Home Remedies on How to Get Rid of Cockroaches?

Once you have identified the hiding places for cockroaches, you can use some natural remedies to get rid of them. Natural remedies can be used on their own or combined with a few other methods for the best results. Here are a few that produce good results:

Lower Moisture

Since cockroaches are dependent on moisture, the most common control method against them is to lower moisture levels to get rid of small cockroaches. 

 Here are a few ways in which you can reduce the moisture around your home:

 Dealing with small leaks in any location provides adequate moisture in which to support a cockroach population. 

• Closely inspect for plumbing leaks beneath sinks, around toilets, and where pipes enter the walls from outside.
• Regularly wipe the surfaces down so they do not retain lingering moisture. 
• Use a dehumidifier in moist locations such as basements or crawl spaces to mitigate and control humidity. 

Use Baking Soda and Sugar

Mix an equal amount of it and sugar, and put the mixture in the infested area. While it is sugar that attracts the cockroaches, it is baking soda that gets the cockroaches to react to the mixture in such a way that it eventually kills them.

Use Essential Oils

Essential oils, including peppermint and even eucalyptus, are a powerful natural repellent. Mix a few drops of any in water within a spray bottle and apply around your home. Such oils have a strong aroma to help with repelling cockroaches and making the area more inviting.

Use Boric Acid

Boric acid is quite effective in getting rid of cockroaches. 

 It’s best to mix boric acid with some sugar and milk or other food items to ensure cockroaches consume it. 

 You can spread it around the house, especially under the appliances and in the back of cupboards, and places where cockroaches would most probably be active. 

 They consume it while looking for food. Over time, it messes up with their nervous and digestive system and finally kills them. 

 Make sure you put those bounds under and behind everything so that the children and pets cannot reach them.

Use Insecticides

In the management of more serious infestations and for results that take less time, insecticides can be used. 

 Select insecticides purposely made for cockroaches. 

• They are in different forms: sprays, powders, and gels. Each form has its mode of application and efficacy. 

 So, pick anyone that suits your needs and the level of infestation.

Consult an Expert 

For severe infestations, or if you have put in your best efforts and nothing seems to take shape, pest control services can be very effective. 

Stopping Future Infestations

Once you've dealt with the current infestation, it's important to take steps to prevent future issues: 

Keep Your Place Clean

Cockroaches won't find a clean house very attractive, and this practice helps reduce their potential resources for food and water:

Wipe Up Food Crumbs and Spills

• Always scrub and vacuum the floor often to collect the crumbs. 

• After meals, remember to clean countertops, tables, and other surfaces that have food around them. 

Food Proper Storage

 Store all food supplies in airtight containers that may prevent cockroaches from getting whatever is fetched from them. This includes not only pantry staples like grains and cereals but also pet food, leftovers, etc. 

•  Don't leave food out overnight, or in unsealed containers, for they are proven to bring to the attention of neighbouring cockroaches.

Promptly Wash Dishes

• Do not leave dirty dishes stacked in your sink. Wash them as soon as possible to avoid deposits of food items. 

• For pots and pans with stubborn residues, soak in soapy water to make cleaning easier. 

• Ensure dishwashers are emptied regularly if you use one.

Empty Trash Regularly

• Empty the trash bin regularly to prevent food waste, which normally attracts cockroaches because they feed on it and seek refuge. 

• Use rubbish bins that have tightened lids to avoid cockroaches sharing in what is inside. 

• Make sure to clean the trash bins periodically to remove any residual food or odours.

Seal all entry points

Cockroaches enter through even the tiniest, most seemingly insignificant openings. Next, to avoid re-infestation, one must take on the role of exclusion:

Look for Openings and Crevices

• Look around doors, windows, and pipes for crevices. 

• Check for cracks in foundations, plumbing penetrations, and wall-floor junctures or other points of entry or passage. 

Because cockroaches can be compressed much more flat than one would imagine is physically possible, a full inspection is necessary.

Caulk Openings

• A key entry point for pests can be gaps and cracks, which therefore should have caulk or expanding foam used on them. 

• Ensure you apply caulking inside cracks for the windows and doors. 

• Use expanding foam to seal larger openings, like those around pipes. 

This will prevent cockroaches from entering your home.

Fix Screens and Weather Stripping

• Make sure window and door screens are in good condition, without tears. 

• If there are any damaged screens or weather stripping, you should hold them in place to close entry points. 

Properly fitted screens and weather stripping can help prevent cockroaches from slipping through gaps.