What is The Best Roach Killer?

If you have a roach problem in your home, you definitely know first-hand how frustrating it can be to get rid of these creatures. Nothing is worse than turning on the lights in your kitchen and seeing them run in all directions, hearing the scuttling of their antennae and legs on your countertops and floors as they disappear. These pests are not only disgusting to look at, but they also contaminate your food and transmit dangerous bacteria that will make you sick. Worst of all, cockroaches can be very resilient little creatures that are very hard to kill. The only good thing about this is that humans have become very inventive in coming up with ways to get rid of these pests. 

What is the best roach killer? Which is the best way to kill them? Well, the simplest way to do it is obviously to squash them with your heel. However, this depends on whether or not you can get them within your sights. Arguably more effective than this is to buy roach spray from your nearest store.

That said, there are a million and one other ways to kill roaches. Here is a closer look at some of them.

Roach Spray

This is the easiest way to deal with roaches, so long as you are equipped with the right spray. The can in which the spray comes is very helpful when you do not intend to get too close to a roach you have just spotted in your house.

Cockroach bait

Cockroach bait is just poison. Its taste is certainly not appealing to humans, but that does not mean that anyone should go ahead and taste it. However, cockroaches love the taste of the bait, and are likely to take some back to their nests. This bait is the perfect weapon for mass destruction, because many of these pests are going to be eliminated in a short period of time. Cockroaches are expected to have perished within 1-3 days of consumption, according to a study done by the University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

Be sure to position the bait in areas that are out of reach of children, such as in cabinet corners or under the sink.

Household detergents

Like most insects, roaches are known to breathe through their skin. Therefore, if you are not willing to spray hazardous insecticides inside your home, you could make a solution of soap and water and pour it on visible roaches. The soap functions to suffocate them, eventually killing them. Keep in mind that it can only work if you spray it directly onto the roach

However, this method is not very effective as you need to have access to the cockroaches. If these are hidden in dark corners, then the method with not be so useful. Use this only on roaches that are within your sight and reach. You also cannot get rid of a whole nest of roaches with this method, unless you have enough patience to spray roaches one by one.

Baking soda

Without a doubt, baking soda is among the most multipurpose products ever made, and it’s not very surprising to know that it can be a remedy to kill roaches in your house. For this to work effectively, you will need to first mix the baking soda with some sugar.

The scent of sugar will make the roaches come out of hiding, after which they will be tempted to feed from the mixture, without noticing that the baking soda is part of it. Any water that they drink after this will chemically react with the baking soda in their stomachs, which will then burst. Cockroaches tend to feed on their mates that have already died, and so a chain reaction or butterfly effect will be created.

Follow the procedure below to go about it:

• Mix equal portions of baking soda and sugar into a dish.
• Position another dish near the first one and fill it with water.
• When dead roaches begin to show up, refill the containers with more of the mixture.
• Place more of these dishes around areas that you notice roaches gathering round.
• Repeat the procedure until you are sure the roach problem is eliminated.

Essential oils

 Believe it or not, essential oils are proven as actual cockroach repellents. Their strong scent irritates roaches and disrupts their hunting path. It can also kill them if the oil concentration is strong enough. The most hated smells by cockroaches are those of lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint, and tea tree oils. You can use either one of these to complete the task, so choose the one you like.

Apply the oil to a piece of cotton and wipe it down on all places that cockroaches gather. Soak the surfaces thoroughly with the oil. You can also make a solution of 15 drops of oil and 10 ounces of water. Put this solution in a spray bottle and then spray the solution all over the entries to dark areas.

Lemon

Lemons are pleasant-smelling and possess anti-pathogenic properties that kill roaches and keep them away from your home. Here is the procedure on how to use lemons to kill cockroaches naturally:

• In half a bucket of water, squeeze a fresh lemon.
• Mix it well and dip a mop inside the mixture.
• Mop up the places you have observed cockroaches.
• Repeat this procedure for as long as is necessary.

Diatomaceous earth

• Clean the house thoroughly – Maintaining a clean environment with reduce your chances of getting a roach problem in the first place. If it has already happened, don’t skip this step. Ensure that you have cleaned areas behind appliances, sofas, and under other big and small furniture.

• Mop up and dry moist areas – Some damp places like under the bathroom mat or below the kitchen sink are areas you need to ensure have been dried up before you can use the diatomaceous earth. The reason for doing this is that the diatomaceous earth will not kill roaches even if the area is slightly damp. Check for cracks that could be potential entry points and seal them for good.

• Go through areas you have seen roaches – Dust these spots just lightly, since the roaches will not dare tread on it if the diatomaceous earth has been applied heavily. Cover all spots that you think roaches might have sneaked in through to your house, and also areas where food is dropped often.

• Apply the diatomaceous earth at the bases of the house while outside – The applicators you will use to do this depend on whether the climate around your home is dry or damp.

• Let the solution stay until the roach infestation is done – If for some reason the product is washed away, re-apply it. Clean up the diatomaceous earth after you have eliminated all the roaches. You can even choose to leave it to prevent future roach infestations.

Coffee grounds

Cockroaches are attracted to the aroma of grounded coffee, and can be easily lured into a trap. This is an effective way to kill roaches, and here is the procedure you need to follow for the best procedure:

• Get small paper cuts and put ground coffee into them,
• Place the cups in jars filled with water.
• Place the jars against walls around the areas that you have observed roaches at night.
• Cockroaches will be tricked into the trap and will be unable to escape.
• Get rid of the contents of the jar in the morning.
• Repeat this procedure for as long as is required.
• Put coffee grounds in small paper cups.

Use your shoe

When everything else fails and you don’t have a product from the store, just use your shoe. It is going to be messy and all, but is still an effective way to kill a cockroach.

On spotting a cockroach roaming around in your home, approach it quietly and calmly. Take your shoe off and plan your attack. Don’t rush about it, but build up enough confidence if you want a successful strike. If you are not careful enough, you might scare off the roach into a corner and it might be hard to reach it. If you do manage to squash it, you need to use an antibacterial cleaner to wipe up the spot to avoid germs from spreading.

There is a myth that killing a cockroach will lead to its eggs spreading. This is not true, but killing cockroaches with force might attract more. You can use this to your advantage, and wait for them to come out from their hiding places and eliminate them.

Call a pest control company

All of the remedies mentioned above are most effective against a mild infestation or singular roaches. However, if the problem you have with cockroaches is very serious, it would be wiser to get help from professionals.

This is no doubt the option that is likely cost you the most amount of cash, but you need to consider it if the roach problem in your house is severe. You should never try to handle the issue by yourself, but rather let professional pest control services help you get rid of the roach menace using efficient bug-killing treatments. You also need to ask for safer methods of doing this for the sake of children and pets, if any.

Preventive Measures

You might also want to look at ways in which you can prevent roaches from infesting your home. Prevention is better than cure, and will save you a lot of time and resources that you could have spent while battling pests.

Always ensure your home is free of clutter, especially cardboards and newspapers, since roaches love to make homes out of these. You also need to check for moist areas in your house and always keep them clean and dry. Store away food in tightly closed containers, and always clean up after meals to avoid leaving behind remains that will attract roaches.

You can also apply an insect growth regulator (IGR), which is birth control for roaches. An IGR uses a synthetic pheromone to disturb the lifespan of roach eggs and larvae, which in turn, keeps under control the existing roach colonies, preventing current and future infestations from multiplying.

If you are willing to do it, getting rid of roaches is not an uphill task, as you are spoilt for choice on what methods to use. Just follow the instructions carefully and you are good to go. You can also share this remedy with those you care about.

Final Thoughts

Sometimes, no matter how much you clean your house, there may still be roaches lurking about. When you have attained the highest standards of cleanliness in your home yet you still have a roach problem, the most likely explanation is moisture. Cockroaches need moisture more than they need food to survive and, therefore, their search for water will lead them to a clean home. You can even get them in kitchens and bathrooms. Get rid of leaky pipes and taps, if any.

You can also invest in an electronic cockroach repellent. They function by producing very high or ultrasonic sound waves that create some noise that is meant to cause a type of response that can confuse and/or even kill pests like cockroaches.

Bleach can kill roaches either through ingestion or by drowning. However, if you use it together with a trap, the smell of bleach can cause the roaches to scamper away from the trap instead of being tempted to drink it. As an alternative method, you can effectively use bleach as a repellent but your cockroach problem will not be solved.