How to Exterminate Cockroaches

Cockroaches are repulsive and persistent insects that we definitely do not want in our home. Not only are they a pest, they can contaminate food and carry disease. Found in moist warm areas like the kitchen and bathroom, they are prolific and can live without food or water for months. There are preventative measures you can take to keep them out of your house and other measures you can take to get them out. Exterminating them is not always easy but it can be done.

Things You'll Need

• Cleaning supplies
• Cockroach motels
• Sticky traps
• Jar
• Petroleum jelly
• Electronic roach repellers
• Roach foggers

Show More

Instructions

Preventative Measures

• 1

  Keeping them out of your house is the best idea.

  Seal all entry points which roaches could use to crawl into your home. Since cockroaches are nocturnal you may want to use a flashlight to look for them at night. Look under the kitchen and bathroom sinks for cracks or crevices which must be plugged. Prevention is crucial in keeping roaches out of your house in the first place. A clean house with no entry points or available food sources will encourage the roaches will pick another place to dwell.

• 2

  Put all of your food in containers with lids or in the refrigerator. Cockroaches love food. To keep them out of your house you need to remove their food source.

• 3

  Keep your counters, sinks and dishes clean. Don't leave any food or crumbs out on the counters or in the sink. Sweep the floors and remove all traces of garbage daily. A clean and clutter-free house discourages roaches.

Roach Traps, Repellers & Foggers

• 4

  An example of a roach hotel.

  Use roach motels. Roach motel traps contain roach pheromones which attract the roaches.Cockroaches don't jump so place them where the roach can walk into them easily. These traps will work well if you keep the environment clean, but if there's a food source available, the number of roaches will increase faster than your traps can catch them.

• 5

  A homemade trap.

  Fill the bottom of the jar with liquid bait to 1/2 inch depth to make a homemade roach trap. Stale beer or water work well.

  Spread petroleum jelly over the opening of the jar. The the petroleum jelly makes it difficult for the roach to climb back out of the jar once it has entered it. Place the jar in the corner of a kitchen cupboard or behind the refrigerator where roaches dwell. When the cockroach enters the jar and is unable to climb out, it will eventually fall into the liquid and drown.

• 6

  Use electronic roach repellers. These devices are available for sale and create a high-frequency sound which is unpleasant to cockroaches.

• 7

  Place sticky traps in areas where the cockroaches frequent. They are inexpensive but it may difficult to rid yourself of a large roach population using this method alone.

• 8

  Use roach foggers. For severe infestations, It may be necessary to use a pesticide product to eliminate roaches. This is tricky because the area you are fogging must be closed off and sealed. Roach foggers shouldn't be used in apartments because they will drive the roaches into other units. The entire building needs to be treated in order for them to be effective.