How to get rid of cockroaches yourself: without stress and special expenses

Cockroaches can poison the life of every person - even those with a stable psyche and good health. These insects are also called champions of adaptation and survival in extreme conditions.

But don't think they are invincible. If you react in time, accurately determine the causes of their appearance and develop an effective comprehensive control strategy, they will not have any chance. Another trump card for you is that after reading this material you will know the enemy by sight. This will help you find the cockroach's Achilles heel.

Do you have any doubts whether to fight the cockroaches or wait until they go away on their own? Perhaps these numbers will open your eyes:

• cockroaches can hold their breath for 40 minutes;
• live quietly without food for a month, without water - 7 days;
• release methane gases into the atmosphere every 15 minutes;
• insect movement speed - 4-8 km/h;
• a cockroach can live more than 6-9 days without a head;
• the average life expectancy is 12-15 months;
• 2 entrances are affected by cockroaches in 30 days.

But we’ll tell you below how to kill cockroaches without harming yourself, as well as what to do to prevent them from coming back again.

Paths of attack and habitats of cockroaches

Two friends meet:

- Why are you so sad, Vasya?

- Yes, yesterday my cockroaches declared war on their neighbors.

- You should be so happy. At least they will destroy each other.

- Rejoice, you say? Mine won and brought 10,000 prisoners.

Jokes aside, but this is often what happens. Your neighbors’ apartment is the main source of annoying and voracious insects. There are several reasons for the seizure of new territories:

1. Too large a colony and not enough space.
2. Limited amount of food, search for new supplies.
3. Pest control of neighbors, cockroaches fleeing.

Danger to humans

Moving through basements, garbage cans, and sewers, insects collect harmful bacteria on their bodies and legs. And the harm caused by cockroaches to human health is called blattopterosis by scientists:

• mustachioed pests can be carriers of dysentery, gastroenteritis, urogenital infection, salmonellosis, and typhoid fever;
• the digestive system of the black cockroach contains carcinogenic bacteria that cause the development of cancer cells in the human body;
• cockroaches in schools, kindergartens, hospitals, sanatoriums are a guaranteed infection for both adults and children;
• contact with insect waste products often causes an allergic reaction in the body (dermatitis, conjunctivitis, bronchial asthma).

Cockroaches also damage household appliances - washing machines and dishwashers. Most often they affect the electronic module, clog filters, drains, and hoses.

IMPORTANT! A thousand cockroaches can infect and damage 10 kg of food in a year. In practice, cases have been recorded when they, out of hunger, bit sleeping people on the fingers and toes, and the epithelium of the lips. They can also crawl into a person’s ear, mouth or nose. It's better not to take risks!

What causes cockroaches in the first place?

There is an opinion that cockroaches and all sorts of marginalized people. But how did they appear in your clean and newly renovated apartment?

There are several ways. Most often, residents of high-rise buildings do not know who lives next door to them. Perhaps the person in the next apartment cannot get out of bed due to illness, not to mention cleaning and fighting insects. In the future, if such an apartment is not cleaned, cockroaches will begin to invade new territories. They will reach their neighbors through the ventilation system, windows, entrance doors, and even through cracks in slabs and between baseboards.

It is better to work with the whole house to find the source of the spread of insects. Ideally, you need to treat all apartments at the same time so that cockroaches have nowhere to run.

If cockroaches are running into apartments from the basement, garbage chute or entrance, it is best to contact the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station. The city service must treat common areas free of charge. But there is a possibility that cockroaches will scatter to apartments in search of shelter. Therefore, carry out your treatment of the apartment together with the SES.

One more important note.

Do not leave food, crumbs, or open food packages on the counter. Do not place wet dishes on the drying rack; dry them with a towel after washing. Also wipe the sink dry after use. This way you will deprive cockroaches of access to food and water and they will have no reason to stay in your home.

An integrated approach to the destruction of cockroaches

Before you get rid of cockroaches once and for all, you need to understand one simple thing: they adapt to the harshest living conditions - even the lethal dose of radiation for these insects is 6-15 times higher than that of humans. New populations are constantly emerging that are capable of consuming chemical poisons and insecticides without the slightest risk to life.

But this does not mean that it is impossible to cope with them. The main thing is to approach the issue comprehensively. Actions must be centralized, coordinated and simultaneous. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages:

• physical extermination takes a long time, and it is not effective enough, because it is difficult to detect and destroy all deposits of eggs and individuals at different stages of development;
• chemicals are effective, but not always safe for apartment residents, especially pregnant women, children, and pets;
• exposure to cold is relevant only if the air temperature in the room reaches -10 ° C and lasts for a long time (this technology creates increased discomfort for humans);
• burning at a temperature of more than 50 ° C is a method that allows you to get rid of cockroaches almost 100%, but it is not applicable in every case;
• using ready-made and self-made traps requires patience; they are completely harmless to eggs and ineffective against larvae;
• folk remedies do not destroy, but repel insects and serve as a preventive method.

ATTENTION! Even professional baiting will disappoint you if you don't mop up water, keep kitchen surfaces clean, hide food, throw out trash promptly, check animal feeders, clean cupboards, and wash clothes at 90°C.

What should you pay attention to when choosing?

We know a lot about cockroaches.
For example, the theory that after a nuclear war these insects are the only ones who will survive. Or their ability to live without a head for several days. The popular opinion has become stronger that cockroaches are sort of “terminators” among insects, difficult to kill, scary and hardy. Let's be honest, the appearance of such a “guest” at home will certainly not please any owner. Fortunately, civilization has given us several effective types of weapons against mustachioed parasites. There are many varieties: traps, gels, sprays, aerosols, crayons and powders. Today we will tell you about some of the best and most effective remedies that can end your war with cockroaches and prevent new ones. And we’ll help you choose, of course. Photos of all drugs mentioned are attached to the article. What should you pay attention to when choosing cockroach repellents?

1. Purpose of funds . You should make sure that the product you purchase kills this particular type of insect. Fortunately, many manufacturers put pictures of cockroaches directly on the front of the pack, so there shouldn't be any problems.
2. Compound . Read carefully what is written on the back of the product. Some people are intolerant to certain substances. It would be a shame if you buy a cockroach repellent and it ends up harming you.
3. Toxicity . Most insect repellents have a strong and unpleasant odor. But in the case of cockroach repellents, there are traps and crayons that smell almost nothing.
4. Desired duration of effect.

Proper preparation is the key to success

We decided to illustrate the importance of proper preparation for fighting cockroaches with the words of the outstanding Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw. At one time he said:

“People always blame circumstances. I don't believe in circumstances. In this world, only those who seek the conditions they need succeed and, if they don’t find them, create them themselves.”

Stop being afraid of cockroaches, create optimal conditions for their elimination on your own or with the help of professionals, and tomorrow you will sleep peacefully. Preparing one room will take no more than an hour, but the effectiveness of disinfestation will increase significantly.

Before poisoning cockroaches, follow these steps:

1. Thoroughly wash all accessible horizontal and vertical surfaces, furniture and hard-to-reach areas to prevent chemicals from being sprayed onto dirt and dust.
2. Seal cracks, joints, and holes through which insects can escape and return after a couple of days.
3. Move the furniture away from the walls at least 10-15 cm, dismantle and remove those items that are possible, roll up the carpets, remove switches and sockets, glue the joints of the wallpaper.
4. Seal the ventilation holes with fine mesh and check that the material does not peel off.
5. Temporarily close all drains that come from the toilet, sink, bathtub, or shower stall.
6. Hide dishes, clothes, bedding, and personal hygiene products in special plastic bags (you can use vacuum bags).

DO NOT FORGET! You need to take your pets outside, clean the aquarium with fish, go for a walk on time with your children, or better yet, stay with friends or relatives for the night. Even the safest chemicals used for pest control can cause nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.

How to get rid of cockroaches yourself?

Choosing chemicals

To the question: “How to get rid of cockroaches on your own?” , there is a standard answer: “With a properly selected chemical.” Modern manufacturers do not skimp on the variety of products - everything is on sale, from classics to new products. Common options are aerosols, gels, crayons, pencils, powders, tablets.

Aerosols

They work on the principle: buy - spray - forget. Aerosols are sold ready-made and are very effective. They work in case of large insect infestations and have a high speed of action. Some types, for example, "Dichlorvos", have a pungent odor, so it is better not to be in the room after treatment

Gels

They can be applied to any surfaces and materials and, if necessary, can be easily removed without leaving any traces. They are safe even for children. The optimal technology for use is squeezing out small drops every 10-15 cm. The product does not affect eggs or cockroaches that are securely hidden.

Crayons and pencils

Each crayon or crayon is easy to use and costs pennies. An example of a remedy is the famous “Mashenka”, which has been used in the post-Soviet countries for many years. Disadvantages include: the inability to process large areas, the need for repeated application, marks on furniture.

Powders and tablets

The principle of operation is the same as that of crayons, but instead of creative drawing you will find yourself simply pouring powder on the floor or placing tablets in a cabinet. The substances are harmless to humans, so there is no need to worry that someone will get poisoned. If there is a large concentration of insects, tablets and powders will not help, but in other cases they will work if updated in a timely manner.

Which one should you choose in the end?

Seeing all this variety, the obvious question arises - what to choose in the end? There are several factors to consider:

• budget. The difference between effective expensive products and cheap analogues can reach 1000 rubles, and sometimes one package may not be enough;
• living conditions. If you have cats, dogs, or small children at home, it is better to choose a product that they cannot come into contact with. That is, for example, scattering powder all over the floor is not the best solution;
• time of action. Some products are so toxic that you will have to leave the house for a while and then use a mop. But quickly. If this is not an option, you will have to use long-lasting products.

Thus, if you need to quickly and harshly deal with cockroaches, you should choose professional preparations used by SES services - Combat, “Delicia” (aerosols), “Raptor” (gel), “Clean House”, “Tsifoks” (powder). With a modest budget, you can purchase the “Clean House” line and use it comprehensively.

If time is of the essence, it is better to use “Fas” or “Raptor” in the form of gels, plus additionally wash the floors with “Averfos”, it is already sold as a diluted liquid in canisters. If gels are not an option, you can look at Tarol Volkova. Although it needs time to warm up, there should be no cockroaches left within a week.

As a preventive measure, it is worth using long-lasting products - crayons, powders and traps. Gels are impractical - they fizzle out quickly.

Interesting. For environmentalists, there are also folk remedies, such as one teaspoon of vinegar, 0.5 water and 3-5 drops of essential oil. Everything is mixed and added to a spray bottle or humidifier. Thus, the apartment is completely ozonized, without harm to humans. But the result is low.

Cockroaches have lived hand in hand with people for thousands of years. During this time, many ways and means of combating them were invented. Although Prussians are tenacious, it has been found that insecticides pose a real danger to them. Therefore, when buying poison, you need to pay attention to the composition. If fipronil and chlorpyrifos are not in the first positions, most likely the drug will not be effective. Each of the above drugs has received hundreds of rave reviews, and you need to choose based on convenience and budget.

Do “grandmother’s” methods help?

There are situations when the owner of an apartment or private house says to himself: “I can cope with cockroaches without chemicals!” His choice falls on folk remedies, of which there are quite a lot, but are they effective? Let's figure it out.

Application of plaster or alabaster

Mix alabaster or gypsum with bread crumbs, porridge, sugar, flour and place it in places where there is the highest concentration of cockroaches.

The point is that the insect eats minerals, they harden inside the body and cause death. The technology is inexpensive and very effective.

Using baking soda

Combine baking soda and sugar in equal proportions, diluting with water. You can place it on the floor, in cabinets, near sewers.

Once in the stomach, soda will cause bubbles to form, and the cockroach’s well-being will worsen. It can even be fatal for the insect.

Kerosene, vinegar, ammonia

Kerosene, like turpentine, is a toxic flammable petroleum product that must be handled with care. It is enough to spill liquid under the sink to reduce the cockroach population several times.

It is recommended to treat corners, baseboards, and ventilation grilles with vinegar. This will not kill, but will only repel insects. To enhance the effect, table vinegar can be mixed with red pepper.

A few drops of ammonia should be diluted in a bucket of water and periodically washed with this liquid the floors and kitchen surfaces. The minimum amount of application is 2 times.

Pyrethrum powder

This is a natural antiparasitic drug obtained from wild chamomile flowers. There are several forms of use: dry spraying, spraying with prepared liquid.

The advantages include safety for humans, high efficiency, decay in light within 1-2 days, and the absence of an addictive effect in insects.

Herbs for cockroaches

The most effective herbs are wormwood, chamomile, bay leaf, wild rosemary. They are used both live and dried. It is enough to place it in the corners, under the table, on the windowsill so that the cockroaches leave the apartment.

You can set fire to a separate branch and fumigate the room with smoke. The process releases essential oils that are unpleasant to mustachioed neighbors.

Special scents

Before poisoning cockroaches with chemicals, try to get by with little damage - use those plants whose smell insects cannot tolerate.

These are lemon, cucumber, geranium, eucalyptus, bay leaf, mint, cedar cones, elderberry, tea tree, tansy. You can choose essential oils.

IMPORTANT! Odors do not destroy, but only repel insects. They prevent the spread and become a kind of barrier to the re-entry of cockroaches from neighbors.

Professional remedies for cockroaches: rating of the best drugs

It’s worth mentioning right away that insecticides on the market are predominantly “soft” preparations of contact-intestinal action. Household poisons belong to hazard class 3-4 (moderately dangerous and low-hazardous). Only professional SES services can use potent agents of hazard class 1 and 2, after conducting a thorough analysis of the contaminated premises and taking protective measures.

The best remedies for cockroaches in an apartment or house, which can be used in independent control, were selected based on reviews from experts and consumers.

Will professionals help get rid of cockroaches forever?

If getting rid of cockroaches using folk remedies gives a result of 50% or more, then professional treatment of houses and apartments with hot or cold fog is a guarantee that the insects will disappear forever as a matter of urgency. The effectiveness of the method is 99-100%.

Hot fog treatment

The fog generator is filled with a special disinfectant solution, which is sprayed around the room after heating to a temperature of 90 °C. When leaving the steam generator, the substance is divided into small particles up to 10 microns in size. The minimum weight allows them to stay in the air for up to 10 hours. They fill absolutely all the cracks and voids.

The advantages of this technology include:

• instant death of insects upon contact with a toxic film;
• elimination of not only adults and larvae, but also eggs;
• safety for humans and pets;
• no dirt on furniture and walls.

Hot fog is chosen for successful battle with cockroaches in cases of increased infestation or large areas (warehouses, factories, public catering, etc.). After completing the procedure, it is advisable not to stay in the room for 2-3 days.

Cold fog treatment

This is a spray of a cockroach killer that does not heat up but remains at room temperature. The size of microparticles in this case reaches 80 microns, and this allows them to remain in the air for up to 3 hours. The insecticidal cloud descends gradually, filling the entire space, including cracks, cabinets, and ventilation.

The benefits of cold fog are as follows:

• slight addiction of insects to the active substance;
• harmlessness of the poison in relation to the human body and domestic animal;
• no pungent odor - normal ventilation is sufficient to return to the apartment;
• the effect of cold fog is 99%, the work guarantee is 12 months.

In cases where it is not possible to leave home for a long period of time, many people order this technology. For apartments and small indoor spaces, even without a forced ventilation system, this is an ideal option.

What to do after treating the room?

Regular and general cleaning

Do not rush to do a general cleaning immediately after the pest control service has left. Depending on what you or called specialists decide to poison the cockroaches with, the cleaning requirements change. The optimal period is no earlier than 5 days. But this does not mean that the rooms do not need to be ventilated, and the kitchen table, sink, window sills, and door handles do not require at least minimal wet cleaning.

Those who have repeatedly encountered the disinfestation of cockroaches and other equally pleasant insects give the following recommendations for routine and general cleaning in the kitchen, bathroom, pantry, and room:

• the best detergent option is alkali, but without additives that scratch surfaces;
• curtains, towels, capes, and other textiles require washing at the highest possible temperature;
• It is advisable to wash the floors in such a way that the remaining poison is not washed off (this way you will be on the safe side and create the effect of a long-term effect on cockroaches);
• carpets, rugs, regular bedding and even the bed on which the pet sleeps must be vacuumed or knocked out;
• Pack all garbage generated during cleaning into plastic garbage bags and take it outside the house or apartment.

The need for repeated disinfestation

Didn't manage to get rid of cockroaches forever on your first try? No problem! Repeated disinsection will save the situation. The technology for treating premises in this case is the same, but the result will be higher for the simple reason that all the shortcomings of the first treatment will be taken into account and all risk factors will be worked out.

Why are cockroaches coming back? The answers to these questions are quite simple and, to some extent, even banal:

• poisoned, but not completely poisoned - larvae, single individuals, clutches with eggs remained;
• poisoned, but not with what was needed - the right choice of means is considered half the success;
• poisoned, but not effectively - cockroaches have become accustomed to a specific poison, and it no longer affects them;
• poisoned, but forgot about their neighbors - the insects returned from temporary exile in a matter of days.

Important preventive measures

To avoid thinking about how to exterminate cockroaches again, follow these simple prevention tips:

1. Carry out a comprehensive wet cleaning every 2-3 days. Make sure that dust and debris do not accumulate.
2. Seal all existing gaps, cracks, joints, and places where utility lines enter the apartment.
3. Cover the ventilation holes with a fine mesh so that neither a cockroach nor a bedbug can get through.
4. Eat only in specially designated areas, do not spread food to all rooms.
5. Try to always throw garbage out of the trash can at night, even if the weather outside is bad.
6. Instantly fix leaks in faucets, water and sewer pipes, and heating radiators.
7. Tightly cap pet food. This is especially true if you are used to buying large bags of treats.
8. Grow at home or just keep some mint, eucalyptus, tea tree, anise, tansy and other plants we talked about above.
9. Water the flowers in the first half of the day so that the soil dries out before night and does not serve as a source of water for cockroaches.
10. Monitor the cleanliness of cabinets and the condition of rubber seals in refrigerators and electrical appliances.

Congratulations, you've won!

Friends, look at the photo below.

Have you looked? Now imagine that such a post-apocalyptic plot is unfolding right now behind your wall - among your neighbors. And even if you have 200% defeated the cockroaches, they may come again one fine night. Don't let this happen. Maintain cleanliness and at least sometimes implement basic preventive measures. This is the main condition.

And may the force be with you!

Best gel bait: cockroaches, you don't stand a chance!

Advion Cockroach Gel Bait, 4-syringes – Best Roach Killer

Here is the most popular cockroach product on Amazon.com. Advion Gel Bait costs ~$20 dollars, the product is proven over years of use, and customers trust it. This is the #1 best seller in the Pest Control Baits category. Its rating is 4.5 out of 5 stars - with more than 9,000 user reviews. No competitor's product even comes close to Advion's popularity.

The active ingredient in the bait is 0.6% indoxacarb, which attracts and then kills cockroaches. When purchasing, remember that this chemical has a limited shelf life of 2 years from the date of manufacture. However, if you have a real pest problem, the product won't sit on the shelf that long.

The manufacturer recommends leaving 0.5 gram doses of gel 10 feet apart. The product is economical: 3-5 such doses will be enough even for the most insect-infested house, and only 1-3 drops of this gel will be needed to kill a small population . This poison destroys a dozen different types of harmful insects, including the most common types of cockroaches.

91% of customers say this product is effective; Therefore, Advion can be safely called the best cockroach killer. Consumers also state that for complete control of these barbels, it is enough to use the gel 3-4 times a year. Most insects die within a week. It is also mentioned that this gel should be placed in areas out of the reach of pets and small children. Never leave drops near food!

User Toomuchstuff shares his way to best use the product: “I didn't apply it the way the manufacturer recommended. I don't like leaving poison on the surfaces of anything. I took plastic bottle caps and container lids and squeezed Advion into them. I placed all these things where I saw cockroaches the day before. After about a week I noticed that there were fewer of them. I threw out the old caps and replaced them with new ones (with bait again). I did this weekly for about two months – it worked.”

Price: ~$20 Check current price

Actually, we can finish our review here. Advion Gel Bait has left all its competitors in the dust and is the best-selling cockroach elimination product today.

We have also used Advion and join the 91% of users who consider it the most effective pest killer. We have cleared the house of this evil spirits and recommend that you follow our example! But, nevertheless, we will continue our review, since we promised to talk about all the products for controlling Prussians.

12 Dupont Advion Cockroach German Roach Pest Control Bait Stations Used By All The Pros!

This is still the same Advion Gel, packaged in small plastic containers. Users confirm that this is an excellent solution to the problem if there are children and pets in the house - they will not be able to get to the poison. True, there are cases where dogs somehow swallowed these traps, and children played with them like toys - but this is a question for adults who do not monitor vulnerable members of their family. Despite this, the buyer rating for this product is high, and the price is more than affordable: only ~$11.60.

The range of gels available in the insecticide market is very extensive. Advion has half a dozen rivals that are very similar, with the only differences being the chemistry and price. Below we take a look at other popular products available in the market.

Price: ~$11.60 Check current price

Combat Max Roach Killing Gel, 60 Grams (2-pack)

Combat Gel costs ~$19.89 (2 pieces); The rating is 4.3 out of 5 stars. For such a quantity of gel the price is very affordable. The principle of use is the same, the bait needs to be replaced once a month. Many users were disappointed by the instant drying of the gel, because... They thought that after drying the poison became useless. But experienced cockroach fighters claim that the gel works even in a dry state, the main thing is to use it before the expiration date.

Price: ~$19.89 (2 pieces) Check current price

Invict Gold Cockroach German Roach Control Gel Bait 4 tubes w/ plunger (35 grams per tube)

Another gel product. It also comes with 4 syringes of 35g gel. each, and the entire set costs ~$23.83. In appearance, Invict Gel is very similar to Advion. But keep in mind an important nuance: unlike Advion, this gel is aimed at killing only cockroaches. The active ingredient – ​​2.15% imidacloprid – is responsible for their elimination.

Both the manufacturer and buyers warn that it is very important to thoroughly study the instructions before use. As a result, 88% of buyers are satisfied with the performance of the poison and find Invict useful.

Price: ~$23.83 Check current price