Cockroaches. These insects are among the most adaptable creatures on the planet. They survive everywhere, even radiation does not stop them. Therefore, if you have mustachioed “roommates” at home, you need to take urgent measures to destroy them, and in some cases, folk remedies for cockroaches in the apartment can help. We will tell you how to choose the most effective remedy for baleen insects throughout the article.
After all, they are not only disgusting in appearance, although some people think the opposite, they spoil food. In addition, they are carriers of quite serious diseases:
- helminthiasis,
- hepatitis,
- tuberculosis and dysentery. And this is not a complete list.
As for the methods of struggle, the modern person immediately comes to mind with chemical preparations advertised on TV and the Internet. There is no doubt that they are good, but the whole point is that cockroaches are highly adaptable to insecticides. And literally after a couple of weeks, the store-bought product ceases to have an effect on the population of mustachioed pests in your home. We'll have to start all over again.
Retreat. We are talking about household insecticides of wide use. This does not apply to professional “chemistry” because for example, our company uses combinations of active ingredients to treat premises against cockroaches and disinfestation. This eliminates the emergence of rapid resistance.
But many folk remedies for cockroaches in an apartment get rid of all this, for example, insects have not developed immunity to kerosene or vinegar. That is why these substances are always so effective. Next, we’ll look at all sorts of folk methods for getting rid of cockroaches in an apartment and determine the most effective one.
Preliminary preparation
Without it, the effectiveness of the effect on insects will be lower. Experts recommend starting the fight against parasites in winter; in this case, many things can be further frozen - books, soft toys, carpets, rugs, etc. In rural areas there is no problem with this; in the city they can be taken out onto the balcony for a couple of days.
There is a substance without which cockroaches cannot survive - water. It can save an insect even from poisoning with strong poisons, just give it a drink. Therefore, it is necessary to completely block the access of pests to life-giving moisture. To do this, wipe the sinks dry, turn off the taps, and make sure that there is no liquid left in the cups on the table. We inspect all pipes for leaks and repair them if found. Such simple preparation will enhance the effectiveness of folk remedies for cockroaches in the apartment.
Ultrasound devices
Such products cannot be fully called a trap, since their main function is not to catch an insect, but to scare it away, preventing it from entering a certain area. The device emits ultrasonic waves, making the space uncomfortable for mustachioed individuals, as a result of which they tend to leave it.
Sometimes, rather erroneously, ultrasonic models are called “electronic cockroach traps.” Some of them are capable of producing special light and sound signals that irritate the nervous system of insects.
When using such devices, you need to take into account that it is not recommended to leave them in places with high humidity, directly near aquariums, bedding, where animals are often found. It is believed that ultrasound has a negative effect not only on insects, but also on domestic four-legged inhabitants.
Reviews
“After listening to our problem, the store salesperson offered to purchase an ultrasonic repeller. We decided to buy 2 jokes at once. We have been using the devices for two months now, and during this time we have no longer observed crawling creatures.”
Lydia, Nizhny Novgorod
Review
“In the store we took a closer look at a rather unusual device for cockroaches - an ultrasonic repeller. The effect was completely opposite! The insects did not avoid the trap at all, but, on the contrary, calmly moved right next to it. We have seen in practice that such devices are just a successful marketing ploy and do not get rid of cockroaches at all.”
Sergey Evgenievich, Ekaterinburg
Start with cleaning!
Before you start chasing pests in your apartment, you should put things in order. During general cleaning, pay special attention to the following points:
- Cut off access to food and drink: carefully remove crumbs, turn off the water and wipe dry.
- Do not leave mugs with unfinished drinks on the table.
- Wrap food in cling film or hide it in containers.
- Wash the tiles and wallpaper in the kitchen from congealed grease.
- Remove leftover food from the oven and microwave.
Remember: the main ally of getting rid of cockroaches is cleanliness. If there is no garbage in the room, insects will not stay there for long.
During general cleaning, you will probably find places where mustachioed neighbors gather; from that moment, start taking action. Choose one of the methods convenient for you.
Electronic repellers
Recently, ultrasound has been used for combating. Let's look at the most effective devices.
4.1
Rexant 71-0018
The device is powered from the mains. The advantages are light weight and noiselessness. Consumers are also attracted by the low price.
It is made of a plastic case with metal inserts. The electrical device only works in one room, covering an area of 60 m².
4.2
Pest Repeller
The repeller emits low-frequency magnetic waves, thereby repelling insects from the premises.
The device weighs only 170 grams. Covers an area of 230 m². The manufacturer recommends not to use in apartments where pets live.
TOP - 15 folk methods for getting rid of cockroaches in an apartment
Now we move on to the direct destruction of mustachioed parasites. We will look at folk remedies for cockroaches in the apartment!
Freezing or low temperatures
The simplest to implement, it is based on the natural feature of cockroaches. Their historical homeland is the tropics, and when the temperature drops to minus 10, cockroaches and their larvae are guaranteed to die.
Many home owners started freezing when it was minus five outside. It was enough to open the doors in the house and the windows wide open. Inside the home, open all the cabinets, pull out all the drawers and try to empty the shelves as much as possible. All this is necessary so that the cold can easily penetrate into all corners of the house. It is enough to spend 3-4 hours in this position, during which time the temperature outside and at home will become equal, and the insects will begin to die.
Attention! Before carrying out the procedure, it is necessary to carefully cover the heating radiators and pipes with any heat-insulating material to avoid rupture of the radiators.
The disadvantage of this method is that you will need to take care of the heating, water supply and sewerage pipes. It is recommended to take care of their thermal insulation for the required time. In addition, really cold weather outside is required, otherwise the effectiveness of the method is extremely low.
It would be most optimal to use this method in rural areas, in houses with stove heating.
2 – Sticky Traps
Many will say that similar tapes are also available for sale, what do people have to do with it? The whole point is that you can save money and make a similar trap yourself; all you need to do is stick double-sided tape on the cardboard. And to make insects more willing to go into the trap, just drop a couple of drops of jam or honey in the middle of it.
We place it in places where cockroaches are most common:
- Under the sinks;
- In the bathroom;
- At the grocery cabinet, etc.
Remember to check the trap often and replace it when it becomes full.
3 – Can and bottle trap
Another folk remedy for cockroaches in the apartment. In addition to the one described above, you can make other traps. As practice shows, they are not inferior in efficiency to store-bought ones, but the latter are often disposable. Whereas homemade ones are used repeatedly. Making them is not difficult.
We take an ordinary glass half-liter jar and add a couple of drops of honey or beer to the bottom for bait. The inside edge of the jar needs to be lubricated with Vaseline; you can replace it with regular vegetable oil - the oil strip will prevent insects from getting back out. We place the trap in places where pests accumulate; in the morning, the collected insects should be shaken into the toilet and flushed.
You can do this as follows: take a regular plastic bottle and cut it in half. Pour some beer or sweetened water into the lower part, turn the upper part over and insert it with the socket down into the lower part of the bottle - do not forget to twist the cap. Cockroaches, attracted by the smell of the bait, will climb into the lower part through the hole in the upper part, but will not be able to get back out. We also flush caught insects down the toilet. We change the bait and set the trap again. It is enough to check once every 3-4 days.
4 – Essential oils
Important! The use of strong-smelling solutions does not kill pests, but only has a deterrent effect. Essential oils against cockroaches are good to use in conjunction with poisonous baits
In this case, we will use the sensitivity of insects to odors. The thing is that these insects mark their paths with their pheromones, which help them find their way everywhere. And essential oils interrupt the smell of pheromones, thereby leading insects off their usual path.
As experience shows, cockroaches do not like the smells of geranium, lemon balm, eucalyptus, lemon tree, and lemongrass oils.
- It is enough to apply a couple of drops of oil along the edges of the trash can, under the sink, in areas of accumulation.
- It is also recommended to mix the oils with warm water and use a spray bottle to apply the mixture to all surfaces where parasites may live.
- Also place the cotton wool with oil in the ventilation grille, in the wall cracks, between the baseboards. This will help prevent the appearance of new “guests”.
The only disadvantage of this method is that some people or pets may be allergic to the oils used.
5 – Ammonia
It also uses the ability of insects to smell. Ammonia does not kill cockroaches. He simply scares them away with his smells. It is enough to add a spoonful of ammonia to a bucket for washing floors and wash the floor with this mixture. After some time, the cockroaches will leave. The method can be used every time you wash the floors, so it is an excellent prevention of pests in the house.
6 – Using indoor plants
Another method that will not require any special expenses from you, and you can also get aesthetic pleasure from it. The sensitive “nose” of the parasites is also used here. This method is effective for small numbers of cockroaches.
According to practice, cockroaches do not like the smell of geranium and mint. Therefore, pots with these plants can be placed on the floor, near the walls, or in the bathroom at night.
7 – Pyrethrum (powder)
This is a powder from chamomile inflorescences, you can buy it at any pharmacy. It is absolutely safe for humans and pets. But for mustachioed “roommates” this is poison. You need to use it as follows - mix a tablespoon of powder with the yolk of a boiled chicken egg. We make small balls from this mixture and place them in the habitats of the parasites.
Despite the safety of the mixture, it is best to lay out the balls at night and remove them in the morning.
8 – Boric acid
More precisely, its sodium salt, we know it under the name borax. Mix a spoonful of powder with the yolk of a boiled egg, boiled potatoes and roll the mixture into balls. We place them in places where parasites accumulate. After a couple of days, you can start cleaning up the dead pests.
Borax has a specific smell, and the yolk and potatoes are designed to fight it off. For a better effect, you can add vanillin, starch or rusk powder to the mixture. They will not only mask the smell of borax, but also make the bait sweet. And not a single cockroach will refuse this.
By the way, boric acid itself can also be used against cockroaches. We also make balls and place them in places. You can also dilute the acid with water and place it as a “drink” in small containers, and exclude access to other moisture. The cockroaches will be forced to drink the poison.
Also, for safety reasons, we lay out the balls at night and remove them in the morning.
9 – Vinegar
It is enough to treat the surfaces where insects appear and after some time they will disappear. You can also mix vinegar with water and spray with a spray bottle.
The only negative point may be that your house will become saturated with the smell of vinegar; it is quite persistent and will dissipate over a long period of time. Therefore, it is not recommended to use this method if there are small children, elderly people and pets in the house who may react poorly to the smell of vinegar.
10 – kerosene and turpentine
Many who used this folk remedy for cockroaches called it the method of despair . The thing is that these liquids have a specific smell. Therefore, it is recommended to leave your home for several days after treating it. Then you will have to ventilate the room and things and wash the treated surfaces with soap.
.
Liquids are used in the following way: they coat all the cracks and places where parasites live. After a few days, it is advisable to repeat the treatment to consolidate the effect.
11 – Plaster or alabaster
Separately, it is worth mentioning such a folk method of fighting cockroaches as plaster or alabaster. You can find both in hardware stores. Gypsum is a mineral from the class of sulfates, a powdery material, but its granular variety is found - alabaster.
12 – Borax
Borax or sodium salt is harmless to people, but dangerous to mustachioed neighbors. Use proven recipes:
- Take 60 g of starch, 60 g of powdered sugar, a pinch of vanillin and 1 tbsp. l. Boers.
- Add water to the dry ingredients and mix until a sticky consistency is obtained.
- Place the resulting mass in hard-to-reach places where insects live.
14 – Arsenic
IMPORTANT! Arsenic should be used to poison insects if there are no small children or pets in the room.
Treat baseboards and hard-to-reach places where pests live with the substance, and after 3-4 days, flush them down the toilet. Large specimens may fall asleep or become unconscious, so do not throw them in the trash.
15 – Denatured alcohol
Denatured alcohol is a caustic toxic substance. Not only the cockroach, but also the person himself can suffer from it. During work, you need to protect your respiratory tract with a respirator or gauze mask. You should wear rubber gloves on your hands. Long sleeved jacket and trousers. Clothes should be work clothes that you don’t mind throwing away if something happens. Treat as with kerosene.
Glue (or sticky) trap
To make it yourself, you will need a small rectangular piece of cardboard (a board will do) or a small box (for example, tea or cookies), in which you will need to make several entrance holes.
In the version with a piece of cardboard, it is more convenient to visually record the number of cockroaches caught in the trap and the remaining space on the sticky layer, but using a box will relieve squeamish people from having to look at stuck insects and will allow them to avoid touching them with their hands when the time comes for disposal.
In any of the options, bait is placed in the center of the trap, preferably wet and fragrant. For example, minced meat, a boiled egg, a spoonful of meat salad, or corn flakes are suitable. The sticky layer is created using special glue, tape or adhesive tape.
If the choice falls on glue, then it is best to use RaTrap; it is a non-drying glue with a high fixing effect. Using glue, a circle several centimeters wide is drawn around the bait. A cockroach, even if it runs across the sticky strip to the bait, will not be able to get back out.
When using adhesive tape or adhesive tape, the strips must be secured to the inside of the trap with the adhesive side facing up. The trap is discarded after several days of use with insects. A new one is being made to replace it.
Regular or double-sided tape and masking tape can also be used as a trap without any bait or base at all. In this case, strips of tape with the adhesive side up are laid along the perimeter of the room along the baseboards, near the kitchen table, refrigerator, sink, bathtub. Overnight, a lot of insects will stick to the Velcro, running around the house in search of food and water.
Tips for folk remedies for cockroaches
Experts recommend using an integrated approach to the destruction of mustachioed pests. For example, combine treatment with aromatic oils with the installation of traps.
In apartment buildings, it is best to first agree with neighbors about joint processing. Otherwise, cockroaches may go to them. And after a while they will return to you, after the neighbors have carried out their processing. Thus, they will “roam” from apartment to apartment and it will be almost impossible to remove them.
Instead of vinegar, you can use wormwood, although its smell is weaker than that of vinegar. Therefore, the effectiveness will be lower, but you will be able to get rid of headaches and normalize blood pressure.
Cockroaches are creatures that are predominantly nocturnal and they don’t really “like” light. Therefore, leaving the lights on in the kitchen and bathroom at night will force them to eventually leave the “inhospitable” apartment. True, the method is effective only with a small number of “guests”.
What bait to use
For example, the following recipe has excellent effectiveness: mix a small amount of boric acid powder thoroughly, after adding a little milk, with crushed chicken egg yolk. After cooking, use the resulting mass to roll into small balls.
The bait prepared in this way should be placed in secluded places, for example, under the sink, behind kitchen furniture. By eating the bait, insects also transfer the toxic substance to the nest, thereby ensuring the death of their relatives. If necessary, you should regularly replenish the supply of poisonous baits, which will completely destroy the colony of parasites.
Prevention
These measures can also help prevent cockroaches from getting into your home:
- Do not leave dirty dishes with food residues on the table or in the sink;
- Throw out trash in a timely manner;
- Fix leaking pipes, this way you can deprive insects of water. And she is very important for their lives;
- Arrange constant ventilation of the home;
- Seal all the cracks, cover the ventilation holes with a special mesh. This will block access for insects from neighbors;
- During wet cleaning, it is recommended to use deterrents - vinegar, wormwood, etc.
We hope that our article will help you get rid of these insects.
Choice of consumers and professionals
Let's finish the review with the most effective means. The choice was made based on consumer reviews.
6.1
Get
The drug contains chlorpyrifos. This poison is fatal to black cockroaches and large black cockroaches. Gett is available in liquid and solid form. The liquid concentrate is diluted with water and applied to hard surfaces. In solid form it is used for application to carpets and upholstered furniture. The product is not absorbed and leaves no traces.
The first cockroach after using the drug dies within the first minutes. A day or two after application, the entire population dies. The average price for one bottle is 700 rubles.
Prices for cockroach treatment by our professionals
| Scope of work | Gel treatment* (cockroaches only) | Cold fog | Cold Fog + Barrier | Hot fog | Hot Fog + Barrier | Complex (cold fog+horizontal fog+barrier) |
| 1 room apartment | 3600 rub. | from 2100 rub. | from 2300 rub. | from 2600 rub. | from 3600 rub. | from 4100 rub. |
| 2 room apartment | 4200 rub. | from 2300 rub. | from 2800 rub. | from 3300 rub. | from 4300 rub. | from 5100 rub. |
| 3 room apartment | 5100 rub. | from 2500 rub. | from 3300 rub. | from 3700 rub. | from 4200 rub. | from 5600 rub. |
| 4 room apartment | 5700 rub. | from 2700 rub. | from 3700 rub. | from 4000 rub. | from 4500 rub. | from 6100 rub. |
| 5 room apartment | Negotiable | from 3100 rub. | from 4000 rub. | from 4900 rub. | from 5000 rub. | from 6600 rub. |
| MOP (kitchen, bath, corridor) | 2400 rub. | from 1800 rub. | from 2300 rub. | from 2800 rub. | from 3200 rub. | from 4500 rub. |
| Add. Barrier | from 400 rub. | from 400 rub. | from 400 rub. | from 400 rub. | from 400 rub. | |
| Add. sleeping area | 400 rub. | |||||
| Move the furniture | from 500 rub. | from 500 rub. | from 500 rub. | from 500 rub. | from 500 rub. |
Reusable option
An industrial trap is most often disposable. After the insects have eaten the bait, it can be thrown away. Almost all do-it-yourself cockroach traps do not have this drawback. So, in order to get rid of an entire colony of insects, it is enough to spend very little time. To do this, you will need to think about a suitable “house” option. In addition, it is very important to choose the right bait. The simplest option is a cockroach trap, made with your own hands from a jar.
Collecting materials
You will need an ordinary glass jar. True, a liter container may be too small and will give insects a chance to quickly get out, so it is better to choose a two- or three-liter container.
By the way, this cockroach trap, created with your own hands, must be wrapped in paper so that the insect can freely climb onto it. And don’t forget to grease its edges with sunflower oil. This is an important point so that insects that get into the jar cannot leave it as easily.
You must put bait inside. The ideal option would be bread, meat or fish. The pieces should be small so that the unpleasant smell does not bother the owners of the house. Those who have repeated this experiment at home many times are advised to pour a small amount of kefir on the bait so that it spoils a little.
