Cockroaches are one of the most common household pests in the world. They are attracted to your home mostly in search of food and water. These tiny creatures are not only ugly, but also harmful to your health. They act as carriers of different germs and bacterias which cause diseases and allergic reactions in humans and pets.
Since cockroaches reproduce quickly, you need to take measures to get rid of them as quickly as possible. There are plenty of commercial products to get rid of cockroaches available in the market. But such products pose health risks for you and your family.
Well, there are certain natural methods to get rid of cockroaches. In this article, we will show you, how to get rid of cockroaches naturally.
6 Natural Ways To Get Rid Of Cockroaches Naturally
1. Borax and Sugar
Borax is good at controlling the growth of roaches, and prevent insects from entering your home. Borax dehydrates the pest’s exoskeleton and damages their digestive system, which ultimately leads to their death.
To increase the effectiveness of borax, it should be used along with sugar. sugar attracts the roaches to the trap.
Directions
- Mix three parts of borax and one part of sugar.
- At night, put this mixture in places where you usually see the roaches.
- Next morning, you will see many dead roaches which you need to discard.
- Repeat for a few days until they are completely eliminated.
2. Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds can be used as a trap to attract cockroaches, and eventually, get rid of them. The acidity in ground coffee will kill them if ingested. Furthermore, grounds coffee contains a chemical compound called caffeine.
Studies show that part of caffeine’s makeup is actually toxic to roaches, which is enough to kill them almost nearly.
When using coffee to fight against roaches, make sure to focus on places where they come in and out of the kitchen. This will help keeps your whole house from smelling like old coffee.
Directions
- Fill a few glass jars with water.
- Put wet coffee grounds in small paper cups and place them inside the jars.
- Put the jars against walls or baseboards, or any other place where you see roaches.
- The roaches are attracted to the aroma of the coffee grounds, and enter the jar, from which they can’t escape.
- The next morning, dump the contents of the jars.
- And repeat the process for a few days.
3. Catnip
The herb catnip works effectively as a natural repellent for cockroaches. The active ingredient nepetalactone offers the repellency property. Plus, it is non-toxic to humans and pets, except cats.
Catnip is not that harsh and won’t kill roaches, but it’s a great option for preventing them from coming back after you’ve got rid of them.
All you need to do is, place small satchels of catnip around the areas of your home where you most often see roaches.
Directions
- Put a few fresh catnip leaves in small porous bags or sachets.
- Leave them in areas where you see cockroaches.
- Change the leaves after a few days, and repeat as needed.
Alternatively,
- Simmer 1 tablespoon of catnip leaves in 2 cups of water for 5 minutes.
- Strain and allow it to cool.
- Spray this solution on kitchen cabinets, or anywhere you suspect the presence of roaches at night.
4. Neem
Neem has multiple household benefits, which is why it has a special place in most Indian homes. Neem oil or its powder contains highly volatile components that act as insect deterrents. Plus, it is less toxic to non-target organisms and economically cheaper than chemical repellents.
You can also use other effective plants like turmeric, clove, sage, and Chinese chaste tree to repel cockroaches.
Directions
- Put 1 tablespoon of neem oil in a regular-sized spray bottle, and fill it with water.
- At night, spray this solution in the affected areas.
- Alternatively, sprinkle neem powder around the affected areas before going to bed.
- Repeat either of these methods as needed.
- Doing this will not only get rid of roaches but also other pests like flies, ants, mosquitoes, etc.
5. Pandan Leaves
Cockroaches are not only seen in our homes but also in our vehicles. If you notice them in your vehicle, one of the best ways to get rid of them is using pandan leaves.
It is common to see taxi drivers in Singapore and Malaysia using these leaves, to repel roaches in their vehicles.
To gain their benefits,
- Just keep some pandan leaves in areas where you see cockroaches or their eggs more often, and soon they will vanish away.
6. Fabric Softener
Fabric softener works as an effective roach killer. These critters breathe through their skin, and when exposed to a soapy solution, they become suffocated and ultimately die.
Directions
- Mix equal amounts of fabric softener and water.
- Put the solution in a spray bottle.
- Spray this solution directly on the insects whenever you can.
- Also, spray it in places where you suspect cockroaches are hidden, and repeat as needed.
Now that you know 6 natural ways to get rid of cockroaches, do try them and experience the result for yourself if you are facing cockroach problems in your home.
Well, there is a proverb “prevention is better than cure”, If you don’t have the effects of roaches at your home, you can prevent it from happening in the future. Hence we will show how to prevent cockroaches naturally.
How to prevent cockroaches naturally
Getting rid of cockroaches is one pretty big task. However, preventing them is also equally important. Let’s see few tips:
- Keep Home Neat And Clean
Keeping the house clean is one of the easiest ways to prevent cockroaches. Ensure you have cleaning essentials like Jif, disinfectants, Domestos, detol, and dishwashing liquid in your home. Give your home a deep clean each week, and clean up those messes as they occur. - Keep bathroom, kitchen, and storeroom clean and dry
Usually, dry spaces make cockroaches unhappy. So wipe down surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom so that they dry out quicker. - Fill up cracks and crevices
If you have cracks and breaks on your wall, better fix them before cockroaches and pests get in through them. Cockroaches use those cracks in the walls to enter your home. To prevent them from entering your home, keep an eye out for any gaps in your walls and fill them with a suitable sealant.
So, these are some simple but effective solutions to prevent cockroaches naturally.
Now that you have realized that, learning how to get rid of cockroaches naturally and how to prevent cockroaches don’t need to take a huge amount of effort, as long as you implement these simple tips and habits.