This is a really common question for many peoples how to get rid of roaches without an exterminator? So finally we have decided to answer this question and you can follow tips and home remedies to kill cockroaches naturally.
Roaches are one of the most difficult insects for humans to fight. Scientists have proved that these small creatures can survive many natural disasters. What if the homeowners can agree on one thing? Most of that the roaches are not welcome in the home, or if you find even one, you will have to control and deal with it immediately.
Do you know about roaches types, sizes, and the reasons why they are in your home? On average, cockroaches size can vary anywhere from one-half to 3 inches long. The three common types of roaches in the United States are the Oriental, American, and German roach. Knowing the type of roach that you are dealing with can help to find how to get rid of them. The most common cockroach found indoors is the German roach. It’s attracted to water. Decreasing access to water sources in a home can help to reduce a cockroach infestation.
There are many other prevention methods as well to get rid of roaches, such as proper food storage, and daily cleaning, to prevent an infestation. Cockroaches can exist anywhere, munching on rotten food, fresh food, leather, cardboard, feces, and wallpaper. A typical visit from an exterminator costs like $100-$300 a visit and monthly or quarterly visits can cost $50 each. It takes a lot of amounts to spend if the cockroaches in your house are ankle-deep.
Before making a decision that how to get rid of roaches in the home, it’s best to develop a plan first. Effective cockroach control typically requires more than one type of treatment method. Such a plan comprises a whole variety of steps and actions, from keeping clean your house constantly to using effective solutions.
How to get rid of Roaches without an Exterminator
Many people believe that an exterminator is the only way to effectively deal with a roach infestation. But, is Orkin worth it? There are a couple of effective ways without using an exterminator to get rid of roaches. The problem is that exterminators spray a large number of toxic chemicals to kill roaches around your home. These toxic chemicals are not good for your health and after your home has been fumigated, you need to wait 8-10 hours before it’s safe to enter.
The exterminator spray has an unpleasant odor and can affect one’s breathing and is also dangerous to people who suffer from asthma. It is also an expensive way and many peoples are looking for less hazardous ways to control cockroach infestations. There are many ways to get rid of roaches fast without an exterminator.
1. Keep your Home Clean
First things first- you need to clean your home but cleaning a home does not guarantee 100% protection against roach infestations, it’s the best step to start. Even a small amount of fat will attract cockroaches. So keep your kitchen countertops and the stove clean.
You need to cut off the roaches food and water supply. Cockroaches are moving to your home because they are finding fat and open food packages on your kitchen countertop, crumbs in cupboards, and under appliances. Cockroaches are also attracted to damp storage boxes, old magazines, garbage cans, recycling bins, and similar things. Eliminate these sources to get the roaches away and you are halfway there.
Roaches are attracted to water and they need more water than food, so fix the leaking faucets and eliminate the excessive supply of water sources. Fixing those pipes and faucets will also help to reduce your water bill while preventing structural damage.
2. Use Caulk to Close Gaps
Roaches can fit through the smallest cracks, fixing all cracks in your wall can help to reduce infestations. Use caulk to fill all possible entry points, including gaps between tiles, entry holes, and small crevices. Also, sealed the gaps in your kitchen cupboards.
3. Insecticide Sprays
Using a common household spray is recommended for cockroaches. These sprays are toxic, but not as hazardous as the chemicals used by exterminators. One can purchase liquid concentrate treatments that are more effective, liquid concentrate can keep away roaches for 2-3 weeks until it has to be reapplied.
If you want to avoid using commercial sprays, you can either use natural insecticide sprays. Natural insecticide spray could be used as soon you see the roaches, a solution of soap water works well.
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4. Use Gel Bait to Reduce Roach Population
Gel bait can be an effective cockroach killer. It usually comes in form of a tube and can be used under baseboards, in crevices and cracks, and in the areas that are most likely to attract cockroaches. Along with gel bait, another popular method is bait stations. Bait stations work partially to get rid of cockroaches, but don’t target all cockroaches in a home.
5. Use Roach Glue Strips
Analyze your home for possible roach infestation sites. Search popular roach hiding areas, including under the sink, crevices in cabinets and shelves, behind the refrigerator, bathroom closets, and cabinets. Use roach glue strips to locate big infestations. Decide the most strategic areas to place the glue strips. Monitor those areas for a few days. Strip in high-traffic areas will catch up with the most cockroaches, and these areas need the most treatment.
6. Boric Acid Powder
Boric acid is a substance found in products like toothpaste and clothing detergent and can be one of the effective roach killers and other insects. It’s a widely used remedy for this purpose but this acid is not safe for consumption, so you’ll need to keep it out of reach of children and pets.
Cockroaches will die if they come in contact with this acid, but there are points you need to consider while sprinkling boric acid in your home:
- Only a light dusting is required.
- It’s not effective when wet.
The goal of using this powder is to have roaches walk through acid powder, which is difficult if the roaches are hidden and are in tight corners like under the cabinets. Boric acid will lose effectiveness if it’s not used correctly, and is not typically recommended as the sole method for getting rid of roaches.
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How to Get Rid of Roaches Naturally with Home Remedies
There are a few more different techniques you can use to get rid of cockroaches naturally. Though it may seem easier to call an exterminator to use chemicals to help you or use pesticides, these substances can do damage to your home and to the health of your family. It’s a good way to try the following tips before moving to harsher substances.
Borax and Diatomaceous earth
Sprinkle borax is an ingredient for homemade laundry detergent around your home, it’s preferable for those places where cockroach infestation is the worst. If you don’t have access to borax, you can also use diatomaceous earth, as its process and the result will be the same as borax. If the roaches come into contact with borax or diatomaceous, they will become dehydrated because this substance will seep through its shell and damage it. The roaches will eventually die, as they cannot stay hydrated while their shell is injured.
Catnip and Bay Leaves
Roaches hate the smell of catnip and bay leaves, and if you put small samples of these products in your home, it will move the roaches away. It’s best to put catnip or bay leaves in your kitchen and other places where the cockroaches are seen. Another major benefit is that the bay leaves are not poisonous to humans, so you’ll not have to worry about the placement of bay leaves. This method will hit them away but not harm the cockroaches in any way.
Make a Roach Poison
For roach poison, you need to mix together an equal portion of baking soda and sugar and sprinkle it around the places where your house is infested. Cockroaches like sugaring and will consume the mixture, but the soda affect the stomachs internally and kill the roaches. This is an easy way to use everyday household products.
Lemon Peels or Lemon Juice
The fresh smell of lemons is generally associated with a clean home, and it is used by the world’s most famous household cleaners. There is no denying that lemon juice is a powerful agent that can cut through grease and stains, but many people don’t know that it can repel cockroaches too.
You can do many different things to keep cockroaches out of your home.
- Add lemon juice or spray in hard to reach areas of the home where you know the roaches reside.
- Grind lemon peels and put the grounds around the home where cockroaches are present.
With above-mentioned approaches, we hope you got the answer to your question about how to get rid of roaches without an exterminator. Moreover, cleaning your home and applying safe strategies are necessary to get rid of roaches in your home.
