The best ways to remove cockroaches - what really works

Today there are many known means to remove cockroaches. These include “Dichlorvos” and ammonia, vinegar and pyrethrum, poisonous crayons and traps. The survivability of cockroaches is proverbial, so not all means of control are sufficiently effective. Let's compare different methods and evaluate the effectiveness of the most popular store and folk remedies.

Reasons for the appearance of cockroaches in an apartment

It is known that cockroaches most often settle in houses where there is unsanitary conditions. In nature, these insects play the role of recyclers, eating up various remains. Therefore, houses where food is left on the table, garbage is rarely taken out, and water leaks from leaky pipes will become a “promised land” for these pests.

It should be understood that dirt and available water are a suitable environment for the life of cockroaches, but do not cause their spontaneous generation. This means that even perfectly maintained housing can be raided by the red horde.

The most common directions of migration of cockroaches:

• Relocation from neighbors. Opening doors, cracks in ceilings, ventilation ducts are roads that connect all the rooms in the house. Therefore, the appearance of cockroaches in at least one apartment can cause infection of all premises if it is not counteracted.
• Migration from basements, garbage chutes and other common areas. Even in safe houses, they can lag behind in terms of sanitation and serve as a place for the initial colonization of pests. Food left by compassionate residents for cats and dogs is also unsafe. Alas, most often they are used not by man’s four-legged friends, but by rats and cockroaches.
• "Attachment" to the parcel. Cases have been repeatedly described in which cockroaches spread around the world, traveling with postal items and large purchases (furniture, household appliances, etc.). The countries of the “third world” are especially unfavorable in this regard, where unsanitary conditions often reign in warehouses.

In densely populated areas, pest control will only be effective if coordinated action is taken. If cockroaches are kicked out of only one apartment, they are able to move to neighbors, restore their numbers and return in a few months.

The advent of powerful drugs and the efforts of sanitary and epidemiological stations led to a reduction in the cockroach population in many cities in the late 2000s.However, these days, experts note an increase in the occurrence of these pests in homes, shops and other premises. This means that knowledge of effective ways to destroy cockroaches in an apartment forever is necessary for modern people.

Chemicals

The main advantage of specialized products from the chemical industry is their proven effectiveness. Often one application is enough to get rid of cockroaches in an apartment for many years. However, it is worth remembering that chemicals may be unsafe for home residents. The danger is especially high for pets, children, the elderly and people with chronic diseases.

Aerosols

Since Soviet times, products in spray cans have been considered an excellent way to combat cockroaches, especially with severe infestations. Today, aerosols are free from many of the shortcomings that were observed in formulations of previous generations (for example, Dichlorvos). Modern products are odorless, do not stain surfaces, and are safe when used correctly.

When handling aerosols, follow the instructions!

Most often, the procedure for using aerosols is as follows:

1. Remove children and pets from the room being treated.
2. Spray the composition following the instructions (usually it indicates the spraying time or lists the areas to be treated).
3. Wait a certain time.
4. Thoroughly ventilate the room and carry out wet cleaning.

Remember to wash your hands thoroughly after using any chemicals to control cockroaches!

Another advantage of aerosols is their reasonable cost (about 200 rubles per container).

Popular brands:

• "Raptor"
• "Regent",
• "Dichlorvos"
• Combat,

Gels

The main advantage of this category is the possibility of use in premises where people constantly live. The risk that children or pets will be poisoned by the composition is minimal, since the gel has an unpleasant taste. There are also disadvantages. It is almost impossible to exterminate all cockroaches at once with a product of this type: it does not destroy eggs and does not get into hard-to-reach places. It will take 2-3 treatments to achieve results.

The gel is applied in small strokes (at a distance of 10–15 cm from each other) in the kitchen, bathroom and other places where insects stay.

Popular brands of cockroach gels in our country:

• "Dohloks"
• "Raptor"
• "Clean house",
• Global.

Crayons

This product has gained popularity due to its ease of application and affordable price. Its disadvantages are the same as those of gels: it is difficult to treat the entire room, and the effect is achieved only after 3-4 treatments. In addition, chalk strips do not decorate furniture, floors and walls.

The most famous brands are Mashenka and Tornado.

Powders

Powdered products, like crayons, are familiar to Russian users. They are cheap, safe for children and pets, and easy to use.

Among the disadvantages, experts cite the need for frequent application and low effectiveness if the apartment is heavily infested.

Popular brands of cockroach powders:

• "Super Fas"
• "Phenaxin"
• "Clean house".

Ultrasonic repellers

Those who do not want to take risks using chemicals should pay attention to devices that allow you to get rid of cockroaches using ultrasound. These high-frequency waves are not audible to the human ear, but they are irritating to insects.Cockroaches do not die from exposure to ultrasound, but they leave the places where they are exposed to such influence. Ultrasound is safe for small children, the elderly, and the disabled.

Many pets are sensitive to high-frequency sound vibrations. Therefore, you should not buy a repeller if you have a dog or cat.

Ultrasonic sources also have certain disadvantages. First of all, the cost of such a device is around 1000 rubles. Additionally, there is no evidence that this device will cope with heavy infestations. It is more effective as a preventive measure.

Calling a sanitary service specialist

Inviting an exterminator from the SES is the last step in the fight against insects. Sanitation specialists use highly toxic drugs for cockroaches, which ensure reliable destruction of pests. Residents are asked to leave the apartment during processing. After returning (as a rule, they are allowed to return after a few hours, sometimes the next day), the apartment will be cleared of pests.

The high efficiency of professional chemistry is explained by the following factors:

• More toxic than products intended for home use.
• The ability of poisons to penetrate eggs, causing the death of embryos.
• Pronounced residual effect. Even if the cockroach survives the treatment, it will die from exposure to the poison remaining on the surfaces in the apartment.

After professional treatment, it is necessary to carry out wet cleaning and thoroughly ventilate the room.

The average cost of calling a professional exterminator is about 3,000 rubles.

Folk remedies

If pesticides produced for household or professional use seem too dangerous to you, a solution to the problem with cockroaches can be found among folk remedies. Their arsenal is quite diverse, and in terms of effectiveness they are often not inferior to poisons. True, in most cases one cannot hope that the problem will be solved quickly, but these options are safe for all inhabitants of the house.

Freezing the premises

Cockroaches and their larvae are cold-blooded creatures, so they tolerate a drop in room temperature very poorly. Freezing is carried out in the winter season. As a rule, the method gives good results in private houses with an autonomous heating system.

To achieve the effect, all windows in living and utility rooms are opened wide. Things are placed on the balcony or street, and the temperature of the coolant in the heating circuit is reduced to the minimum permissible value. In order for cockroaches, eggs and larvae to die, it is necessary to lower the temperature in the room to -10°C and maintain it at this level for at least half an hour.

If heated areas remain in the apartment or house, there will be no effect. Cockroaches will gather in a warm place, survive the “freeze”, and then restore their numbers.

Thermal treatment of the room

Imperfect regulation of body temperature makes not only low, but also elevated temperatures destructive for cockroaches. Steam generators are used to combat these pests. If the invasion of cockroaches into the apartment occurred recently, and the nest was discovered, it is treated with steam, destroying the eggs and larvae. Things that pests have come into contact with should be placed outside on a hot day for 6–10 hours.

The greatest effect is achieved by a special insecticide - “hot fog”. After spraying, this non-toxic substance penetrates into all nooks and crannies, raising the temperature in them to 70°C. To achieve the effect, it is necessary to close the room tightly for 2 hours, and the suspension will completely settle no earlier than after 10 hours.

Repelling cockroaches with floral scents of geranium and chamomile

Pungent odors repel red-haired Prussians with high efficiency. Of the widespread indoor and garden plants, geranium and chamomile have this aroma. It is enough to place several pots of geraniums around the kitchen to make insects run out of the apartment. Dried chamomile flowers are used to prepare a powder that can be sprinkled in areas where cockroaches are present.

The advantage of the method is its environmental safety. The main disadvantage is low efficiency in case of severe infection.

Use of kerosene

The smell of kerosene is also effective in repelling cockroaches. It is enough to spread this liquid with a paint brush on baseboards, wallpaper, and floors in places where insects accumulate to achieve the effect. Of course, there will be a heavy smell in the apartment for several days, but the problem with cockroaches will be solved.

Instead of kerosene, you can take turpentine, denatured alcohol and other odorous technical liquids.

Remember that kerosene is a flammable substance. During the entire treatment process, do not use open flames in the rooms to prevent a fire.

Using Vinegar

Another effective assistant against cockroaches is vinegar essence. It can be used in pure form or in the form of solutions (pepper is added to the solution to increase efficiency). Vinegar does not kill cockroaches, but it does have a repellent effect.When applying acid, be careful not to get it on your skin or eyes.

Essential oils and ammonia

Scents such as ammonia solution (ammonia) or essential oils also repel cockroaches. They are used in two ways:

• They carry out wet cleaning by adding odorous components to the water for washing floors and surfaces.
• Odorous liquids drip in places frequented by cockroaches.

It should be emphasized that these methods are ineffective if used as the main means of combating cockroaches. Their niche is supporting potent drugs and preventing re-infection.

Pyrethrum powder

Pyrethrum is a plant from the Asteraceae family, a relative of chrysanthemums. Its dried and crushed inflorescences (the so-called “Dalmatian powder”) have a good insecticidal effect. The powder is scattered near the trash can, water and sewer pipes and in other places where insects accumulate. It is quite effective on its own, and when used in combination with other insecticides it gives excellent results.

Herbs that repel cockroaches

The arsenal of plants for fighting cockroaches developed by our ancestors is incredibly diverse. This includes herbs, leaves of trees and shrubs:

• wild rosemary,
• sagebrush,
• Bay leaf,
• pyrethrum,
• chamomile,
• geranium.

Bunches of dried plants placed in areas where insects gather usually produce a noticeable effect. But in case of severe infection, their effectiveness may not be enough.

Traps for cockroaches: how to prevent uninvited guests from entering your apartment

If there are no cockroach nests in the apartment yet, and insects sometimes come from neighbors, traps will be an effective remedy against them.They are placed near cracks, ventilation grilles and other places through which pests enter homes.

There are several types of traps:

• Industrial designs may contain poisonous baits, glue-coated areas, or prevent insects from escaping through clever design. Products under the brands “Dohloks”, “Raptor”, and Combat enjoy the greatest recognition.
• Homemade traps - containers with bait (for example, a small amount of beer or honey) and a slippery neck (Vaseline or vegetable oil will help).
• Sticky tapes laid out in “cockroach-dangerous” directions.

The effectiveness of traps (whether it is a folk remedy or an industrial one) is quite high, but only in the early stages of an invasion. If time is lost and a developed colony already lives in the apartment, traps will not help completely exterminate the insects. The exception is factory traps with poisonous baits, which make the cockroach a carrier of the toxin. But the cost of such samples is quite high.

Prevention of cockroaches

It is much easier to prevent cockroaches from entering your home than to later deal with these tenacious pests.

The principles of prevention are:

• Carefully seal all cracks through which insects can enter the house.
• Fighting water leaks: repairing dripping faucets and leaking pipes.
• Elimination of food supply: timely washing of dishes, taking out garbage, clearing food from the table, wet and dry cleaning of premises.

If you follow these simple rules scrupulously, you can be sure that your apartment will not be in danger of being invaded by Prussians or black cockroaches.