14 Natural Ways to Get Rid of Roaches

Roach infestation can get exasperating, and they also carry around various diseases. Here are some Natural Ways to Get Rid of Roaches!

Here are some potent Natural Ways to Get Rid of Roaches at your home that you can easily use without taking the help of professional pest control.

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Natural Ways to Get Rid of Roaches

1. Boric Acid

Mix some boric acid powder with sugar and spread it on places where you see these bugs often. The sugar acts as a bait, and boric acid kills them instantly. The major plus points of this hack are-

• While boric acid is lethal to roaches, it is relatively harmless to humans.
• Cockroaches eat other dead cockroaches. If one roach dies due to boric acid intake and gets eaten by another, the other roach is likely to die as well. 

2. Borax

Borax is a less refined form of boric acid, but it is more readily available and works the same way. Mix borax with sugar or honey and apply this mixture on active roach areas. Put it in cracks, beneath cabinets and sinks, or put it out in a bowl. The cockroaches will eat it and die immediately.

3. Baking Soda

This method is very similar to the previous ones. Mix equal parts of sugar/any other bait with baking soda, and keep it in the cockroach-infested areas. The consumption of baking soda kills roaches in no time.

4. Soapy Water

You can use any soap, dishwashing liquid, shampoo, detergent, or handwash to create soapy water. Fill this water in a spray bottle and spray it on the infested areas. This mixture melts the cockroach’s outer covering and eventually kills them.

5. Neem

Neem oil, as well as neem powder, have elements that kill roaches. Mix equal parts of neem oil and water and spray wherever you spot the pests. Alternatively, sprinkle some neem powder on the area. This formula kills young cockroaches instantly and prevents mature ones from breeding.

6. Fabric Softener

Mix three parts of fabric softener with two parts of water and fill it in a spray bottle. Spray this on cockroaches whenever you spot them. This spray blocks their pores, and since cockroaches breathe through their skin, they suffocate and die.

7. Plaster of Paris

Plaster of Paris acts as a great homemade pesticide. Just mix equal amounts of cornstarch/any flour and plaster of Paris and apply this on cracks, crevices, and everywhere near roach activity. The cockroaches eat this mixture, and after a while, it hardens inside them and eventually kills them.

Cockroach Deterrents

8. Essential Oils

Several essential oils have the property to repel or even kill cockroaches. All you have to do is create a mix of them with water and spray it generously near roach activity. The most effective essential oils for this are-

• Peppermint Oil
• Catnip Oil
• Cedar Oil
• Oregano Oil
• Cypress Oil
• Rosemary Oil
• Eucalyptus Oil

9. Bay Leaves

Crush some Bay leaves and put them in the areas where you don’t want these pests. Cockroaches are repelled by their smell and are likely to not come to those areas. You can also boil some leaves and use them in the form of a spray.

10. Garlic

Crush a few cloves of garlic and keep it in cockroach-infested areas. Garlic has a pungent smell and acts as a deterrent. Remember that this method drives these bugs away, but it isn’t adequate for killing them.

11. Vinegar

Mix vinegar with warm water, wipe the kitchen counter, sink with it, and pour it down the drain. Vinegar acts as a cockroach repeller (so you won’t find them in the wiped places anytime soon), and it also kills the bacteria they bring with them.

12. Bleach

Create a mixture of some bleach and water, and use this to clean the kitchen surfaces of any unseen food crumbs and bacteria, and wipe it again with clean water. Alternatively, you can also use ammonia with water.

This method works the same way as vinegar and keeps the roaches away for a good time. You can also pour this solution down the sink, wait for 30 minutes, and pour a generous amount of clean water after it. Doing this kills and washes away the cockroaches hiding in the drainage pipe.

Cockroach Traps

13. Petroleum Jelly

You can easily DIY a roach trap with a mason jar and some petroleum jelly. Put a piece of onion, some sugar, or peanut butter in the jar as bait, and apply a generous amount of petroleum jelly on the insides of the jar.

The cockroaches will be drawn in, but they won’t climb out due to the sticky surface. This trap will easily catch about a dozen of cockroaches each night.

14. Duct Tape

The plan is simple – you need a bait to attract the roaches and some duct tape to keep them there. Take a piece of duct tape and keep it wherever necessary with the sticky side up. Put a little bit of sugar or peanut butter in the middle of it to attract them. You will find them trapped on it in the morning.