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Home >> Pest Control >> Cockroach Control

How to Get Rid of Roaches without an Exterminator

By Joan Clark

Cockroaches are one of the most common household pests we have today, so it’s no wonder there are tons of home remedies to get rid of roaches. And if you’re facing an infestation and wish to keep the costs of pest control companies down, you may be wonderinghow to get rid of roaches without an exterminator.

Roaches are resilient, so not all home remedies work, especially if you are dealing with an infestation. They also carry bacteria that cause food poisoning, allergies, diarrhea, and rashes and also produce a foul odor.

Luckily, we have compiled a list of roach control tactics that are proven to work, but before you get rid of them, you must first understand what brings these pests to your home. In this article, we’re going to cover how to get rid of roaches without an exterminator, answer the question of where do cockroaches come from, and learn some home remedies to get rid of roaches.

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Table Of Contents
  1. Where Do Cockroaches Come From?
  2. Get Rid of Roaches without an Exterminator
  3. Home Remedies to Get Rid of Roaches
    • Citronella Oil
    • Borax/Boric Acid
    • Bleach
    • Baking Soda and Sugar
    • Lemon
    • Garlic, Onion, and Pepper Solution
    • Bottle Traps
    • Diatomaceous Earth
  4. Precautions to Keep Your Home Roach-Free
  5. No More Roaches

Where Do Cockroaches Come From?

Cockroaches are nocturnal insects that live, feed, and roam in the dark. These bugs have been around for over 300 million years and show no sign of fading away.Roaches’ three primary needs are a food source, water, and shelter, and they are always on the hunt for a moist, dark environment in which to nest.

According to scientists, cockroaches communicate with each other using a chemical they secrete, called cuticular hydrocarbons. They use the chemical to tell each other which crack, cardboard box, or shelter will be a good home and which location is ideal for finding food.

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Signs of a Cockroach Infestation

  • Feces resembling coffee grounds or with a cylindrical shape around the house
  • A strong musty or oily odor
  • The dead bodies of roaches and their eggs lying around the house
  • Roaches running around the house during the day
  • Constant stomach troubles
  • Roaches cluttering at the sink or nibbling on food at night
  • Cockroach droppings
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Since they have adapted to living with humans, these pests roam freely in the environment and will naturally find their way into your home and stay in the cracks of walls, pipes, or the dark basement.

They may also follow you into your home from the laundromat. Once there, they multiply rapidly, causing an infestation, meaning roach control is important.

Get Rid of Roaches without an Exterminator

Figuring out how to get rid of roaches without an exterminator takes experimentation.
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You can getrid of roaches without the aid ofan exterminator or pest control company. For example, you can use duct tape as roach traps, gel bait (like Invict Gold or Advion Cockroach Gel), or use pesticides and bait stations.

There are also a variety of home remedies available to get rid of cockroaches in the bathroom or other areas of your home. Experiment during your next cockroach infestation and find the best roach killer for you.

Home Remedies to Get Rid of Roaches

Citronella Oil

Aside from its antifungal, antidepressant, and antiseptic properties, citronella oil is effective at repelling roaches and other insects. What do roaches hate? They detest the smell of citronella oil.

You can wipe down kitchen surfaces with citronella oil, put the oil on a cotton ball in strategic corners or in the back of cabinets, or use it in a diffuser indoors. Outside, citronella candles and torches are popular for repelling bugs of all kinds.

Borax/Boric Acid

One of the active ingredients in most pesticides is boric acid due to its effectiveness as a roach killer. Borax and boric acid have similar properties and are effective in killing roaches by destroying their exoskeletons.

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Borax Insecticide Recipe

  • 6 parts Borax
  • 2 parts sugar
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Mix Borax and sugar and sprinkle the mixture on top of kitchen shelves, under home appliances, near plumbing, and in cracks around the room. The sugar acts as bait to lure the roaches out from hiding.

Always keep Borax out of the reach of children. If you have pets, do not allow them to eat this mixture.

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Bleach

Bleach is one of the more common home remedies to get rid of roaches.
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Although there have been claims that Pine-Sol and bleach can be useful, this is not the ideal way to go. Combining Pine-Sol and bleach creates a deadly chemical known as chloroform, which is harmful to health. However, you can still use bleach for extermination purposes. Bleach does not kill roaches without leaving behind harmful chemicals that may expose your family and pets so use cautiously.

Since roaches prefer dark, moist areas, like pipes, pouring a cup of bleach down the pipes and cracks can help kill them. In fact, this method is better than the bleach and Pine-Sol mixture. Keep in mind that bleach has corroding properties and may rust pipes, so do not do this regularly.

For surface areas, wipe down your kitchen surface with a solution of bleach and water to disinfect it and keep the cockroach infestations at bay.

Baking Soda and Sugar

While you can use baking soda for plants, baking soda is also a fantastic homemade roach killer. Mix equal parts baking soda and sugar and place the mixture in places you see roaches roaming around as a simple but effective DIY cockroach trap. The sweet and starchy smell of the sugar serves as bait, and the baking soda reacts with the roaches’ stomach acid and kills them.

This is a great solution to get rid of cockroaches in the bedroom. Hide the traps beneath the bed, and under and behind dressers and nightstands.

Lemon

Add a few drops of lemon juice to the soapy water used in mopping the kitchen and other areas. Lemon is an effective cockroach repellent.

Garlic is another great home remedy, especially if you know where do cockroaches come from.
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Garlic, Onion, and Pepper Solution

These spices, whengroundtogether, repel roaches. To make the mixture potent, add a few drops of liquid soap to the mix. Sprinkle this mixture on areas and surfaces that cockroaches frequent or add it to the water used in mopping the house.

Bottle Traps

Set a homemade trap in strategic areas in your home. For one, place ground coffee or sugar in a glass jar and leave the jar in a place where roaches can easily gain entry.

It works exactly the same way as traps to kill fruit flies. Once the roaches are in the jar, pour boiling water into the trap to kill them instantly.

Diatomaceous Earth

One of the many diatomaceous earth uses is that it works against a wide variety of insects, such as stink bugs. It works against cockroaches too. DE is sharp and cuts through the cockroach’s exoskeleton. Then, the powder dehydrates them, and they perish.

To use diatomaceous earth, start by investing in food-grade DE and then use a bulb duster to spread the powder in common roach thoroughfares.

Precautions to Keep Your Home Roach-Free

Although there are plenty of home remedies to get rid of roaches, ideally, you should ensure your home stays infestation-free by keeping your home dry.

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Dry Areas Deter Roaches

  • Wipe sinks, bathtubs, and showers with a dry cloth after use
  • Prevent water from falling behind large appliances like washing machines, refrigerators, ovens, and dishwashers. The water spilled behind such appliances will be favorable for roaches
  • Ensure leaky pipes are fixed immediately and clean up any spilled water
  • Discard damp paper towels
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You should also maintain good kitchen hygiene.

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Good Kitchen Habits

  •  Store food in airtight containers to prevent food contamination
  • Wash dishes immediately after use and do not store dirty dishes overnight
  • Dispose of trash and do not leave trash in the house for too long. Lidded trash cans are preferable to those that remain open
  • Clean up spills and wipe away crumbs or remnants around the house
  • Avoid bringing cardboard boxes from the basement or storage into your home without checking for roach eggs
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No More Roaches

Roaches can be persistent pests, but they don’t have to live in your house forever. With just a few home remedies, you can clear out a roach infestation.

In this article, you learned how to get rid of roaches without an exterminator using home remedies to get rid of roaches. You learned the answer to the question where do roaches come from, so you know how to prevent infestations in the future.

Try these 8 home remedies for how to get rid of roaches without an exterminator. These DIY remedies using baking soda, sugar, and other common products are the best way to rid your home of roaches for good. Get rid of roaches from an apartment, house, or those in car overnight. #roaches #roachfree
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Did we miss anything on our cockroach article? Let us know and please share these pest control tips on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

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