Top Indoor Roach Control Techniques
Effective roach control requires a combination of techniques and tools.
Prevention and sanitation are the foundation of the effort because its way easier to prevent roaches than to get rid of them once they have arrived.
Then we will talk about baits, dusts and sprays.
You might consider calling a professional to do the dirty work.
They have the equipment and training to do a thorough job and have access to products not available to homeowners.
Roach control begins with prevention and sanitation.
Prevention just means keeping the roaches out of your home.
Keeping screens repaired and the doors and windows shut will help, but most of the time roaches hitch a ride into the house in bags or boxes.
So inspect everything before it comes in your house.
Any sign of roaches or eggs, or brown liquid stains is a red flag.
The next step is sanitation.
Vacuum everything thoroughly in every nook and cranny.
Scrubbing everything with hot soapy water will kill the pheromone (scent) that attracts more roaches.
Then eliminate the roach necessities, that is, food water and shelter.
If you can do this step well, roaches will find it very difficult to get established.
After all would you want to live where there was very little in the way of food, water or shelter? While chemicals are used for roach control, the tactics have changed greatly over the last 30-40 years.
Baseboard sprays, once widely used, have been found to be ineffective.
The techniques of choice today are baits and dusts.
Sprays are usually reserved to locate and clean out nests or high populations.
The fact is that chemicals alone are the least effective way to control cockroaches.
Used properly in combination with prevention and sanitation techniques however, they can be a valuable addition to the arsenal.
Baits are effective and highly recommended.
They work well and limit pesticide exposure.
Baits usually come in plastic stations, or large syringes for gel applications.
Place bait stations in corners where roaches have been sighted.
Squire small amounts of into cracks and crevices near roach sightings.
Also place gel around windows, doors, and any other suspected cockroach hiding spot, but not food handling areas.
Insect growth regulators (IGR) are another effective roach control tool.
Even though they take longer to work (4 to 6 weeks), the control lasts much longer that other products because the cockroaches can no longer reproduce.
Watch for adult roaches with twisted wings because that is a sure sign the treatment is working.
Another useful set of tools are dusts.
Dusts are slow-acting but offer long term control.
The most common dust labeled for roach control is boric acid dust.
Do not confuse the boric acid available in drug stores with the roach control products.
They are not the same.
Boric acid dust is most effective indoors in clean, dry areas.
Use dusts in hidden areas like under appliances and in cracks and crevices.
Be careful not to go overboard with dusts.
A very light dusting is plenty.
This is one product where less actually works better.
Here is the bottom line on roach control.
Vacuum thoroughly and wipe everything down with hot soapy water.
Place baits where you have seen roaches.
Use either gel or station type of baits.
Use dusts in hidden areas.
Check monthly, replace when gone or empty.
Do not use liquid sprays except to clean out or knock down high populations.
Be sure to read the directions and be safe.
Prevention and sanitation are the foundation of the effort because its way easier to prevent roaches than to get rid of them once they have arrived.
Then we will talk about baits, dusts and sprays.
You might consider calling a professional to do the dirty work.
They have the equipment and training to do a thorough job and have access to products not available to homeowners.
Roach control begins with prevention and sanitation.
Prevention just means keeping the roaches out of your home.
Keeping screens repaired and the doors and windows shut will help, but most of the time roaches hitch a ride into the house in bags or boxes.
So inspect everything before it comes in your house.
Any sign of roaches or eggs, or brown liquid stains is a red flag.
The next step is sanitation.
Vacuum everything thoroughly in every nook and cranny.
Scrubbing everything with hot soapy water will kill the pheromone (scent) that attracts more roaches.
Then eliminate the roach necessities, that is, food water and shelter.
If you can do this step well, roaches will find it very difficult to get established.
After all would you want to live where there was very little in the way of food, water or shelter? While chemicals are used for roach control, the tactics have changed greatly over the last 30-40 years.
Baseboard sprays, once widely used, have been found to be ineffective.
The techniques of choice today are baits and dusts.
Sprays are usually reserved to locate and clean out nests or high populations.
The fact is that chemicals alone are the least effective way to control cockroaches.
Used properly in combination with prevention and sanitation techniques however, they can be a valuable addition to the arsenal.
Baits are effective and highly recommended.
They work well and limit pesticide exposure.
Baits usually come in plastic stations, or large syringes for gel applications.
Place bait stations in corners where roaches have been sighted.
Squire small amounts of into cracks and crevices near roach sightings.
Also place gel around windows, doors, and any other suspected cockroach hiding spot, but not food handling areas.
Insect growth regulators (IGR) are another effective roach control tool.
Even though they take longer to work (4 to 6 weeks), the control lasts much longer that other products because the cockroaches can no longer reproduce.
Watch for adult roaches with twisted wings because that is a sure sign the treatment is working.
Another useful set of tools are dusts.
Dusts are slow-acting but offer long term control.
The most common dust labeled for roach control is boric acid dust.
Do not confuse the boric acid available in drug stores with the roach control products.
They are not the same.
Boric acid dust is most effective indoors in clean, dry areas.
Use dusts in hidden areas like under appliances and in cracks and crevices.
Be careful not to go overboard with dusts.
A very light dusting is plenty.
This is one product where less actually works better.
Here is the bottom line on roach control.
Vacuum thoroughly and wipe everything down with hot soapy water.
Place baits where you have seen roaches.
Use either gel or station type of baits.
Use dusts in hidden areas.
Check monthly, replace when gone or empty.
Do not use liquid sprays except to clean out or knock down high populations.
Be sure to read the directions and be safe.