Looking for a way to get rid of cockroaches and keep them out of your pantry, kitchen and house for good – all without having to resort to harsh sprays or chemicals?
It’s hard to find anything that can be more unnerving than to see a big cockroach scurrying across your kitchen floor. Or even worse, finding one in your pantry or cupboards crawling over and around food items.
One thing is for sure, cockroaches are everywhere – well almost. There is only one continent in the world where roaches do not live, and that’s in Antarctica. But everywhere else, they are one of the most adaptive species of all, finding ways to survive wherever they live.
Cockroaches are drawn to the indoors for food, moisture, and a warmer environment. And once they find those favorable conditions, they can multiply incredibly fast. Not only can cockroaches live to be 6 months or older, during that time they can reproduce and lay eggs monthly. In a very short time – they can infest a house and become a long term problem.
Eliminating Cockroaches – How To Get Rid Of Cockroaches
So how do you keep cockroaches out? And how do you get rid of cockroaches that might already be inside? There are certainly chemical sprays that can kill roaches. But for many, the thought of spraying chemicals all over their kitchen and pantry and around the food they consume is a bit unsettling.
The good news is there are actually a few effective natural solutions to both get rid of the roaches already in your home and keep any more from ever coming inside. And as you will see below, success all starts with one important task – eliminating their sources of food!
How To Get Rid Of Cockroaches In Your Pantry & Kitchen – Naturally!
Before we cover a few natural remedies for eliminating existing roaches and repelling future ones from coming indoors, it’s vital to know that unless you first eliminate a cockroach’s source of food, your issue will never truly go away.
Cockroaches have an incredible sense of smell. In fact, it’s over the top. They can detect food sources from far away and are amazingly adept at making their way to it quickly. Because of that, priority number one is to start storing your food so they can’t smell it!
First and foremost, residue on the floor, on plates in the sink – and even in garbage cans will attract them quickly. As will little flour spills in a cabinet or crumbs from crackers or bread.
If you really want to eliminate the issue of roaches for good, the best course of action is to seal all food items in hard plastic, sealable containers. In addition, clean up liquid spills immediately and thoroughly. Finally, keep trash cans emptied frequently as well. And if your issue is bad enough, keep the trash container out of the kitchen entirely.
Remember that if you eliminate their source of food, they simply can’t survive to breed. Nor will they have any reason to stick around! Now let’s take a look at a few natural remedies that will eliminate the roaches you have – and a few more that can keep them from wanting to come back in the future.
How To Eliminate Existing Roaches
One way or another, if you have roaches already present, you need to eliminate them in order to stop them from breeding and continuing the cycle. Thankfully, there are a few all-natural products that can do the trick both quickly and safely.
Baking Soda – One of the best is a product probably already in your pantry or kitchen – baking soda! Baking soda naturally kills roaches when they ingest it. Although they will not readily eat baking soda by itself, they will when you mix 1/4 granular sugar with 3/4 baking soda.
Place this mix under kitchen sinks, in cupboards, and at key entry points. It is the safest and most effective way to eliminate roaches. You will often see that you can use sugar with borax. Unfortunately, borax can be highly toxic to children and pets. It’s simply not a good choice to use when it comes to safety.
Diatomaceous Earth – Diatomaceous Earth, or DE as it is commonly referred to, is also an all-natural insecticide that will kill roaches. DE is basically the fossilized remains of tiny long-ago microscopic creatures.
You can place DE down as a barrier at entry points – sprinkle it in cupboards – or in a line under cabinets. When roaches come in contact with DE, it dries out their protective skin coating, killing them in the process.
As long as you use food grade diatomaceous earth, it is not harmful to pets or children. DE is extremely effective as a natural control method for roaches – and if baking soda can’t eliminate them – it is the way to go. Affiliate link: Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade 10 Lb
Repelling Roaches – How To Get Rid Of Cockroaches In Your Pantry & Kitchen – Naturally!
Remember that amazing sense of smell roaches have? It can also be used against them to repel them as well! There are certain scents that roaches despise, and you can use them quite easily and safely to keep cockroaches far away. One of the best happens to be peppermint!
The Power Of Peppermint
Perhaps the most powerful of all scents against roaches is peppermint. Roaches simply do not like the smell and find it quite offensive. Although you can certainly place fresh peppermint leaves around to help – the best and most effective way to use it is to use the concentrated oil of peppermint as a spray.
You can make your own spray with pure peppermint essential oil and water, or use ready-to-go natural products to spray entry points, cupboards, and other spaces where you have recurring issues with cockroaches. Affiliate Link: Mighty Mint 16oz Cockroach Repellent Natural Peppermint Oil Spray
Garlic Oil – Believe it or not, garlic oil is also another scent that roaches will avoid. It too can be used as a spray, taking the essential oil of garlic and mixing it with water. Some prefer the scent of peppermint over garlic – but it does work equally well!
One thing is for sure, by using a combination of solutions that can kill existing roaches and then repel them, you can keep your home free of this annoying pest for good. Here is to eliminating cockroaches from your home – and to keeping it safe from them forever – naturally!
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