any kind of bait in the trap, including coffee grounds and water, even just plain water if in a dry environment. As above, this is a good method to kill adult cockroaches, but it is not effective at killing cockroaches’ nests and eggs.

Use a soda bottle trap. Take an empty plastic soda bottle and cut it under the neck. Turn the top upside down and place it on the body of the bottle to make a funnel inside the body of the bottle. Stick around the mouth of the funnel to fix it to the body of the bottle. Pour a little soap and water into the bottle and set traps in areas where cockroaches are present. They will crawl into the trap and drown. ^[6]

Move clutter away from home. Cockroaches love piles of wood and other comfortable hiding places, and when the weather turns cold, they will “migrate” indoors to keep warm. Make sure the woodpile is located far away from the house. Remove piles of straw, leaves and other rubbish in the garden.

Seal the house to prevent cockroaches from entering. Seal all cracks in the outer wall to block the cockroaches’ access to the house. Seal all cracks in your home wherever possible. This will take time, but the payoff is well worth it, as you’ve eliminated most of the cockroaches’ favorite hiding and breeding places.

• Seal every crevice inside every kitchen cabinet.
• Fill cracks in both floors, doors and windows.
• Seal gaps around plumbing in bathrooms and kitchens.