Out of all the critters that can invade your home, perhaps the most dreaded is the roach. These beetles are fast, hard to kill, and get into everything. So what can you do to get rid of them?
Identifying An Infestation
While most people first become aware of a cockroach problem when one runs in front of them, or find a carcass in the cupboard, there are other ways to keep an eye out for these pests. Some of the signs of an infestation are:
- feces resembling coffee grounds, black pepper, or (for larger species) tiny cylinders
- an oily or musty odor
- oval-shaped egg cases behind books, furniture, or other barriers
What Are the Reasons They’re Bugging Your House?
These bugs like to live indoors among humans because humans provide shelter from the elements or hiding places from predators, warmth and provide easy access to food & water. Just like any other animals, these insects are just looking for a place to survive, and your home is giving them exactly what they want and need.
What To Do to Get Rid of Them?
These bugs are highly adaptable and have developed a resistance to many pesticides. This makes them increasingly difficult to exterminate. Even worse, it may take several weeks to eliminate an infestation, if eggs are present. Thankfully, there are many ways on to how to control these pests and then get rid of them in your house eventually.
The best way to get rid of them is a clean home. These insects will not be attracted to your home by cutting off their food and water sources completely. No food scraps and a dry and clean sink will surely make it hard for them to find food or water in your home. Do not ever leave dirty dishes in the sink, keep your garbage cans tightly sealed, reduce clutter and regularly dispose of your garbage.
Dry the sink, bathroom, and any wet area every night. Fix any plumbing leaks, especially under the kitchen sink and empty pet water bowls at night.
Although it is impossible to get rid of them, the steps mentioned and the other home remedies to get rid of these pests are listed in this article.
Roaches in the Walls
One of the most common places for an infestation is in the walls of your home or apartment. In a case like this, the easiest method is to check for any water sources, such as leaky pipes, and seal them. Next, use a child-proof bait trap such as Raid or spread a gel poison in the corners of infested rooms.
Another method is the use of insect bombs. Open all windows and make sure there is no food exposed to the poisonous vapors. Take all pets and children from home before setting off the bombs. Allow a few hours for the building to air out before returning. Repeat this process one to two weeks later, according to the instructions on the bombs.
Always be careful when using poisons around pets or children, and place the traps behind appliances or in other dark, warm, and damp areas. Bait poisons are typically slow acting, and it may be several weeks before the infestation is completely eliminated.
In the Car
It is uncommon to find these insects in your car, but when it happens, the result is a far more persistent infestation. This is partly because the car is often a place to eat on the go. As their nest could be hidden anywhere, it can be challenging to eliminate them.
The simplest solution to prevent them from entering your car is to vacuum your car’s interior thoroughly. Be sure to get between the cushions and underneath. Likewise, vacuum the trunk, glove compartment, and any other spot where food particles might accrue or eggs may accumulate. Next, place some bait traps in strategic locations such as the trunk, glove box, and under the seats. The poison baits will take a few weeks to completely eradicate the pests, so be sure to avoid eating or drinking while in the car.
Getting Rid Of Them Naturally
Over the past few decades, extermination services have discovered that pesticides and poisons have become increasingly ineffective against these nasty bugs. Their highly adaptable nature and ability to develop resistance or immunity over several generations has become a significant issue. Thankfully, there is a multitude of organic-based methods or natural ways to get rid of bugs that still have some effect.
Does Boric Acid Work?
One of the most popular weapons against these bugs and other insect infestations is boric acid. Highly effective when used right, this chemical solution is relatively safe but should still be kept away from children and pets. There has been no evidence of resistance to this substance in any roach species.
To use, mix some boric acid with flour and something sweet, such as cocoa powder or sugar. Be sure to place somewhere there is water, such as the kitchen and bathroom. The more spots you put it in, the better.
When the insect comes into contact with the mixture, it absorbs into the legs or is ingested and will even be spread to others by the infected roach. The acid then works its way into the nervous system where it eats away at the nerves. Paralyzed, the roach starves to death.
Boric Acid’s Use in Pest Control – National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC)
Borax
A much less refined relative to boric acid, borax is commonly used in green households for laundry and hand soaps. The powder may be used in the same manner as boric acid or simply dusted along places a roach is likely to tread. The roach will ingest the borax while grooming.
This method takes some time, but it is perhaps the most cost-effective method of eliminating roach infestations. Because of the risk of eggs, it is best to leave the borax where there are signs of roaches for at least one month. Also, while technically safe, it is best to keep borax out of the reach of children and pets.
Many companies sell borax as a pesticide. However, 20 Mule Team Borax is cheap and easy to find. It is also stronger than other brands and any leftover from the dusting process may be mixed into homemade laundry detergent, thus saving even more money. They even come in Borax tablet form perfect for hard to reach spots
Catnip and Bay Leaves
Catnip may be used as a repellent in homes that do not have cats. The nepetalactone found in catnip is a natural repellent. Make some tea and spray it in areas you can’t easily see, such as behind appliances.
Bay leaves may be used in the same manner as catnip, and chances are, you already have some in your spice rack. The downside to these two herbal solutions is that they repel, but do not kill. Thus it is best to use them to help protect countertops and other areas where food is prepared.
Diatomaceous Soil
This non-toxic substance is comprised of the finely milled fossilized shells of diatoms. It has two effects on these pests as pest control. First, it absorbs the waxy outer layer of a roach’s exoskeleton. Second, the sharp debris lacerates the roach, causing it to dehydrate and die. One peculiar advantage is that the other bugs will devour the dead bug, causing them to ingest any particles of diatomaceous soil sticking to the corpse and lacerating them from the inside.
Baking Soda
Another kitchen remedy is equal parts of sugar and baking soda. Bugs find the sugar to be irresistible, and they will readily consume any dustings of the mixture. The baking soda will ruin their digestive systems, causing them to die eventually.
Bait Stations
These baits are either housed in a childproof case or applied as a gel and contain a slow-working poison mixed in with an attractive food. The insects eat the poisoned bait and bring it back to the nest. The poisoned bait will finally kill all the other bugs.
Hiring an Exterminator
While home remedies are useful, they’re not very quick. Most home remedies will take a month or more due to the presence of eggs. For this reason, professional extermination remains an important option.
What Should I Expect?
A professional exterminator is trained to seek out nests and use a variety of extermination methods. These may include growth regulators, insecticidal sprays, bait, or traps.
In addition, a professional exterminator will provide you with tips for preventing future infestations and often leave monitor cards to help them determine how successful the chemical sweep was.
Prevention
Perhaps the cheapest means to deal with these insects is to avoid attracting them in the first place. There are key things that they are attracted to, and removing them dramatically reduces the risk of an infestation. Even if you are currently suffering a roach problem, these methods may help with home remedies and poison effectiveness.
Food
Tiny crumbs on the floor, on furniture, or scattered throughout your car are all attractive food sources. To avoid pests treating your home like an all-you-can-eat restaurant, be sure to vacuum regularly and clean up all food spills. This includes regularly cleaning behind appliances such as stoves where food debris might fall or be kicked under.
Do not leave any food sitting out. What isn’t kept in the refrigerator should be kept in an airtight plastic or metal containers. Baking ingredients such as flour or sugar can be kept in canisters to reduce the risk of attracting bugs. Finally, try to avoid eating in the car.
Water
One of the things that attract a roach most is a source of water. Check all of the pipes in your home to ensure they are not leaking and make sure not to leave any dirty dishes overnight, even if soaking. Also, examine the kitchen and bathroom for places where water might pool. By cutting off their water supply, insects are more likely to feed on bait or migrate toward a new water source outside of the home. They will die from dehydration after approximately one week without water.
Other Prevention Methods
They can feed off of all sorts of waste found around the house, including hair. Be sure to vacuum regularly and clean out brushes and other sources of human or pet dander. Remove garbage from the house to avoid attracting bugs.
Using repellent herbs such as bay leaves in your cabinets may reduce the risk of bugs, although it will not cause them any harm once they are there.
Potential Health Risks
While these bugs are feared mostly for their looks, the list of potential health risks they create is cause for alarm. They can carry 33 different kinds of bacteria, pose an allergy problem, are host to six different types of parasitic worms, and may also transmit seven other human pathogens. On top of that, their legs and bodies can pick up new bacteria and spread it wherever they go. Here are just a few of the threats they pose:
Allergies
They can pose a severe problem for people with allergies. Their saliva, feces, and corpses all contain allergenic proteins. This means that they can trigger an allergic reaction whether or not you are allergic to them specifically. On top of that, they can make allergy symptoms worse, especially in children.
Bacteria
The number of bacterial diseases transmitted by them is extensive. This is partly because they feed off of bacteria-infested waste, corpses, and other debris. When dealing with pests, you may be infected with many problems, including:
- urinary tract infections
- food poisoning
- wound infections
- diarrhea or dysentery
- pneumonia
- septic arthritis
- sepsis
- bacteremia
In many cases, the roach may be host to more than one species of bacteria responsible for a particular illness. You do not have to come into direct contact with the roach to be at risk. In addition, if you have a cat in the house, roaches may become infected with Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan responsible for toxoplasmosis, after eating contaminated cat feces.
Parasites
These insects not only carry bacteria, but they are also hosts for several parasites which can pose health risks in humans. Many of these parasites are transmitted through feces and can survive outside of a host. A few of the parasites your roaches might transmit include:
- Tapeworms: These parasitic worms can live in a host for up to 30 years. They latch onto the intestine, but certain types can migrate outside of the intestinal wall and form larval cysts which often have serious complications.
- Pinworm: Female pinworms lay their eggs in the folds of skin surrounding the anus while the host sleeps. This can lead to symptoms such as itching, loss of sleep, and irritability.
- Hookworm: Taking up residence in the small intestine, these parasites rarely cause symptoms, although in some cases they can cause blood loss, resulting in anemia.
- Whipworm: Another intestinal parasite, whipworm can cause growth retardation and even cognitive development issues in children.
- Cockroach mite: This parasite has been known to bite humans.
Common Household Bugs and How to Identify the Pests You’re Dealing With
While there are over 4,000 known species of these cockroach bugs only about 70 are common in the United States. Luckily, even fewer species are likely to invade your home. The following are the four most common types identified as pests.
American
This reddish-brown species can be determined by a yellowish figure eight on its head. They are common in sewers and basements, preferring to assemble near pipes and drains. These types of insects are the largest household roach and prefer temperatures above 70 degrees.
German
These oval-shaped roaches are found most often in kitchens and bathrooms. Identified by the two dark stripes on their back, the German is the most common invader. They are also notorious for spreading more illnesses and allergic reactions than their kin.
Oriental
This distinctive species has a black, shiny shell and is often referred to as a water bug. They infest the northern part of the United States, preferring sewers, drains, basements, and wood piles. They are considered the dirtiest species and are more significant than many other roaches.
Brownbanded
Named for the two light bands on their wings, the brown-banded roach will invade most rooms. The Brown-banded prefer higher elevations, such as cabinets. Ironically, they lay their egg cases under furniture, so if you have them, be sure to clean floor to ceiling to get both eggs and adults.
FAQs:
Here are the most asked questions and answers about cockroaches:
1. What are the signs of a cockroach infestation?
Signs include seeing live or dead cockroaches, droppings resembling coffee grounds, a musty odor, egg cases, and shed skins. You might also notice smear marks on surfaces and damage to food or paper products.
2. Are natural remedies effective for getting rid of cockroaches?
Natural remedies can help, especially in minor infestations, but they may not be as effective as professional treatments for larger infestations.
3. How long does it take to eliminate cockroaches completely?
It can take several weeks to months, depending on the infestation’s size, the methods used, and ongoing prevention efforts.
4. What are the health risks associated with cockroaches?
Cockroaches can spread bacteria, trigger allergies, and exacerbate asthma due to the pathogens they carry and the allergens in their droppings.
5. Can cockroaches come back after extermination?
Yes, cockroaches can return if the environment remains conducive to their survival, such as having food sources and entry points available.
Additional Resources
The websites of the Mayo Clinic and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention offer articles on the various parasites and bacteria transmitted by insects.
