One of the biggest nuisances that a homeowner faces is that of the cockroach, and most of the time you hardly know they’re in your home. Roaches hide in your house but hardly come out during the day or when you are using the lights at night. Therefore, they usually only come out at night. Roaches can also be incredibly dangerous because they can carry diseases that can contaminate your food and harm your health.
Roaches are attracted to waste products, such as trash and crumbs, and they prefer dark and damp places where they can hide and breed. If they find a place where that is suitable for them, they can breed and reproduce quickly and multiply to create an even bigger infestation. Therefore most professionals say that for every roach that you see there are dozens, even hundreds, of others hiding. So, what can you do to get rid of roaches quickly and effectively?
While there are many ways to get rid of roaches, most techniques require poisons that can be harmful to you and your family. Plus, they can be incredibly expensive. But did you know that there is a handful of easy to make, cheap, effective, and harmless poisons that you can use to get rid of roaches instead? It’s true! In this article, we’re going talk about 5 of the most effective DIY poisons you can make that will get rid of your roach infestation all while being safe for you and your family!
1. Peppermint Oil
Peppermint oil is a natural insecticide that will repel and kill insects, including roaches. In order to use peppermint oil, you should make your own peppermint spray using peppermint oil and water. This spray is healthy to breathe in and safe to use around your pets and children, unlike the aerosol sprays that you can purchase in stores. It is also non-toxic and smells pleasant, which is always a plus. This spray can be used in your home and any other indoor area that might have roaches.
In order to make peppermint spray, you should pour 10 ounces of water into a clean spray bottle and add about 15 drops of peppermint essential oil. Mix the two ingredients together and then spray around any possible hiding places for roaches.
2. Detergent
While detergent might not seem like a great idea to use as a roach repellant, it has been proven to be incredibly effective to get rid of them. This is because the mixture of the detergent soap and water will surround the roaches and kill it by suffocation. This is a great DIY roach poison to use if you have an infestation of German roaches!
In order to make a detergent spray, you should add 3-4 tablespoons of liquid or powder detergent to 1 liter of water into a spray bottle. Mix these two ingredients together and then spray in any possible hiding places for roaches.
3. Listerine Spray
Listerine contains a bunch of essential oils, including methanol and eucalyptol, which are natural insect killer that smells minty fresh. Because of the strong minty smell that the combination of these oils creates, this DIY poison works fast to get rid of roaches. This is another great poison to use to get rid of German roaches because of the methanol essential oil contained in the mixture.
In order to make this spray, combine 4 ounces of Listerine in 1 gallon of water in a spray bottle. Spray this mixture in all the areas that you suspect or have seen roaches.
4. Cheap Wine
While cheap wine doesn’t sound very appealing to anyone, cheap wine is also a great way to get rid of roaches. This is because the roaches will be attracted to the sweet smell of the wine, drink it, and then the alcohol will kill them within 24 hours of consumption. This is another great DIY poison to get rid of German cockroaches!
To make this DIY poison, you need to pour the cheap wine into a spray bottle and spray it around in the areas that you have seen or suspect roaches. You can even add an additional trap (i.e., a sticky tape trap) near the wine to prevent them from going away from the wine they drink, making it easier for you to get rid of them once they’re dead.
5. Catnip Spray
Catnip is a natural roach repellant and has been found to work as a repellant over the past 50 years. The active ingredient in a catnip plant, nepetalactone, is what drives the roaches away.
In order to make a catnip spray, you need to combine a handful of catnip plant leaves with 2 cups of water. You’ll then want to steep the leaves in boiling water for about 10 minutes and then refrigerate the mixture before using. Once it has been cooled, pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray it around the areas that are infested or suspected to be infested with roaches.
In order to keep roaches out of your home, here are a few steps that you can take to prevent another infestation:
These steps are simple, but they are incredibly effective at limiting the food sources, entryways, and habitats that roaches look for in your home.
