First things first: cockroaches are not fussy eaters. Like humans, these scavengers are omnivores and are therefore happy to share your meals with you. This means that they will take any opportunity they can to eat your leftovers.
After roach sighting, throw out any food that was contaminated. Remove any other food items that were possibly touched by the bug. If you have already eaten the food unintentionally, you may not become sick right away. Repetitive eating, however, could lead to illness.
It appears to prefer eating plants more than its relatives do, but can feed on a wide array of organic (including decaying) matter. Like most cockroaches, it is a scavenger. It may come indoors to look for food and even to live, but in warm weather, it may move outdoors and enter buildings looking for food.
Vinegar is a natural household ingredient that can repel and kill cockroaches. Fill a spray bottle with equal parts vinegar and water, and then spray it directly onto the roaches when spotted. The strong odour and acidity of vinegar can be effective in eliminating them instantly.
While the refrigerator is not the most suitable place for a roach to survive, it can live inside the motor of the fridge, only occasionally coming inside to take its food supplies.
It's a fact that cockroaches are afraid of humans and other mammals or animals that are bigger than them. They see us as predators and that fear triggers their instinct to scatter away. However, they dislike strong and distinctive scents such as citrus, peppermint, lavender and vinegar.
Breadcrumbs or baby food can be effective lures to draw cockroaches out of their nests and into your traps. You can also use peanut butter – and dipping pieces of bread in beer has also been shown to be an especially enticing lure for cockroaches.
Citronella
Citronella not only works great for repelling mosquitos but also cockroaches. While the candles don't work well against roaches, you can use citronella oil as a deterrent. You can mix it with water and use it as a spray or simply wipe down areas with the diluted mixture.
Smells that roaches hate: a quickfire summary
Oregano, rosemary, mint, eucalyptus, lemongrass and catnip are great herby options. Citrus oils work brilliantly too. And surprisingly, lower concentrations – 2.5 parts per hundred – seem to work best as deterrents. Just don't bother with lavender.
The World Health Organization also advises against crushing them, for reasons of hygiene. According to the body, which classes cockroaches as “unhygienic scavengers in human settlements”, squashing them can spread bacteria into the environment that can lead to asthma, allergies and illnesses.
How Long Do Cockroaches Live? All cockroaches go through three stages of life: egg, nymph, and adult. While these insects usually live about 6 to 15 months, the cockroach lifespan varies based on species, moisture, and temperature in each of these phases.
Cockroaches are a common pest, infesting both indoor and outdoor areas. Effective control of pest cockroaches involves thorough inspection, reducing sources of food, water and shelter, pesticides or baits, and ongoing maintenance. Several species of cockroach are common in Victoria.
Heavy rainfalls and warmer temperatures have caused an epidemic in Australian households: cockroach infestations. Learn how to identify and manage four of the most common cockroach species in Australia. Since 2020, there has been a second epidemic plaguing Australian households: cockroach infestations.
Cockroach Bites Can Cause Allergic Reactions
The bites from the pest may not be dangerous, but the allergens they carry are the problem. It can cause skin reactions, which may also trigger asthma attacks. When you are bitten, it can swell and might have a rash, which can last for days.
A: It may surprise you to know that cockroaches are, in fact, able to bite humans. There have been reported cases of cockroaches biting fingernails, eyelashes and calloused skin on hands or feet. Cockroaches will also eat dead skin cells. However, cases of cockroach bites are extremely rare.
Soap and water are a good start, but you can also use baking soda to help get rid of the roach smell. Another option is to use a disinfectant cleaner to wipe down surfaces. Make sure you clean floors, appliances, counter tops, cabinets, and anywhere else you have seen signs of roaches.
Pine-Sol and Fabuloso are strong, all-purpose household cleaners. Similar to bleach, these products kill roaches on contact. Some homeowners suggest spraying Pine-Sol around the outside of your house to keep cockroaches away.
If cockroaches get enough borax on the outside of their bodies, it actually damages their exoskeletons. This causes them to rapidly dehydrate and die; a thick coating of borax will certainly get rid of roaches overnight.
Research has also shown that eucalyptus essential oil is toxic to roaches. That makes it a great all-natural product to use as part of your cockroach prevention system.
All About Vinegar
Unfortunately, it doesn't actually kill these problem insects. It's more of a cleaning tool than anything else, and it won't actually help eliminate your roach problem. It can, however, help deter roaches and get rid of germs in the kitchen when used as a cleaning agent.
How Do Cockroaches Spread? If you're wondering how cockroaches got into your home, it may well be that you brought them there: roaches and/or their eggs may attach themselves to your clothes or belongings while you're out of the house.
This one's another simple, homemade bait trap. Place a dollop of peanut butter, a piece of a banana peel or a similarly sweet bait in the center of a paper plate. Then, sprinkle CimeXa insecticide dust all around the bait on the plate. Gently place the plate where roaches can easily reach it.
Use sticky, glue board traps. They are available at many hardware stores. Baiting them with a small piece of bread will increase the number of cockroaches caught.