There are various measures to take when it comes to eliminating roaches from your home. While the do-it-yourself solution works best for small roach infestations, it’s best to seek help from a professional pest control company if the infestation is serious.
In this article, you’ll uncover some ways to get rid of these unwanted visitors and when to contact pest exterminators.
Table of Contents
Set Roach Killer Bait Stations
You can find roach bait at home improvement stores in self-contained stations and in gel that you can use directly on your home surfaces. Cockroaches usually nest near food sources, trash bins and plumbing sites; therefore, put the bait on your kitchen and bathroom floors and cabinets.
Place it under sinks, stoves and refrigerators. Reapply the gel every two to three weeks. For the bait stations, check the level once a week and replace empty stations where necessary.
Visit https://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/household-hints-tips/insect-control/preventing-cockroaches.htm to gain more insight on how to protect your home from roach infestations.
Set Out Traps or Glue Strips
Also called roach motels, cockroach traps are used as bait to lure roaches onto the sticky surface. Glue strips work similarly, but they don’t have a lid, making it easy for you to see how many roaches are trapped. Setting these glue strips in high roach activity areas allows you to monitor the infestations.
The more cockroaches on the glue strips, the more activity there is in that area. Keep in mind that you must be tactical on where to keep the glue if you have small kids or pets. Glue strips can get stuck on your pet’s paws, tail or fur and can be hard to remove.
Apply Boric Acid
You can create your personalized bait using boric acid, also known as borax. Boric acid is toxic to all kinds of insects, but to make it more effective, you must mix it with a food source to get the roaches to ingest it. Mix equal proportions of boric acid, confectioners’ sugar, and flour into a dough. Break the dough into small pieces and set them around your home.
However, even though boric acid is not that harmful to humans and pets compared to chemical insecticides, it’s still recommended to keep it away from food sources and drinks.
What’s more, boric acid is harmful to plants; therefore, avoid keeping it close to your flowers and houseplants. Some experts even recommend baking soda instead of boric acid, but baking soda is not as effective.
Spray Liquid Roach Killer
Various roach sprays kill these pests instantly, while others will remain toxic to them for days after application. Purchase long-lasting, ready-to-use, and environmentally certified products, or contact experts like the Best Exterminators around you to handle the job.
The University of Nebraska suggests that using the spray is safer and more effective than the liquid concentrate, which needs to be mixed with water. If you must purchase the liquid portion, ensure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions when mixing it.
Also, follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using the sprays. For effective action, spray them around cabinets, under appliances and areas with cracks and crevices where the roaches love to travel. The only downside of sprays is that they need to be reapplied often compared to baits and traps.
Apply Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring powder consisting mostly of silicon. It’s a fossilized form of diatoms, a microalgae. This powder can kill roaches by acting as a desiccant, drying the insects out once it touches their carapace, making it lethal to many pests.
The best aspect is that it’s harmless to humans and pets when ingested, although it can irritate the lungs when inhaled. When buying diatomaceous earth, purchase the food-grade version and dust it into cracks and crevices and around surfaces that aren’t frequented by your kids and pets.
Click here to learn more about safe roach controls.
Use Bug Bombs and Foggers
Foggers, also known as bug bombs, are pesticides released through an aerosol canister. These tools can effectively kill some kinds of roaches but are dangerous to use. When using it, you need to vacate your home; therefore, if you are thinking of using a bug bomb, it’s best to contact a pest control company.
Conclusion
Roach infestations can be very frustrating and unsightly. When they happen, don’t panic; either follow the DIY tips mentioned in this article or contact professional pest control companies to check the situation and provide the best solution. Keep in mind that certain treatments require you to leave your home, while others can be done while you are still in.
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