Cockroaches are one of the toughest pests to get rid of. Roaches are not only fast and agile, but they also multiply quickly and can infest a house in a matter of weeks. Fortunately, a little bit of common sense can prevent these disgusting insects from even setting their (hairy) legs in the house.
Like all living things, cockroaches are always looking for food. By eliminating their food source, they will bypass your home in favor of another with more available scraps.
This means food should not be left lying around in the house. Roaches have an excellent sense of smell and can trace even the smallest bit of leftover food. After each meal, extra food should either be stored in the refrigerator or thrown away into a garbage bin with a lid.
Wipe any surface that had come into contact with food with a wet cloth and wash any dirty dishes and utensils right away, because leaving them in the sink will invite the pesky roaches. Every night, ensure that the trash can in the kitchen is empty as an extra precaution.
If roaches are a problem in your home, there’s a very good chance that you’re looking for the best roach killer such as bait, spray, and trap. No homeowner in his right frame of mind would welcome these pests at home.
This is especially true with the German cockroach. This is the most common species of cockroach in the US and is known to invade homes, hotels, and restaurants. Some of the other common species include American, Brown-Banded and Oriental cockroaches.
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There are about 4,000 types of cockroaches in the world, but only a few varieties plague North American homes. Below is a representation of some of the most common roaches found in North American homes.
These roaches are one of the most common types in the U.S., and they multiply with lightning speed. It’s small size allows it to hide easily, and its fast reproduction means that they should be eradicated quickly before they have a chance to produce new generations. The small size of German cockroaches makes roach bait a good solution for this type of roach.
German cockroaches can grow from egg to adult in around 123 days. The reproductive cycle is also very short so they just reproduce and reproduce.
Unfortunately for homeowners, it’s not so easy to exterminate them unless you’re going to use the best roach killer that you can find. This is because they’re well-adept at setting up an ecological system that they’ll thrive in. They don’t really have a natural predator in homes so they don’t have to worry about falling prey to a predator.
In addition, they’re very good at hiding. You won’t really notice the presence of cockroaches until it’s too late. They’ve already established a thriving ecosystem and it would take the best roach killer to eliminate them permanently.
These large roaches have a reddish tinge and are common in the Southeast United States. They are often referred to as water bugs or palmetto bugs. The slow reproductive cycle of this roach make roach traps, sprays and gels effective.
This roach is not only large, it’s fast and can flatten itself effectively to get into tight spaces. It can also fly, making it more difficult to catch. The Australian cockroach has some yellow coloring on its thorax and near the base of its wings. Sprays and gels are often necessary for these roaches.
This is the female Oriental roach, a glossy black or dark brown roach with no wings. These roaches prefer moist places such as damp, decaying plant material. They are often called water bugs because of their love for water.
The male Oriental roach has long wings and is lighter in color. They can fly for short distances. Both the male and female generally move slowly. This slow gait makes roach traps work well for these roaches.
Check out these products that are the most effective cockroach killers:
This is the best roach killer, bar none. It doesn’t aim to kill a few thousand cockroaches. It aims to eliminate the entire ecosystem. It has a unique formulation that will attract cockroaches to it and they will consume the bait. Unlike other roach poison, they won’t drop dead as soon as they eat the bait. They’ll have time to go back to where they’re hiding and contaminate the other cockroaches in the process.
Simply put, it will kill a few hundred roaches and these ones will kill the rest for you. It’s the domino effect that you need to effectively get rid of roaches before they get the chance to adapt and find out what’s going on.
What do you need to do? You just need to apply it in cracks and crevices in and around your home where you see these pests often roaming about. The product’s active ingredient, Indoxacarb, will do the rest for you.
If German roaches are your problem, this bait is specifically formulated for it in addition to other species like Australian, American, Asian, Brown, Smoky-Brown and Brown-Banded. This is the best roach killer mainly because a little goes a long way. If you’re suffering from a massive infestation, you just need to spread out 3 to 5 drops of gel bait in a 10 linear feet area. Use just 1 to 3 drops for lesser infestation. You just need to apply drops that are about a quarter of an inch in diameter each.
It’s also safe to use as long as you use it as directed. You can use this at home or at your place of business provided that you follow the directions for use. You, your family and pets will be safe. We can’t say the same for the cockroaches, though. Click Here to Check Out The Advion Syngenta Gel Bait at Amazon.com!
This is another good product that can help you get rid of cockroaches. In fact, its users can argue that it’s the best since it worked for them. It’s not a far-fetched idea to call it the best since it also has the same active ingredient which is indoxacarb. It’s used all over the US since it’s one of the few products that can help eliminate German cockroaches that are normally averse to gel bait. It has a good and effective formulation that these pests find irresistible.
It works the same way. Basically, the cockroaches will take the bait and eat it. Their death, while imminent, is delayed. Other roaches in their ecosystem will be contaminated as the contaminated cockroaches will pass on the poison around. The poison will be passed around and that will lead to the entire system dying.
Its main difference is in the delivery. While the Advion Syngenta Gel Bait is designed for you to place drops in strategic areas, this product comes in a ready to use “arena”. The bait is inside this arena and roaches of all shapes and sizes, can easily go in so they can eat the bait. They’ll come and go and will help you spread the contamination around.
You can’t go wrong with either option. Most people prefer the gel bait because they want to be able to apply it in the smallest cracks and crevices. On the other hand, a lot of people prefer the ready-to-use arenas for ease of use. It all depends on what you want.
A lot of homeowners are starting to hate sprays because most sprays in the market don’t work. This is because most sprays can only kill the pests that it comes in contact with. What about the roaches in hiding? Well, they’re safe and protected against these sprays. You might be able to kill a few dozen, but that’s not going to help at all.
So why is the Bengal Roach Spray in the conversation for the best cockroach killer? It’s because it doesn’t work like your usual sprays. Yes, it will also kill all the roaches that it comes in contact with. However, its formulation remains active for up to a day so it will continue killing roaches that will come out of their hiding places.
What if they don’t want to go out? That’s not a problem because this spray has a flushing agent that will force these pests out of their hiding places so they can be exposed to this spray including its active ingredient which is Permethrin.
Best of all, this spray is a dry spray. This means that you don’t have to worry about making any type of mess so you can regularly use it until the problem is eliminated. Even the newly-hatched don’t stand a chance because roaches are killed as they are hatched.
In addition, it doesn’t produce any odor. This is a huge issue among most homeowners since most sprays produce an unpleasant odor. It’s good to know that it’s not a problem with this product.
Roaches won’t find comfort in this motel. They’ll check in, but they won’t check out. Unlike other roach killers, this doesn’t use poison. This makes it the best roach killer on the market if you’re concerned about using poison. It doesn’t even have pesticide. This makes it the safest choice in a household that has children and pets.
It’s basically a roach trap. This product will attract these pests and they’ll enter the trap. Since it’s a trap, they won’t be able to go out until they die inside the trap. This presents another benefit. You won’t have to worry about finding dead cockroaches in your shoes, countertop or wherever. You don’t have to worry about your kids playing with dead cockroaches. They’ll die hidden from view.
Disposal of the dead is easy. Just throw the trap away together with the dead inside. This means that using this product is hassle-free as even the disposal is hassle-free.
This can be the best option for you if you’re just suffering from a light infestation. It’s definitely not the best option if you’re suffering from a massive infestation, but it can easily handle a light or moderate infestation.
As an added bonus, it will also trap other pests like spiders and bugs. If you live in an area where scorpions are aplenty, you’ll be happy to know that scorpions are attracted to the trap as well.
Gel-baits like Raid Roach Gel are the quickest and easiest poison baits to use because they are more accessible than bait stations, which require the roach to enter them. The roaches will bring the poison gel back to the nest, thus reaching multiple roaches at once; because roaches are cannibals and will eat the poisoned bodies, a small amount of gel-bait can kill quite a few roaches. However, if the home has children or free-roaming pets, bait stations are probably a better choice, at least in exposed areas of the house.
A roach gel is a concentrated poison that is thick enough to stay put just where it is needed. It is an effective roach killing method, but some users do report that it can stain floors and other surfaces where it’s used. Roach gel is especially useful if your roach problem is within the walls or in very tight spaces where a roach bait won’t fit. The gel can be squeezed from a narrow tip that allows the gel to be placed with precision in areas where it is needed.
Using roach gel is similar to using poison sprays but it doesn’t leave behind any fumes. It is, however, dangerous to children and pets who may walk through it, tough it or drop food on it.
For that reason, it should be placed in places that are out of the way of foot traffic. But, because roaches like dark, narrow places, it can be effective when used under sinks, behind appliances and furniture and in unused areas in the garage, attic, and basement.
A roach gel might be right for your roach problem if:
Roach gel may not be the best roach killing option if:
Electronic roach control is a method of using a high-frequency sound to repel roaches and other insects as well as mice and rats. Some people find electronic pest control to be easy and effective against their household pets.
Other people find them to give off annoying sounds or to be ineffective against their pests. For homes where a bug problem is ongoing, using electronic pest control is a useful way to keep repelling bugs constantly without having to replace roach traps or applying new poisons.
Electronic roach control is more expensive upfront, but it can be far less expensive over time because the unit doesn’t have to be replaced. They should not be used around small pets like gerbils and hamsters.
Different electronic pest control units are effective for different area sizes. If you have a large home, you may need two or more of the units to cover all of the square footage. Most units come with some warranty to cover replacement or repair.
Electronic roach control may be good for you if:
Electronic roach control may not be your best option if:
If roaches are prevalent behind appliances, roach spray can be used there without causing a danger to family member or pets as long as the area is well ventilated when the poison is sprayed.
Spray roach control is often thought of as being poisonous only to roaches, but any type of poison should not be taken lightly. Before choosing a roach spray indoors, make sure that there is no one else in the room and wear a protective mask to keep from inhaling any poisonous fumes.
The type of roach spray usually bought for homes is the small, handheld aerosol cans of spray that can be used in the home or garage. There are also larger, industrial-size roach sprays that have a trigger handle and can be used in large businesses, warehouses and in outdoor areas where roaches gather.
The use of roach spray is a controversial one because of the dangers of using poisons in the home, but it is a very effective method that can be particularly useful if there is a serious roach problem that needs to be exterminated quickly.
Roach spray is best used when:
Roach spray may not be the best way to kill roaches if:
Roach bait is a form of roach control that works against all the natural instincts of a roach in order to kill it, and in some cases, it will also kill roaches that live with it. This type of roach trap is one that lures roaches in, but it doesn’t kill them right then and there.
Instead, roach baits offer the roach a nice, flat place to slip into, just like the doors they crawl under and the crevices they like to hide in. Then, the roach bait provides them with food that is laced with poison. The roach eats it and crawls away back to his nest where he dies.
Most roach baits are also made to kill the other roaches that live in the nest. The bait is made to be easy for the roach to chew away a piece of it and to carry it away back to the nest. Many roaches carry a piece back to feed their young, and the poison will kill those roaches as well.
However, many of the roaches that are killed by roach bait are actually killed by eating the dead roach’s poison-laden feces. That’s another instinct of roaches that can be used against them if a particularly disgusting one.
For homes where there are children, there are child-resistant roach baits that are made so that children can’t fit fingers inside to get ahold of the poison. Some roach baits are made specifically for large roaches. These have larger openings to accommodate larger bugs. Small roach baits are made specifically for smaller bugs with smaller, tighter openings to lure smaller roaches inside where they will feel safe and concealed.
Roach baits work without poisonous fumes and they aren’t hazardous to most pets. A home with large dogs who like to chew may have a problem with using roach baits, however.
Each bait is good for a specific amount of time, after which it will lose its effectiveness. The timeframe may range anywhere from three months to a year, depending on the manufacturer and model. Check the label to find out how long a roach bait works if you need long-term roach control.
Roach bait may be best for killing roaches in your home if:
You may not find roach bait ideal for your roach infestation if
The roach trap method works by trapping roaches in a trap that is lined across the bottom with glue. The glue in a roach trap is often laced with a synthetic roach pheromone to convince roaches to enter them to look for a mate. Some of these glue traps rely on the glue to kill the roaches by keeping them in place until they die.
Other roach traps rely on glue laced with poison to make them kill roaches quickly. Some glue traps are completely non-toxic, making them a good choice for those with kids and pets in the house ad those who have an environmental concern about using poisons.
Any glue traps can be dangerous if there are young children in the house or small pets who could chew on the traps or stick their noses inside. For homes with larger pets who are unlikely to chew on them and without any young children, using roach traps can be a convenient and inexpensive roach killing choice.
There are also a few electric roach traps out there that work by luring cockroaches in where they are shocked and killed, but those are largely unnecessary. Conventional roach traps work just as well, and they don’t require electricity.
To use roach traps, place them on the floor against the wall, under sinks, in dark areas like behind the fridge and around water pipes. Leave the traps for as long as the manufacturer recommends. This is usually six weeks to six months. Some roach traps may last longer.
Roach traps are useful when:
Roach traps may not be the best roach extermination method when:
Using boric acid to kill roaches is often seen as a non-toxic roach killer, but in fact, it is poison that is toxic to people and pets. There are many places that should not be treated with boric acid, such as areas where children play, but it is possible to use boric acid correctly and to kill roaches efficiently with the powder.
Every type of cockroach can be killed by boric acid. To kill roaches, boric acid must be applied in just the right quantity to get roaches to walk through it and to poison themselves and others.
The trick to getting them to walk through the boric acid is to apply enough to the ground that roaches won’t notice it and will walk through it. Applying too much makes roaches avoid power.
Applying too little can be ineffective. But, with a thin layer of boric acid on the ground, roaches will walk through it and will poison themselves when they do so. They will also pass the poison along to other roaches that they come into contact with.
Boric acid is poisonous to roaches, but it is a weak poison to humans. If you have children at home who may walk barefoot through a treated area, boric acid may not be for you. If the roaches are hiding behind refrigerators and under sinks, using boric acid in these spaces is fine and it will keep any children out of it.
When using boric acid, remember that though it is a weak poison, it is a poison that can be harmful to your health. Apply it in the spaces beside and under refrigerators, in tight space where people will not walk.
Walking barefoot over boric acid can be harmful, making it important to keep the boric acid away from areas where people will walk. In the garage, boric acid can be applied in corners and under items being stored to control roaches without putting poison where people will be.
You might benefit from boric acid if:
Boric acid may not be your best solution if:
Roach foggers are often a last resort for roach killing for those who have tried other methods and have been unable to control their roach problem. The fogger disburses roach spray into the air at a rapid rate in order to fully cover a specific area.
Each roach fogger has its own square footage limitations. They may be good for only a few hundred square feet or they may be able to cover 1,000 square feet or more. The poison that is released by a fogger will find its way into the crevices around the room, and this can be extremely effective against a serious roach infestation.
A roach fogger is an effective way to distribute poisons around a home, and therein lies the danger of them. The EPA recommends that foggers not be used too often and that precautions should be taken each time they’re used.
The vapors that are released from a bug fogger are flammable, and this has lead to many household accidents. To keep a room from building up too much vapor, carefully choose the fogger that is best for the square footage of the room that it will be used in. Using too powerful a fogger in too small a room can lead to an excessive buildup of these chemicals.
The EPA recommends that a bug fogger should be placed at least six feet away from any ignition source. These include pilot lights, an open flame and electrical appliances that can create a spark. To keep the risk of injuries and harmful exposure to people in the household, set off a roach fogger only when everyone is away from the home.
The home should remain empty for a few hours. Most foggers recommend that everyone stay out of the home for three to four hours after it has been activated. After this period of time, open the doors to ventilate the home before entering it.
A good use for a bug fogger is to use it in an attic or basement that has a roach infestation but that doesn’t have people in it regularly. Another is to use it in outdoor storage areas that aren’t inhabited.
Roach exterminators come into homes and treat them chemically for roaches. A roach exterminator may also lay some glue traps if requested, but most exterminate roaches by leaving behind poison baits and spraying poisons into corners and under appliances.
Calling in an exterminator for a roach infestation was once one of the only solutions for controlling roaches, but today there are enough alternatives that most people treat their roach problem on their own to control costs and cut down on harsh chemicals. But in some cases, calling in a roach exterminator may be the best option.
Many exterminators now use roach bait because it is effective without exposing humans to the poison. While having an exterminator come in and place the roach baits is convenient, it is far more costly than purchasing roach bait and placing it yourself.
If you choose a roach exterminator that sprays poison, you must generally schedule regular spraying sessions. The poisons that are sprayed work for a limited period of time, and the regular spraying can soon become the most expensive extermination method of all.
You might want to call in a roach exterminator if:
You might not want to call in an exterminator if:
First of all, it’s recommended that you put up measures in order to prevent them from thriving. Being omnivorous scavengers, they will eat basically anything in your home so make sure that you store food properly. They’re particularly attracted to starchy foods and meats. They also love fatty and sugary foods.
It’s important to note that they would also eat common household items like toothpaste and soap. But generally speaking, they’ll only eat them if there’s nothing to eat in their established habitat. This means that if your home is clean in the first place, they wouldn’t settle in. They won’t settle in a home because of soap and toothpaste.
Feces (black dots, akin to pepper) are evidence of roach activity. Feces and cast skins, as well as egg sacs (bean-shaped and brown), are evidence of a nesting area. Nests might be in appliances, such as ovens, microwaves, and refrigerators (even inside the refrigerator compressor and door, so check thoroughly).
If funds allow, and a nest in the refrigerator or oven seems large, it is highly recommended that one replace the infested appliances. However, the treatments listed below may completely eliminate the problem in such an appliance if given time, German roaches breed so rapidly that completely removing a breeding ground is preferable to treating it. This is especially true if the roaches have already infiltrated the mechanisms of the appliances, such as the refrigerator’s compressor.
However, roaches also nest in walls and enter through cracks and crevices. They may also hide (and attempt to nest) in many different places throughout a house. They hate moving air, so get a blow dryer (or other producers of moving air) and aim it toward all cracks, crevices, holes, and dark places to see if any roaches flee.
Take out all the books from bookshelves and check for evidence of their activity; they love paper because it retains the scent of their feces well. Throw away all cardboard boxes, which also retain their scent and provide ideal nesting places.
Move the refrigerator and oven away from the wall, if possible, to see if any are hiding beneath them. Pick up all clutter and keep the living area as neat as possible to reduce the amount of places roaches can hide.
It is a myth that only “dirty” housekeepers get roaches. This is especially true in apartment buildings in which a roach population already thrives (and is there to stay!). Cleaning alone will not solve the problem.
However, this doesn’t mean that cleaning daily won’t have an impact on the number of roaches entering a home through the walls. Bleach the floors and counters daily, and vacuum carpets.
Keep the drains clean of food residue and always wash dishes before going to bed, as roaches are more active at night and will flock to any food residue (especially grease).
After cleaning, it’s time for the next, and probably most important, step: sealing entryways and hiding places. Remember those cracks and crevices identified as either hiding places or possible entrances in the first step? Buy several tubes of caulk and a caulking gun and proceed to fill them. Clear caulk is recommended for aesthetic purposes.
If a hole or crack is too large for caulking, use plaster or simply stuff it with steel wool. Duct-tape is also feasible; just remember that tape is not as effective (nor pleasing to the eye) as caulk. Plug all drains when not in use, as roaches may hide there.
While it may not be possible to seal every single entrance point into a home, simply blocking most entrances should be enough to effectively control the problem. Once an entrance (and/or nest) has been identified, other methods can be employed more efficiently.
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