Got Cockroaches? Repel Those Rascals The Green Organic Way!

Cockroaches enter buildings in a variety of ways. The ubiquitous German cockroach is often introduced in infested grocery bags, beverage cartons, or furniture. Species such as the American, Oriental, and wood cockroach also gain entry through gaps around windows, doors, vents, and utility openings, and in firewood. In multi-unit dwellings such as apartments, cockroaches also travel between units through common walls, ceilings, etc.

Using green options to control cock-roaches instead of chemicals like RAID is better for our bodies and our planet!

Here are a couple easy, natural repellents for cockroaches.

1. Boric Acid

A few insecticides used for cockroach control are applied as dusts or powders. Most familiar to householders are boric acid and diatomaceous earth. For controlling cockroaches, boric acid tends to be more effective. Roaches succumb to boric acid after crawling over treated surfaces. The tiny particles of powder adhere to the insect’s body, and are ingested as the cockroach preens them from its legs and antennae. Boric acid retains its potency almost indefinitely as long as the dust deposit remains dry.

2. Baking Soda

Baking soda is a leavening agent used in baking cakes and can also be use as an effective home cleaning remedy.

It can also kill roaches. Just mix one part baking soda with one part of sugar. The sugar attracts the roaches and the baking soda kills them. Place the mixture in small bowls or jar lids or sprinkle it in corners and baseboards.

Quick Tip For Roach Control:

I am not a fan of killing any living thing. However, if you must, squirting the roach with rubbing alcohol will kill it almost instantly.

How To Prevent Cockroaches from Coming Back

Relying only on natural insecticides is not the solution to a cockroach infestation in your home. Roaches love warm, humid places where they can find food and breed. And prevention is key to ensure roaches stay away for good. Here are tips to prevent them from coming back to your home:

• Keep your house clean. Clean the dishes straight away after meals and clean up spills and crumbs to limit food for cockroaches.
• Sweep the floor and mop it regularly to disrupt scent trails of food.
• Take out the trash regularly and keep the trash bins closed at all times. Cockroaches often lurk in places where they can find food, and our garbage is one of their favourite spots.
• Store food in tightly-sealed containers. This will prevent cockroaches and other insects from contaminating your food.
• Cover all the cracks and crevices around your house. You can use paint or cement to block entry points of insects to your house.
• Cover your windows with mesh screens. Mesh screens keep the insects out while allowing fresh air to come inside your house.
• Cockroaches live in dark, moist environments, so fix any leaky faucets and pipes and make sure there is no damp or rotting wood in your home or business.
• Eliminate all moisture, and periodically check crawlspaces and basements for roaches.