Does vinegar kill roaches? This question is common among those seeking a natural way to eliminate household pests like bed bugs and the dreaded cockroach. With all its uses, vinegar seems like a miracle liquid, and it’s understandable to believe it’s also a roach killer.
No one wants to deal with a roach problem. Likewise, we don’t want to fill our living space with harmful chemicals while killing roaches. This predicament is when natural ingredients, such as boric acid, baking soda, soapy water, petroleum jelly, and white vinegar, come into play. The interesting thing about vinegar is that it attracts some bugs and deters others.
You know what we mean if you’ve ever set a jar of apple cider vinegar out on the kitchen counter and noticed tiny fruit flies hovering about. The good news is that white vinegar is an easy way to get rid of roaches in an apartment permanently. While it doesn’t kill pesky cockroaches on contact, it’s excellent for repelling, killing them indirectly, and preventing a roach infestation.

Vinegar for Cockroach Pest Control
Does vinegar attract cockroaches? Luckily, you can make a homemade roach spray with vinegar. They are not picky about what they consume, but they seek out the smell of greasy foods and starches. Vinegar has a pungent odor that drives them away.
Will apple cider vinegar kill roaches? Cider vinegar kills cockroaches slowly. There are two types of vinegar; white distilled vinegar and apple cider vinegar. Cider vinegar is weaker than white vinegar and only effective on certain cockroach species.
White vinegar is a fermented grain alcohol and clear liquid. Apple cider vinegar is a brown-colored type made from crushed apples, sugar, and yeast. Distilled vinegar contains more acetic acid and is a better choice for eliminating these pests.
Does Vinegar Attract Cockroaches?
What smells do roaches like, and does vinegar attract roaches to a trap? If you’ve ever taken a big sniff of straight vinegar, you understand its strong and unpleasant odor. Cockroaches feel the same way and avoid areas where they detect its presence.
Cockroaches and Vinegar
Certain scents draw roaches, and vinegar isn’t one of them. Cockroaches are omnivores, eating both plants and animals. However, their favorites are sweets, starches, greasy foods, and meats. Nonetheless, they aren’t fussy eaters and feast on just about any plant or animal material.
Does Vinegar Kill Roaches?
A dead cockroach is better than a live roach; luckily, white vinegar is one of the smells that roaches will follow into a trap. While it’s not as fast acting as commercial insecticides, it’s effective at naturally killing roaches over time.
Vinegar and Cockroaches
White vinegar consists of water and acetic acid, with varying degrees of strength. It’s the result of fermenting grain alcohol and has many uses, from cooking and gardening to cleaning and pest control.
The acid content in white vinegar ranges from four to seven percent, which is not strong enough to kill roaches on contact. The low acid is why combining vinegar with another ingredient is beneficial to make it more potent.
In addition, vinegar does not help eliminate a heavy German cockroach population. You’re better off using roach bait and a roach trap or calling in an exterminator if your home suffers from an infestation.
Will Apple Cider Vinegar Kill Roaches?
Will apple cider vinegar kill roaches? Cider vinegar eliminates cockroaches but is less effective than distilled vinegar. It is milder and less practical if you have a severe cockroach problem.
Apple cider vinegar is less potent than white vinegar and only has an acidic level of five to six percent. It may kill a cockroach when you mix it with essential oil, yet it’s more suitable as a roach repellent than an exterminator.
To repel roaches with apple cider vinegar, mix a cup of water with a cup of vinegar in a bottle sprayer, shake it, and spray it in areas where you notice cockroach activity.
How to Get Rid of Cockroaches With White Vinegar
White vinegar works well to get rid of roaches without an exterminator. Adding essential oils to the repellent increases its strength, giving it a one-two punch. Find out how to combine the correct oils with white vinegar and keep German roaches at bay.
Various essential oils work at repelling roaches, and they’re all great for mixing with white vinegar. These oils include eucalyptus, lavender, catnip, cedar, cypress, and citronella.
Combine peppermint, rosemary, tea tree, oregano, or mint oil with vinegar to kill cockroaches. Remember that some essential oils present a risk to pets; caution is necessary if you’re a pet owner.
To make a roach repellent or killer, fill a glass spray bottle with white vinegar and add a squirt of liquid soap and 15 drops of your desired essential oil. Shake the container well and spray the bugs directly or apply it around the house as a repellent.
Does bleach kill roaches? Chlorine bleach may kill them, but it’s not good to spray regularly throughout the house. Instead, use diluted bleach to sanitize the area after you remove the dead roaches and eggs.
Other Ways to Prevent Cockroaches
Vinegar isn’t the only home remedy to keep roaches away. Discover how to keep cockroaches from entering your home and stop an infestation before it starts.
It’s vital to keep a tidy home by cleaning dishes, sweeping, vacuuming, and taking out the trash nightly. In addition, clean the yard and garden of fallen veggies and fruit, and seal up cracks in the foundation with caulk. Apply weatherstripping around doorways and repair windows promptly.
Make a vinegar and essential oil spray to eliminate roaches as soon as you discover them. If the white vinegar doesn’t kill them, spread diatomaceous earth (DE), boric acid, or baking soda over the affected area.
There’s honestly nothing worse than a cockroach infestation. These nasty insects lay 100s of cockroach eggs in a lifetime, multiplying quickly. Fortunately, white vinegar controls roach activity in and around your home. It’s a DIY alternative to a cockroach trap and safe for use around children and animals.

Does vinegar kill roaches is a common question among those who want to kill pests naturally, so why not share our vinegar vs cockroach guide with your family and friend circle on Pinterest and Facebook to help them repel roaches from their homes?