Looking for the best way to get rid of cockroaches? Roaches are one of the most common pests in the world. They carry bacteria and germs that can cause diseases and skin infections. They can be attracted to your home for several different reasons but mainly they come for food, water and shelter. They are also attracted to dirt and waste products that can be found in a person’s home.
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This is a pest that adapts to its environment, therefore, it isn’t necessarily picky about where it takes up shelter. Once cockroaches have infiltrated your house they can grow in numbers very quickly. There are several different over-the-counter chemicals that are available on the market to kill them, but these chemicals are not always safe for the health of your family and pets. Below are a few different natural home remedies that can be used to get rid of cockroaches in your home without the use of an exterminator if the infiltration is not overwhelming.
Natural Ways to Get Rid of Cockroaches
A few different things that can attract cockroaches into your house include poor domestic hygiene, not having a properly cleaned house, leaving food open or out on the counter, and not using pest prevention measures. Cockroaches are resilient and if you have one then they will attract more.
Borax
Borax is one of the very best ways to get rid of cockroaches although it is not exactly safe for your pets and children. It kills cockroaches by weakening their digestive systems and dehydrating their exoskeleton. Please avoid using this remedy if you have children and pets. All you have to do is mix the borax with sugar and spread it around gaps and holes in the house where there may be roaches.
Baking Soda
Baking soda will not instantly kill cockroaches but it can be an effective home remedy for eliminating them. There’s a good chance it will at least remove the roaches from your home within two weeks’ time. Make a paste of baking soda, sugar, and water. Place this mixture at cockroach accessible areas in your home and repeat until all the roaches are gone. Depending on the seriousness of your issue, this may not solely eliminate the roaches but could be combined with another treatment method.
Bay Leaves
The best way to protect your home from roaches naturally is using dried bay leaves. This approach is non-toxic to humans and pets so you can place it anywhere you want in your home to prevent cockroaches from infiltrating. You can use freshly crushed bay leaves or you can buy dried bay leaves. Make a fine powder and sprinkle the powder around places you suspect there to be a roach’s nest or where you’ve seen them hiding.
Garlic Cloves
Garlic cloves are also good and fast and get rid of cockroaches. Roaches dislike the odor of garlic cloves. Peel the skin off of a garlic clove and keep it in the cockroach accessible area. Replace the garlic clove every two days until there are no more roaches.
Ways to Deter Roaches Naturally
Lemon Juice & Peels
Lemon juice and lemon peels are a great natural remedy to keep cockroaches out of your home. Lemon is an anti-pathogenic which is what keeps them from coming around. All you have to do is take fresh lemon juice and spray around the corners of the house where you know a cockroach may be living. Alternatively, you can also leave lemon peels lying around where there may be roaches. Just remember, this is more of a prevention method as it doesn’t kill them, just deters them.
Listerine
Listerine is a great mouthwash, but it is also a great cockroach prevention remedy as well. Mix some Listerine with water and spray it around the corners of your house or apartment and repeat until you don’t see anymore.
Mothballs
Mothballs are another excellent home remedy to keep cockroaches away. They are not good for humans, so please keep them out of reach of your children. If you can stand the smell, it might be worth trying. Keep them in a covered area or near an area where there may be cockroaches in order to prevent and keep them away.
When All Else Fails, Call A Cockroach Exterminator
These are just a few nice home remedies that don’t involve harsh chemicals to prevent and help aid in the infestation of cockroaches in your home. If you already have an infestation, the best thing you can do that is a tried-and-true method is call a professional pest control company to handle the issue for you. This ensures the safety of you and your family and your pets and gives you your peace of mind back. You can search our online directory for a local cockroach exterminator near you.