How To Get Rid Of Roaches

How to get rid of Roaches can be relatively easy when you only have a few of them. However, if you have it bad, as say a level 5 Roach infestation, then you have a real problem on your hands!

Types of roaches

There are mainly three types of roaches that you need to worry about:
American Roach – despite their name, these are not the most common Roach found in America. They like to live indoors, prefer a moist environment and will eat anything in sight e.g. clothes, decaying food and vegetation. These Roaches are incessant breeders but are not all that difficult to kill.

German Roach – surprisingly enough, these are the most common Roach in America as well as being the most common pet in American households, although the same may not apply throughout Europe and Australia! Like all Roaches, they will eat anything but prefer to live in a slightly warmer environments.

Brown Banded Roach – this type is the one most responsible for damage to wallpaper and stored away clothes since they prefer a very warm climate and will eat paper, clothes or indeed anything that is slightly starchy.

Natural methods to get rid of Roaches

The simplest method of how to get rid of roaches in the house is to apply a little bit of common sense when it comes to domestic cleanliness. This means that you should keep your kitchen nice and clean, with no food left in the open if possible but put away in sealed containers. Don’t leave any dishes lying around with dirty food still on them, and take the rubbish out of the kitchen, placing it in the bin outside as often as you can.

In the bathroom, keep the areas around the bath, shower and wash hand basins as dry as possible after they have been used and this in turn will help prevent an environment developing in which the Roaches seemed to thrive.

Commercial products to get rid of Roaches

There is a multitude of different types of products that will help you get rid of Roaches, and can be best subdivided into the following types:

Sprays – these are the most common form of treatment and are usually mainly to get rid of a small crowd or even a single Roach. Be careful, as sprays can be very toxic, particularly if used in a confined area, since they contain chemicals which you wouldn’t necessarily want to use in the kitchen.

Roach Baits – these are extremely effective and very handy because they can be placed out of sight. Whilst they are slightly toxic, and can be somewhat expensive since they use Boric Acid as the main ingredient, they are considerably safer and more confined than sprays.

Boric Acid – if you are unfortunate enough to have a large Roach infestation in the house, this is probably the quickest and most effective way to get rid of them. Whilst the acid is slightly toxic, it can be placed in cracks, crevices and other hideaway places, keeping it safe and away from children and pets

If you find them anywhere in the house, you really need to learn how to get rid of Roaches, as quickly as you possibly can.

Roaches – tell-tale signs you have them!

Here are some signs to let you know that you may have Roaches in your house: –

Droppings/Smear marks – if water is not available, Roaches will leave a thin, dark brown, dust-like trail of droppings, which will resemble smear marks, when they do have access to water.

Smell – Roaches produce a musty-like smell which is very unpleasant and if there is a Roach infestation, this would be most noticeable where they gather, such as under the skirting boards.

Damage – make no mistake, Roaches will eat almost anything, such as paper, food, clothing as well as household pet droppings and even the pets’ own food.

Preventative measures

They say that ‘prevention is better than cure’ and the same could apply when dealing with Roaches. You can stop them from getting into your house by sealing off the main areas of entry, such as gaps under doors or water/drainage pipes leading out through external walls.

Roaches mainly come out “to play” during the night and so in the daytime, they hide-up in cracks around skirting boards, behind electrical appliances such as cookers and freezers, even behind electrical sockets and under kitchen cabinets. These are a few ideas to deny them water, food or places to hide: –

Wipe up all liquid spillages and waste food immediately
Fix any water pipe leaks as soon as possible
Keep rubbish in tightly sealed bends, including plastic bags, used newspapers and even soiled nappies!
Remove any pet food or water along with litter trays before nightfall so that the Roaches have nowhere to congregate and nothing to eat.

How to get rid of Roaches.

The most effective way to dispose of Roaches, is to use a powder mixed with boric acid, flour and cocoa. If you dust a thin, fine coat of it under sinks and around toilets, any cracks or corners in the walls and even under the skirting boards, the Roaches will consume it and will kill them off quickly. However, take care as this mixture can be quite dangerous for young children and household pets.

Roach Traps entice the roaches in and then entrap them inside, using a very strong adhesive. It is best to use a number of these traps and place them in and around the areas that Roaches are known to gather.

One of the easiest methods of all to get rid of roaches, is to use a simple solution of soap and water and pour it over the Roach, provided you can get to it quickly enough!