Pest Control Tips For Cockroaches

Cockroaches... eeeeeew!, I wasn't going to bring these nasty things up because I hate them and they make my skin crawl, but... this article is about household pests.  The German Cockroach is the most prevalent pest in the united states.  Depending on your location throughout the United States, you my have populations of the American Cockroach or the Brown Banded Cockroach.  While there are other species, these are the most common. 

          German Cockroach                    American Cockroach                        Brown Banded Cockroach

If you see one, you have 100 you can't see.  Some tips to eliminate them from your home.  If you have read some of my previous articles, you will know I have discussed boric acid as a neat trick of the trade.  This product works extremely well for cockroaches.  They too have a waxy exo-skeleton and the boric acid eats through it nicely causing dehydration and elimination.  If you have a cockroach infestation, clean out all of your cabinets.  Once cleaned out, us a spoon to sprinkle the boric acid in all of the corners of them.  Don't leave piles, just a sprinkle.  Boric Acid is not a harmful chemical to humans, but the cockroach is not human.  Once you have put the boric acid down, put everything back and wait.  You will need to repeat this process about once a month for a couple three months.  While it is not quick, it will remove the infestation, without costing upwards of $1,000.00.  You can also try some of these other for home pest control methods

Prevention on the other hand is a different thing all together.  Cockroaches have survived millions of years by being sneaky.  They lay their eggs in anything and everything.  Sofas, Anwar's, China Cabinets, Bookcases, Tables, Chairs... etc.  If you purchase furniture used, you will need to follow a couple of steps.  If the item is wood or metal, put it in the garage and wait 10 to 15 days.  This gives eggs a chance to hatch and for you to see the little buggers.  You can also take and cover it with plastic, purchase a can of the bug-be-gone fogger and zap it.  I would recommend doing this outdoors too.  Check the instructions on the fogger for residue cautions.  You can do this with furniture made of cloth too, but, that would be at your own discretion.  I would be wary of using a fogger in that confined of an area.   The waiting period and a thorough once over is the best method.  Here is another tid-bit.  Where you purchase the furniture, check for cockroach signs or just ask the seller.  

If you end up with a full blown infestation, the tips above may or may not work.  You may want to try a newer product like Electronic Cockroach Control, while it is different than the methods above, it does work.  It really depends on your situation.  If you live in an apartment, you may be getting them from the next door neighbor.  If you live in your own home, the tips above work much better.  With apartment living the tips above keep them at bay, but will likely never get totally rid of them, unfortunately.  For information on other pests, you can review some of my other articles on bees, wasps, hornets, spiders, ants and mice.  Also, if you are interested in some of the products I recommend, check out the local store.