How to Get Rid of Cockroaches without an Exterminator

If you have a roach problem in your house, knowing how to get rid of cockroaches is vital. The more cockroaches you have, the harder it will be. You can use a cat, since they love to catch roaches, but even a house full of cats won’t eliminate them all. Roaches breed quickly and the number you see will only be the tip of the iceberg. You can call an exterminator, but that’s expensive and the harsh chemicals they use aren’t good for the environment. Instead, you can get rid of the roaches yourself. It will take work and time, but it can be done fairly easily. 

Step#1-Using Borax

Borax is officially classed as an insecticide and has been since 1948, but is actually no more harmful to humans and animals than table salt. You can buy it easily at many stores. It’s cheap and it kills roaches effectively. 

There are two ways to use borax. Start by applying it as a powder around the house. You should put down a very thin layer around appliances and up against the walls, especially where there are gaps and holes. Make sure it doesn’t clump. Brush the powder so it forms a light coating.

Additionally, try making a paste using equal parts of borax, sugar and water, and form this into tiny balls. Roaches like the sugar and will eat the balls. Borax dehydrates the roaches and they die. They will track the powder into their nests and the other roaches, especially the babies, will also eat it and die. It should take about two weeks to eliminate all the roaches. Keep reapplying the powder until there are no more signs of roaches in your house. 

Step#2-Using Baking Soda

Most people have baking soda around the house, and it’s another good weapon in the fight against roaches. Mix it into a paste with equal parts sugar and water and rub in cupboards, around appliances, and where you’ve seen cockroaches. 

Although baking soda is harmless to humans and animals, it poisons the cockroaches when they eat it. This doesn’t happen immediately, so you won’t see an instant reduction in numbers. The roaches track the paste back to their nest and as the others eat it, they’re also poisoned. 

You might need to apply the paste several times over the course of a few weeks to get rid of all the cockroaches. 

Step#3-Keeping Cockroaches out

While you’re killing the roaches inside, you also need to think about keeping out any further infestations. You don’t want to have to do it all over again. This requires going over the outside of your house with a fine tooth comb and checking for any holes. Remember, roaches can get in through the tiniest crack, so you need to be thorough. 

Every time you spot even the smallest gap a roach could use, you need to seal it. Caulk is generally good for this, but make sure it’s for outdoor use or you’ll need to replace it quickly. 

This is time consuming and finicky, but very important as it’s the only way to ensure the roaches won’t get back inside.