Cockroaches don’t just look creepy and unpleasant, but they can even spread many germs in and around your home, especially in those parts of your home which are moist and dirty and are not taken care of. In order to safeguard your family from the harmful microorganisms spread by cockroaches, you need to repel cockroaches from your apartment.
There are many products available today that can help you repel cockroaches from homes, offices, shops or warehouses. But cockroach repelling products may contain harmful chemicals that can no doubt kill cockroaches, but may also be harmful for pets and kids. In fact that’s why most of the people don’t call pest control agencies for they assume they may use chemicals and that may be harmful for humans and pets. It may be true, but then professional pest control agencies use good herbal pest repellents which is not harmful.
But did you know that you can easily repel cockroaches using some of the most commonly available, all natural products and ingredients like cucumber peels, ginger and even coffee beans? There are some of the best repellents already present in your kitchen that you can use to repel cockroaches quite easily without any worries.
Natural ways to repel cockroaches from apartment
There were lots of cockroaches hiding in every corner of my apartment that I have rented. When asked my landlord he said, they did general pest control for cockroaches long ago, but don’t how there are still roaches all around.
Not sure if they did the treatments, but I was sure they are not going to get the treatment done, at least on their own expense. This is when I started looking for simple and effective ways to repel cockroaches and I am happy to share those tips with you.
I have tried some of these techniques to repel cockroaches and found it to be quite effective. And if you are struggling to deal with cockroaches then use some of these techniques and I am sure you will be able to repel cockroaches to a good extent.
1. Catnip spray
This is a type of herb that belongs to the mint family and can be used to curb cockroaches out of the house. Catnip is completely harmless for us, our family and even pets (if any), so you can at ease use them to repel cockroaches from apartment. You can either use dried or fresh catnip and keep them in a sachet, and hand them near the infested area. You can also use another trick to repel cockroaches from the apartment, and that is by boiling the catnip leaves and making tea out of them. Now pour the tea-like substance in a spray bottle and spray it in every corner of your house that is infested by cockroaches.
2. Mint leaves and essential oil
Mint is another herb that can repel many pests, including cockroaches. So, you can take some dried/fresh mint leaves and sprinkle them around the infested corners, or else just buy a mint essential oil, mix it with some water, pour it in a spray bottle, and then spray it over the infested areas. Both min leaves and essential oil spray is very effective in repelling cockroaches.
3. Bay leaves
Every Indian home is supposed to have bay leaves in its kitchen, isn’t it? So, they don’t even need to buy expensive chemical sprays to repel cockroaches from apartment. Cockroaches simply hate the fragrance of bay leaves, so you can use it to keep cockroaches away. You can simply take a few bay leaves and sprinkle them in every infested corner of your apartment. You can either use dry crushed bay leaves to repel these pests, or use fresh bay leaves to drive them out; both will work equally. Alternatively, use a good quality bay leaf essential oil (like this one) for the best results.
4. Coffee grinds
Don’t know whether you know or not, but coffee is one of the deadliest natural ingredients for cockroaches because it can kill them easily. Cockroaches get attracted to the smell of coffee easily, and after they taste it, the caffeine in the coffee kills them. So, what you need to do is take some coffee beans and grind them. Now sprinkle the powder in the affected areas of your apartment. Surely this method is going to repel cockroaches from apartment.
5. Garlic, pepper and onion
Another thing which cockroaches hate is the smell of pepper, and also the pungent smell of garlic and onion. So, what you can do is boil some water and pour in it one tablespoon of pepper, 1 onion, and a few garlic cloves. Let the water boil, then cool it down, pour it in a spray bottle, and then spray it over the infested areas of your apartment.
6. Baking soda and sugar
Baking soda can also kill roaches easily. So, what you can do is mix baking soda with sugar, and sprinkle the mixture around the cockroaches infested area of the apartment. The cockroaches will get attracted towards the sugar, but will unknowingly have the baking soda mixed with sugar. They can’t digest baking soda, so ultimately gas will form in their stomach, which will definitely kill them.
7. Petroleum jelly traps
Another way in which you can trap and kill these creepy creatures is by trapping them with the help of petroleum jelly. All you need to do is take a jar and fill its sides with petroleum jelly, then place bait in the middle of the jar, and wait and watch. You’ll see that the cockroaches will get attracted by the baits smell, and will slowly enter the jar. But as soon as they enter, they’ll get stuck in the petroleum jelly and will not be able to move or rescue themselves. So, that’s how they’ll stay stuck and kill themselves.
8. Hairspray
You’ll be shocked to know that you can now repel cockroaches from your apartment by spraying hairspray over them or their nest. Hair spray’s speciality is that they can set your hair, and make it hard and sticky, right? So, when you spray it over the roaches, then obviously their skin and wings will get sticky and sealed, and they will not be able to move. And when they won’t be able to move, they’ll obviously feel suffocated and die.
9. Use cucumber peels
We have placed this method in the end because this method works for many, but in a few cases, this didn’t work well. So, what you need to do is take the peels of cucumber and place them in an aluminium can. Then take the can and place them near the infested areas where the cockroaches dwell. Cockroaches simply ate the smell of cucumber peels when they get rotten in a aluminum can. So, you can just give it a try!
10. Boric acid and flour
If you mix one part flour and one part boric acid with one part sugar, then this combination can undoubtedly kill cockroaches in your apartment. Just mix these three ingredients make tiny balls out of the dough, and place them inside cupboards and other places where cockroaches are often seen or dwell. The cockroaches will get attracted to the tiny balls, and they’ll take the balls into their nest, which in return will kill all the other cockroaches dwelling in the nest. So, isn’t this a great idea? But make sure you keep the boric acid away from pets and kids as if they accidentally gulp it, then they can suffer from food poisoning.
Over to you
For sure repelling cockroaches from your apartment is no ordinary challenge, but I am sure some of the techniques shared above can help you repel cockroaches to a good extent. But if there is a massive infestation of cockroaches, then it’s best to get professional help who can deal with cockroaches effectively.
What else one can do to deal with cockroaches at your apartment?
