Roaches are black or brown insects sometimes found in people’s homes. These are not friendly insects at all, and just the name alone can make one cringe talk less of finding them in your home.
Unfortunately, these are pests that can be easily found anywhere, and might it might be a demanding task to get rid of them. If you notice that some areas in your home, such as drawers, bathrooms, kitchen, basement, or attics, have become infested by roaches, you must get rid of them immediately!.
What Type Of Roaches Are In My House?
The types of cockroaches that are majorly found in the homes are;
- The German cockroach
- The brown-banded cockroach
- The American cockroach
- Smoky brown cockroach
- Oriental cockroach
The German Cockroach
This cockroach is usually small in shape, light brown, and has a torpedo shape. The size of the roach is not more than ¾ inches, and this report was made according to Coby Schal, who oversees the Schal Laboratory at the North Carolina University.
One distinguishable characteristic that the German roach is its racing stripes. The matured German roaches are usually variegated with two stripes on their pronotum, which cannot be found in any other type of cockroach.
The Brown-banded Cockroach
Apart from the German roach, the brown-banded roach is also very small in size; according to a report by Scott O’Neal, an urban entomology investigator at the University of Nebraska, brown-banded roaches have not fully developed or grown might be too difficult to notice. The color of this type of cockroach is reddish-brown.
The American Cockroach
Unlike the other two roaches, the American roach is the biggest cockroach in North America. The size of an American roach can be up to two inches when it’s an adult. It has a smooth glossy surface that is red, and it is commonly called a “palmetto bug.”
This type of roach is great in size with a dark brown color, and it is often referred to as a “water bug.” One feature that distinguishes the Oriental roach from all other roaches is that the females do not possess wings; however, the males have wings but are short. So it’s not common to see this type of roach flying.
Smoky Brown Cockroaches
Smoky Brown Cockroaches are also very large roaches that are similar to those of the Smoky Brown roaches; the roach is also about two inches in size when it becomes an adult. However, this type of roach is black but with a shiny appearance. Although, it should be noted that the Smoky Brown roaches do not have the same amount of shiny appearance as the American roach.
The Oriental Cockroach
Unlike the other two roaches, the American roach is the biggest cockroach in North America. The size of an American roach can be up to two inches when it’s an adult. It has a smooth glossy surface that is red, and it is commonly called a “palmetto bug.”
Smoky Brown Cockroaches are also very large roaches that are similar to those of the Smoky Brown roaches; the roach is also about two inches in size when it becomes an adult. However, this type of roach is black but with a shiny appearance.
Although, it should be noted that the Smoky Brown roaches do not have the same amount of shiny appearance as the American roach.
What Kills Roaches Instantly – Home Remedies.
Diatomaceous Earth
One of the home remedies that can be used to kill roaches is diatomaceous earth, and it is a great insecticide made up of ground algae that have been converted into fossils.
The particles of diatomaceous earth are honed and dehydrating. DE is poisonous to the roaches in that when the roaches come in contact with the diatomaceous earth, it destroys their outer skeleton and removes water or moisture from them until they die.
Pros: Potent, Cheap, Not hazardous to children or pets
Cons: Not clean or tidy, it requires you to use it over and over again, you will have to look for the dead roaches after application to dispose of them.
Baking Soda
If you’re looking for one of the fastest ways to get rid of roaches in your home, you might want to opt for baking soda. To make this yourself, slice a little onion and add a little bit of baking soda to it then you’re good to go.
Locate a place in your home where the roaches are mostly found, then place the appetizer in a shallow bowl and position it in that corner. It works on the roaches by creating gases in their stomach and then exploding after some time.
Pros: Produces desired results, is not poisonous, cheap
Cons: It is poisonous to pets such as dogs. It creates a mess, and you need to look for the dead roaches after application to dispose of them.
Boric Acid
Boric Acid is a compound that occurs naturally. It can be found in fruits, so it’s not toxic to humans and pets; however, it is toxic to roaches. It affects the cockroaches when they contact the boric Acid, and it becomes attached to their body parts like legs or wings.
When the roach takes in this boric Acid, it reacts to its nervous and digestive system, thereby killing it quickly. This method of killing roaches is done by putting a bit of dusting into a paper plate, then putting peanut butter at the center of the plate the positioning the plate anywhere you have observed a roach infestation.
Pros: Occurs naturally. It’s cheap, potent, and not poisonous.
Cons: It creates a mess requires you to apply the method repeatedly for a complete job.
Is It Possible To Get Rid Of Roaches Overnight, And How To Get Rid Of Roaches Overnight?
It is possible to get rid of the cockroaches in your home overnight. Some conventional methods can be applied to achieving such results, they are;
Use Of Glue Strips To Locate Problem Areas.
The use of glue strips is an effective way of locating roach problem areas in the home. This works due to the smell of the trap, thereby luring roaches into it.
The glue strip works by trapping the roaches after they might have been lured and stepped on it, then they end up dying either by starvation or other predators.
To achieve a more productive result, place the glue strip in locations where you might have noticed any roach infestation.
Pros: Produces desired results, it’s home-free as long as it’s positioned in a secure place, it has fast action.
Cons: Monitoring the glue strips is important to know when to be discarded and replaced.
Setting Of Baits
This is a very effective method of killing roaches immediately. The bait stations are usually placed in a long hollow object so that they can be positioned anywhere you have observed a roach infestation.
What lures the roaches is the smell of the bait; after the roach eats the toxic substance, it goes back to its location and dies there.
Pros: It has fast action. It is potent.
Cons: The bait stations don’t have a pleasing appearance when placed around the home. It can be dangerous to kids and pets.
Caulk All Entryways
Even though the glue strips and bait stations are very efficient in getting rid of the cockroaches, they do not stop other roaches from coming into the home; they’re only effective in getting rid of the ones already in the home.
To avoid more cockroaches from entering the home, it’s better to caulk all entryways. Take note of all the cracks in the walls, space indoors, or windows.
Pros: It produces the desired results, doesn’t threaten the home, and is accessible.
Cons: The caulks do not Outlast due to hard usage, so it’s important to check the entry points repeatedly.
What Attracts Roaches To My Home?
Location Of Your Home
The location of your home can be the reason why your home is constantly infested with roaches. Some areas are more likely to suffer from roach infestation than others.
Some states like Georgia Florida in the United States of America are more likely to always suffer from roach infestation even when you take care of your home from time to time.
American cockroaches are not attracted to dirty places, unlike the German roaches; they are likely to enter your home through openings in the door, cracks in the walls, or gaps in window seals.
Accessibility
The major reasons roaches infest a home are food, shelter, and water. Roaches are even capable of taking advantage of a slight opening that gives them entry into your house.
They may enter your house through dryer vents, cracks in the walls, openings in the doors or windows. That’s why it’s necessary to regularly check the condition of your exterior and block any small entryway you notice.
Moisture
One of the important conditions that roaches need to survive is water; therefore, in their search for water, they might end up invading your home even though it’s very neat.
If you notice, you sometimes see roaches in your bathrooms and kitchens; this might be because of pipes that are leaking or leakages in the control of water from the pipe.
Dark places are also a condition that roaches love, so that you may find them in parts of buildings below the ground, dark areas of cabinets, and below large equipment in the home, particularly the appliances that make use of water.
Food Sources
Food Sources are another factor that attracts roaches to your home. Even with you trying your best to keep your kitchen as neat as possible, the roaches will still look for anything to eat.
Roaches feast on not just edible food but also books, soaps, leather, cardboard, and all sorts of things. It’s even possible that you find roaches at the back of pictures hung on the wall or books that are stacked somewhere in your home.
Secluded Areas
There are some remote places in the home that are capable of attracting roaches. Even though these areas might not need to be taken care of or are hidden from view, they still need to be checked regularly to prevent roaches from infesting your home.
How To Get Rid Of A Heavy Roach Infestation?
- One of the steps to getting rid of a heavy roach infestation is placing insect traps in every corner of the room. The reason for doing this is not to get rid of the cockroaches but to know where the cockroaches are inhabiting. In a trap where you notice that a lot of nymphs are caught, you should focus your cleaning on such an area.
- Clean the areas thoroughly where the insect traps caught the cockroaches. Flush the cockroaches out of large empty spaces at the back of appliances with the aid of a hairdryer.
- Clear out and thoroughly clean food Sources in cupboards, drawers, floors, and all other places where food items can be found. Take note while cleaning up; do not use cleaners that have a strong smell.
- After you might have placed the sticky traps in your house for about two days, you can proceed to use a pesticide according to the directions on the label. After applying the pesticide to the rooms where the roaches were caught, replace the sticky traps with new ones after being treated.
- For cracks in the walls, you can apply insecticidal sprays to such places. The dust you apply to such places will affect you for a considerable amount of time if such places are dry. Also, take note not to apply too much dust.
- There are insect growth regulators that can be applied to areas where you notice too many nymphs.
How To Get Rid Of Roaches In Your Kitchen?
The major way to get rid of cockroaches in your kitchen is by keeping your kitchen environment clean.
- Clean out food sources, and
- carry out all other things discussed in the article.
How To Get Rid Of Roaches Overnight In Car?
Your car may become infested with roaches, too, apart from your home. You can get rid of roaches in your home by using a vacuum to remove the roaches you notice and make the inside of your car neat.
You must vacuum your car because it gets rid of cockroaches and helps get rid of crumbs of food in your car, thereby keeping cockroaches away from your home. Also, when vacuuming, take note to clean thoroughly narrow openings in your car and under the seats.
Furthermore, it would be best to wipe them off in case of liquids that you might have been spilled on the seat or floors.
Another important factor that you should note while trying to get rid of roaches in your car is to make sure that you’re not transporting goods that have been infested with roaches.
Most times, it’s possible that people transport goods infested with roaches from one place to another. Such items might include books, paper, cardboard, and all other items subject to infestation by roaches.
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