Cockroaches can withstand up to 900 times their body weight Cockroaches have extremely strong and flexible exoskeletons, which make them almost impossible to squish, withstand the hardest stomp or the toughest newspaper. They can also flatten themselves to fit into tight spaces and crevices, making for an easy getaway.
It is possible to completely get rid of roaches in your home with the right type of treatment but they will not stay away forever. Once you eradicate the current infestation you need to stay proactive about keeping them away.
They're evolutionarily engineered to be nearly indestructible. Cockroaches have exoskeletons made up of overlapping plates connected by a stretchy membrane. This membrane is flexible enough to shift the cockroaches' energy to their legs, allowing them to fit though incredibly small cracks and crevices.
Home remedies like diatomaceous earth, baking soda, boric acid, citrus, essential oils, and borax can be effective ways to get rid of roaches. If you want to take a more aggressive approach to eliminate roaches, glue traps, bait stations, and liquid roach deterrent concentrates are all excellent options.
It can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 months to completely eliminate roaches.
Do Roaches Get Worse After Spraying? Are you seeing more roaches after you spent money on professional pest services? Don't fret – that means it's working! You'll likely notice more roaches than usual immediately after beginning treatment, but that's because they're trying to escape the chemicals killing them.
You may love the smell of fresh citrus, but cockroaches hate the scent. That means you can use citrus scented cleaners in your kitchen and bathroom to chase any lingering roaches away. You can also keep a few citrus peels around your home in strategic places.
Roach Repellents
Peppermint oil, cedarwood oil, and cypress oil are essential oils that effectively keep cockroaches at bay. Additionally, these insects hate the smell of crushed bay leaves and steer clear of coffee grounds. If you want to try a natural way to kill them, combine powdered sugar and boric acid.
Does Killing a Cockroach Attract More? Yes, killing a cockroach can attract more to the area! There is an acid released by cockroaches when they die that can be smelled from a distance and attracts more of them to the area.
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.
Dusts – A few insecticides used for cockroach control are applied as dusts or powders. Most familiar to householders are boric acid and diatomaceous earth. For controlling cockroaches, boric acid tends to be more effective. Roaches succumb to boric acid after crawling over treated surfaces.
By keeping a clean dwelling, you'll give roaches less of a reason to intrude upon your happy home. There is more to keeping roaches at bay than just having spotless floors, however. Let's look at potential trouble spots that you may have overlooked during your most recent cleaning spree or inspection.
Diatomaceous earth is a natural way to deal with cockroach. It is available in fine powder form that sticks to roaches body and kill them by dehydration process. Diatomaceous eath is also very effective in killing the roach eggs. It is best method to use in fine areas, as DE fine powder can reach inside the cracks.
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.
Bleach's Effect on Roaches
Taking a deep drink of household bleach would kill anything, roaches included. But the same strong odor that keeps people from taking a swig of bleach repels roaches as well.
Eucalyptus oil has a strong scent that seems to have some success in repelling roaches. You can dilute it with water and spray areas you think cockroaches might have nested.
Boric acid can quickly kick a roach infestation to the curb. It's extremely toxic and can kill multiple generations of roaches. Mix a combination of equal parts of boric acid, sugar and water to make a dough. Roll that dough into balls or cylinders and place them where roaches will find them.
Cockroach lifespan
Each species of cockroach has their own estimated lifespan but on average, cockroaches live for about one year. Factors such as food supply, habitat and climate affect lifespan. American cockroaches can live for about one year while German cockroaches are estimated to live for about 100 days.
Sprinkle the diatomaceous earth around areas where roaches travel and frequent. The sharp particles of diatomaceous earth damage the waxy, protective exoskeleton of the roach, causing it to dehydrate and die, typically within 48 hours of contact.
Food & Grime. The dirtier your home, the more likely you are to have a roach infestation. Crumbs, spills, and food that has been left out are a great way to end up with a roach infestation quickly. The key to keeping roaches out is to keep your home, but most importantly your kitchen, as spotless as possible.
Don't forget to spray and seal entry points.
Cracks, crevices, and holes in and around baseboards, flooring, walling, foundations, doors, windows, screens and seals are how roaches usually get inside our homes. It's crucial to spray these potential entryways weekly, every 3-4 days, or more often as necessary.
Their nests can often be found near plumbing fixtures in bathrooms and kitchens, in cupboard cracks or under drawers, inside appliances or underneath the fridge. You may also notice cockroach droppings around the nest's location or your nose will help you sniff it out — most have a strong, foul odour.
The presence of baby cockroaches usually indicates there is a nest nearby. Once a nest is established in or near your home, the odds are likely that you either have a full blown infestation already or one is in the process of starting.