To help keep these trouble areas roach free, spray them weekly for basic prevention and every 3-4 days if you're currently experiencing a heavy roach problem. If after two weeks, you're not seeing the results you want, simply adjust to a more frequent spraying schedule. Don't forget to spray and seal entry points.
The Best Way To Get Rid Of Cockroaches
The “spray and pray” method is just not effective. It will actually make the problem worse, so it's a complete waste of time and money. Instead, the best way to get rid of roaches is to actually target the places they are hiding at in your home.
You may see roaches for a week or two for slow-acting treatments until they eventually taper out. Because of their high tolerance to pesticides, products could take a few days to impact the pests. Just take some time and avoid panicking if you see any remaining roaches still living in your home.
For example, it can take up to five weeks to completely rid your property of German cockroaches following treatment. However, during the first week alone, their numbers should reduce by 70% to 80%. The extent of the infestation also makes a difference.
If none of the natural roach treatments work, you can still use roach traps, roach spray, insect traps, bait stations and other means of home insect control to either kill cockroaches entirely or at least repel roaches.
The fact is that while good sanitation methods alone rarely prevent cockroach infestation, employing scrupulous levels of cleanliness will go a long way toward controlling the problem. (It will also help you get rid of mites, ants and other pests.)
Restrict Water Sources
Roaches affected by pest control treatment will be in dire need of water for survival. This means that as they migrate, they will gravitate toward any safe water source they can find, including showers, bathtubs, sinks, etc.
Bug sprays, especially when overused, can cause side effects. These sprays are not only harmful to the bugs you don't like, but can also be harmful to humans and your pets, and busy bees, so use with caution.
Since many insects are most active in the morning and at dusk, these times offer the best situation for pesticide application.
Home remedies like diatomaceous earth, baking soda, boric acid, citrus, essential oils, and borax can be effective ways to get rid of roaches. If you want to take a more aggressive approach to eliminate roaches, glue traps, bait stations, and liquid roach deterrent concentrates are all excellent options.
If cockroaches get enough borax on the outside of their bodies, it actually damages their exoskeletons. This causes them to rapidly dehydrate and die; a thick coating of borax will certainly get rid of roaches overnight.
Unfortunately, cockroaches are nocturnal creatures that are most active during the nighttime. During these hours, roaches are often on the hunt for food—which can be anything from a few crumbs in your kitchen to the glue on the backside of some stamps in your junk drawer. In the daytime, roaches prefer to stay hidden.
If 100 roaches are sprayed with a chemical, it may kill 95 of them. The remaining five are resistant to the pesticide, and they may pass that resistant gene on to their off spring. So over time, the species may develop a tolerance.
If it hasn't worn off by bedtime, you'll want to wash it off with soap and water, as it can be irritating if left on overnight. Unless you are camping overnight in an area with ticks or mosquitoes, you don't want it sitting on your skin if insects aren't a concern. “If you don't need it on, get it off,” Waldman says.
Most likely, the insects were exposed to a toxin sprayed around the house to eliminate these disease vectors on legs. Most bug sprays mess with the roach's internal circuitry, their nervous system. Unable to remain coordinated, staggering around intoxicated, they'll flip over and perish, legs to the sky.
Some factors that can attract cockroaches to clean houses include: Moisture. Leaking sinks and appliances create conditions in which roaches thrive, since they offer a readily available source of water as well as the warm, sheltered spaces that provide the ideal harborage for cockroach nests. Untidy landscaping.
Dirty houses are certainly more prone to attracting cockroaches and causing other types of pest infestations. However, even a clean house is not immune. In other words, you don't have to be a hoarder to have a roach infestation.
If cockroaches want to get in, they are going to find a way to survive. Cockroaches are notoriously difficult to get rid of. While having cockroaches in the home doesn't necessarily mean your home is dirty, a clean home can be a great way to keep your home cockroach free.
Keeping your home clean and your food secure should fix most of the roach issues, but there are some other steps to take to prevent them from coming in, including: Filling in holes in exterior walls with a caulking gun. Focus on pipes, outlets, air conditioning units, and other gaps.
Mint. For best results, mix mint oil and water in a spray bottle and spritz anywhere bugs can enter your home. Mint, such as peppermint oil, contains a compound called menthone that can kill cockroaches. And since menthone is what gives the oil its smell, it works great as a deterrent.