A sudden encounter with a cockroach in an apartment guarantees very unpleasant emotions. Therefore, even an isolated case is definitely a reason to think about how you can quickly get rid of unwanted “guests” before they turn into “neighbors.” There are quite a lot of methods, up to “heavy artillery” in the form of complete disinfection of the apartment by employees of relevant organizations. But sometimes, especially if the insects did not have time to breed in large numbers, the use of folk remedies is enough. They are not necessarily designed to kill cockroaches - many of them cause significant discomfort in insects, forcing them to leave the apartment in search of a better habitat.
Boric acid
One of the most popular folk remedies that allows you not only to “kick out” cockroaches from an apartment, but also to destroy their population. To combat them, it is necessary to use boric acid in powder form; liquid is not suitable.
Approximately 50 g of powder is mixed with “mashed potatoes” prepared from two medium potatoes, boiled with skins and four yolks of hard-boiled eggs (they are boiled over very low heat for at least an hour). The result is a plastic, homogeneous “dough”. “Balls” with a diameter of up to 1 cm are formed from it and laid out where the appearance of cockroaches is most often observed.
The product acts quite slowly. A cockroach that eats such a “treat” not only dies within 1.5-2 weeks, but during this time it manages to infect a large number of “relatives”. To make the effect more powerful and pronounced, it is necessary to completely block the insects’ access to water.
Important! Not only cockroaches, but also pets can be attracted to bait with boric acid. This composition is also poisonous for them.
Pros and cons of fighting cockroaches with folk remedies
Each folk remedy has its own pros and cons, but they all have common undeniable advantages:
- no complicated preparation for bullying is needed;
- saving money;
- huge selection;
- Cockroaches do not develop addiction to many products (for example, insects adapt to chemicals, but not to boric acid);
- absence of toxic components, and if there is an aggressive effect, it disappears after a short period of time;
- ease of preparation.
But traditional methods also have disadvantages:
- the need for processing several times (purchased options also have this disadvantage);
- intoxication is possible in humans and animals, but only if the product is used incorrectly (for example, eaten);
- when using repellent methods, there is a risk of pests returning;
- the need to remove dead cockroaches (in many cases).
Mint
People (with rare exceptions) like its smell. But for cockroaches, with their very delicate sense of smell, it causes great discomfort due to its harshness. If you constantly “maintain” a persistent aroma in the apartment, after a week or a week and a half they go in search of new habitats.
To combat cockroaches, you can use both fresh and dried mint, but practice shows that the first option is more effective. Plants are placed in places that cockroaches most often choose to live - in kitchen cabinets, drawers, next to baseboards, ventilation ducts, under furniture, sinks, bathrooms, and so on.
An aroma lamp with menthol essential oil helps maintain a very persistent aroma. Drop 4-5 drops into the water and light a candle under the container. Under the influence of heat, the liquid begins to gradually evaporate.
Tansy
One of the most powerful natural repellents and insecticides. In humans, the smell of tansy does not cause sharp rejection, which cannot be said about cockroaches. The plant in any form (fresh, dried herbs, decoction, alcohol tincture) causes “malfunctions” in their sense of smell.
In such conditions, cockroaches cannot search for food and practically stop reproducing. At the level of instincts, they begin to perceive the apartment as an unsafe place to live, and they leave it. To get this effect, you need to maintain the smell of tansy in the room for 2-3 weeks.
When choosing this method of fighting insects, you need to take into account that the decoction and infusion of tansy leaves difficult-to-remove stains on fabrics. The plant is poisonous not only to cockroaches, but also to pets.
Sagebrush
Another effective natural insecticide, wormwood can be used as an alternative to tansy. Most people characterize the smell of this herb as pungent, but not repulsive, so there is no need to leave the room while processing. And for cockroaches it is almost unbearable.
Wormwood is used both fresh and dried. Its decoctions and tinctures give the desired effect. If the owners of the apartment have the opportunity to leave it for 2-3 weeks, greenery is spread like a continuous carpet on the floor in all rooms, including the bathroom and kitchen.
Precautionary measures
In general, the substance does not fully correspond to the universal concept of acid. Under the influence of boric acid, there are no chemical burns on the body. However, certain precautions must be taken when using the product.
The use of such poison is allowed even when children and pets are present in the room. Boric acid is not as dangerous when compared with Karbofos and Executioner, and for some time it was used as an antiseptic. Although in some cases, when using the substance, an allergy appears.
The drug, in comparison with specialized insecticidal products for protection against cockroaches, practically does not harm children, however, children under 3 years of age should not come into contact with it. If a cat or dog eats “bait” with boron powder, death does not occur, however, it is recommended to avoid such a situation.
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Contact with the drug should be avoided during pregnancy and lactation, as well as people suffering from kidney failure, skin ailments of inflammatory etiology in the acute stage. If the powder gets inside, the development of vomiting, headaches, and rashes is observed. Do not forget that when choosing a drug to exterminate parasites in a residential area, you first need to think about the safety of the people living in it. Proven, harmless, fragrance-free insecticides are Global and Forsyth gel preparations.
Bay leaf
This plant, even in dry form, is rich in essential oils, therefore it has a pronounced odor, pleasant to humans, but too pungent for cockroaches. Leaves are laid out in places most suitable for their “nesting” and along travel routes, changing every 3-4 days.
Additionally, the apartment is “fumigated” daily, walking through all the rooms with the sheet set on fire and smoldering. To get rid of not only adult individuals, but also cockroaches that gradually hatch from eggs, 1.5-2 weeks is enough.
Killing cockroaches with frost
For cockroaches, the optimal conditions are high humidity and a warm microclimate (from +23 to +30°C). By creating an unfavorable environment, most of the parasites can be destroyed. It is impossible to warm a house to a high temperature without special equipment, so in the old days people got rid of cockroaches using cold.
It is known that the death of adult individuals occurs when the temperature drops to -3°C. You can create such conditions in a city apartment and private house in winter. To do this, you need to leave the windows and balcony open for several hours. The lower the temperature outside, the better. By repeating this procedure 2-3 times, you can get rid of most cockroaches. Repeated freezing is necessary to destroy newly hatched nymphs, due to the fact that the eggs in the cocoon can withstand temperatures down to -11°C.
Pyrethrum
Raw materials for many insecticides of biological origin, obtained from dried chamomile flowers. This powder is completely safe for humans and pets, but in cockroaches, when it gets inside the body, it causes complete paralysis within 2-3 hours; due to the inability to breathe, the insects die.
The processing procedure is extremely simple. The powder is simply scattered in a thin layer in areas of greatest concentration of cockroaches, renewing weekly. To force insects to eat it, pyrethrum is mixed with honey, jam, and fruit juice.
Soda and onion
Not a fast-acting, but effective folk remedy that allows you to completely get rid of cockroaches in an apartment in a month and a half. Upon contact with gastric juice, a chemical reaction begins, during which carbon dioxide is released, which provokes poisoning and death of the insect.
The bow in this case plays the role of bait. Despite the pronounced pungent odor, it does not repel, but rather “attracts” cockroaches.
The product is easy to prepare: chopped onions into a pulp are mixed with an equal volume of soda ash or baking soda. Additionally, for each tablespoon of the composition you can add 1 tsp. powdered sugar or vegetable oil.
The mixture is laid out in places of accumulation and along the routes of cockroaches. It needs to be updated weekly.
Homemade traps
Specialized stores sell traps for cockroaches, which are a structure with holes for entry and the impossibility of getting out from the inside. It's expensive, and craftsmen have come up with homemade traps that are no less effective.
The main advantage is that cockroaches come running to the bait, there is no intoxication of the human body. The downside is that you have to remove cockroaches from the structure.
Sticky traps
This design involves the use of only 2 materials - double-sided tape and a piece of cardboard / paper, etc. The principle of the sticky “trap” is simple - the cockroach is directed to the bait food, stepping on the sticky base with its paws, as a result of which it sticks.
Manufacturing process:
- Cut a rectangle of any length from cardboard.
- Cut a piece of tape so that its length on both sides is 2-3 cm shorter than the size of the cardboard.
- Glue the sticky material to the base.
- Place the bait in the central part of the tape. This could be sugar, vanilla, bread crumbs, jam, honey or any other food scraps.
- Place sticky traps out of the reach of children and pets.
From the bottle
The plastic bottle trap is based on the fact that a little sweet water is poured inside the structure, the Prussians climb inside in search of liquid, but cannot get back out.
What you will need:
- plastic bottle;
- water;
- scissors;
- sweetness.
How to do it yourself:
- Draw a transverse line along the container just above the middle.
- Cut the bottle into 2 parts.
- Pour sweetened water into the bottom (mix with sugar or jam).
- Turn the top part upside down and in this position insert it into the base with liquid.
- Place the trap anywhere.
Cockroaches love beer and sweet store-bought drinks, kefir and milk. These products can replace water.
From a can
A simple way to catch cockroaches using an ordinary glass jar. The trap works identically to the previous method, only dry food is placed inside, not water.
What materials are needed:
- capacity 0.5, 0.7 or 1 l;
- fat base – Vaseline, sunflower oil;
- scissors;
- single-sided tape;
- a piece of fabric or paper (raw materials that make it easier for insects to climb into the container).
Manufacturing instructions:
- Prepare a glass jar - cut a piece of paper (anti-slip) to fit its volume, wrap it, and secure it with tape.
- Place bait inside - a little jam, leftover food, sugar, etc.
- On the inside, lubricate the glass 2-3 cm from the neck with an oil base.
- Place it in areas where cockroaches gather.
To avoid wrapping the container, you can attach a strip of paper from the neck to the floor vertically with tape.
Trap houses
If you hate to look at a bunch of insects caught in a trap every day, build a “house” with your own hands. To do this you will need the following:
- Double-sided tape;
- scissors;
- a small cardboard box (for parcels, sweets, shoes, etc.).
How to make:
- Make holes of any shape on the sides and roof of the box.
- Place tape on the entire bottom of the box from the inside.
- Place bait food in some places.
- Close the lid and leave it in the room.
Cockroaches, having entered such a house (and they will do this with pleasure thanks to the bait and darkness inside), will stick their paws to the tape and will no longer be able to leave.
Acetic acid
The most pronounced odor is possessed by ordinary table vinegar with a concentration of 6-9%. Therefore, it is better suited for fighting cockroaches than wine or apple.
The apartment is treated with a solution of 100 ml of water and 30 ml of table vinegar, paying special attention to identified and hypothetical habitats of cockroaches. Spraying and wiping surfaces is repeated daily or every other day until the insects leave the room in search of a more comfortable habitat.
Important! When using a vinegar solution, you need to take into account that even in such a weak concentration it can
ruin the varnish or paint on the furniture.
Kerosene, gasoline or turpentine
A folk remedy against cockroaches, used as a last resort when other measures to combat them have already been tried and have not given the desired result. It will not be possible to stay in the apartment after treatment - the smell is intolerable to humans, provokes persistent migraines, and can cause poisoning.
For 100 ml of water take 30-50 ml of the “active ingredient”. The solution is sprayed on the identified habitats of cockroaches and their movement routes, and containers with it are placed nearby. Where possible, wipe surfaces with a cloth soaked in liquid.
Then the apartment, with windows and doors closed as tightly as possible, is left for at least a day. It will take a very long time to ventilate the room to get rid of it. The smell literally “eats” into furniture upholstery, carpets, curtains, and other fabrics.
Important! Processing is carried out exclusively with the use of at least a minimum set of personal protective equipment (respirator, goggles, rubber gloves). In addition, any of these liquids are highly flammable, which also requires special precautions.
Ammonia
Not as toxic as kerosene or turpentine, but also an effective remedy against cockroaches. Ammonia has a less pungent and pronounced odor, but it is still not recommended to remain in the room after treatment. It is better to “preserve” it for about an hour.
To treat an apartment against cockroaches, ammonia is diluted with water in a ratio of approximately 1:3. A pungent odor drives insects out of the room, but when it dissipates, they can return. Therefore, treatment alone will most likely not be enough. In order for cockroaches to consider an apartment uninhabitable, daily “sessions” are needed for 3-4 weeks.
Processing includes:
- washing the floor in the apartment with the prepared solution;
- wiping all surfaces in the kitchen;
- pouring liquid into the toilet, kitchen sink, or bathroom drain;
- laying out rags soaked in the solution in places where cockroaches appear most often.
Important! As an alternative to ammonia, medical ethyl alcohol or any strong alcohol is used. The latter has a less pronounced odor, so it is diluted with water 1:2 or 2:3.
Borax
This is an alternative to boric acid and the same sodium tetraborate. Prepare mashed potatoes from one large potato, mix it with an egg and 1 tbsp. Boers. Next, stick bait, spread it out and make sure that there is no more open food or water in the apartment. Or mix the powder with flour and sugar, and sprinkle it into the cracks.
Photo: ledmoda.ru
Chlorine
You can use chlorine powder in its pure form, but it is easier to purchase “Belizna,” which is very well known to everyone who lived in the USSR. For cockroaches, chlorine is destructive - when the fumes enter the respiratory tract of insects, they cause severe irritation and swelling, leading to suffocation.
The surviving individuals urgently “evacuate”, but after the smell disappears, they can return. Therefore, treatments are repeated every 2-3 days for 3-4 weeks.
An additional advantage of bleach is the simultaneous disinfection of the room. For a forced “neighborhood” with cockroaches, this is very important, since they are carriers of many dangerous diseases.
The specifics of the treatment depend on the concentration of the solution. If the insects have not yet had time to breed in large numbers, 2-3% is enough, in severe cases it is increased to 5-10%, saucers with undiluted “White” are placed near the habitats of cockroaches.
Treatment includes washing floors and wiping all accessible surfaces. It lasts about an hour; it is not necessary to leave the room when using a weak solution.
Plaster, cement or alabaster
In principle, any dry building mixture is suitable for fighting cockroaches. Once in the stomach of the insect, it hardens in this moist environment, “cementing” its insides. As a result, it dies within an hour and a half.
Gypsum or alabaster itself is not interesting to cockroaches. To force them to eat the powder, it is mixed with bait - powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, bread crumbs, vanilla.
Disadvantages of traditional methods
While there are advantages, there are also disadvantages to using non-chemical methods for exterminating domestic insects.
Folk remedies act slowly, so don’t count on quick results. It is better to use several of them at once, the effect will be more noticeable.
You will have to use traditional methods constantly, often changing poisonous baits for cockroaches, traps, and sticky tapes.
Insects get used to the drugs, the next generation no longer responds to the drug, so all pests must be destroyed within 7 months.
Svetlana 38 years old, Kostroma
In a multi-storey building, according to folk recipes, it is difficult to remove cockroaches. You destroy some, others come. It is necessary to act with more aggressive methods - chemicals. For the summer we went with our children to our parents in the village and poisoned the entire apartment with Dohlox. Although I'm not a chemistry fan.
