Cockroaches are disgusting critters that every homeowner would love to eliminate. Most people prefer the use of poisonous baits as it is efficient and kills rapidly.
However, did you know that the toxic roach killers could harm your kids or pets if ingested accidentally?
Below are natural alternatives to the toxic roach baits.
Use bay leaves to keep off roaches from your sink or cupboard permanently
The use of bay leaves is one of the remedies that can help you keep off those roaches in your sink or cabinet without necessarily killing them. This natural remedy has an unpleasant smell that repels cockroaches. You can purchase bay leaves from your nearest grocery store.
To eliminate the cockroaches, get a handful of the bay leaves and crush them into a paste. Place the dough in infested areas like your sink, crevices, your cupboard, and any other infested place.
You may want to replace dry leaves with fresh ones after they lose their potency.
Make a natural bait of sugar and baking soda
Did you know that a simple mixture of sugar and baking soda is powerful enough to kill roaches? According to PestWiki, baking soda reacts with a roach’s stomach acid, subsequently leading to death.
The purpose of sugar in this portion is to attract the roaches to consume the bait.
To prepare the poison, mix one tablespoon of sugar and baking soda. Sprinkle the dry mixture in your cupboard, kitchen sink, cracks, and any other cockroach-infested place. Continue applying the bait till you eliminate all roaches.
Related: 16 Mosquito Trap Ideas That Will Catch 1,000’s of Mosquitos Daily
Boric Acid Kills Roaches As Well As Ants And Other Nuisance Insects Habiting Your Interior
For quite an extended period, people have been using boric acid to eliminate cockroaches, ants, and other unwanted insects. Unlike those hard-to-find natural remedies, Boric acid is readily available in most retail and online stores.
We suggest that you sprinkle it on top of your kitchen table and other cockroach-prone areas. The boric acid will get onto the roach’s antennae and legs.
During grooming, the cockroach will ingest the acid thereby resulting in death. Boric acid may not work when wet. Here is a video to guide you through an alternative way of making a boron acid bait.
Use lemon juice and peels to repel roaches
Lemon is widely used as a cleaning agent and an antibacterial remedy for certain health conditions. Apart from its cleaning role, most people don’t know that lemon juice is also an effective cockroach repellant.
According to e-home remedies, lemon juice’s high acidic smell repels cockroaches.
To prepare this natural remedy for cockroaches, cut four lemon fruits in half and squeeze the juice into a bucket containing half a gallon of water. Afterward, use the mixture to clean your kitchen sink kitchen counter, floor, and all infested areas to keep the roaches off.
Make a potion of garlic, onion, and pepper to deter bugs from your interior
A mixture of garlic+ pepper+ Onion makes a potent potion with an offensive odor that should prevent roaches. You need a clove of garlic, a medium sized onion and a tablespoon of cayenne pepper.
Grate the piece of garlic and onion and add them to a bowl with water. Add the tablespoon of cayenne pepper into the mixture and stir to mix.
Use the mixture to wipe your kitchen cupboard, sink, floor and any other cockroach-infested areas. Besides using the potion to clean surfaces, you can add it into a spray bottle and spray the infested areas.
We suggest that you keep the mixture off your eyes as it can cause irritation.
Use A Pyrethrum Repellant To Get Rid Or Kill Cockroaches An Other Unwanted Insects
It is common knowledge that Pyrethrum is one of the ingredients utilized in some effective insecticides. Pyrethrum is considered an effective cockroach poison because of its unpleasant odor and its poisonous Pyrethrin, a deadly chemical.
A pyrethrum repellant is a good remedy for heavy infestation.
An article posted in Pestsoff.com recommends that you use a handful of fresh or dry pyrethrum flowers, and two glasses of hot water to make the insecticide.
Add the flowers to the hot water and leave the mixture to stay for five or more minutes. Add the potion in a spray bottle and spray the infested areas.
Related: 15 Natural Ways to Get Rid of Those Nasty Bed Bugs Forever
A mint spray’s strong odor irritates roaches
Are you looking for a permanent way to keep roaches away from your home? You might want to use a homemade mint spray since cockroaches dislike the irritating smell.
To make this potion, you need a handful of fresh mint leaves, two glasses of hot water and a spray bottle.
Pound the leaves and mix them with hot water and leave the potion to rest for at least five minutes. Spray the infested areas like your kitchen counters, bathroom, and any other place where the roaches love hanging out.
Prepare a catnip spray to get rid of roaches from your kitchen
Catnip contains nepetalactone oil, a component whose smell is intolerable to roaches. You can either use catnip essential oil or fresh leaves to make the catnip roach repellant.
Some of the ingredients you need to make this roach repeller include an ounce of catnip leaves, one or two cups of hot water and a spray bottle. Pound the leaves, add them to the hot water and leave the mixture to cool.
Use your spray bottle to eradicate the roaches from their hideouts. Another alternative is to heat the oil to spread the catnip smell in your interior.
Use Homemade Traps To Kill The Roaches
A homemade roach trap might be a good option for lightly infested areas. Some of the homes made traps that you may want to consider ice cream traps, petroleum jelly trap or a coffee ground trap.
If using an ice cream trap, take a half full container of ice cream and place it near a cockroach infested place. The roaches will climb into the container and they will drown when the ice cream melts.
In the case of a petroleum jelly trap, put coffee grounds in a jar and smear the jar’s top with a liberal amount of petroleum jelly. The roaches will get into the jar in search of the coffee grounds, and they will not get out.
Ward Off The Roaches Using Essential Oil Like Peppermint And Lemongrass
Peppermint and lemon grass essential oils have an unpleasant smell that can ward off roaches in your sink, fridge, and any other place. You soak some cotton balls into any of the recommended essential oils above and put them in a cockroach infested places to ward them off.
Besides, you can mix 10 drops of the essential oil in two glasses of water and use the mixture as a spray.
Use Cedar home natural remedy as a repellant
Cedar’s natural smell has the potential to keep off roaches and other insects from your house. You can purchase cedar as chips or balls from your nearest supermarket or outsource it from an online store.
After acquiring the cedar balls or blocks, place them in your kitchen cabinet, under your sink and all places where cockroaches thrive. The balls will keep off the cockroaches for as long as you leave them in place.
Use cucumber slices & peels to repel the pesky roaches
Sliced cucumbers and their peels have an unpleasant smell that drives away bugs. All you need to do is slice or peel the cucumber and place them in the nesting area or any other infested place. We would recommend this remedy because it is readily available in grocery stores.
Get Rid of Those Pesty Roaches In Your Home Today
Cockroaches are nasty pests that can contaminate food items if left unmanaged. If you are looking forward to eliminating the roaches, we suggest that you try the natural ways of cockroach elimination.
Unlike the toxic baits sold in stores, natural remedies like cucumber, garlic potion, pyrethrum repellant, lemon juice, and bay leaves are safe for your kids and pets, and they are affordable.
Our suggestions above work efficiently, they are affordable and they are readily available. You can try any one of the suggestions above to find one that will meet your expectations.