When cockroaches appear in an apartment, you need to pay attention to the areas that are usually their favorite habitat. And oddly enough, such places include household appliances. Here insects feel warm and reliably protected. The equipment is equipped with “stuffing”, but it also has voids where you can reliably hide from the owner’s eyes. How to bring out and destroy red invaders?
Boric acid
I would like to start with one of the most effective folk remedies - boric acid.
Although it has been used to combat cockroaches since the end of the last century, it still remains the most optimal solution among non-specialized options. The uniqueness of boric acid is that cockroaches, which are famous for their vitality, have not been able to adapt to it. To combat cockroaches, boric acid is most often used in powder form, which is mixed with egg yolk. Then, bait balls are formed from the resulting “dough” and placed in the cockroaches’ favorite places. You can also add vanillin to the bait, which will attract insects.
Although boric acid is harmless to humans in small quantities, you should take precautions and wear gloves when working with it. You should also make sure that the balls are kept out of the reach of animals and children.
Ammonia
Another equally effective folk method of fighting cockroaches is ammonia. Unlike boric acid, its task is not to harm the insect, but to scare it away. Cockroaches have an extremely well-developed sense of smell, so when they smell an unpleasant odor, they will try to avoid it.
To combat cockroaches, ammonia is diluted with water based on the proportion: one teaspoon of ammonia per liter of water. The resulting solution is used to treat “approaches” from which uninvited insects can come, for example, a gap under the front door or holes in a plumbing unit. The procedure is carried out every 2-3 days and is repeated until the cockroaches lose interest in your apartment.
Ways to repel insect pests
Cockroaches lived on our planet much earlier than humans and have long learned to adapt to any extreme situations, so they are practically not afraid of anything.
They are able to quickly restore their numbers even under the influence of a significant dose of radiation or potent chemicals.
Cockroaches quickly become accustomed to various types of poisons and toxic substances. If such drugs enter the body of parasites again, it will be expressed in the insect only in the form of a slight malaise.
Further use of these insecticides will be useless, since it will not harm either adult individuals or their future offspring.
How to get rid of cockroaches if they have managed to develop immunity to such chemicals? There are several ways in which it will not be possible to destroy pests, but their life in the apartment will become unbearable.
Exposure to low temperatures
Cockroaches are heat-loving insects, so cold for them is one hundred percent death. Comfortable temperature for red parasites ranges from 28 – 35 C˚. Therefore, to remove insects from the microwave, place it outside, provided that the air temperature is no higher than -1 C˚.
Note that freezing is effective only in winter. To 100% guarantee the death of pests and their offspring, it is necessary to freeze them at -10 C˚ or at lower temperatures. This will only take 2 – 3 hours. If the temperature is higher than -10C˚, then the freezing time must be increased.
Exposure to high temperatures
A good method for getting rid of cockroaches is to expose them to high temperatures. To do this, you can place the microwave in a sunny place outside on a hot summer day. Pests do not do well at temperatures exceeding +50 C˚.
You can turn on the device by setting the required temperature and smoke out the insects. To ensure that the oven completely expels all the parasites, leave it to heat for 30 minutes. At the end of this time, you will see for yourself how the Prussians will rush to escape from the microwave.
But this method can lead to damage to the microwave oven, so use it only in cases of extreme necessity.
Cockroaches are afraid of light
Anyone who has had or has cockroaches at home knows that these insects are afraid of the lights being on. When the switch is clicked, they scatter in different directions at great speed. They are afraid not of the light itself, but of the fact that people will start killing them with the first objects that end up in their hands.
According to another version, Prussians do not like rooms with bright lighting, since the level of humidity in them decreases. And these parasites feel comfortable only in a humid environment.
Freezing
As a “nuclear strike” in the fight against cockroaches, one can consider one of the oldest and most controversial methods - freezing. As you might guess from the name, this method of control involves reducing the temperature in the room to near-zero or negative values. The fact is that cockroaches, like other insects, cannot warm themselves, and therefore are not able to withstand such frosts.
This method is used only in winter. To do this, open the windows and closet doors to allow cold air to reach every crack. However, before you start freezing, you need to turn off the central heating to avoid bursting the pipes. The apartment remains in this form for about 4 hours.
The only problem with this method is that with a high degree of probability it can result in damage to the water supply or household appliances. And if you forget to turn off the heating, then so do the batteries. Therefore, this method should be resorted to only in extreme cases.
Ineffective methods
Among the ways to expel cockroaches from a microwave, there are also absolutely ineffective ones.:
- Household chemicals and fragrant herbs. They use decoctions or infusions made from fragrant herbs or household chemicals with a pungent odor. Prepare a solution, soak cotton pads in it and thoroughly treat the microwave with the product to repel cockroaches. Pests do not like this smell, but only a few die from it. However, this method can be supplemented with insecticidal microwave treatment. Or you can use it for preventive purposes.
- Ultrasonic repellers. Fleeing insects from the cockroach family do not have sensory organs that perceive ultrasound waves. It is not advisable to use such repellers to combat these parasites. Cockroaches in the microwave will not disappear from such devices.
- Magical ways. Some housewives are absolutely sure that you can get rid of cockroaches using a variety of magical rituals. But esotericism has nothing to do with pest control. If you place your hopes on such methods of influence for a long time, the population of cockroaches will fill the entire living space.
To combat running pests, experts recommend combining several products at once . Primary treatment is carried out with instant-acting agents, and then, to consolidate the result, odorless preparations are used that are safe for people and pets, but have a prolonged effect.
Gels
From folk remedies we will smoothly move on to the achievements of modern technologies. One of them is special gels that are applied in the habitats of cockroaches. Having touched such a gel, the cockroach becomes a carrier of the poison, spreading it throughout the colony on its paws. After some time, the gel begins to act and destroys the insect.
Although gels generally do not have an unpleasant odor and do not release toxic substances, they are extremely dangerous for humans and pets. Therefore, they should be applied only in places inaccessible to children and pets, for example, behind a kitchen unit.
Top 3. Raptor
Rating (2021): 4.10
Thanks to fine spraying, the aerosol penetrates into the farthest corners, small crevices and cracks. Well, if a cockroach gets under the stream, then the product knocks it down on the spot. It is also merciless for larvae. One can of standard volume is enough for approximately 60 sq.m. It certainly has a smell, and it is quite noticeable, but not unpleasant. The only thing is that over time, cockroaches get used to the product, and it loses its effectiveness. This can be solved by increasing the concentration of the drug.
Characteristics:
260 rub. / Russia / Aerosol
Crayons
An alternative to gels are specialized crayons, which are used to draw thick lines in places favored by cockroaches, for example, behind furniture. If a cockroach crosses such a line, it will contain an insecticide that will kill the insect in a few hours.
It is recommended to use crayons once every couple of months, remembering to erase old lines first. When working with them, you must follow safety rules and use protective equipment: masks and gloves. Cockroach crayons are also toxic to humans. Therefore, this product should not be used if there are small children or pets in the house.
Preventive measures
Perhaps the best prevention for the appearance of cockroaches in a microwave oven, and throughout the home, is the basic cleanliness of the owners:
- These red-haired parasites are very attracted to moist environments. Therefore, try to avoid high humidity in the premises, make sure that the plumbing does not leak, and do not let water stagnate in the sink, washing machine, dishwasher, or in the bathroom. Be careful when cleaning your cutlery and wipe off the table so that there are no puddles left on it;
- Do not allow any gaps to form, as cockroaches may be attracted to them. There they can settle and breed their numerous offspring;
- Systematically ventilate your home. This helps get rid of cockroaches and improves the well-being of people living in this apartment or house.
Of course, it is not enough that the owner cleaned the microwave oven just once. If you are afraid of cockroaches appearing in it, then you need to constantly keep the microwave clean.
We invite you to watch a video about an effective “trap” for cockroaches that can be used in a microwave oven
Ultrasound generators
One of the latest technologies in the fight against cockroaches is ultrasonic repellers, which make the room unsuitable for insect life. Moreover, in most cases they are completely safe for humans.
Prices for such equipment start from several hundred rubles, but I do not recommend buying the cheapest models. Unfortunately, there are a huge number of fakes on the domestic market, the housing of which does not even contain a source of ultrasonic waves. Therefore, such repellers should be purchased only in trusted stores, after reading reviews about the selected model.
Manufacturers of poison
Which manufacturers of cockroach killers are considered the best?
There are a lot of cockroach removal products on the market in various forms. Among them are those that buyers choose most often.
German brand Global
demonstrates the effectiveness of its paste, which begins to act literally an hour after the insects get to it.
American products Raid Max
Russian buyers like it for its effectiveness and the ability to choose products, from aerosols to traps and other options.
Long-familiar “Mashenka”
retains its popularity due to the low price of the products, however, cockroaches are already resistant to some of the manufacturer’s products, and this is worth taking into account.
Among the modern and safe ultrasonic repellers, we can highlight the Russian brand “Typhoon”
- the manufacturer is constantly working to improve products and offers reliable devices that can cover rooms with an area of 80 square meters. m.
Aerosols
Aerosols are often recommended as an instant remedy for cockroach control. However, their main disadvantage is high toxicity and spread through the air. For this reason, you can only work with aerosols to combat cockroaches while wearing a respirator. At the same time, there should be no pets, children or people without protective equipment in the apartment. After using the aerosol, the room must be thoroughly ventilated and extensive cleaning carried out.
Reasons for appearance
Cockroaches settle in the microwave because in winter it is warm in such equipment and the presence of ubiquitous crumbs also attracts them. If careless owners have a microwave that is constantly dirty and is washed very rarely, food debris and grease accumulate inside the device, then these are optimal conditions for cockroaches.
If it is warm, dark and there is food, then such parasites do not need anything else for normal life and reproduction.
Primitive traps
You probably noticed that almost all of the above methods have restrictions for use in apartments where there are children or animals. For those who have exactly this situation, ordinary glue traps are perfect. Once caught in such a trap, the cockroach will no longer be able to get out.
At the same time, I want to note that we are talking about the simplest traps, which do not contain insecticides or anything else capable of destroying the insect. Of course, such a remedy can hardly be called highly effective. However, planned reduction of the cockroach population works almost flawlessly in the long term.
Note! If you have large black cockroaches, then select traps based on their size. Cockroaches simply cannot get into some of them.
To summarize, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that cockroaches primarily settle in places where there is dampness, food sources, for example, unwashed dishes, and many hidden places. Therefore, before you run to the store for one of the above products, do a thorough cleaning of your house and get rid of the excess. It is quite possible that this will be enough.
How to get rid of cockroaches in an apartment forever
The most important way to remove cockroaches is baiting. Destroying a colony that has started in your apartment will not be so difficult. However, the matter does not end there. So how to effectively remove cockroaches from an apartment?
The first steps are sanitation techniques and ways to prevent new uninvited guests. To make your home unattractive to nasty guests, follow these sanitary rules:
- Eat food only in the kitchen. Crumbs and small particles of food remain in the rooms, inviting the Prussians to settle outside the kitchen space. Even if you eat very carefully, but in the living room, be mentally prepared that soon the barbels will look at you at the sound of the TV;
- It is also necessary to store all edibles strictly in the kitchen;
- Clean the floor with a vacuum cleaner and a damp cloth as often as possible, and also regularly wipe tables, surfaces and hard-to-reach places where food particles could get into - the joints of cabinets and household appliances, drawer doors, shelves. Place all food supplies in containers with tight-fitting lids and trash in sealed bins and bags.
- Immediately after eating, clean up and wash the dishes - cockroaches love to feast on leftover food in dirty plates;
- Put all plumbing fixtures in order - stagnant water, dampness and stench are an excellent environment for the life of mustachioed comrades. Make sure that there are no sources of moisture anywhere, ventilate and dry even the bathroom after taking a shower, so as not to leave a single corner pleasant for cockroaches, remember - they love moisture!
Important! Be sure to check every centimeter of the apartment space for cracks! They can be around water pipes, gas lines or pipelines, as well as wires leading into your home from the outside. New homes often have holes under the baseboards.
The holes must be sealed so that not a single cockroach, even the tiniest one, can get into your house, because if you eradicate them in your home, but allow the neighbors to come running, the persecution will simply be pointless.
Disinsection, which needs to be carried out in the house after you have taken all measures to eliminate the factors that attract cockroaches, can take place in a wide variety of forms. But it is necessary to carry it out in order to save yourself and your loved ones from possible allergies and poisonings that these seemingly harmless insects contribute to.
