German cockroaches are a common pest in most homes across America. They are quick to multiply and can have huge clans in days. The sight of gross roaches can make people go through the roof. They are resistant to pesticides due to their high level of evolution and can be very hard to get rid of due to the high roach lifespan.
CDC research has said that roaches do not bite, but they can probably scratch humans with their tiny legs. As roaches travel in the dirtiest and dingy places, they tend to carry many diseases with them. So, how do you get rid of German roaches resistant to most pesticides?
Key takeaways
- German cockroaches are common household pests that multiply quickly and carry diseases.
- Methods to get rid of them include bait, pesticides, and natural remedies like vinegar, baking soda, and catnip.
- Keep your house clean and seal off openings to prevent infestations. Call exterminators for severe cases.
What are German roaches?
German roaches are generally much smaller than normal American roaches and measure just half an inch. Though they are small, they can reproduce pretty fast. You can end up with a whole colony of cockroach nymphs and go crazy over an infestation within a very short span of time.
They are light brown to dark brown. Their droppings are like coffee grounds, and the eggs are oval-shaped cases that they shed around the house. They also have a very musty and dingy smell and can be a real nuisance for human residents.
Why and how do German cockroaches enter your home?
Do not let these tiny scary pests roaming around your home question your house choice and lifestyle. Cockroach infestations are much more common than you would think. They enter homes searching for food and a warm and moist space to grow their clan.
So, where do these come from? Unfortunately, German roaches can enter your home from any sort of opening through pipes, doors, windows, and sewers; the possibilities are endless. But once they enter your homes, they make homes in the smallest of cracks in your house, and you can hardly notice them before a tiny one goes flying across your bedroom.
How to kill German roaches
There are still many ways to get them out of the house. Here we have listed out the best way to get rid of these unwanted pests, and we hope they help you beat these filthy pests.
Use bait
One of the best ways is to set baits for them. German roaches enter your homes in search of food. So, you can leave out pieces of food coated in insecticide on your kitchen floor or kitchen counter. Roaches come out at night, and they will definitely take the bait, eat these food baits, and even take some back to their colony and kill the whole clan.
Spraying pesticides
How to kill german cockroaches with pesticides? Not every pesticide works well on roaches. You can research the market and find one that kills them. But be careful with pesticides. Try not to spray them on kitchen counters, food objects, or porous material. It is best to spray them in pipes, cracks, sewer lines, and behind cabinets to directly kill the colony of the roaches.
Natural methods
Are you wondering how to get rid of german roaches naturally without using any chemicals inside your house? Well, there are a few ways for that as well.
Vinegar
You can make a solution of 50-50 vinegar and water to wipe the floor and surfaces where you spotted the roaches crawling by. Exposure to vinegar and its citric acid can instantly suffocate German roaches and kill them.
Baking soda
The baking soda you use for cooking can be pretty dangerous for German roaches. It combines equal parts of granulated sugar with baking soda and places them in strategic areas where the roaches reside.
Within a few days, the number of roaches will decline, and they will completely perish in a week or two.
Borax
Borax used as a laundry cleaner is quite lethal for German cockroach nymphs and the parent roaches. You can sprinkle some borax in infested areas, and eating this will disrupt the digestive system of the roaches and kill them.
Diatomaceous earth (DE)
DE consists of diatoms (unicellular aquatic plants) which can be a major killer for German cockroaches. The dust of the DE soaks through the exoskeleton or the hard skin of the roaches and soaks up all the moisture from their body and kills them. But you need to camouflage the DE, mix it with equal parts of cocoa powder, and sprinkle it on affected areas. Be sure to not breath too much in, as it may irritate your lungs.
Catnip
Catnip does not necessarily kill German roaches, but they repel them from entering your house. Nepetalactone, the chemical in catnip, acts as a natural repellent. You can make small packs of catnip and place them at strategic points to stop German roaches from entering your homes.
Rubbing alcohol
You can combine rubbing alcohol with water and spray it on roaches to kill them. The high intensity of the alcohol will kill them instantly.
Call the pest exterminators
If you think the situation is beyond your control, you must immediately call cockroach pest exterminators to assess the infestation level for you and start the pest control process.
Prevent German roaches from coming into your home
If you do not want to have a huge roach infestation inside your house, you can take these measures to prevent them.
- Clean up: Ensure there is no litter inside your house or particles of food lying around. Clean it up to stop attracting those dirty pests.
- Keep kitchen and bathroom dry: Moist places attract roaches; ensure your kitchen and bathroom floors are dry at all times.
- Use dehumidifier: Use a dehumidifier inside your home to make your house less damp to repel roaches.
- Empty pet food containers: If you are careless and keep your pet food lying around in bowls hoping your pets will eat them. Well, that can even get German roaches to feed on them and grow their colony on all the free pet food.
- Keep food away/sealed. Do not keep food open or unattended. You must always seal them in tight containers and keep them in closed cupboards or inside the fridge.
- Keep trash out: Take out your trash regularly. If you are letting trash lying around for days, they can be real cozy breeding grounds for the roaches.
How to prevent further German roach infestation
Call for cockroach control services if the home remedies do not work out, or the roaches keep coming back to make your life miserable. It is better to get professional help and eliminate the infestation once and for all.
Let Arrest a Pest help you. Contact us today to request an appointment.
