Don't make your home a comfy spot for roaches
Roaches, like all animals, are seeking food, water, and shelter.
Limiting "survival" opportunities in and around your home prevents roaches.
Boric acid, glue traps, and bug bombs can help get rid of cockroaches.
Removing stick piles or debris from your yard is also helpful.
Finding one cockroach in your home may not seem like a huge deal, but if they found their way inside, what's to stop them (or their fellow roach pals) from getting in, too?
Take a deep breath: Learning how to get rid of roaches is pretty straightforward, and anything from the occasional roach to serious infestations can be manageable with the help of a local exterminator. Learn how to kick pesky roaches out of your home in this informational guide.
If you spot two or more roaches in your home, it's time to call in a professional exterminator. Don't hesitate to take pest control action to prevent the infestation from growing.
If you come across roaches in your home, you should try some of the following eradication methods with help from a pest control pro.
Packs of a dozen or more glue traps are available for under $10 at most home improvement stores. Homeowners can leave them in trouble spots (where they've seen roaches) and change the traps every two to three days per instructions.
However, you should never, ever reuse glue traps. Read the directions and be sure to dispose of them properly afterward. Keep them away from pets and small kids to ensure their safety.
A professional exterminator can use poison fog or cockroach sprays to eliminate serious roach problems. Keep in mind that while homeowners can use contact-kill roach sprays on their own, more intensive insecticide use should be left to a pest control pro.
Store-bought roach "bombs" are also popular and cost under $10 in most cases. Be sure you research these products before applying to your home; they're generally meant for one targeted area, and breathing in the gas isn't healthy, so, we recommend hiring an exterminator instead.
Boric acid is a popular pest control solution. It's an affordable chemical available in powder and gel form that kills cockroaches quickly. To use, homeowners simply leave boric acid in high-traffic areas—once a cockroach crawls over it, it sticks to their skin and breaks down their bodies. They can also track the substance back to their colony, spreading its effects.
Read the product’s instructions carefully before using. If it's ingested in large quantities by humans, it can have negative side effects, so don’t use it near pets or children.
Diatomaceous earth is considered a natural roach repellent. It's made from organic compounds that aren't harmful to humans or pets, but break down the exoskeletons of critters like cockroaches. A Diatomaceous earth pouch may cost as low as $10.
However, this method is more effective at preventing a future infestation than killing a live one. Remember that a pest control pro should handle most large, active infestations.
Bait traps can be the key to removing a whole pack of roaches at once, especially if they've recently reproduced and started a nest. Small bait stations contain poison that smells tasty to the roaches. Not only will a roach eat the poison themselves, but they commonly bring it back to their nests as well.
While following the instructions on the box, leave several bait traps around the house close to where you've spotted roaches in the past. If you have pets or children, be sure to hide the bait traps far out of their reach, such as under an appliance or deep within a secured cabinet.
See a roach, smash a roach—sounds simple, right? But we suggest avoiding this eradication option. You don’t have to ignore a roach, but sweep it into a dustpan or bucket and dispose of it rather than crushing it. Roaches can carry diseases and nasty bacteria. Crushing them in your home makes it easier for those problems to spread, especially on the soles of your shoes.
Baking soda can kill roaches within 24 hours when ingested. However, the powder alone isn’t appealing to roaches, so it’s usually used in combination with sugar to attract and kill roaches. While it can be effective against the occasional roach, it’s not often enough to wipe out an entire infestation.
While essential oils won’t kill roaches, several scents are known to repel them. Use these essential oils throughout your home to ward off roaches, but don’t use them around pets:
Oregano
Peppermint
Catnip
Eucalyptus
Tea tree
Lavender
Cedar
Rosemary
Bleach is a potent killer for a wide range of pests, including roaches. Pouring bleach on roaches will kill them on contact, but it’s not an effective method of killing larger, widespread infestations.
A bleach spray can poison roaches, but be sure to exercise caution when working with this powerful chemical. You should also avoid using bleach to kill roaches coming through the drain, as it will severely damage your plumbing.
Borax is a well-known and effective method for eliminating roaches. This powdered salt-like substance acts by dehydrating the exoskeletons of the cockroaches, ultimately leading to their demise. To apply this eradication method, mix equal parts borax and sugar, pour it into a squeezable container, and then dust roach-prone areas with it.
An essential step of removing any stubborn roaches and preventing more of them is by maintaining a clean and tidy home. Get into a weekly sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming routine to eliminate traces of food or debris that roaches could snack on. These cleaning tasks will ensure that you remove any traces of roaches and catch warning signs of them earlier.
Don’t waste your time or money on roach fixes that don’t work. Here’s what roach treatments to avoid.
A single trap: Putting down a single trap is unlikely to accomplish much if you have a roach problem. It may catch a few bugs, but it otherwise won’t be effective. When you place traps, place several in strategic places where the roaches congregate.
Sonic repellents: There are many advertisements for sonic devices that supposedly emit sounds that drive roaches away. Unfortunately, there’s no evidence these devices work on insects.
Vacuuming roaches: Vacuuming is an easy way to clear out a suddenly-discovered mess of roaches, and exterminators often use high-powered vacuums as they tackle an infestation. However, a single DIY vacuuming is very unlikely to fix a roach problem. They’ll likely be back, making messes again, until you address the root of the problem.
Noticing roaches outdoors? Here are some additional steps you can take to get rid of them.
A warm, dry area to call home—possibly with some organic matter to chow down on—is all roaches need to be happy. They'll, of course, find that in many homes but may also find that in debris or object piles in your yard. Dismantle any opportunities for outside roach "camping," like stick piles, wood piles, tarps, or junk piles.
Bird baths, plant pots, clogged gutters, and even garden beds that drain poorly can all be infestation sites for roaches. Remove standing water anywhere you find it to prevent it playing host to a family of roaches.
Roaches enter homes through small holes and cracks, so be sure to repair and replace weather stripping and seal up any damage or cracks. Take extra care around your window screens and screened doors, especially during the summer. Regularly inspect your foundation to ensure there are no cracks at the base of your home that can be welcoming roaches or other pests—even minuscule cracks will do.
While you'll never be able to remove everything a cockroach eats outside, you can get rid of unique temptations. Clean up any pet food or dog treats after meals, especially if they chowed down close to the house. Also, take extra care to clean your patio, outdoor kitchen, or porch dining area after using it.
Gutters packed with sticks, leaves, and debris may not be the first things that come to mind when you think of roaches. And yet, between being a great source of water, food, and shelter, packed gutters can make the perfect home for pests.
Clean your gutters at least once or twice a year. You may need to empty them more than once during the fall, especially if your home sits under a grove of large trees.
Take a page out of the integrated pest management book by looking at your landscape as a delicately balanced ecosystem. Maintaining a healthy, well-draining lawn filled with local plants can attract pollinators and—most importantly—natural cockroach predators. Integrated pest management, or IPM, comes at cockroach control from all angles. It uses many of the tactics above in tandem to slowly create an environment inhospitable for these creepy crawlers.
Even if we know that getting rid of roaches for good is a longer process, knowing what kills roaches quickly and effectively is crucial. No one feels comfortable in a home with a cockroach lurking around the next corner. Here are some of the quickest cockroach control methods to stop an infestation overnight.
Out of all the options listed above, bait stations are one of the fastest methods for getting rid of cockroaches. Many cockroaches will come out of hiding overnight when you're asleep and the house is undisturbed. After bringing the baited poison back to their nests, it should begin killing the group within 24 hours.
Results will vary depending on the product and the type of cockroach. Be sure to read the label of your store-bought bait station, as some products are better for large cockroaches than others. In most cases, you will begin seeing dead cockroaches—perhaps more than you realized were even in your home—within a day.
Gel poisons work very similarly to bait stations, essentially without the station. The concentrated gel adheres to out-of-sight areas where a cockroach will roam. The poison will work slowly enough for the cockroach to bring the food back to their nests, spreading it to others.
You should always take extra caution when using pesticides, so read the instructions carefully on these potent gels. Always wear gloves and never apply the gel in a spot accessible by pets or children. Some brands of gel poisons note that cockroaches will die within six hours of ingestion.
If one cockroach spotting suddenly escalated into 10, skip the trial and error and get on the phone with an exterminator. Professional pest control is worth it because a professional knows how to get rid of the majority of the pests overnight, and they can set up a plan for long-term pest control, including multiple treatments.
To play it safe, you should call a professional exterminator at the first sign of an infestation. Droppings, smear marks, musky smells, or cockroach eggs are all signs you should have a professional come out immediately.
Cockroaches can cause health problems, especially for those living with allergies or asthma, so it's best to nip the situation in the bud. You can also call a pest control professional as a preventive measure. If you live in a large city prone to cockroaches or in a humid area known for its summer infestations, start the process early. An exterminator can spot the early signs or risks of an infestation.
Local roach control companies bring several additional services to the table that are essential for removing a lingering roach problem. In addition to offering advice and details, expect to the pros to apply treatments like:
Heavy-duty insecticides: Professionals can use heavy-duty sprays with proven insecticides like hydramethylnon and fipronil, with tools to spray it in crevices and crawlspaces. Homeowners shouldn’t try to use toxic substances, but the pros come with equipment and protection ready for the job.
Spot vacuuming: Many exterminators bring a high-powered vacuum to clean up the roaches they find as they inspect your home. It’s a quick first step before using additional measures and it can remove much of the detritus roaches create.
Heat treatments: Heat above 130 degrees can kill roaches when applied for an extended period. Some exterminators use specially-designed room heaters and other heating methods to get rid of large roach infestations. This alternative avoids the use of pesticides in a home.
Fumigation: A large roach infestation may require “tenting” or a whole room or building fumigation. It’s best to leave this process to roach control professionals, who have the experience and equipment to fumigate safely. This type of treatment has become less common as alternatives like heat treatment have grown more popular.
Targeted placement of traps and powders: The pros know exactly where to look for roaches, and the best places to lay powders or traps. While you may be able to handle these solutions yourself, pest control can apply them for the best effect.
Residual sprays: Residual sprays linger for days or weeks, creating a barrier and continuing to kill roaches for long after the pest control pro leaves. It’s a useful way to keep roaches away from vulnerable spots like kitchens.
Growth regulator sprays: Growth regulator sprays are a specialized formula available to professional pest control pros. They inhibit the life cycle of roaches and prevent them from breeding. When combined with other methods of control, they can be very effective in fixing a long-term roach problem.
Finding and sealing entry points: In many cases, roaches find their way in from outside. One of the most important services a professional can offer is locating any holes, cracks in the wall, or gaps in crawlspaces and venting that allow roaches to enter. Most pest control services offer insulating foam sprays and similar materials to seal these access points and prevent roaches from getting inside.
Professional cockroach extermination costs between $100 and $600 on average, but it could take several visits to eradicate these resilient pests if you have a large infestation. For example, a single roach treatment costs around $250, or between $100 and $400 for small infestations, $300 to $700 for moderate infestations, and $2,000 to $8,000 for major infestations.
You can save money by attempting to get rid of cockroaches yourself first. Most store-bought or homemade treatments cost between $10 and $40. On the other hand, you may spend more on the costs related to cockroach prevention, such as caulk for cracks in your home, extra cleaning supplies, and airtight storage containers to keep cockroaches out of your kitchen cabinets.
Remembering what attracts cockroaches, the best way to ward off an infestation is to prevent your home (or yard) from becoming an ideal place for cockroaches to find food, shelter, or water. You can prevent roaches in the future by following these steps:
Discourage cockroach hiding places by removing sticks, debris, or leaf piles from your yard.
Clean clutter-prone areas like your bedroom and living room.
Add caulk at entryways and along windows.
Replace broken screens, and check for foundation cracks to prevent cockroaches from getting inside.
Fill long-term storage bins with mothballs to naturally deter roaches.
Stick to your home cleaning checklist.
Remove any standing water or puddles in or around your home.
Vacuum and mop floors regularly to prevent food smells from lingering.
Seal outdoor trash bags and cans.
Observe potential infestations in your yard or gutter to address the source of an indoor cockroach problem.
Clean up dead cockroaches and their trails.
Cockroaches will only stay and breed where there’s food available, so it’s important to find and eliminate potential food. Roaches are omnivorous scavengers, so they like to eat a wide variety of food sources, including:
Unsealed food in the kitchen, especially sweets, starches, and greasy foods
Decaying organic matter such as dead leaves, dead plants, and wood
Crumbs, spilled beverages, and other food scraps
Paper products, including cardboard and books
Contents of unsealed trash bins
Pet food
Greasy residue from cooking oils and fats
Excess water attracts roaches, and they may be drinking from leaky pipes and dripping faucets. If you suspect an infestation, be sure to identify plumbing leaks, weak spots in your home’s foundation, and other ways water may be seeping in.
Cockroaches have a major aversion to light, so you’ll often find them hiding in dark places during the day. Check secluded spaces such as the undersides of appliances, spaces beneath sinks and other fixtures, and locations near plumbing. They also like to feast on paper and glue, so you may find them in stacks of old newspapers and magazines, cardboard boxes, paper bags, and similar areas of clutter.
It’s important to pinpoint open access points to determine how cockroaches are making their way inside. If you see insects in a specific room, such as the kitchen, that’s likely where they are entering. Do a walkthrough of your home’s perimeter and seal any cracks or crevices you find with caulk or expanding foam. Additionally, install weatherstripping around doors and windows to block off entry points.
Remove any debris such as leaf piles, wood, and other organic matter to make your yard inhospitable to roaches. Also, keep your lawn mowed and free of standing water. If you have firewood, store it far from your home and elevate it off the ground to prevent roaches from nesting inside. Along with that, you’ll want to remove potential food sources such as fallen fruits, unsealed trash bins, compost piles, and pet droppings.
While the types of cockroaches in your home can vary depending on the room or geographic location, some cockroaches are more common than others.
The top five roaches found in American households are:
| Cockroach Type | Size | Markings |
|---|---|---|
| American cockroaches | 1.4–1.6 inches | Reddish-brown with yellow bands |
| Brown-banded cockroaches | 0.5 inches | Dark to reddish brown |
| German cockroaches | 0.5–0.7 inches | Pale brown with dark stripes |
| Oriental cockroaches | 1 inch | Glossy black |
| Smoky brown cockroaches | 1.3–1.4 inches | Brown and winged |
You can visually separate male and female cockroaches based on color. Darker cockroaches are females, while cockroaches with lighter shells or tan coloring are likely male.
While knowing what type of roaches you’re dealing with can be helpful, don’t feel like you need to get too close and personal with these critters—a pest control pro can identify them in a flash.
So, what attracts cockroaches to your home? Think about roaches like any other animal: They are seeking their basic survival needs in your home—water, shelter, and food. If you have a cockroach infestation or have seen a handful around, your home is likely providing one (or more) of these things.
Droppings, which look like sprinkled coffee grounds
Egg cases in cabinets and drawers
Shed skin
Smear marks
Damage to leather and cardboard goods
Roaches running for cover when you turn on a light
Clutter like leaf piles and tall grass
Get rid of roaches quickly by combining bait stations, glue traps, and other prevention methods. Remove the cockroaches' food source, standing water, and areas of clutter where they could be hiring. If these DIY pest control tactics don't work, it's time to call a professional exterminator.
While you can fully get rid of roaches, it takes time and persistence. Unfortunately, roaches may return even if you follow the right control and prevention steps. They require very little food, water, and areas of shelter to stay alive, making your home an ideal place to keep coming back. However, addressing cockroach issues at the first spotting, you can likely keep an infestation from returning.
Roaches are not always a sign that you haven't kept your home in tip-top shape. If pests are abundant in your yard or your neighbor's apartment, there's only so much you can do to keep them away. Cockroaches are attracted to homes for shelter and protection, as well as the many sources of food in even found clean homes such as books, decaying plants, and dead skin.
Cockroaches are resourceful critters that climb into your home through holes and cracks in windows, home siding, and foundations. They can also sneak underneath doors or through plumbing. These entryways are particularly vulnerable if there is a nearby infestation, so take seal entryways, even if you keep your home squeaky clean.
Cockroaches can also get inside your home by riding inside or on objects, such as a suitcase, with the mail, or in delivery boxes. Be sure to thoroughly check any items you bring in and follow the cockroach prevention tips we mention later.
It can be common to see more roaches after a fumigation or similar method of pest control. These are the remaining roaches foraging for a new place to live or acting erratically after being poisoned. It’s a good idea to wait for a couple of weeks to see how effective the treatment was, and continue safely disposing of any roaches you find.
