Everything you need to know about how to completely exterminate these annoying cockroaches – from home remedies, to natural oils, commercial baits and traps, and basic cleaning tips – is covered here at MEIDE’s guide to get rid of cockroaches (forever).
Yes, don’t you wish so?
Types of Cockroaches and Why Get Rid of Cockroaches
Wait, seriously, who really wants to know this? Got you there at this rhetoric.
German Cockroach, Oriental Cockroach, American Cockroach, Dubia Cockroach, and the list goes on. And, did you know that legend has it – everything was wiped out during the extinction of dinosaurs – except for COCKROACHES?
Fun fact. The Chinese have a cute (and very apt) nickname for it – 小强 – literally meaning “little strong and undefeatable creature”. Enough said.
So, shall we just get on with how to get rid of cockroaches?
10 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET RID OF COCKROACHES
Let us start with 10 simple steps. In fact, most of them are actually CLEANING TIPS too! So yes, you can consider most of them as natural methods. MEIDE does recommend implementing natural methods first. Yet, who is to say you cannot implement more than 1 method at a time? Certainly, for desperate home-owners, landlords and tenants, hesitate not to quickly use all these tips concurrently!
How to prevent cockroaches at home? Simply follow MEIDE.SG 10 golden cleaning tips for you to prevent cockroaches at home:
1. Isolate your dining area
First, have a specific dining area and keep all food and beverage activities to that area. Resist the temptation to bring tidbits to other places in your accommodation! This is the first and fundamental step to get rid of cockroaches.
Be extra careful when munching on food items like crackers or biscuits because these form tiny crumbs that cannot be cleaned easily and attract pests. Indeed, many homeowners eat on the sofa or bed – this will definitely attract insects to you!
2. Clean up immediately after each food preparation or meal or spill
Don’t be lazy. Many people will procrastinate and the longer you wait, the longer the smell and scent of food gets carried around the house, thus attracting pests.
3. Always keep raw food refrigerated.
Do not leave food or raw ingredients lying around unenclosed or unrefrigerated as these exude extra scents to lure cockroaches towards your home.
4. Seal up all organic waste first, if you are going to bin it
It only takes 1 to 2 seconds to make a dead knot and seal waste in your plastic bag! Do this step to get rid of the insects and smell lingering around. Consistently following this step will play a huge role to eliminate cockroaches from your home.
5. Designate trash bin(s) for dry and non-perishable items vs trash bin(s) for all other waste
This is something many households forget to do. Yet, it is vital to get rid of cockroaches and pests. A simple step to separate organic / food waste from dry and non-perishable waste will help you differentiate the “waste area that is at higher likelihood” of bringing cockroaches homes. The former, is of course the culprit.
6. Clear the latter trash bin once a day at least
Get rid of cockroaches by getting rid of what attracts them – the trash! The mixture of organic waste, food, and smell is like a buffet enticing them. True story.
7. Close all trash bins when not in use
Trash bin should preferably be closed when not in use. Thus, it would help to buy trash bins with a solid and fitting cover.
8. Clean up your toilet and kitchen regularly
Did you know? These spots are the favorite homes for cockroaches too if not maintained clean. Take special effort to clean these areas more often to get rid of cockroaches.
9. Keep your place as uncluttered and minimalist as possible
Marie Kondo your house and keep your place clean to stave off those cockroaches! We cannot emphasize how important cleanliness is to you (and us).
10. If all else fails, engage anti-cockroach traps, cockroach baits, pesticides or call in a pest control team
There are plenty of options nowadays – and available both offline and online. You could go to a nearby DIY store, hardware store or the supermarket to buy one. Or, you can go to Amazon, Shopee or Lazada to purchase at the convenience of your place!
Do remember that using commercial cockroach traps/baits are not a silver bullet to get rid of cockroaches. Many people make this costly mistake. You need a holistic approach that our article here at MEIDE is preaching to you, to REALLY get rid of cockroaches forever!
8 HOME REMEDIES TO GET RID OF COCKROACHES
Additionally, one may steer towards using oils, herbs and the like to drive away the nasty cockroaches.
With some luck, knowledge, and diligence in following our guide, yes, you would certainly achieve the goal of forever annihilating the cockroaches.
1. Cinnamon
2. Garlic
3. Peppermint or Cedarwood Oil
4. Cypress Oil
5. Silica Gel
6. Bay leaves (best crushed)
7. Coffee grounds
8. Powdered sugar and boric acid / baking soda combination
Any or all of these need(s) to be sprinkled at the common areas cockroaches nest. Identify those spots (such as near the dustbin or drain) and sprinkle the mixture there. If you use the combination option, it is useful to note the sugar acts as bait and the boric acid, borax or baking soda will toxify cockroaches! So clean up everything when it is done (after some weeks or days usually) and don’t leave any sugar behind!
Book your #1 home services today, or join our team!
meide.sg is here for you, always.
How EXACTLY to get rid of cockroaches?
The steps and solutions listed above do cover a lot of ground. But, how exactly to do it?
Well, if your place is already clean and new, you have the upper hand. Firstly, implement all preventive steps and aim to keep the place always clean! Regular cleaning sessions are mandatory. Secondly, upkeep hygiene discipline. Many homeowners tend to slack off after a while. Once a single roach gets in, it means more will exponentially enter and multiply. Hence, do not let your guard down! Lastly, use our list of 8 home remedies above to boost your house’s immunity against cockroaches!
Next, if you already have cockroaches at home, things get tougher. First things first, you need to ensure the 10 rules above are followed, otherwise pests will return indefinitely!
Next, determine the culprit. They might be a corner or crack in the wall or floor with trapped organic waste. Or, there may be leaking taps in the washroom or kitchen. You need to resolve these problems.
Third, once you have resolved this problems, kill the insects with pesticides or traps. You can also engage a pest control expert for this. However, do note that getting rid of all cockroaches and insects overnight is almost impossible. It would take weeks before you see a complete abolition. Therefore, if you are still not seeing improvement after a few days of following our tips, contact us at MEIDE right away for personalized help!
Want more educational materials and great learning articles free of charge? MEIDE.SG delivers it to you fresh from the oven, specially for our subscribers only. Sign up now (it’s free)!