Get Rid of Roaches Safely

Looking for Roach Relief

I have tried everything to get rid of roaches, and I really need help. I am scared they will bite my kids or make them sick. I don't have much money so I was hoping you could give me some cheap ways to take care of it. I live in a very wooded area, and I am worried for my children. Thank you very much.
Karla

Dead Cockroach photo from Shutterstock

Baking Soda Rids Roaches

I use baking soda to get rid of roaches. Supposedly, when they walk through it, they will lick it off their feet to get clean. It expands in their stomach and kills them. I get a fast food drink lid, put a sugar cube in the center, and then put baking soda around the edge of the lid. You can then place the lid in an area where you have seen a roach. I haven't seen a roach since I started doing this.
Ann

Get Rid of Roaches with Boric Acid

My mother used to mix boric acid with powdered sugar and put it in bottle caps on the floor around the house. Just make sure your kids are old enough to understand not to touch or eat the sugar. Also, keep out of reach of pets.
Caron

Two Ways to Get Rid of Roaches

I know of two ways to get rid of roaches and both work! First, mix Plaster of Paris and corn starch and put on small lids in corners. Second, the easiest way it to put peppermint Lifesavers in every nook and cranny. Those critters will be gone!
Jacque Z. in Iowa

Get Them to Move Out!

I have had the dubious pleasure of moving into roach-infested apartments in New York City twice! The first time (17 years ago), I bought a $20 electronic pest control device that plugs into the wall. The manufacturers claimed that it sends out a high-frequency sound wave through the electric wires in the walls that roaches can't stand, so they move out! Yes, I thought there wasn't much hope of it working too, but I was at my wit's end. Well, it worked! The downside was that all the "hidden" roaches that you don't normally see came out into the open for the first four or five days. I found them dead and dying all over the place each morning. It was horrible! But then, suddenly, they were gone and I never saw a roach again for the next 10 years, until I moved to a condo.

I took the same device with me and had the same experience all over again. Seven years later, I'm still in that condo with the same electronic thing still plugged into my wall and I have never seen a sign of a roach, apart from the first few days of seeing way too many of them. I think it's the best $20 I ever spent. They can be purchased at hardware stores and discount stores, and it's a far healthier alternative than spraying with toxic chemicals. The only downside is seeing so many roaches those first few days, so if it's possible to stay with friends or family during that time, that would be ideal.
Ann in NYC

Keep It Clean

I also live near a wooded area and worry about roaches. The best advice I can give is to keep everything very clean. Only eat at the kitchen table and make sure no food or drink leaves the kitchen area. As soon as a meal is over, clean up the dishes and wipe down all surfaces and do a quick sweep of the floor. Do not leave food sitting out. I was also getting ants in my toothbrush and crawling over my toothpaste so those both are kept in a sealed container. I also do not keep cardboard in the house, as roaches seem to love it. With these changes, I only now see about one to two roaches a month (if that).
HighOrderGuiltComplex

Bay Leaves!

You can use them whole and place them in cabinets or other hiding spots. You can steep them in hot water and make a tea to use in a sprayer bottle, too.
DBS

Be Careful When Bringing Things into Home

I live in a wooded area, and at times, I have a problem with wood roaches since I burn wood. I spray the doorstep of every door and window seal with Bug Stop® by Spectracide®. It has a residual effect, which lasts for approximately six months. I also place baking soda in jar tops and place them in inconspicuous places. Also, be careful when you bring items into your home. Immediately empty potatoes into a container and never store paper bags from the grocery store. At times, they will contain roaches. So far, I do not have roaches or any other bugs except for stink bugs and will begin to tackle them this fall.
Karen

Grandmother and Mother Swear By This

My grandmother, mother, and now I absolutely swear by Dial® bar soap. Put out the soap in inconspicuous places like under the sink, in the utensil drawer, under the fridge, in a corner on the counter, under the bathroom sink, etc.

The soap has to be the old-fashioned gold bar Dial® soap, which is the cheapest of the Dial® soap family. Other soaps don't work. I buy it in packages of 8 or 12. It's cheap. You need to keep pets and kids from eating the soap, but otherwise, it's not toxic. You can keep the bars from view so they're not ugly. The bars of soap have to be changed every 8-12 months, but the expired soap can still be used for regular hand washing and the like.

You might try it. It's cheap, so if it doesn't work for you, you're not out much.
Linda from IA

Neem Oil to Get Rid of Roaches

An easy way to get rid of roaches is to clean up the house first and get rid of food scraps. Plug in all major holes in walls between bricks by mixing steel wool with some cement. Cover all sink holes with sink hole plates. Next purchase Neem Oil. Use about 5mls to make up 1 liter with water and spray initially every week around the house to prevent roaches and other insects entering the home. This will reduce the number and it will also kill juveniles. Neem oil is not poisonous, so there is no harm in using it. However, take precaution not to ingest it and wash hands after use. Neem oil can also be used on plants in the garden either during early mornings or evenings, and it can be used to kill many types of insects. Use it once in a week, and you will minimize insect damage to plants. I have been using this for over 20 years, and it is very effective.
SV

Take the Next Step:

• For more ways to get rid of roaches safely or to share your own ideas, please visit The Dollar Stretcher Community.
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