Cockroaches–aka the pests of all pests!
There’s simply nothing worse than finding a cockroach (or twenty) in your home. For years, homeowners have been exploring options for getting rid of cockroaches as well as keeping them out in the first place.
In the age of ‘all-natural solutions’ to our problems, there are a plethora of ways to get rid of these pesky pests that don’t involve any dangerous chemicals or pesticides.
After all, what better way to get rid of pests than with a solution that’s both safe and cost-effective? Let’s dig in.
Home Remedies–Confirmed Or Busted?
There are plenty of ‘Do It Yourself’ cockroach killer options out there but the question is do they work? Consider us the myth-busters of cockroach killing.
BUSTED: Fabric Softener
Number one on the list is fabric softener spray. This involves three parts fabric softener and two parts water. Mix it together and you have a spray that actually blocks the pores of your cockroach, leaving it to suffocate.
The typical way to apply this is in and around cockroach hotspots. These hotspots are places like cupboards, sinks, and the places where your walls meet your floor.
Unfortunately, this remedy is only good if you spray the cockroach when you see it, making it good for killing individual roaches as they appear in your home. In terms of preventative measures however, this DIY cockroach killer is not-so-great.
CONFIRMED: Coffee Grounds
For years, homeowners have been using coffee grounds as a means for catching pesky cockroaches. The idea of coffee is that you place the grounds and some water into a jar with holes, which attracts the roaches and eventually traps them inside.
The coffee ground trap is both safe and effective in trapping cockroaches, however, it is not a long term solution. This DIY remedy can be good for trapping cockroaches initially, but won’t do much for preventing a bigger cockroach problem.
CONFIRMED: Bay leaves
As it turns out, roaches can’t stand the smell of bay leaves. By pulverizing these leaves into a powder and sprinkling it around the common cockroach hotspots around your home, you’ll send cockroaches running the other way.
However, if you’re looking for a home remedy that actually kills these guys, bay leaves are not the way to go. These leaves will only repel cockroaches, as this common kitchen spice can’t actually kill them.
BUSTED: Cucumber
Next up, cucumbers. Like bay leaves, it’s said that cockroaches also hate the smell of cucumbers. This proposedly effective cockroach killer works by cutting the cucumber up into slices and placing the slices around sinks, kitchen counters and cabinets.
Unfortunately, roaches don’t hate the smell of cucumbers enough to be deterred by them. In fact, cockroaches might even be enticed by the potential meal and you could end up attracting these pests rather than repelling them. Consider this cockroach killer myth–busted.
CONFIRMED: Borax balls
Involves ⅛ cup of crisco, ⅛ cup of powdered sugar, 1 cup of Borax, ½ cup of flower and some water. Roll all of these ingredients into olive-sized balls and stash them in cockroach hotspots like underneath your sinks, behind appliances and in cupboards–you know the drill.
This DIY cockroach killer lures the cockroaches in with its sweet scent while the Borax kills them off. Try placing the balls in a berry container (the ones with holes in them) to make sure your pets or small children can’t get into them.
Best practices For Keeping Cockroaches Out
As you can see, DIY cockroach killers are a good solution for fighting off cockroaches after they’ve already found their way into your home. But to really keep cockroaches away, it’s smart to prevent the problem before it even starts.
Below are some best practices for keeping cockroaches out of your home in the first place.
Remove Clutter
There’s nothing cockroaches love more than hiding from humans! Clutter in and around your house can actually create the perfect hideout (and homing situation) for cockroaches. Cockroaches are actually very attracted to the scent of paper. So things like paper bags, newspapers, magazines and cardboard boxes are exactly what cockroaches are interested in. While it’s ok to have these things around your home, try not to clump them together into a clutter pile so you don’t attract those paper-loving roaches.
In addition to paper, any clutter at all is an invitation for cockroaches to nest, so make sure to clean up and keep things tidy if you’re looking to prevent roaches in your home.
Starve Them
Food, like every other living thing on earth, is the source of life for pests. Not only do cockroaches love to eat but they’ll eat just about anything–even things that aren’t actually food. So instead of trying to solve your cockroach problem after it’s already started, why not prevent cockroaches from invading your home in the first place?
Some best practices include not leaving food sitting out, storing your dry foods in airtight containers, rinsing cans or bottle before putting them in the recycling bin and emptying trash cans regularly. Not only will cockroaches die off from starvation, but the lack of meal-appeal will keep them out of your home to begin with.
Keep it Clean
Keeping a clean home is the most effective ‘DIY’ cockroach killer there is. Cockroaches go hand in hand with run-down, dirty homes. Try using lemon-scented cleaning solutions for your surfaces, as the scent acts as an extra measure for warding off roaches!
Getting rid of cockroaches is no easy task. Whether you’re already facing a cockroach infestation or just looking for a way to prevent them in the first place, there’s certainly an option for everyone.
And when you feel like you’ve run out of solutions, don’t be afraid to bring in some backup! We’re here to help with any and all of your pest control needs. After all, sometimes the problem is more than a one man job.
Here at Killingsworth, we take pest control seriously. Schedule a service with us today.
