What Kills Cockroaches Instantly?
While cockroaches seem to live forever, these tricks will kill them quickly
Horror stories about cockroaches can make it seem like these pests are borderline immortal. In reality, learning what kills cockroaches instantly can make exterminating cockroaches easier and restore peace, sanity, and sanitation in your home. Follow this guide to surefire ways to get rid of roaches.
1. Borax
Borax is considered the quintessential cockroach killer. Also known as sodium tetraborate, this substance exterminates cockroaches by dehydrating them. A little-known fact about cockroaches is that their exoskeletons become dehydrated very easily.
When using borax to wipe out cockroaches, sprinkle some of the powder substance in areas where roaches have been seen lurking. They’ll walk through it, track it back to a hiding spot, and potentially spread it to others. In addition to killing cockroaches, this handy substance can also help to eliminate bed bugs, ticks, lice, spiders, beetles, fleas, and flies.
Some of the downsides of using borax to eliminate cockroaches is that it doesn’t work on eggs, takes up to three days to work, and can pose health risks to pets and children. Plus, sprinkling Borax on your floors or other surfaces can get messy, and can cause skin irritation if anyone comes in contact with it.
2. Boric Acid
Many people use boric acid and borax interchangeably even though they are different. While borax is the unadulterated form that's taken right from the ground, boric acid is extracted for processing and refinement.
Like borax, boric acid kills cockroaches by dehydrating them. After rolling around in boric acid, a cockroach will ingest the poisonous material while preening its body. However, this method takes about three days to work, and often requires several treatments.
Plus, boric acid is very dangerous to humans if ingested, causing acute poisoning that results in diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain if ingested. Boric acid burns are possible with skin contact, as well as eye and skin irritation. So, sprinkling it around your home to kill roaches will require removing pets and children from the area.
3. Bait Stations
If waiting three days for cockroaches to die sounds like an eternity, consider using bait stations. Bait stations are long tubes filled with poison that broadcast enticing smells to cockroaches. Once a roach consumes the poison in the tube, it will travel back to its home to die.
When the other roaches eat that infected roach after its death, they will also become poisoned.
Bait stations work fast and are very effective, but they are risky to use in homes with pets and children. While most bait stations aren’t lethal to pets, they can seriously harm them if they ingest the station or the dead roach.
4. Gel Bait
While this eradication method takes a bit longer to work, it’s relatively easy to apply and there are many available options. Simply add small dots of gel bait in areas frequented by cockroaches, such as inside kitchen cabinets or near plumbing, and wait for it to trap and effectively kill the roaches. This method is a good long-term solution for a minor infestation.
5. Insect Growth Regulator
You can buy products called insect growth regulators (IGRs) designed to hamper insect infestations by targeting cockroach eggs and nymphs. This method is important because killing all of the adult cockroaches in your home won't be enough to stop an infestation if they've already reproduced. That’s why using boric acid isn't always enough to clear an infestation.
The most common IGR is a spray made with a pesticide called Pyriproxyfen, which cuts off infestation cycles by killing roaches at the earliest stages. Keep in mind that it doesn't kill adult cockroaches.
6. Roach Bombs
While roach bombs or foggers can kill cockroaches, you should avoid using this method at all costs. Foggers throw pesticide into the air, dispersing toxic substances inside your home. Activating one can also be dangerous to the homeowner because you are in an enclosed space with very hazardous and flammable materials. Instead of using a roach bomb, contact a professional exterminator to determine the best course of eradication for your home.
7. Hire an Exterminator
Learning how to get rid of roaches can be useful when you see a stray intruder once in a while. However, a serious infestation requires effective results from a professional pest-management company. Roach experts have the tools to quickly kill roaches without creating risks or inconveniences for your household.
With the average cockroach exterminator cost falling between $100 and $600, the peace of mind is more than worth it. Of course, using natural roach repellant to deter roaches from even entering your home is a good starting point, but it may not eliminate the problem as quickly or efficiently as you would prefer.
Ultimately, your local bug exterminators will know exactly what kills cockroaches instantly in their favorite hiding spots. Get multiple quotes from pest control professionals to determine the best course of action for eliminating your home’s infestation.