NATURAL HOME REMEDIES FOR ROACHES

HOW TO DEBUG YOURSELF

Why is it so important to consider home remedies for roaches? To understand this better we need to understand how many people are affected by these un-relentless pests! To understand how many kinds and types of roaches are out there! We will be touching on the most common here in the states in the following article!

Roaches, also known as cockroaches, are one of the most common home pests with one out of every five houses experiencing roach infestation. Roaches have become so widespread because of their ability to live on very little resources.

They tend to crawl through dark and dirty areas and when they walk around our habitats, they spread around germs and bacteria leaving us prone to disease.
Scientists predict that roaches have been in existence for the past 320 million years, which means that they were roaming the earth way before dinosaurs and even outlived them.

So with their unbeatable title of, ‘most resilient pest,’ their ability to defy natural evolution norms and surviving extreme weather conditions may leave you wondering how exactly you can get rid of those pesky roaches in your home. Not to worry, there are various remedies for roach elimination.

Did you know? A roach can live without food for almost a month.

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Types of Roaches

To be properly equipped on totally eliminating roaches, you need to be aware of the type of roach that you are fighting against. There are about 4600 known living species of cockroaches with about 30 of these known to live within human habitats. However, only the four following species are classified as pests;

1. American Roaches
The shiniest of all roach species, the American roach is also the most uniquely colored, with reddish brown color and two large conspicuous spots on the shoulders. Their average size is about 2 inches long and the females can lay up to 150 offspring every year.
2. German Roaches
Although they can be found all over the world, these are the most commonly found roaches in the United States. They have a lifespan of about 200 days and opt to live in warm and damp areas.
3. Oriental Roaches
These are the biggest of all the four species and are seen as the dirtiest because they feed on garbage and all manner of organic matter. They enjoy warm and decaying habitats.
4. Brown Banded Roaches
About 5/8 of an inch in size, this roach gets its name from the two bands running down its abdomen. These bands are however yellow in color and they usually live about 6 months. They eat starchy food but can also eat through a non-organic material.

Did you know? A roach can live headless for up to a week.

What Brings Roaches Inside your Home?

All it takes is only one roach in your home for the multiplying party to begin and unfortunately, human habitats provide the best living and breeding grounds for these creatures. The following factors influence whether your home is the perfect breeding ground for roaches; 1.

1. Availability to a Ready Food Source Whether the food is clean or thrown in the trash, it doesn’t matter because they will eat up any substance that they find along their way. In particular, roaches tend to be attracted to food left out for a long time without proper storage.

2. Dirty and Undisturbed Areas Roaches often retreat to areas where there is not much disturbance. These are the same areas where dust and dirt tend to build up. The more the clutter present, the more the chances that roaches are around. This is why common areas roaches are found include dark areas such as basements and attics.

3. Moisture Roaches are highly attracted to places with water because they cannot live without it. This provision of moisture would be as little as just drops of water and it would still be sufficient. They could be attracted to your damp bathroom rug to the leaking pipe in your kitchen.

Did you know? Some female roaches mate once and stay pregnant their whole life.

Signs of Roach Infestation

If you suspect that you many have some roach families living with you, there are very distinct signs you can look out for;

• Oval shell casings of roach eggs
• Roach fecal matter resembling ground coffee or black pepper
• Pungent and musty odor
• One or two dead roaches lying around
• Regular stomach related problems

Did you know? Roaches like to be touched.

Controlling your Roach Infestation Situation

You may have come to the realization that you have roaches in your home and wondering how to get rid of them. Not to worry, 1 in every 5 households are experiencing roach infestation. There are many extermination options that are your disposal, the two key categorizations being natural and chemical solutions;

Natural Home Remedies VS Chemical Roach Extermination Solutions

Chemical extermination solutions, often involve the application of enhanced chemicals to the infested area by a professional roach exterminator. This is not always the best way to go about it because these chemicals may be harmful to your pets and toddlers.

This service tends to be costly because you are employing the use of a professional. We would only recommend a professional if the infestation is too large for you to eliminate yourself with the homemade roach remedies we list below.

If you are looking a safe, effective and pocket-friendly roach extermination method, then natural home remedies are the way to go.

Best Nine Home Remedies for Roaches

Instead of reaching for a broom or a shoe to get rid of one roach you see scurrying across your floor, there are other natural solutions readily available in your home to permanently eliminate the roaches around you. All you have to do is go to your garden or kitchen for the best solution.

Solution 1; Use Bay Leaves

Typically used to flavor stews, bay leaves are also quite effective at fighting off roaches. This is due to their strong smell. Leave a bundle or two in hard to reach crevasses and cupboards and let it do the rest. Together with this, you could also incorporate cucumber slices and peels.

Solution 2; Ammonia Solution

Found in your bleaching agents or window cleaners, ammonia is another great option for eliminating roaches. Just mix some ammonia with a cup of water and pour it down drains. The strong pungent ammonia smell will send the roaches away.

Solution 3; Petroleum Jelly Trap Another ingenious yet simple way to trap roaches is to leave some petroleum jelly spread generously on the floor with some food in it. Since roaches love coffee, sprinkle some ground coffee on the jelly. The sticky jelly will act as a trap, capturing roaches as they attempt to take the coffee.

Solution 4; Essential Oils Oils easily found such as Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Mint, Peppermint, and Cypress are also great ways to get rid of roaches. The most effective of these is Peppermint oil. All you have to do is combine these oils and regularly spray them around your house. Just the smell will overwhelm the roaches sending them away.

Solution 5; Listerine Not only is Listerine a great solution for fresher breath, it is also a good cockroach deterrent. Dilute some Listerine with water and use all throughout the house or on roaches that you spot around.

Solution 6; Catnip This simple plant has shown to be effective in pest control. Its active ingredient called nepetalactone is responsible for this and causes it to be highly toxic to cockroaches. Put catnip in open bags all around your house for maximum effect.

Solution 8; Garlic, Pepper, and Onion Solution This triple combination poses a triple threat to roaches. Mix one garlic clove, half an onion and a tablespoon of pepper combined with some liquid soap (optional) to a liter of water. Use this solution all through your house especially in areas where you suspect roaches frequent.

Solution 9; Citrus Fruits Juice Citrus fruits such as limes, oranges, and lemons have proven to be multi-faceted ingredients in the home. From aiding in weight loss to being excellent cleaning agents, they have also proven to be effective roach repellents due to their anti-pathogenic properties. Spray only 100% citric juice in hard to reach areas and use it to clean your house to send roaches away.

Although all the above mentioned remedies can and will work to some degree depending on the infestation, we and many other people would highly recommend the Boric Acid.

Did you know? Roaches can hold their breath for more than 40 minutes.