If there are no cockroaches in the apartment today, this does not mean that it will always be so. Insects can get into a house in many ways - they can be brought back from a trip, they can crawl from new neighbors, or they can end up in the house with a child’s things after a trip to a pioneer camp.
Having surreptitiously captured an apartment, they will not show themselves until they have captured all possible cracks, warm damp corners, and the back panels of household appliances.
Gradually, black excrement and traces of egg shells will be everywhere, and at night it will become scary to turn on the light in the kitchen.
But this can be prevented if you start a war with cockroaches as soon as they appear. The most important weapons in it should be:
- absolute cleanliness in the room;
- desire to get rid of insects;
- persistence in achieving goals.
Many products that exist on the market will allow you to do this at minimal cost - the main thing is to choose the right ones, which combine safety and effectiveness as much as possible.
Prevention
Rules to follow to prevent cockroach infestation:
- wipe dry the water in the bathroom, kitchen and toilet;
- when washing floors, furniture, and bathrooms, use ammonia added to water;
- do not leave dirty dishes overnight;
- hermetically package all products;
- take out the trash at night;
- constantly and often ventilate the premises;
- use sealed buckets;
- remove water from flower trays;
- do not leave water in bowls and drinking bowls for animals;
- All sinks in the house should be plugged at night, covered with boric acid or filled with soda and vinegar, or with a strong-smelling cleaning powder.
All family members must change their habits. It will be difficult at first, but then it will become necessary. Otherwise, the cockroaches will win the war.
Are there any means of control that are safe for health?
To combat cockroaches, many means have been invented that have both radical and preventive effects. The resistance of insects to toxic substances makes it necessary to combine agents.
Available on the market:
- sprays, aerosols and solutions, including for professional disinfestation;
- gels and tablets;
- powders and crayons;
- traps;
- repellent devices.
All these products are based on various types of insecticides in minimal concentrations. The most commonly used:
- Chlorpyrifos;
- Cypermethrin;
- Fipronil;
- Hydromethylnon;
- Deltamethrin and others.
The content of poisons in cockroach repellents is from 0.1 to 0.5% - this is several times more than what a cockroach needs, but is practically imperceptible to humans.
Poisons - contact action, entering the body of a cockroach stop the flow of impulses through the nervous system, paralyzing the insect.
There are professional pest control products on the market that contain high concentrations of insecticide. To work with them you need:
- special equipment;
- protective equipment;
- vocational training;
- permits to work with toxic substances.
These products are toxic and require the removal of people from the premises during treatment, but are effective in cases of severe infestation.
Expert advice
Expert opinion, Evgeniy Igorevich Bragin, entomologist, 19 years of scientific experience.
- when choosing self-prepared remedies for cockroaches in an apartment, the most effective at home is a mixture of flour and alabaster, while the building mixture will become a stone when the insect tries it;
- their chemical preparations are a super-drug - a smoke bomb, toxic substances will fill all the cracks;
- do not combine products of the same type and preparations containing the same components, as this will increase the risk of developing resistance in insects.
Smoke gets into all the cracks
Sources
- https://vsvoemdome.ru/dom/sredstva-ot-tarakanov-v-kvartire
- https://WikiParazit.ru/tarakany/bezopasnye-sredstva-ot-tarakanov.html
- https://adella.ru/home/cleaning/luchshee-sredstvo-ot-tarakanov.html
- https://ExpertVybor.ru/luchshee-sredstvo-ot-tarakanov-2020-goda-obzor-10-luchshih-preparatov/
- https://yanashla.com/luchshie-sredstva-ot-tarakanov/
- https://vyboroved.ru/reyting/luchshie-sredstva-ot-tarakanov
- https://BezNasekomyh.ru/tarakany/sredstva-ot-tarakanov/samoe-effektivnoe-sredstvo-ot-tarakanov-v-kvartire
- https://misterklop.ru/tarakany/rejting-top-40-luchshih-i-effektivnyh-sredstv-ot-tarakanov-primenenie-v-domashnih-usloviyah-v-kvartirah-i-chastnyh-domah
What to use if there are allergy sufferers and children in the apartment?
If people prone to allergies, small children or old people live in the apartment, sprayed preparations or powders are excluded. It is possible to use gels or traps that do not release the toxic substance into the space - in these forms it is bound by a fat-containing base.
The gels additionally contain stabilizing substances, food bait for animals and a bitter additive that prevents children or animals from eating the poison.
Folk remedies that are not addictive help well - boric acid, borax, essential oils. When choosing oils, you need to take into account their tolerance to people and pets living in the house.
Expert opinion
- Modern drugs cannot be completely harmless for animals, but if we compare their different forms, I would say that the gel is best to use: it is easy to hide, such drugs have no odor, and contain both an attractant for cockroaches and a repellent substance animals;
- after applying the concentrate, a layer of insecticide remains on surfaces for a long time. If there are animals at home, you need to transport them to relatives or friends for the next 2 weeks, and when performing general cleaning, the effectiveness of the treatment will decrease, the cockroaches will not die, but this measure will protect the cats;
- To improve the results of disinfestation if pets live at home, I recommend combining the most harmless preparations: gel, powder, chalk, trap.
Brief description of the main forms of insecticide release
Modern home use products are manufactured to be of low toxicity to humans due to the low use of insecticides or a combination of insecticides.
A modern city dweller suffers from living in an aggressive urban environment, which is reflected in a large number of allergy sufferers (according to statistics in Moscow - every fifth).
The use of protection against cockroaches, which will release toxic substances into the air even in minimal concentrations, will aggravate the disease. This is especially true for products made in China, where the main active ingredient and its concentration are not indicated.
Based on their effects on humans, products can be divided into:
- dangerous, releasing a toxic substance into the air or leaving it on surfaces;
- non-hazardous, do not come into contact with humans and pets.
The first group includes all professional products, solutions, powders. In the second - gels, traps, ultrasonic repellers, aerosols.
Aerosol
Aerosols are most often used in apartments to kill all types of insects, including cockroaches. Modern aerosols (sprays) create a stream of toxic substances, which is directed to places where insects are crowded.
Sometimes the aerosol contains a combination of several toxic substances and a fragrance, which neutralizes a specific odor, but does not eliminate it completely. Smell can be another factor that can trigger an allergy attack.
Despite all the assurances from manufacturers that modern spray products are not dangerous, no one can predict the reaction of a small child or allergy sufferer to it. They can be considered relatively safe and should:
- read the instructions for the drug;
- use personal protective equipment when processing premises;
- remove residents from the apartment for 24 hours before spraying;
- ventilate the room for several hours after disinfestation;
- thoroughly wash all surfaces with water adding detergent and ammonia;
- Keep the remaining product out of the reach of children.
If small children with allergies, asthma, or elderly people live in the house, aerosols should be limited or not used at all.
Cat and cockroaches
Almost every home has pets, and more than once people have asked the questions “How does my cat get along with cockroaches?”, “Are cockroaches dangerous for cats?”, “Do cats eat cockroaches?”
Felines are hunters, so they can eat flies, bugs and cockroaches. For this reason, in ancient times, cats began to be allowed into their homes; they rid the house of rats, mice and harmful insects.
The big problem is that neighbors can poison mustachioed pests with toxic substances; in order to escape death, they can run into your house. And your pet will want to feast on a new victim, but a poisoned cockroach can have a detrimental effect on your cat. Therefore, experts recommend warning all neighbors about insect poisoning before disinfecting the premises.
What to do if a cat ate a poisoned cockroach?
- Run to the veterinary clinic to have your pet's stomach cleaned.
If it is not possible to contact a veterinarian, you should rinse the stomach yourself:
- Dilute a small ball of entorosgel in water and feed the solution to the cat through a syringe.
- Grind half a tablet of white coal with water and give it to the animal.
- It is not recommended to feed your pet for 8-10 hours, just give it water.
- Dilute smecta with water, as written in the instructions, and give the cat through a syringe in small doses.
- Activated carbon at the rate of one tablet per 10 kg. A piece of tablet must be mixed with a small amount of water and administered through a syringe into the animal’s oral cavity.
- Give a solution of potassium permanganate.
Gel
Gels are semi-liquid, long-acting products that can maintain their effect for up to 12 months. There are products from domestic, European and Chinese manufacturers on the market. They all have approximately the same composition:
- fat base;
- stabilizer and preservative;
- food bait (attractant);
- a toxic substance (or several) in minimal concentration;
- fragrance (flavor);
- a bitter additive that prevents a child or animal from swallowing the gel.
The product is not as effective as an aerosol, but it will be an excellent tool for killing cockroaches that survived the aerosol or hatched from remaining eggs.
The gels are not dangerous for children or pets, since they do not release poison into the environment and do not come into contact with humans when applied correctly.
To ensure safe use of the products, you should:
- apply the product with gloves;
- openly use only in places inaccessible to children and animals;
- if necessary, apply to pieces of paper, which are laid out at night in areas where cockroaches move, and removed during the day;
- The tube with the remaining product is hidden in places inaccessible to children.
Following the manufacturer's instructions will ensure safe use of the products.
Powder, chalk from cockroaches
Powders (dusts) and crayons against cockroaches are less commonly used products. A well-known product often used in everyday life is Mashenka chalk; there are similar products made in China on sale.
Consumers are attracted by the ease of use of the product, but if stored carelessly, it poses a serious danger to children who confuse it with regular drawing chalk.
Powders are used for:
- preparing solutions for spraying in places where insects accumulate;
- scattering powder along the route of cockroaches to water or food.
To do this, it is most convenient to use a paper backing, onto which dust is poured and installed in the right places. Openly spilled product is dangerous due to direct contact with children and animals - it does not have an additive, like a gel.
Substances must be stored very carefully and not used in rooms and apartments where children and animals live.
Precautionary measures
- Store at a temperature not exceeding +15 C in a dark place.
- Apply the gel with gloves and a respirator or gauze bandage. Fipronil may cause allergies.
- It is not recommended to talk during application. Since fipronil can enter the respiratory tract. That's not fatal. However, fipronil can cause pain in the lungs for several hours.
- Do not apply the gel if you have asthma or acute bronchitis.
- Apply the gel only to a dry surface.
Traditional methods as the safest
There are many folk methods for safe and effective control of cockroaches, which use the properties of foods, plants and some simple remedies. The most famous and effective:
- boric acid;
- borax;
- soda;
- essential oils of laurel, menthol, eucalyptus;
- ammonia and vinegar;
- dry stems and leaves of tansy, wormwood, black elderberry.
These tools are used as:
- poisonous substance in the bait (boric acid in the composition of balls with yolk, potatoes);
- repellent (essential oils and herbs, ammonia, bay leaf).
Folk remedies do not have a toxic effect on a person - even if he mistakenly eats a ball of boric acid, the maximum consequence will be an upset stomach.
The use of folk remedies does not have a quick and total effect, but in combination with absolute cleanliness in the room it brings excellent results without a toxic effect on humans.
Ultrasound
Ultrasonic devices have recently appeared on the market, according to the manufacturer’s advertising, which repel cockroaches (similar to flying insects).
Despite the constant demand for these devices, experts are skeptical - these devices cannot affect cockroaches, since they are not sensitive to ultrasound, and their sale is tantamount to deceiving the buyer.
The same energy fields can affect a cockroach as a person. Using magnetic resonance fields of the right strength will kill both the insect and the person.
DIY traps
Traps are used to control cockroaches. They can be industrially produced - products from famous brands Raid, Kombat, Raptor go on sale.
Trap #1
The simplest traps, no less effective, can be made independently. The simplest is a board or plywood on which a layer of slow-drying glue is applied. A bait is placed in the center - a piece of bread sprinkled with sugar syrup. Insects that set their sights on the bait become glued and die.
Trap #2
For the second elementary trap you need a half-liter jar with a wide neck. Bait is placed inside - bread, a little beer, a piece of yolk. The neck of the jar is coated with a layer of butter or vegetable oil.
The trap is installed in places inhabited by insects; a flat stick (ice cream) is leaned against the side of the jar so that the cockroach can climb inside. The insect will not be able to get back out because of the layer of oil on the neck.
From time to time the traps are emptied and replaced, using new food all the time.
Methods of disposal
For a comfortable life, cockroaches need water, food and warmth. These are the factors worth influencing.
First of all, limit access to food: cover the trash can, sweep and remove all crumbs from the table and floor, and store all edibles in an airtight container.
Next, you need to block the paths to the liquid: wipe all puddles and condensation from the pipes, eliminate leaks, close the drain holes.
However, it is unlikely to be limited to such methods, and one cannot do without toxic substances and repellents. Here you can use purchased products or turn to folk experience.
One of the proven products that can be easily purchased in a store or online is the GEKTOR bait gel. She looks like this:
If the number of unpleasant neighbors exceeds reasonable limits or none of the methods help eliminate them, then it is better to contact a special organization. Disinfectors will treat your home with a professional poison and, with a high degree of probability, will save you from trouble for a very reasonable fee.
Traditional methods
People have been trying to get rid of these parasites for a long time, and therefore an extensive database of recipes has accumulated to solve the problem.
Interesting video on the topic.
Freezing
By removing access to drinking and food, you can deprive the Prussians of warmth in winter. Freezing is used for destruction.
Turn off the heating system, open all windows and doors wide and allow the apartment and everything in it to freeze.
For the creatures to die, the temperature must drop to -10 degrees Celsius and remain this way for at least three hours.
This method is difficult to implement in a city apartment, since individual heating in such rooms is still rare.
In addition, it is difficult to qualitatively reduce the temperature here. Nothing will prevent some of the insects from hiding deeper in the ventilation, hiding in holes on the warm wall, and returning when the procedure is completed.
But in a private home or country house, such an event can be quite effective.
Homemade traps
Help reduce the population. They are placed in places where parasites are concentrated: under the sink, near the trash can, under cabinets, near the ventilation hole. They will have to be checked frequently, freeing them from dead individuals and renewing the bait. These effective methods are recommended.
- Adhesive tape – double-sided tape should be attached to the cardboard. You can drop sweet syrup, jam or honey into the middle to attract barbels.
- Jar with bait - you need to pour beer or something sweet into a half-liter jar, and grease the walls with Vaseline or vegetable oil so that the reptiles do not get out.
- Plastic bottle - you need to cut off the neck of the container, turn it over and insert it into the lower part to form a kind of funnel. The delicacy placed at the bottom will lure gluttons, but they will not be able to crawl back out.
The results will be better if you set several traps at once.
Be sure to remove all edibles! Otherwise, the cockroaches will not covet the treat in the trap.
Poison
There are proven substances that cause longhorned beetles to die when eaten. This is for example:
- boric acid - so that the insects eat the poisonous drug, it is better to make a special “delicacy”. The powder is mixed with boiled egg yolk or potatoes, rolled into balls and laid out along the route of the insects;
You can make a mixture of borax with sugar or vanillin.
- Pyrethrum is pureed chamomile inflorescences. It must be handled in the same way as in the previous method - make poisonous balls.
Conclusion
In the war against cockroaches, all means are good, but not one, even the most powerful, will help if you don’t take out the trash in your apartment for weeks and are too lazy to wash the dishes.
To achieve the goal of an apartment free of cockroaches, it is advisable to combine radical and preventive measures, taking into account the health status and age of those living in the house.
