Cockroaches are not just a nuisance that people have to deal with in their homes. These filth-ridden pests are also health risks due to carrying different diseases.
You need to get rid of roaches in your kitchen for the health and overall safety of your family.
Roaches generally hide in small holes and gaps near food sources.
You won’t suspect that you have a cockroach infestation in the house until you stumble on them feasting on leftover food in the kitchen at night.
Want to know how to get rid of cockroaches from your kitchen?
Here are some tips to help get rid of your roach problem and also prevent further infestation.
1. Ammonia Solution
Cockroaches generally hide in drain pipes and sinks. You can use an ammonia solution to get rid of the roaches in your kitchen.
Just add a cup of ammonia in a bucket containing water. Flush down the solution down the drain pipe. The pungent smell of the solution will make the roaches scurry away from the pipe.
Consider applying the solution every week. The strong smell of ammonia will prevent roaches from hiding in the pipes.
2. Mint Oil
Mint oil is another effective solution that can help you with getting rid of the roaches from the kitchen.
You should sprinkle oil around the sink, drain pipes, and corners where roaches likely hide. It is a non-toxic and natural way to prevent roach infestation in the kitchen.
Apart from mint oil, you can also use the following natural oil as a roach repellent in your kitchen.
- Eucalyptus Essential Oil
- Lavender Oil
- Tea Tree Essential Oil
3. Listerine
Listerine is used as a mouthwash due to its antiseptic properties.
The solution can also be used to get rid of roaches from the house.
Fill the bottle with half a cup of Listerine and water and spray the solution at places where roaches likely lurk around inside the kitchen.
4. Boric Acid
Boric acid can be used to eliminate roach infestations in the kitchen. You should apply a fine line of boric acid around the kitchen counter, fridge, and dishwasher.
Apply it once a month to effectively get rid of roach infestation inside the kitchen.
This is an effective method for eliminating pests from your house. Just be prepared to clean the pests since the solution will instantly kill the roaches.
You should reapply the boric solution once you have mopped the kitchen floor.
Remember that boric acid is not safe for humans. You should not use this technique if there are pets and kids inside the house.
5. Petroleum Jelly
Petroleum Jelly can be an effective solution to get rid of roaches from the kitchen as well.
You should apply the jelly to the rim of the jar and leave it overnight.
Roaches that climb the jar will get trapped. The technique is effective in getting rid of roaches but not their nests.
6. Cornstarch
You can also use cornstarch to create bait for the roaches. Just add cornstarch to boric acid in a jar.
Place the jar near the place where the tiny crawlers tend to linger in the kitchen.
The cornstarch will attract roaches to the bait while the boric acid will act as a poison by drying them out.
7. Bay Leaves
Bay leaves are also effective in getting rid of roaches in the kitchen.
You can find bay leaves in most grocery stores. Place a bundle near the corners and crevices where roaches make nests.
Consider putting the bundle near the sink and cupboard where roaches generally hide.
8. Mothballs
Mothballs can be used to ward off many types of pests including cockroaches.
You should place a few mothballs near the cupboard, sink, and other areas where the roaches make nests.
But you should not use this solution if kids are around the house since they are harmful to humans as well.
9. Bleach
Bleach is used in most homes for removing stubborn stains from clothes.
You can also use it as a disinfectant to get rid of roaches from the house. Mix a cup of bleach with a gallon of water. Point it down the toilets and sinks to ward off roaches.
The bleach solution will get rid of the roaches and the nests from the kitchen.
10. Cedar
Cedar in the form of blocks, chips, or balls can help in getting rid of roaches and other pests from the kitchen.
You can line the closets and cupboards with cedar to keep the bothersome pests from the kitchen.
11. Borax
Borax can serve as an effective roach repellent. You should sprinkle some borax near the crevices, corners, pipes, and sinks in the kitchen.
Leave the solution overnight and clean up the next day.
The chemical acts as a slow poison for the roaches. It dries out the exoskeleton effectively killing the cockroach.
The best thing about this approach is that it will allow you to eliminate the roach nests.
Cockroaches that take the powder back to their nests will effectively kill them all.
12. Sugar Bait
Another effective solution is to use sugar and boric acid mixture as bait for the roaches.
You should place sugar in a cup with boric acid.
Similar to cornstarch, sugar will attract the roaches will boric acid will effectively kill them by drying out their exoskeleton.
13. Cucumber
Cucumber peels are an effective natural remedy to get rid of cockroaches from the kitchen. You should leave slices of cucumber around the cabinets and counters.
Moreover, you should place cucumber peels around crevices and cracks in the walls and floors.
You can use cucumber and bay leaves to get rid of those pesky pests from the kitchen.
14. Soap Solution
You can make a soap solution to get rid of cockroaches from the kitchen.
Soap will clog the pores of the roaches due to which they will die instantly.
This will prevent the roaches to breathe thereby killing them.
15. Vinegar
Vinegar is effective in killing roaches in the kitchen. You should add a cup of vinegar to a spray bottle.
Apply the vinegar on the dishwasher rack, fridge, and dining table. This will keep roaches from infesting your kitchen.
16. Garlic and Onion Solution
Garlic and onion solution can also be potent in getting rid of cockroaches inside the kitchen.
You should add a tablespoon of pepper with half an onion and garlic in a bottle.
Fill the bottle with about a liter of water. You can also add some liquid soap to the solution.
Sprinkle the solution to places where the cockroaches tend to hide in the kitchen.
You can also use the solution to mop the kitchen countertops, floors, and cabinets.
Roaches will find the combination of garlic, pepper, and onion smell to be noxious due to which they will leave the kitchen.
17. Coffee Trap
Another bait that you can make yourself is using coffee grounds.
The bait will help trap the roaches inside the jar. Just add grounded coffee in a jar. Roaches will be attracted to the caffeine smell.
You should half fill the jar with water so that the nasty critters will drown inside.
Cockroaches can’t swim in the water. They will die since the water clogs the pores preventing them from breathing.
Using a coffee trap is an effective method to get rid of roaches from the kitchen. It is a natural remedy that won’t be toxic to children or kids similar to borax or boric acid.
How to Prevent Future Infection of Roaches?
Keeping the kitchen clean is important to prevent future roach infestations. You should remove all utensils and thoroughly clean the dishwasher.
After cleaning the dishwasher, you should run it without any plates to get rid of any roaches.
Moreover, you should clean the inside of the fridge, cupboard, and counter at least once or twice a month. Drain pipes are also a common source of roach infestation.
Consider using an ammonia solution to clean the pipes once a week.
You should keep the kitchen dry at all times.
Repair any leaks and mop up the floor immediately after a spill. In addition, you should vacuum food crumbs to prevent roach infestation in the kitchen.
Lastly, you should consider pest control in case of a deep infestation. A professional pest control expert will use an advanced solution to get rid of a cockroach infestation.
But make sure that the company uses safe and non-toxic techniques to get rid of the roaches. This is particularly important if there are pets and children inside the house.
Conclusion
Cockroaches love moist and dark spaces in the kitchen.
You can find them under the dishwasher, behind the oven, below the fridge, and inside the cabinets. Moreover, they also hide in the gaps and cracks in the walls, floor, windows, and doors.
You need to clean the kitchen daily if you want to avoid a roach infestation.
Consider using a sponge, spray, mop, vacuum, and others to clean food crumbs, dirt, and grime from the kitchen.
Keeping the kitchen clean will prevent roaches from making their home in the kitchen.
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