cockroaches

Get rid of these gross pests with these simple tricks

Cockroaches are disgusting and no one likes to find one of those nasty creatures in their homes. They do more than gross you out, too. Roaches carry potentially dangerous bacteria and they can also contaminate your food. Plus, they seem to be impossibly difficult to get rid of. We’re here to help you solve your cockroach problems, though!

Here’s what you can do to get rid of them.

Cockroaches

Many people struggle with cockroach infestations in their homes. Roaches love warm, humid places where they can find lots of food. That’s why you can most often find them in the kitchen, although they also love other places like cupboards and drains. If you have a cockroach infestation, you shouldn’t take it lightly. Cockroaches can transmit E.coli bacteria and cause salmonella, so you don’t want them in your home. If you feel like you’re in over your head, it’s best to contact a professional, but we also have some tips for if you want to go at it alone first.

Tips

Keep your house clean: This might seem like an obvious one, but it’s important to keep a clean house if you want to get rid of roaches or avoid getting them at all. They love food and dirt, which is why you should clean up straight away after meals and take out the trash regularly.
Use hairspray: A bottle of hairspray can go a long way. If you spray the roaches with the hairspray, they won’t be able to move their legs and wings anymore, since they will stick together. They will slowly suffocate and die. If you find this too cruel, you could still use the spray and then squash the roach once it’s immobile.
Leave our bay leaves: Roaches detest the smell of bay leaves. Crumble up some bay leaves and then scatter them around your house. If you know where the roaches have their nest, sprinkle bay leaves around there. They will most likely up and leave to find a new home without a bay leaf smell.
Clean with ammonia: This smell is a bit less pleasant, perhaps, so you might want to try the other tricks first. If you don’t mind the smell, however, you could try cleaning your countertops with ammonia. Mix two cups of ammonia with a bucket of water and use that as a cleaning solution. The roaches will hate it.
Make sticky tape traps: It’s very simple, but also very effective. Buy some sticky tape of good quality, like duct tape. Put pieces of the tape around the house with the sticky side up. Place them near openings the roaches use to enter the house (cracks, floorboards). Since cockroaches come out at night, it’s best to do this before you go to bed.