Household pests come in all colors and sizes, but homeowners begrudge the cockroach for being a challenging pest to get rid of. Many people wonder, do mothballs repel roaches? They’re incredibly sturdy insects and multiply quickly. Once a colony moves in, you may grasp at straws to get them out. Perhaps while rifling through your cabinets for a home remedy, you’ve found yourself wondering, do mothballs keep roaches away?
Harsh chemical solutions may not be an option for you, and calling a pest control company or an exterminator is expensive and complicated. Natural cockroach repellent could be a better option for families with young children or elderly family members.
Thankfully, those mothballs you’ve forgotten in your storage closet could be what you need to do the job. Follow along as we answer the burning question, do mothballs repel cockroaches, and provide a handy list of other home remedies to control bugs if your mothball stash leaves something to be desired.
Do Mothballs Keep Roaches Away from Your Home?
A roach infestation is no joke. When you find cockroach eggs or see bugs, you need a cockroach repellent or a roach killer fast.
If you’re questioning, do mothballs repel roaches, you’re not alone. Hundreds of homeowners struggle with questions like do mothballs keep roaches away, or do mothballs repel cockroaches?
Fortunately, the answers are straightforward. Moth balls and many other household items are effective in deterring insects. Bleach keeps roaches away, too. Be mindful of pest control choices for the safety of your pets and family.
While it’s possible to make homemade glue traps for roaches or buy them, there are easier and more humane ways to deal with the problem.
Types of Cockroach Infestations
There are approximately 4,000 cockroach species around the world, but in North America, there are generally four typical home invaders. It’s important to distinguish which species you have to handle the infestation better.
Each roach is slightly different, varying in size and the ability to fly. The most problematic is the German cockroach, which hosts up to 48 eggs in its egg cases. Females lay up to seven egg cases a life cycle, so one bug could potentially multiply 336 times.
To get rid of roaches, you need to know what attracts roaches in the first place. Most cockroach species love crevices and small, dark places. They’re omnivores that eat human food, pet food, feces, book bindings, and anything edible.
It may be challenging for families with pets and toddlers to keep food sources scarce, so the first step in cockroach control is to tidy behind appliances, under furniture, and other hard-to-reach places.
Do Mothballs Repel Roaches Effectively?
Harsh chemicals are a significant deterrent for some families. Toddlers and asthmatic or elderly family members may be susceptible to chemical treatments and could suffer from health-related consequences.
Thankfully, homeowners can use several products and natural remedies they might already have at home to repel cockroaches and control their roach infestation, including mothballs.
Do Mothballs Repel Cockroaches?
Mothballs are an excellent roach repellent to deter roaches and other pests such as clothes moths and bed bugs who detest their unique odor. Mothballs are made of naphthalene and are used as a natural cockroach repellent. Mothball fumes are unpleasant and make it difficult for roaches and other bugs, like the moth, to breathe in a closed space.
It’s crucial to remember mothball fumes aren’t healthy for people either, so it’s best to put a child safety padlock on closets and cupboards where mothballs are being used to control a cockroach infestation.
Distilled Vinegar for Roaches
The next best home remedy for roaches is distilled vinegar. Vinegar is an excellent way to repel roaches because it is a multipurpose and versatile cleaning agent which is safe and non-toxic.
The first steps in getting rid of insects are sealing any entry points and thoroughly cleaning your home. Cockroaches gravitate to food sources such as crumbs and food residue.
Wiping down your counters, under your cabinets, inside the pantry, and behind the fridge with vinegar disinfects and deodorizes while collecting any organic matter to avoid providing sustenance to unwanted guests. It makes roaches go away without worrying about traps.
Essential Oils Spray for Repelling Cockroaches
Lemon and peppermint essential oils have intense aromas famous for repelling roaches if mothballs won’t work for you. These smells that repel roaches work in your favor. Cockroaches are sensitive to diatomaceous earth, as well.
When you combine diatomaceous earth with essential oils, you have one of the best natural cockroach repellents. Make a pet safe roach killer that is chemical-free and smells excellent while fighting your roach problem.
Mix the peppermint or lemon essential oils with the water, and slowly swirl in the powder. Pour the roach repellent into a spray bottle and spritz it on cockroach hotspots around your home. Cockroaches do not like the smell of bay leaves. Placing a bay leaf in areas roaches frequent helps drive them away. Get rid of kitchen cockroaches by putting bay leaves under the fridge and in the pantry.
Boric Acid Kills Roaches
Boric acid or Borax kills insects by disrupting their digestive and neurological systems. It should be applied in a light coating and reapplied regularly. Boric acid kills 30% of cockroaches in one day and all of them in about 15 days.
In cockroach-infested regions, apply the mixture in a fine layer. To ensure bugs contact the boric acid, use a cockroach bait such as peanut butter. Leave a blob of roach bait inside a circle of powder so the roaches cross it to reach the food.
Cockroaches are one of the most obnoxious pests to infest your home. Fortunately, getting rid of them using mothballs or other means is a straightforward process.
Cockroaches carry bacteria throughout your home, putting your family at risk of sickness. They’re unpleasant and frightening, and they make an area appear dirty and unwelcoming. Try mothballs or a home remedy before paying for pest control services if you have a roach infestation.
While you might engage a local pest control company to get rid of the roaches, their chemicals could be dangerous to you and the environment, and numerous treatments are usually required.
If you continue to struggle with your roach problem, consider contacting the Environmental Protection Agency or check out a recent post to find more roach control methods.
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