The cockroach after you killed it. 🙂
Cockroaches are not only disgusting little creatures, but they can also carry germs and disease around your house and apartment as they make their daily journeys. They crawl in the dark, slithering across your counter tops and cabinets spreading dirt and bacteria, and dropping their feces as they go. Ugh!!
You already know that cockroaches are nasty and must be eliminated, now all you need to know is the best way to kill the little buggers. There are so many products to choose from, from aerosol sprays like Raid, sticky traps that you said in the corners, and even electric wall socket plug-ins that claim to have the ability to eradicate your home of roaches in less than a month.
And then of course, you always have the option of calling in the professionals to do your dirty work for you. A professional exterminator can certainly handle the job expeditiously, but they are expensive, and the chemicals that they spray throughout the home are toxic and can be harmful to pets or small children if you have any in your home.
I have dogs that have roam of the house and they lick their paws and just about everything else, and I just don’t trust that the toxicity in those chemicals are not going to do them any harm, and I am simply not going to take that risk. On top of that, I’m just the kind of guy that prefers to to do things himself whenever possible.
If you live in an apartment complex, however, I will suggest that you do check into the possibility of having them pay for an exterminator to come to your apartment. Most apartment complexes offer complementary exterminator service, and if you explain to them that you have an infestation of cockroaches they will most likely honor your request.
The absolute best way to kill cockroaches yourself (without an exterminator)
My advice to you is to disregard all of the superfluous products on the market like the bait traps and aerosol spray cans. There is one product that I can tell you with confidence is the best way to get rid of your disgusting little uninvited guests.
That product is boric powder. Yes, a cheap five dollar bottle of boric acid is all you need to rid your home of cockroaches in a matter of a few weeks. Boric acid roach killing powder is an off-white colored, chalk like substance that is highly toxic to roaches. One bottle of the stuff can last you months or years depending on how big your house is.
Warning for pet owners: Boric roach powder causes kidney damage to dogs, cats, and other pets if ingested in substantial quantities. Although most pets are avoidant of the powder, if you have pets you should put boric powder only in areas where your dogs and cats can’t get to it, like inside cabinets and behind the couch.
All you have to do is spread the stuff around along the walls and in the back corners of your home. If you have a heavy cockroach infestation then put it down everywhere, along all the walls, corners, in the pantries and cabinets, behind the refrigerator and other big appliances, basically everywhere you can think of.
If you’ve only seen a few cockroaches then you can probably get away with only putting it underneath the cabinets and in the pantries and in places that are a little more discrete. After you have deposited the boric acid, just wait to see the dead roach bodies pile up around your house. It takes a while for the boric acid to be absorbed by the roaches and do its job, but within a few days to a week or two you should start seeing dead roaches to let you know that it is working quite properly.
I challenge you to test out my boric acid solution, and see if you don’t agree that it must be the absolute best way to kill cockroaches.
Cockroach Control: Terminate with Extreme Prejudice
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| Boric Roach Powder | Roach Gel Bait | Traps & Bait Stations | Bengal Roach Spray |
LisaG
I was told by a professional to use the boric acid, but to make sure it is safe for my pets I should open up the electrical outlet plates, coat with the boric acid, then replace the outlet covers. He assured me outlets are the easiest places for roaches to enter a home. I tried it, took a little extra time, but worked. I can not believe I went 54 years without having to deal with roaches. Lived in my current apartment for five years without incident, but the landlord was not vigilant in checking out some recent tenants. The other tenants and myself found out a tenant he accepted within the last year had been evicted several times due to infestations. Our small complex became so infested, they have bombed several times. But the boric acid so far has been the most effective.
Ryan McCaffery
Hey Lisa, interesting idea with the electrical outlets. Glad to hear boric acid worked for you. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Nina
How can I get this boric acid? I am so confused. Roaches have even bitten me and it results in a wound. Please help me.
Ryan McCaffery
It depends where you live. Boric acid is available online at Amazon or any large department store. Check out my article on preventing roach bites.
Susan Millett
I find boric acid in hardware stores like home Depot , Ace hardware, etc. Unfortunately I accepted a manager position at a government housing unit complex with a cockroach infestation in every apartment. Long story, however, I discovered Harris boric acid worked best. A big tip: baby plugs on every electrical outlet clinched the job. And Harris products are effective, organic, and safe for children and pets.
April
I will be 42 years old in 15 days and have never had to deal with this. I’m so upset. I am going to put this cockroach powder under my stove, sink, and fridge, and behind my toaster. I hope it helps. I hate this!
HealthClover
You are lucky if this is the first roach problem you ever had to deal with. Don’t stress — the boric powder works good.
Willie
You mention that boric acid isn’t toxic, but every other source I read says it is toxic to pets and children. Can you clarify? I have 2 dogs, and dont want any harm done. Thank you.
HealthClover
You are right. I will add this warning to this article. Thanks.
Peter Zelchenko
But it’s a year later and you still haven’t added this warning!
HealthClover
Yes, it is in the article. Italicized, beginning with “Warning for pet owners”.
Ame
Please remove this sentence from your article: “One of the main things I like about Boric Acid…it is BENIGN and NONTOXIC to pets and small children.”
I appreciate that you added a notice for pet owners/parents, but this is a dangerously false claim, and it still stands (2nd to last paragraph). Otherwise I thought this page had some good recommendations, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about how many young ppl come into the ER with a “I saw this beauty DIY/health tip/life hack online” story. So for the love of all pets, kids, and yes, even those who don’t take time to verify the internet’s claims, please take 1 minute to correct yours.
Ryan McCaffery
Thanks for your comment. I have removed the sentence from the article as you suggest.
Anonymous
Boric acid is the best. I have used it for years. Results? Roaches GONE!
HealthClover
Glad you have had good results with boric powder. I recommend trying it first because it is cheap and quite effective in most cases. Roach gel also works great.