Pest Control: 6 Tips to Take Out Cockroaches

A lot of homes have problems with cockroaches. This is especially true of homes located where the heat and humidity are high. No matter what breed of cockroach you're faced with, an infestation can cause a decent amount of trouble. One of the problems with cockroaches is that they can transmit bacterial diseases, along with typhoid fever and dysentery.

Below are some tips on how to get rid of cockroaches.

1. Eliminate Sustenance Sources

First things first - you'll have to make sure that food and drinks are always put away. Try storing most of your food in plastic and metal containers if you don’t store it in the refrigerator already.

Also, be sure to keep water out of reach of cockroaches, as well as plugging any drains in your home. Cockroaches love water. They can survive for a while without food, but they need water and warmth to really be able to survive for a long time. Be sure to fix leaky faucets and drains to prevent an ongoing water source. And, if you leave clean dishes out at night, make sure you dry them completely.

Another key things to remember is to always take out the trash. Cockroaches, along with ants, tend to run for the trash once the lights go out and everything is quiet at night.

2. Keep Your Home Clean

Keeping a clean home will make it harder for cockroaches to find tiny food crumbs that you could have dropped somewhere. Vacuum any small corners of your home to be sure food crumbs have been removed. It will also make it easier to keep the amount of cockroaches down to a minimum because it will remove any eggs that they may have laid.

Also, do not leave any cardboard boxes, including food boxes, in the open. Cockroaches have been known to lay eggs within them.

3. Place Traps Inside and Outside of the Home

There are a number of different trap methods that you can try in order to eliminate a cockroach infestation.

Roach Traps

Place cockroach traps around the house on countertops and under sinks. Use sticky traps instead of spraying insecticides for cockroaches, as spraying insecticides will only spread poison around your home, putting small children and pets in danger.

Boric Acid

Place Boric Acid under sinks, around the refrigerator, and any other place that you think cockroaches could be coming from. Once a roach ingests Boric Acid, it dries them from the inside out. However, if you have pets, do not place Boric Acid anywhere that you think they may be able to get to. Boric Acid can be very toxic to your pets.

Catnip

Break leaves from off of a catnip herb plant. Rub the leaves between your fingers, then place the leaves wherever you think the cockroaches could be coming from. Cockroaches do not like catnip.

Mulch

Many people place mulch in their gardens, but if you live in a hot, humid climate, try using cypress mulch. Because cockroaches tend to hate cypress mulch more than other types, using it around your home can keep these pests at bay.

Sugar and Plaster

Mix equal amounts of dry plaster of Paris and sugar together. Place the mixture inside of bottle caps, and then place the bottle caps inside of all of your cabinets, particularly those under sinks.

4. Seal Up Possibly Entry Areas

Be sure that you do not have any plants or objects touching any vents within your home, because cockroaches can climb in this way. Caulk any cracks and crevices inside and outside of your home. Do not strain yourself, though. Only caulk cracks and crevices that you can caulk easily.

5. Kill Individual Cockroaches

If you aren't squeamish and can get close enough to an individual roach, you can pour scalding hot water over top of it. If you can douse it quickly, it'll kill quickly.

Alternatively, you can spray cockroaches with Windex (glass cleaner). Be patient after spraying; it will kill the roach within a few minutes.

6. Call an Exterminator

Apart from trying to kill the cockroaches yourself, you can always call an exterminator. However, keep in mind that exterminators can be fairly pricey. Most people have found that when they took care of their cockroach infestation problem themselves it worked out a lot better.

Best wishes and good luck!