The Most Effective Homemade Roach Killer Solutions

Among some of the most hated pests are ants, spiders, and roaches. Insects such as these are known for sneaking their way into your home to cause mischief. Some of the worst culprits of this are cockroaches, which are known to cause many issues. For instance, they can easily bring sickness to your home, especially if they infest areas where you store food. Additionally, roaches are simply filthy and odorous, which makes them particularly nasty house guests.

Many people deal with cockroaches and simply want them gone. However, many people also don’t want to waste their time or money on getting rid of a pest. This brings us to look at some of the best homemade roach killer solutions. Although this list isn’t comprehensive, it can act as a good starting point to give you an idea of how to break your relationship with roaches without breaking the bank!

Best Homemade Roach Killer Solutions

One important thing to understand about homemade pest solutions is that only some will work for you. Some require specific species of roaches, specific environmental conditions, or even specific application times. Take each solution idea with a grain of salt and stick to what works best for you. Taking some consideration into what specific pests you are dealing with, and what conditions surround the pests is the first step in getting rid of them for good!

Boric Acid – Borax Powder

Borax is an over-the-counter powder product that is typically used for things such as household cleaning and laundry. When placed in high-traffic areas, it can stick to roaches and collect on their exoskeletons. Thus, when they regularly groom themselves, they will ingest the boric acid in the borax, which is lethal. It is for this reason why borax is touted to be one of the best homemade roach killing solutions.

When using boric acid, it is important to use it sparingly. Using too much can deter roaches, which goes against the idea of fully getting rid of them. Additionally, it is important to know that boric acid can also be toxic to humans. Thus, you should be careful about using it anywhere near where you store or have food and water. Lastly, boric acid only works when it is in a fully dry powder form. Thus, you can’t use it outside or in places that are humid/wet.

Borax and Sugar Traps

Similar to the idea of using pure borax, you can also mix it with an attractant such as sugar. The thought with this solution is to directly attract the roaches to eat the borax. This homemade pest solution increases the chances of ingestion, which increases the trap’s effectiveness. Just like with regular borax traps, you should be wary about where you use these, and make sure that you place them in areas of high traffic for the best results.

Diatomaceous Earth

Another great pest control solution is diatomaceous earth. As you may know, diatomaceous earth is a fine powder, usually harvested from ocean beds made of ancient marine microorganisms. With most insects, diatomaceous earth causes lacerations on their exoskeleton that dehydrate them to the point of lethality. Like other remedies, make sure to use this in areas that roaches are actively moving through.

Using diatomaceous earth can be especially helpful to use in hard-to-reach areas. When you lay down diatomaceous earth, thin layers are the best way to prevent a mess while still getting good pest-removal results!

Neem Oil – Pellets and Spray

Neem oil is a common pest solution that is so effective that it is often used in commercial greenhouse settings. Due to its oily nature, it essentially covers the bug’s exoskeletons and inhibits their respiration. It is usually lethal for small and young insects, especially those who are sensitive to respiratory distress.

For large adults, need oil has been shown to inhibit reproductive rates, although it is usually less effective in killing. Additionally, some studies have found differing success depending on whether you spray neem oil on roaches directly, or use laced pellets for them to ingest.

Fabric Softener

Although it is not necessarily a “homemade” solution, fabric softener is another cheap way to get rid of roaches and other bugs. Just like neem oil, fabric softeners can coat exoskeletons and cause respiratory distress. For this roach killing solution to work, you must directly apply the fabric softener on the cockroaches, usually by spraying. Although it isn’t necessarily toxic to humans, some people like to dilute their fabric softener to save money and make it 100% non-toxic.

Are Homemade Solutions Effective?

Due to their varied ability to work and case-by-case success rates, people often wonder if homemade solutions are effective in the first place. Generally, the effectiveness of homemade pest solutions depends on what type of remedy you are using, what type of pest you are dealing with, and how bad the infestation is. With that said, many pros and cons come along with homemade pest control methods.

Pros

Of the many pros, one big benefit of homemade pest solutions is that they are cheap. In the end, saving money is incredibly important. Additionally, they are typically safer and rely on fewer chemicals for a similar amount of success.

Another benefit with them is that you can use multiple together to form your own targeted attack on whatever specific pest is in your home. These solutions can also be extremely effective, especially against certain pests that are sensitive to things such as boric acid and diatomaceous earth.

Cons

Many cons can come along with homemade roach killer solutions. Firstly, some solutions can be mildly toxic to humans, especially in high doses. For instance, it isn’t recommended to ingest things such as boric acid or fabric softener. With this in mind, it is important to ensure that you are using these methods safely.

Homemade pest killer solutions can also be quite messy. For instance, boric acid and diatomaceous earth both come in fine powders, which can easily be spread across your house over time if you are not careful.

If you are using these pest control solutions near other plants or even in your garden, they can also be damaging to other bugs. Likewise, some solutions like fabric softener and boric acid can also negatively impact plants.

Lastly, one large con with natural pest solutions is that they are sometimes ineffective. Some pests are too tough to be taken down with natural solutions alone and may require the use of chemicals or even pest professionals.

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