It's a fact, no one likes having cockroaches in the house. These insects not only bring dirt and disease into homes, transmitting parasites and causing allergies with their waste, but they can also give you quite a scare when they sneak out of a closet or scurry under a piece of furniture.
There are countless products on the market against cockroaches, but most of them are toxic to you, your pets and the invasive insects themselves, since practically all of them are focused on exterminating cockroaches. However, on our site we believe that all living beings deserve to live, therefore, we share a series of effective remedies that will allow you to scare them away without having to kill them. Do you want to know how to get rid of cockroaches without killing them or putting your family at risk? Then keep reading this article on how to get rid of cockroaches
Why do cockroaches come out?
Before knowing the home remedies to ward off cockroaches, you need to understand why there are cockroaches in your house. Like any other animal, cockroaches invade those places that provide them with the conditions necessary to reproduce and develop, such as food, shelter and protection. Now, what are you doing so that they consider that your house is the best place for them? Pay attention to the following:
- Leaving food on kitchen counters for several hours.
- Store food in poorly sealed bags or containers that are not airtight.
- Forgetting to clean under furniture and behind appliances.
- Keep cardboard boxes to store objects and forget to check them for several months.
- Presence of objects (furniture, doors, trunks, parquet) made of rotten wood or in poor condition.
- Abundance of cracks and fissures in walls, drains and pipes.
- Trash that remains inside the home for several days.
- Problems with the local garbage collection company (when it takes several days before they pick it up).
- Hygiene and general housekeeping problems in the home (low frequency of cleaning, superficial cleaning, among others).
Do you identify some of these points as common in your environment? So that's where your cockroach problem is coming from.
How to get rid of cockroaches?
As you can imagine, the first thing to scare away cockroaches is to carry out a deep cleaning of the home, which also helps you to prevent its recurrence. To do this, we recommend:
- Vacuum Behind and under all furniture and appliances. Don't forget the rugs and the corners.
- Empty and clean drawers, closets, shelves, bookcases, basements and any other closed and dark places, these characteristics make them ideal places for cockroaches to nest.
- Don't leave food on kitchen counters or shelves, not even fruit.
- Replaces all food bags and packaging with airtight containers.
- Verify that there are no cracks and fissures in pipes, tubes, bathtubs, sinks, showers, faucets and etc., as they are access points for cockroaches or places to hide. If there are cracks, repair them immediately.
- Don't leave dirty dishes, pots or kitchen utensils for many hours, let alone overnight.
- Keep bathrooms, kitchens and gardens dry, moisture attracts cockroaches.
- Check your belongings and get rid of those objects (clothes, books, magazines, etc.) that are stacked or stored and that you are not going to use again. Those you want to keep, check them well and store them in boxes with lids.
- Remove debris, leaves, and dry firewood from your yard.
- Take out the rubbish every day and make sure it is hermetically sealed.
- Place metal grates in sewers and drains, that way you will prevent them from entering through there.
These are the first steps to scaring away cockroaches. You may need to perform several deep cleanings during the process and then repeat them sporadically for prevention. After cleaning, you must apply one or more of the following methods.
Home remedies to drive away cockroaches
There are various products on the market to kill cockroaches, but these can be toxic to you, your children and your pets. With this in mind, we present the following home remedies to drive away cockroaches, which are safe for the whole family and you won't need to kill the cockroaches, just scare them away from your house.
Remember that products to exterminate cockroaches are harmful as well as cruel, since despite being annoying, they deserve to live just like any other animal. For this reason, chasing away cockroaches naturally and without killing them is the best option for everyone, since it allows you to get rid of them without harming them.
1. Repel cockroaches with catnip
La catnip or catnip is a plant that is irresistible to house cats and, in turn, a good ally to the time to chase away the cockroaches. You just have to gather a little of this plant, either fresh or dried, and place it in strategic places in the house, such as near doors and windows, in the kitchen and around drains and sewers.
How effective is catnip or catnip at repelling cockroaches? This is nepetalactone, the same substance that is so attractive to some felines. It is an organic compound formed with cyclopentane and lactone, whose aroma effect is easily captured by the sense of smell of some species with different results: while it is sedative for humans and stimulating for cats, cockroaches repel it.
two. Lavender to ward off cockroaches
Lavender offers a lovely scent in the home, but it's off-putting to cockroaches, so it's a good choice here. You can use it in several ways:
- Soak cotton balls in lavender oil, place them in open containers and place them in trouble spots around the house.
- Scatter fresh or dried lavender in different parts of the home.
- Place lavender plants inside and outside the house.
Where does the power of this home remedy against cockroaches come from? This aromatic herb includes essential oils contained in its flowers. These oils are made up of carbon and other organic compounds that are responsible for the smell given off by these plants, and its repellent power lies precisely in that smell, since many insects, including cockroaches, find it annoying as it acts as a fungicide.
3. How to ward off cockroaches with laurel
The intense smell of the laurel, so appreciated in the kitchen, is unbearable for cockroachesShred several bay leaves and spread the remains near windows, doors and places where cockroaches enter, this will deter them from entering your house.
Laurel also acts as a fungicide against annoying cockroaches, but without the need to kill them. Like lavender, the components that allow the distillation of essential oils, and which are largely responsible for the smell that makes it a popular culinary ingredient, are annoying to cockroaches.
4. Vinegar for cockroaches
Vinegar is an excellent natural insect repellentThere are different types of vinegar, but they are all formed by the fermentation of the Acetobater bacteria, which is responsible for turning alcohol, the main ingredient in vinegar, into acetic acid. This acid is what gives it its bitter taste and its disinfectant and repellent properties.
Using this home remedy to ward off cockroaches is very simple: mix one part vinegar to one part water, add in a spray container and use this to clean kitchen shelves, countertops, tabletops and all bathroom spaces. The pungent smell will convince these insects not to enter the house. And if you are afraid to use this remedy because you live with dogs or cats, don't worry, since vinegar is not harmful to them, quite the opposite! As we say, this remedy is excellent not only to keep cockroaches away, but also to prevent possible infestations of fleas or ticks. You can even get rid of fleas on your dog with vinegar.
5. Paradise tree to keep cockroaches away from the garden
The Melia azedarach or paradise is a tree with a dark trunk and deciduous leaf that serves as a homemade method to drive away cockroaches from the garden. It has fruits that appear in December and purple flowers. Despite its effectiveness as a repellent, care should be taken with its leaves, as they are toxic to humans and cattle.
This plant has fungicide, insecticide and nematicide properties, making it an excellent option against these small insects. It can be used in several ways:
- Macerate 200 grams of seeds in 1 liter of alcohol for 10 days. After this time, the alcohol must be diluted in 10 parts of water and the mixture will be ready to be used as a countertop and floor cleaner. Plus, it's safe to apply to plants.
- Take several dry or fresh leaves and place them whole or shredded inside the closet and between the clothes.
- Planting a paradise tree in the garden will help keep cockroaches away naturally.
