Getting rid of roaches in the house forever can be a hard nut to crack. Especially when there’s limited knowledge on how to go about it. That’s why we’ve come to the rescue.
No matter how difficult your roach problem is, you’d find helpful tips here. These are practical insect control methods that have been tested with great success.
If you see one roach, are there more?
By the end, you should know just what you need to do.
Here is the average time it takes for complete roach control.
How To Get Rid of Roaches in the House for Good
What approach would you rather prefer? There are 2 major options to select from. These include seeking professional help or getting the job done yourself.
Professional help involves hiring the services of roach control technicians. This approach is more comprehensive because they are well trained for the job. You only need to point at the problem and allow them to get the job done.
On the flip side, Doing-It-Yourself can be quite challenging. You’d have to purchase roach extermination products over the counter. You also need to read up all the instructions for use. These come mostly on the labels.
However, this can be a challenging process altogether.
Common Types of Roaches
Most times when there’s a roach problem, it is usually one of two main types. This isn’t to say you can’t have both of these though. There’s the American type of roach as well as the German type.
So many others exist, but our focus will be on these.
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American Cockroaches
This type of roach is common in the United States. These are typically larger than German roaches. About 1.5 inches in length. These types of cockroaches live outside their homes (except in Winter).
Nevertheless, they make short trips into homes in search of food. They are brown-winged creatures.
These types of roaches are the most difficult to handle.
They are smaller (about 0.5 inches in length) and mostly live in homes. They are easily identified by their brown color as well as the dark stripes behind their heads.
Roach Attractants
Roaches, like most pests, are attracted by certain conditions.
In this case, there are 3 major conditions. They consist of food, shelter, and moisture. Wherever these are found, you are bound to find these pests. Getting rid of roaches means such conditions will be removed.
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Food
Brown and white roaches will feed on about anything they come across. This is one of the main reasons they thrive around humans. There’s hardly any type of food they won’t feed on.
Homes are places where these are in abundance.
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Shelter
Homes provide perfect living conditions for roaches.
Especially during summer which is the most favorable time of year. They hide in crevices and cracks to lay their eggs. Such places serve as a base from where they come to the surface at night to scavenge for food.
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Moisture
Moisture is a vital requirement for survival. This, in addition to water, will attract them. This can be found around homes especially in leaky pipes and water drainage.
Signs of Roach Infestation
Roaches are nocturnal. So how do you know since you won’t see them during the day? There are tell-tale signs.
Paying close attention to these will tell you what you need to know.
They include the following;
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Egg Casings
This is a common feature that signifies roach infestation. Whenever you find this, know that they aren’t far away. Therefore, urgent action is needed.
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Spotting One or More
Although roaches are nocturnal, you are still likely to spot them. Sometimes you may accidentally stumble on them when you put on the lights at midnight. They come out less during the daytime.
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Roach Droppings
Roach droppings on food are likely to spread diseases. These droppings look like pepper or coffee grounds. More often than not, these are spotted around the kitchen area.
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Dead Roaches
Don’t get too excited when you find dead roaches around your home. This is only a sign that there are many more.
As well as unhatched eggs. This is a sign you should take seriously.
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Moldy or Oily Smell
When your home has an oily or musty smell, chances are that you have a roach problem. This should make you pay closer attention to additional tell-tale signs as listed above.
Best Roach Removal Methods
All information provided to this point has been necessary to hitting our target. Which is how to rid your home of roaches. These are some of the best ways as you’d soon find out.
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Use of Roach Extermination Products
Several efficient roach extermination products are available for purchase.
These are in the form of baits and traps. They help you take back control of your home. What more? These have been used with great success.
These cockroach pest control products include the following;
i. Gel Baits
This product, while inviting to roaches is equally deadly. It will kill them within a short time after ingestion. These are best applied in cracks and crevices. It is also applied in every other tight space used by roaches.
You have to diligently find nesting areas for this to be most effective.
After applying this paste, frequent monitoring is required. It is best applied when going to bed. Why? Because it is their most active time. You’d find dead roaches littered around.
Clean up the next morning until when you’re ready to reapply.
ii. Using Glue Strips
If you’re having difficulty identifying areas with the most infestation, you may want to use this.
Glue strips should be placed at different points within your home. These would end up trapping several roaches. Glue strips with the most roaches will help identify where these critters come from.
You can then apply appropriate measures to get rid of the problem. This can also be used in conjunction with other strategies for the best results.
iii. Use of Bait Stations
Positioning bait stations around your home is another way to get rid of roaches.
As the name suggests, this attracts roaches. Once they feed on it, they get poisoned. But the poison isn’t fast-acting. Roaches return to their nesting areas and die there.
GUIDE: Will Ammonia Work For Roaches?
Other roaches feed on the carcass. This, in turn, poisons them. Bait stations are quite effective in exterminating roaches.
iv. Borax Solution
A solution of borax can also be used for roach treatment.
This is mixed with sugar or muriatic acid.
This should then be sprayed onto targeted areas. This has the same effect as bait stations. When ingested, it poisons other roaches when the dead roach is fed on.
Here are some other natural methods of controlling roaches.
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Removing All Favorable Conditions
We mentioned the main conditions favorable for roaches to thrive.
To get rid of them, such conditions will need to be eliminated. There are several ways to do this. When this is done, roaches find your home no more conducive. This preventive measure is as effective as any other method.
However, if you have an existing infestation problem, it can be tackled using other strategies. This includes those mentioned above. The following are ways to do this;
How to Get Rid of Roaches Without an Exterminator
i. Thorough Cleaning
One of the best ways to keep roaches at bay is by keeping a clean home.
To achieve this, a thorough cleaning will be needed. Your dining and kitchen area should be a target. This is because food is likely to be found here. Cleaning should include your dishes.
These shouldn’t be left unattended after eating. Doing so will only encourage roach presence.
Your floors should also be mopped regularly. Greasy areas should also be wiped clean.
ii. Starve Them of Food
The best way to starve roaches is by keeping food tightly covered.
Food containers should be tightly sealed. This includes cleaning up all food crumbs from the table and floor. When this is done, it discourages them from hanging around. This puts their population in check.
Because they need to survive, roaches will have to find some other environment.
iii. Empty Your Trashcans Regularly
Use well-sealed trashcans. Trash (especially those containing food) shouldn’t be allowed to stay for long. Keeping them for long generates the odor. Roaches are also invited to hang around if they can’t enter.
We recommend not keeping trash overnight. It should be emptied before going to bed.
iv. Use of Insecticide
Insecticides are readily available pest solutions. To handle your roach problem, get those meant specifically for this purpose. We recommend those containing certain active ingredients.
One you should look out for is Cyfluthrin. This is best applied when going out. It exterminates roaches wherever they may be hiding.
Read about using roach bombs as an added control measure.
v. Fix All Water Leaks
Water and moisture are basic requirements for roaches to survive. To cut off the water supply, consider fixing all forms of leaks. Water pipes may be damaged or broken. Therefore proper inspection is needed to fix this problem.
You should put an eye on leakages around the kitchen, bathroom, and toilet plumbing. This helps make your home less favorable to roaches.
Conclusion
Understanding how to get rid of roaches in your only solution to a pest-free home. We have provided you with several ways to address the problem.
All the strategies mentioned above have been tested with great results. You also save yourself from diseases that are likely to be spread by roaches.
But above everything else, fast action must be adopted. Without acting fast on roaches, the problem is likely to worsen.