Cockroaches are considered pests by some, and appetizers by others! Believe it or not, roaches are actually considered a delicacy in certain parts of the world. Certain types of roaches are even kept as pets in some parts of the world. If you are not among the group that considers these pests tasty……keep reading!!
It has been said that cockroaches have survived through millions of years, and even a nuclear blast would not kill all of them. I guess we may as well accept the fact we may see one from time to time.
Below you will find several do it yourself remedies for dealing with roaches. I have collected these from various sources over time. Some of these I read about in magazines, some I found scattered across different websites, and others I have heard about from individuals that swear by them. Some of these remedies may work great for some roaches, but not at all for others. Keep in mind that there are lots of different species of roaches, and all of them have their own patterns, likes, dislikes, etc… Make sure you know exactly what you are dealing with before you try to treat it. Our website has a Pest I.D. section that could help you identify some of these.
Even though almost all the formulas on this list are prepared from natural ingredients some could still be poisonous or cause illness and should be kept away from pets, children and anybody with a low tolerance immune system. If you use any powders or chemicals, make sure you follow all directions and safety precautions on the labels. I have purposefully refrained from posting any remedies that include any types of pesticides or chemicals, such as Boric Acid, even though it is naturally occurring. Please be careful and don’t forget to wear any / all personal protective equipment.
We do not intend for these remedies to be used as a substitute for hiring a pest management professional, especially in more severe cases.
Check out the remedies, try them, and have fun! Let us know which ones you have had luck with, and which ones you did not have luck with.
1) One of the best forms of cockroach control and any kind of home pest control begins with keeping a clean kitchen. If you think about it, this is a DIY natural remedy in itself. Make sure you keep your counters clean, sink clean, wipe up any water / liquids, don’t leave any dirty dishes sitting around, don’t leave food out on the counter, clean your microwave, etc. You would be surprised what a tremendous difference this could make. If you keep this up regularly, you might eliminate the need to read the remainder of this article. The processes described above are part of what is referred to as integrated pest management, or IPM. I will address IPM in detail in another article, but for now, let’s move on to the other natural remedies.
2) For this remedy you will need a couple of pieces of bread, beer, and a 1 lb coffee with lid, or a similar type of container. Soak two pieces of bread in beer and place in a 1 pound coffee can. Place the coffee can anywhere you see roaches. Be patient and before you know it you can place the lid on the coffee can and discard the roaches.
3) Put a tablespoon of Ivory liquid soap into a spray bottle and fill with water. Spray the soap mixture directly on the roaches. It will kill them instantly. This also works on ants.
4) Like ants, roaches absolutely hate cucumbers. Take some cucumber peels and place them wherever a problem exists and the roaches will find a new home. They also hate bay leaves, cayenne and catnip. If you use bay leaves, make sure they are whole, fresh bay leaves.
5) Not that I actually expect anyone to do this, I just found it interesting! You can always buy yourself a chicken or a gecko to use for natural pest control. They love eating cockroaches and in some countries people actually use this method in their homes. It is estimated that a gecko can get rid of all of the roaches in a roach infested house within 10 days. Cool!
6) Fill a shallow bowl with equal parts of baking soda and powdered sugar. The roaches will go after the sugar in the bowl, eat the mixture, and die. Make sure that your children / pets can not get to the bowl.
7) Garlic is a very effective repellent for cockroaches. Despite their reputation for living in dirty places, cockroaches actually take great care to keep themselves clean. Cockroaches really dislike extremely strong smells and tastes, which is why garlic is so effective. You can make a garlic water mixture to spray around suspected roach areas, or simply place gloves of garlic around the house where you have seen cockroaches. The only problem with this remedy is the smell. Garlic is potent and will disturb humans and pets as well. Only use this repellent if little else is working.