DIY Cockroach Control: Effective Home Remedies and Techniques

Roach Facts You Need to Know

Before you delve into all the DIY solutions that can help you with a cockroach problem, it’s vital that you understand roaches and why they’re such a pain to handle. First, there are more than 4,000 species of cockroaches that entomologists have found globally. Only a few varieties that frequent the state of New Jersey will make their way into your home.

The most common is the American cockroach, but you might also see the German, Oriental, or brown-banded varieties. Many online resources can help you quickly identify the type of roach that’s plagued your household. You can also take a picture of the insect and do a quick Google search to find information to help you in your DIY endeavors.

Roaches don’t need much to live, and your home provides more than enough to help them thrive. These insets love a warm and humid environment; if you have food, water, and shelter, they’re not going anywhere. You’re probably wondering how they got into your home since it’s tightly sealed. While these insects are larger than most, they can squeeze into drains, vents, cracks around windows and doors, and any openings they can slither into.

Since cockroaches multiply quickly, what was once a few stragglers passing through can become a full-blown infestation before you know you have an issue. Remember, roaches hide in walls, behind electric plates, and in your electronic devices, to name just a few locations. So, what you see running past you is only a tiny fraction of the ones hiding in the walls. The problem is always so much bigger than you realize.

Why are Cockroaches so Resilient?

Cockroaches can adapt to a wide variety of environments, which is one of the reasons they’re so hardy. They can endure extremes of temperature, humidity, and even direct radiation and still thrive, which is remarkable. Did you know experts have studied this phenomenon by exposing roaches to radiation to see how much they could take before it affected them?

Ironically, they found that the insects suffered no harm, even at high radiation levels. If you’re ever visiting a desert and see a roach, you know that it’s a testament to their ability to live in diverse habitats. You know that once you get insects into your home, eradicating them entirely is a nightmare.

Their survival skills come from biological and behavioral adaptations that have taken place over hundreds of years.

Their Exterior Acts as an Armor of Protection

The exoskeleton of these insects is strong and gives them an armor of protection. While flexible, it’s still firm and helps prevent them from losing excessive water. It also helps to protect them from predators and the environment around them.

While having their shield is good, roaches are nocturnal, so they’re primarily active during the nighttime for their safety. Being on the opposite schedule of most of their predators offers another level of protection. Additionally, it’s a more favorable environment at night, as daytime conditions aren’t as appealing.

While they’re adaptable to any environment, each species has its preferences. Finally, roaches can move rather quickly. If you’ve ever turned on a light in the night and seen them running across the floor, you can attest to this fact. Their ability to move like lightning to go into hiding helps them to stay alive.

They Can Go for Long Periods Without Food or Water

How long can you go without food? A human can live for 1-2 months without food, but you’ll only survive 8-21 days without water. The roaches are hardy and can go for long periods without sustenance. Their bodies are made to slow down their metabolism when food is hard to find, allowing them to go for extended periods without starving to death.

Cockroaches are resourceful scavengers and eat a wide variety of organic matter. They like the kitchen area because they can survive on food scraps, decaying matter, and even non-food materials like bacon grease, school glue, and notebook paper. Their capacity to adjust their diet to whatever they can eat is a considerable factor in their endurance.

Strong Immune Systems

It’s strange to think of roaches as healthy insects, especially since they transfer so many bacteria over whatever surfaces they touch. However, many people are shocked to learn that cockroaches are diligent about their grooming habits. They spend a significant portion of their time doing grooming practices, which helps them keep their bodies clear of any growths or harmful microorganisms that might attach to them.

Their immune system is robust since they are exposed to so many germs. While bacteria and fungi affect you profoundly, it doesn’t bother them. So, there’s not a lot of death from sickness among these insects.

The First Line of Defense is Prevention

Did you know that a roach can live several weeks without their head? The blood clots the area of the missing body part, so there’s no blood loss. This can help you see how robust these creatures are and what you’re dealing with in your home.

Regarding the roaches, preventative measures are always best, as once they get into your household, they don’t like to leave. You can do simple things each day to help protect your home and family. Preventative measures include:

• Sealing food in airtight containers
• Clean up any dirty dishes or spills immediately.
• Seal any cracks in the foundation and around walls and windows.
• Fix any dripping faucets or leaking pipes that can cause decayed wood.
• Take out the trash regularly, and always used covered cans.
• Never leave skillets with grease on the stove, especially bacon grease.
• Don’t leave pet food out for long periods.

These practices are not just meant for roaches, but they can also protect you from vermin and other insects issues.

Home Remedies for DIY Cockroach Control

You can try several things to address your roach problem before contacting experts. You should only do this if you see a couple and not when you have a full-blown infestation, as your efforts will be futile.

Remember, the longer you let the problem go, the worse it will get. It will cost you more in the end when your cost-saving methods fail. Here are some common products DIY enthusiasts use against roaches.

Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth or DE is one of the best DIY methods to try. This powdery substance is all natural and made from fossilized organisms. While the roach’s exoskeleton is strong, the abrasive particles in this powder cut through it like a knife.

Within a short exposure period, the roach cannot breathe and will perish. A word of caution when using this product, as it’s very harmful to your lungs so those with breathing problems shouldn’t use it. You only need a thin layer in the area they frequent, so remember that less is more.

Lastly, it would help if you got the food-grade variety of this product, as it doesn’t have toxic chemicals mixed in like varieties used for swimming pools.

Boric Acid

Boric acid has 100s of uses, one of which is an excellent roach killer. Much like DE, the acid works by causing damage to the exoskeleton, which affects their breathing. Additionally, once the exterior of the roach is damaged, the body cannot retain moisture, and it dehydrates.

Boric acid is highly toxic to children and pets, so you want to make sure it’s not in areas where they frequent. If they ingest it, seek medical help right away. You want to sprinkle this acid around where you commonly see roaches, which should help care for the problem.

Catnip

Ironically, catnip is a natural repellent against roaches but can also kill them. Since cats love this herb, it’s unbelievable that it could be safe for them yet hurt an insect. Catnip is completely safe for pets and humans, but the roach doesn’t fare well in its presence. Not only do they hate the smell, but it’s highly toxic if they eat any of it.

Borax and Sugar

Another DIY home method that people use for roaches is a concoction of borax and sugar. Mix equal parts of sugar and borax in a small bowl with water. The sugar acts as a bait that attracts the roaches to it.

Since they love sweet things, they can’t resist. Once they eat the mixture, they will die. The soda or acid will destroy their digestive system, which leaves them unable to sustain life.

Cockroach Traps

Traps are another inexpensive way that you can try to control a roach problem. You can choose from many varieties, such as roach motels, and the most common types found at your local hardware store include glue traps and bait stations. Placing these traps behind the refrigerator, stove, under the sink, or near the water heater will give you the best results.

Essential Oils

Most people love the smell of essential oils, but roaches can’t stand the aroma of many of them. Things that are potent and refreshing to you like peppermint or spearmint are deadly to them. Add some essential oil to a small spray bottle of water and spray the mixture in the areas of activity.

Cypress oil, lemongrass, lavender, and catnip oils are some of the most common essential oils to help with roach infestations. If you have felines in the home, you may want to skip this method or spray them in an area where they can’t get to. Essential oils are okay for dogs but are highly toxic to cats.

Deep Cleaning

One thing you can do to help kill roaches and detour them from your home is to do a deep cleaning. An old-fashioned cleaning session where you organize closets and wipe down every surface is warranted. Roaches won’t stay where they don’t have access to food and water, so you want to cut off their supply.

You need to think like a roach and look at things from their perspective. They want water and a few crumbs daily, so you need to go around your home and see where they could find a supply. Greasy splatters on top of the hood vent in the stove are one area often overlooked, but the grease on these range hoods can supply a roach for months.

Go down into the basement and take inventory. Do you have boxes of old books down there? The glue and paper can also feed them. Putting things in airtight containers that seal tightly can make all the difference in your roach problem.

Calling in the Experts

When dealing with these tenacious creatures, persistence is the key. Ensure you keep your home clean and make it less inviting to insects by removing food and water availability. Additionally, routine maintenance can be beneficial, like sealing the cracks around windows and doors and any foundation gaps.

Dealing with roaches is a nightmare for any homeowner. While many people find great success with roach extermination using DIY methods, many find they need professional help as the situation is beyond their control. Skilled handling of the infestation is helpful as these professionals have the education and experience to ensure it’s done right.

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