The best gel for cockroaches: a review of popular insecticides and rules for their use

If you notice one cockroach in your home, you need to act immediately. There are six arguments that convince you to choose the gel.

1. Convenience. Available in the form of a tube with a pointed tip or a syringe. The product is convenient to apply to the right places and in the right quantities. Thanks to its dense texture, it does not flow off vertical surfaces.
2. Prolonged action. The effect lasts up to two months from the moment of application to the surface. This is quite enough to defeat all insects in the apartment without re-treatment.
3. Low degree of toxicity. The insecticide in the gel accounts for approximately 1-2%. The product does not have a strong odor and does not evaporate into the air, and therefore is relatively safe for humans.
4. Economical. One package of gel is enough to cope with cockroaches on an area of ​​45-60 square meters. m.
5. Aesthetics. The product does not leave marks on various surfaces, and its residues can be easily removed with a damp cloth.
6. Availability. The product can be purchased at almost any hardware store at an affordable price.

Features of the composition of gels against cockroaches

Cockroach gel is a chemical product with a fatty filler that provides a long-term effect and prevents the gel-like substance from drying out. The product is sold in tubes and syringes with a long “spout”.

The active substance in the gels is an insecticide of the pesticide group (cypermethrin, fipronil, chlorpyrifos and others). Also, in addition to fat, the product contains a variety of additives - from drying out, to attract cockroaches (flavors), to extend service life, etc.

The effect of the gel is determined by the active substance. Intestinal poisons kill insects by penetrating the gastrointestinal tract, while contact poisons kill insects by penetrating the surface of cockroaches.

General characteristics of gels

One option is to use special gels, which, along with aerosol, are one of the most effective options, as confirmed by most professional exterminators.

There is a wide range of different brands on the market, but they all have the following similar features:

1. The drug has a liquid form with a rather viscous structure , which allows it not to spread or dry out over a long period of time.
2. The composition may include various components , the main ones being flavoring agents, a smell that only cockroaches can detect, and insecticides that have a detrimental effect on insects.
3. The tube containing the drug has the shape and design of a syringe, but there is no needle in it.
4. The packages are equipped with dispensers that allow you to control the consumption of the gel and apply it in even layers.

Operating principle

The poisonous effect of the gels is based on the spread of the toxic substance throughout all the inhabitants of the cockroach colony.

How the gel works:

1. Insects that come to the bait eat it and return to their nests.
2. Particles of poison remain on the paws of cockroaches that have eaten the bait. It gets into the nests and spreads throughout the area where insects walk.
3. The cockroaches that die first become food for their fellow tribesmen, and at the same time poison.

Gels against cockroaches have a prolonged effect. The effect is not fast, but stable. The drug gives the first effect 1-2 days after use and lasts for 1.5-2 months.

Toxic substances contained in gels for cockroaches affect the digestive system of insects, paralyze and kill them.

Reviews

Many people have already used drugs of this type and are now ready to share their impressions about them; some of the opinions are given below:

1. Alina: “After insect traps showed their inconsistency and did not help solve the problem with cockroaches, I purchased Raptor brand gel. I treated the entire apartment as indicated in the instructions. Five days have passed, cockroaches are still found, although not in such large numbers and they have become more lethargic and slower, it is clear that they have been poisoned by the product. At the same time, every day when cleaning I sweep away dead insects from under the cabinets, which means that the Raptor really does kill them. I hope that soon there will be no traces of the unwanted neighborhood at all.”
2. Galina: “We tried unsuccessfully to exterminate the cockroaches living in the apartment with karbofos, but the insects still remained. After that, I turned to one of the Internet forums for advice, where I was recommended to use a gel or aerosol. We used the first option and purchased the Absolut brand product, but without much hope for a positive result. 1.5 months have already passed, the problem with cockroaches was practically forgotten, in two weeks after treatment their numbers first decreased significantly, and then they disappeared completely.”
3. Anna: “My grandmother uses various homemade traps for cockroaches at home, which catch them, but this measure does not solve the problem of their presence in the apartment. I decided to help her with this, but since she is an ideological opponent of the aerosol, the choice fell on the gel, since I don’t particularly trust traps. I bought the drug “Globol” and treated my grandmother’s entire apartment with it. The first week there was no result, so I decided that the product was overrated and did not work at all, but then the cockroaches suddenly disappeared. Apparently, it took some time to completely destroy the population. For some time, out of habit, my grandmother kept jars of kefir in the corners of the kitchen, but no one was caught in them anymore, the insects disappeared.”

Advantages and disadvantages of insecticidal gels

When choosing a means to combat cockroaches among those available on the market, consumers not only evaluate their qualities in practice, but also compare them with competitors. Gels, like other cockroach repellents, have their advantages and disadvantages.

Pros:

• Convenient to use. Gels are produced in tubes from which the gel can be easily squeezed out. No need to get your hands dirty. The tube contains a dosage - the gel is supplied with a syringe.
• Not easily soiled. After gels, no traces remain on surfaces. The composition can be easily washed off with a damp sponge.
• They work for a long time. The poison remains toxic to insects for two months. This period is quite enough to destroy all insects, not only your own, but also those that try to enter the apartment from neighbors or through other means.
• They give excellent results. Much more effective than aerosols that kill insects locally. Gels affect the entire apartment. A cockroach that has been in contact with poison “shares” it with its fellows. Gradually all the insects die, there is no need to even re-treat.
• Safe. There are few poisons in the composition, so the substance does not pose a threat to humans or animals. Gels are odorless. They taste very bitter, so children and animals are not interested in them.
• Economical. The gel is applied in small portions - thin strips or drops. For one apartment, with moderate infestation and an area of ​​40-50 square meters. m. you need one tube. If there are a significant number of cockroaches or over a larger area, the dosage is increased.

Minuses:

• slow action, you have to wait a while until all the cockroaches die;
• The larvae do not die from poison; they first need to hatch, crawl around the house, become infected, and only then die.

Since the gels act slowly, it is advisable to use them when the apartment is not very infested with cockroaches.

In combination with what do gels give the maximum effect?

An integrated approach is very important in the fight against cockroaches. These insects are very tenacious and quickly adapt to poisons, therefore, for reliability and to obtain maximum results, it is recommended to combine the use of gels with other means.

A combination of gel and spray or powder gives a good effect, the main thing is that the preparations include different insecticides. Then the pests will be subject to a combined effect, which will accelerate their death. Another effective option is to combine gel and cockroach traps. But you should not use insecticidal gel and repellents at the same time, this will reduce the effect.

How to use gel against cockroaches?

Unlike aerosols, gels are only dangerous for adults. It is recommended to repeat the gel treatment 2-3 times so that the new generation dies before it has time to lay eggs. There are two ways to use gels.

First way. Small drops of gel are squeezed out of a syringe in the habitats of cockroaches - behind cabinets, under the sink and bathtub, on the back walls of furniture, near baseboards, in the ventilation area. Recommended intervals between drops are 5-10 cm. Drop diameter is no more than 5 mm.

Second way. Cut a piece of paper into strips, drip gel onto them, and then place the strips in places where cockroaches are likely to gather. The more cockroaches there are in your home, the more gel you need to use.

Methods of application

Let us highlight two main methods of using the gel:

1. Directly applied to the surface of the baseboard, cabinet, back wall of the refrigerator, etc. A dotted line is made with dots every 1 - 2 cm on the intended habitats or trails of insects. Or in lines of 1 cm every 1 - 2 cm in the same places.
2. If you have established a place where insects are hiding or from where they appear, then take a substrate made of cardboard or a sheet of paper and apply the gel there in dotted lines or in lines. And we install the gel next to those places. We check places every 3-4 days and update where they are eaten.

As soon as the parasites are no longer visible and the bait is in place, wash off the remains with a damp cloth. The most vulnerable places for insect penetration are the openings of ventilation shafts, places where water and heating pipes pass through the walls. We treat them around the perimeter and leave them as a preventive measure, renewing the gel from time to time.

Forum for residents of new buildings. — Today, in the kitchen, I saw two white-haired cockroaches, one of the new residents brought with them. I had to kill them. - Tough! “Are you sure that you killed exactly those residents?”

Security measures

Although manufacturers claim that their anti-cockroach gels only act on insects, you should not completely trust such statements. Any toxic substances require careful handling, and no insecticide is absolutely safe.

Take basic precautions:

• apply the gel only in places inaccessible to children and animals;
• When spreading the product around the room, work with rubber gloves;
• if the product accidentally gets on the skin, it must be washed off as soon as possible with running water and soap;
• If the gel gets into your mouth, rinse it with water and drink activated charcoal.

Possible harm to humans

When used correctly, anti-cockroach gels are not dangerous to humans. However, violation of the rules of use can lead to intoxication. When treating a room, it is important to pay attention to poisoning prevention measures. Before using the product, it is recommended to wear rubber gloves and avoid skin contact with the insecticide.

The main rule for using gels is the following: it is recommended to apply the product in secluded corners of the apartment, for example, in the space behind furniture, behind sofas. It is especially important to follow safety rules if there are pets and small children in the house.

Where to buy a syringe for cockroaches?

It is recommended to purchase gels and syringes with gel against cockroaches only from reliable sellers who have proven themselves in the market for insecticides and other toxic substances.

You can buy poison against cockroaches both in stationary stores that sell goods for gardeners and fishermen, and on various online platforms - here you can order gels against cockroaches anywhere in the country.

Many gels are offered by the manufacturer in two forms - tubes and syringes. Both options are convenient, but the second one is still more practical, since it is possible to squeeze out the gel to a drop from the syringe. And no matter how hard you try, some part of the substance always remains in the tube.

Syringe or tube: which is better?

Most gel tubes are equipped with a special narrow nozzle, which makes their use convenient. But you can squeeze out every last drop of the product from the syringe, which means its consumption is more economical.

There are a huge number of good gels against cockroaches and ants, and it is difficult to recommend anything specific. It all depends on your budget, personal preferences and the size of the area where pest control is needed. Buy only high-quality drugs from well-known brands and follow safety precautions when working with them.

Why doesn't the remedy work?

Lack of results can be observed when using both cheap and expensive gels. There are several reasons why the use of gel poison does not lead to the death of cockroaches.

Reasons for lack of effect:

• Insufficient concentration of poison. The recommended poison content in the gel is no more than 2%. However, manufacturers use their discretion and can reduce the amount of poison. There are gels that contain no more than 0.1% of the active substance.
• Immunity. Typically, gels contain only one insecticide. And if local cockroaches have developed resistance to this poison, then the efforts will be in vain. That is why it is better to take products that contain at least two toxic substances. These are expensive, but more reliable.
• The expiration date has expired. If the gel is expired, the effect may not be observed. Moreover, there are drugs that become super toxic over time and cannot be used in residential areas.
• Violation of the rules of application. For example, you cannot combine gels with aerosols. The latter will simply scare away the insects, and they will not approach the bait. Each product has its own instructions, which must be followed strictly.
• The cause of the problem remains. If the ventilation or garbage disposal is open, cockroaches will come again and again. It is necessary to reliably block the main causes of the influx of insects.

Sometimes there is no result because the poison has not yet had time to take effect. There are products that cause the death of insects in a couple of hours, and those that lead to results in a few weeks or months. The reason is that the gels do not kill the eggs, so you have to wait until all the newly hatched individuals die off.

The concentration of poisons in anti-cockroach gels may vary. It depends on the specific toxic substance. For example, the “Clean House” gel contains about 0.1% poison (lambda-cyhalothrin), but its effectiveness does not decrease at all.

The gel is a convenient and effective remedy for cockroaches, which can be safely used in apartment buildings. The gel-like poison will not cause harm to household members if you follow the instructions for use. Almost all products are characterized by a long-term effect and can be used not only to combat insects, but also for prevention purposes.

Popular means

To choose the best cockroach gel, it is not enough to study the manufacturer’s promises on the packaging. Sometimes you need to become a little chemist to figure out which drug will be most effective. The effectiveness of cockroach repellents is determined by the insecticide included in its composition.

With fipronil

Fipronil is an intestinal and contact insecticide that is characterized by relatively high effectiveness in the fight against cockroaches. The substance destroys the cells of the central nervous system of insects. Moreover, it acts slowly (within eight hours), which gives the cockroach the opportunity to return to the colony. What follows is a cascading effect. A fairly high concentration of insecticide remains in the feces and corpse of a poisoned insect, which is lethal to “healthy” insects. Within three days, up to 95% of cockroaches (as well as ants) in the room die. The table contains popular fipronil-based gels.

Table - Fipronil-based gels

Fipronil is harmful to birds if ingested. If parrots live at home, you should stop using gels based on this insecticide or limit the pet’s free movement around the house for at least a month from the date of treatment.

With chlorpyrifos

Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide that is considered one of the most effective today. If it gets on the shell or in the digestive tract of an insect, the substance blocks the transmission of nerve impulses, which provokes paralysis. The insecticide is resistant to both light and temperature changes. With frequent use, cockroaches may develop resistance to the poison. The table contains popular products based on chlorpyrifos.

Table - Gels based on chlorpyrifos

With diazinon

Diazinon is an enteric insecticide that has a nerve-paralytic effect on insects and some warm-blooded animals. This is due to blocking the production of enzymes responsible for the transmission of nerve impulses. The product is toxic to humans, so it can only be used as a last resort when other insecticides are powerless. The table contains popular diazinon-based products.

Table - Diazinon-based gels

With pyrethroids

Pyrethroids are synthetic insecticides that are analogues of pyrethrins, which are found in the flowers of some plants. This is a contact poison that, penetrating through the insect’s shell, paralyzes its nervous system. Over time, pests develop group resistance. It is important that pyrethroids are less toxic for warm-blooded animals and humans than other types of insecticides. The table contains popular pyrethroid-based products.

Table - Gels based on pyrethroids

During the time of Alexander the Great, dried chamomile flowers were used as a pyrethroid insecticide. But substantive studies of this group of substances began only in 1964.

Possibilities of the drug Killer

According to certain data, Killer gel in the form of a syringe contains a proportion of the active substance with an insecticide called “chloronidisalone” (0.9%). Upon closer examination, it becomes clear that this substance is not entirely familiar to chemists. This is just a calculated invention by marketers in order to keep the composition of the drug secret.

This product produced in Russia is a good poison and at the same time is in no way inferior to gels.

The “Killer” product is sold in syringes with a volume of 20 ml. This is enough to treat a large apartment at the same time with 2-3 syringes.

Review

After moving, we encountered such a nuisance as cockroaches. I remember when my mother poisoned them as a child, but now it was new to me. We received Tigard gel as a gift from relatives in the form of life-saving drops. They were placed in the kitchen and on the balcony, where possible. A little time passed, and the cockroaches hatched as if they had never existed. Not long ago we were looking for exactly the same tube on sale and, not finding it, bought Antius gel. We can only hope that the result will be no worse. Suitable for use as a spare, has no smell.”

Marina, Kharkov

A little about the Great Warrior gel

The product, called “Great Warrior,” contains two active ingredients called diazinon and chlorpyrifos. It is unlikely that you will find cockroaches that remain resistant to these agents. Properly poisoning cockroaches means achieving 100% effect.

Great Warrior gel is sold in syringes with a capacity of 30, 50, 80 ml. The product is used in the form of analogues.

Rubit Zindan against cockroaches

Another gel with increased effectiveness should be considered Rubit Zindan with a complex of insecticides. The active ingredients are: neonicotinoid, imidacloprid and chlorpyrifos based on organic phosphorus. This leads to 100% effectiveness against cockroaches in almost all cases. Tests show that the death of cockroaches after using this product occurs after 2-3 hours after tasting it.

Rubit gel is produced by TPK Rosti LLC (Krasnodar) in the form of a 30 g syringe costing 100 rubles.