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Do you know what the number one question was we were asked this summer? How to get rid of roaches!
Each summer, our homemade ant spray recipe gets really popular. People want a safe way to get rid of all those ants that linger in their kitchen or around doors.
I just used a bunch of homemade ant spray because a random trail of ants showed up on my front porch, and I didn’t want Amelia to get in it. I spray the ant spray to safely kill the ants. It was safe for her, safe for the dog, and killed the ants. You can see more of Amelia’s adventures on Instagram 🙂
So many readers have asked what they can do about cockroaches!
To be honest with you, it makes me sick to even think about it. Roaches are one of my biggest “heebie jeebies” lol. You can ask my husband! I scream so loud when I see one! So, I like knowing how to get rid of roaches fast.
These are scientifically based and proven tips to try. Remember, different remedies work for different areas. Always test things and try what works.
Okay, let’s get started!
If you want to know how to get rid of cockroaches with a baby in the house or if you have pets, then you will enjoy these tips. Store-bought sprays are effective, but you probably don’t want your kids and pets getting into it!
These are methods proven to work, and I have used them around my home.
For reference, this is for regular sized roaches, not infestations! If you have a serious problem, please contact a professional!!
Before we start on all of our easy tips for getting rid of roaches, we need to start with the most important issue. Why do you have them?
If you are dealing with roaches outside or around flower beds, it is easy for them to come around sidewalks and doors. This is simple to deal with, and all of our solutions below will help with this! I have never had them inside my house, but I have encountered them near door frames like in the photo below.
Roaches that are INSIDE your home are usually attracted by food, water, and shelter.
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Using our tips will kill the roaches and deter them, but please START here first:
- Make sure you don’t leave food or trash sitting out.
- If you have a leak in a bath tub, sink, or toilet, make sure to address this. Roaches are attracted to moisture.
- Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink or dirty clothes on the floor.
- Keep your home clean. Regular vacuuming, wiping down counters, etc.
Like we mentioned above, PLEASE contact a professional exterminator if you are dealing with an infestation. Home remedies can help, but a professional needs to take care of your situation as soon as possible,
The reason I am starting this post with so many tips about roaches is due to the fact that home remedies are amazing, but might not be the best answer for your situation. On Chemistry Cachet, we want our readers to receive the best, most thorough information. So, we want to make sure you discover the source of problems along with all the methods on getting rid of the issue.
Getting rid of roaches with home remedies works for:
- Occasional roach sightings inside the home
- Around porches
- Inside flower beds
- Door frames
Now let’s check out some of the best scientifically proven ways to get rid of roaches.
How Do You Get Rid of Cockroaches Fast? Use Our Homemade Roach Spray!
The fastest way is to try our homemade spray. Yes, it was made for ants, but I have had dozens and dozens of readers write me saying it worked amazing on roaches around the home.
Here is the recipe, but please visit original post for detailed science and tips.
- 2 cups of vinegar, distilled
- 2 cups of water
- 3 tablespoon blue Dawn dishwashing liquid
- 3 tablespoons table salt
- Spray Bottle
Directions:
- Mix ingredients together, add to a spray bottle.
- Shake well before spraying each time.
To INTENSIFY this solution:
If you have larger roaches to deal with, eliminate the water in the solution above and replace with additional vinegar. This means the solution will contain 4 cups of vinegar, 3 tbsp dawn, 3 tbsp salt. I have used it on small roaches and it kills them instantly.
Borax is beneficial for many insects including roaches! Please note that the borax you buy at the store in the laundry section is not boric acid. Despite many myths out there, borax is safe to use around the home. You can read more myth busting and the science behind borax in this post.
Using borax as an insecticide works if the insect can walk through it. Professionals say that roaches can see borax powder, so it is best to lightly dust areas where they hide. When they walk through the borax, it gets stuck to their legs. While trying to remove it and ingesting it, the borax eventually kills them. It isn’t a matter of if borax kills them, but when. Sodium Borate is scientifially proven to kill insects.
Borax is a long term treatment. If you decide to use this home remedy, continue to dust the areas for a few weeks to a month.
We have had readers ask about using diatomaceous earth for ants. I think this substance is a great natural remedy for killing most insects, but I don’t like using it INSIDE the home. It makes a huge mess and can be harmful to people with breathing issues. You might be wondering if that is true about borax? No, borax is more granulated and not as much as needed. Diatomaceous earth is very powdery and more is needed to kill insects. It is a great option for outside.
The Natural Pesticide Information Center describes diatomaceous earth as a substance made from fossilized remains of aquatic organisms called diatoms. The particles in this substance damage and kill insects. It is also a registered roach killer.
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You can use this by dusting around flower beds and porches to get rid of roaches. Be sure to use gloves and not breathe into the dust.
Different oils can be used to deter insects, but peppermint oil is one of the best ways to deter cockroaches! Essential oils cannot kill roaches, but it will deter them.
I have used peppermint oil as an insect deterrent for years, and it is very helpful.
Mix about 15 drops of peppermint oil with 1 cup of rubbing alcohol. Spray around sinks, door frames, and anywhere else roaches cross to get inside your home. I prefer to mix it with rubbing alcohol, but you can also mix it with vinegar. Rubbing alcohol is safe for all surfaces, so it is always my go to choice.
Cinnamon is one of our favorite methods for keeping insects away. It will deter them from areas, but you will need to reapply it often. For the science behind how cinnamon works as an insecticide, please read our post here.
You can sprinkle cinnamon in flower beds or plants where roaches hide.
Try cinnamon oil for inside the house. Don’t use anything expensive, I just use the Plant Therapy brand. Create a spray like the one we talked about above with peppermint and use the same way.
I have used one of these in my house for 12 years now. My mom bought one for me when we first got married. I never have insect issues inside when I use it! When we rearranged our living room last year, I never plugged mine back in. We started seeing a few bugs here and there all of a sudden. I remembered our device was never plugged back in! It is amazing how well these pulses work to deter insects. A friend of mine uses it for roaches!
The best thing is they are safe for kids, pets, and you don’t have to do anything with it. I highly recommend using these in the house!
I think everyone’s favorite mixture is our all-purpose cleaner from the eBook on page 13. I had a reader the other day tell me she cleaned her entire boat with it and her husband asked how everything was so shiny?
Well, another reader emailed me a few months ago saying he used this all-purpose cleaner to kill roaches! He just sprayed them, and it killed them.
In this post we talk about using it to kill gnats, well it will kill roaches too.
This is an eBook recipe you can check out here. To increase the all-purpose spray for an insecticide, add 15 drops of peppermint oil to it!
Let us know if you try anything!
I love seeing readers enjoying our tips. Feel free to let us know what you enjoyed or tag us on instagram #chemistrycachet and @alexis.roch
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Categories: Recipe
