Ant and Roach Spray – How it Works

August 29th, 2008 Posted in Ants & Roaches

You’re the average person with a not-so-average cockroach problem, and all you want to do is figure out the best method of cockroach extermination. So how exactly does cockroach spray work, and how do you know which is best for your situation?

We’ll first identify what kind of cockroaches you have (Indoor or outdoor? Large or small?), and then find the solution best tailored to your situation using our comprehensive guide to different types of cockroach sprays, from organic pesticides to inorganic, indoor to outdoor, immediate to gradual, to help you determine which course of action to take.

But first, check out this short video that shows what an American Cockroach looks like in detail:

Identifying Cockroaches

There are two general categories of cockroaches that have become problematic in the United States: large and small cockroaches. What’s the difference?

Large Cockroaches:

Large roaches, and most commonly the American cockroach, or palmetto bug are generally outdoor roaches that may invade your home. Mature American cockroaches are winged cockroaches with a reddish-brown coloring and a yellow line directly behind the head. American cockroach eggs are mahogany brown in color, and around 1/3 inch in length. These cockroaches grow up to 1 ½ inches and like to hide in dark, cool, moist places, such as:

  • Pipes
  • Sewers
  • Floor drains
  • Basements
  • Dead trees
  • Wood piles

Other Large Cockroaches:

Oriental Cockroach: Adult Oriental cockroaches are glossy, dark brown or black, and range from 1-1 ¼ inches in length.

Female Oriental cockroaches have two small stubs for wings, which are functionless. Male roaches have slightly larger wings that do not reach the tip of their abdomens.

These roaches like to hide near water drains and in basements.

Smoky-Brown Cockroach: The smoky-brown cockroach is dark brown to black in color, with a dark solid colored pronotum (the body part between the head and wings).

Both male and female smoky-brown cockroaches have wings that stretch longer than their abdomens, and antennae the same length or longer than their bodies.

These cockroaches prefer humid, moist areas like wood stacks or in attics.

Small Cockroaches:

Small cockroaches, and most commonly the German cockroach, are generally indoor cockroaches. The German cockroach ranges in color, from tan to brown to black, and are identifiable by two thick, parallel lines running from the head to where the wings are connected to the body. These cockroaches range from 1/8—5/8 inch in length, and are commonly found in warm, moist places, such as:

  • Residential houses
  • Apartments
  • Hotels
  • Restaurants
  • Under sinks
  • In cabinets
  • Cracks and crevices

Killing Large Cockroaches

Now that you know you’re dealing with large cockroaches, it’s time to figure out which approach you should take in exterminating them. There are two options—the traditional approach, using synthetic chemical insecticides, or the new organic approach, using insecticide with all-natural ingredients.

The Conventional Approach

The traditional cockroach spray generally uses synthetic chemical pesticides with neurotoxins which interrupts a cockroach’s nervous system and ultimately causes death.

There are two types of inorganic chemical sprays:

  1. Contact aerosols, which kill cockroaches immediately on contact.
  2. Residual sprays, which control cockroaches over a period of time (i.e. 4 weeks, etc).

Contact aerosols

Typically contain a natural active ingredient call pyrethrin (derived from chrysanthemum flowers). Pyrethrin enters the cockroach’s body through its cuticle and disrupts its nervous system, obstructing the cockroach’s ability to function and ultimately killing it.

However, cockroaches can actually metabolize pyrethrin and “recover” unless there is a synergist present to prevent it from doing so. Piperonyl Butoxide (PBO) is a commonly used synergist in pyrethrin-based products. It does not have pesticidal properties by itself and is derived from sassafras oil.

How to use:

Contact aerosols must be sprayed directly on cockroaches for immediate results, since the active ingredients in these products break down relatively fast (usually in a matter of hours).

Residual aerosols

Commonly contain synthetic pyrethroids as the active ingredient (i.e. permethrin, allethrin, imiprothrin, resmethrin, cypermethrin, etc) which persist much longer than pyrethin products, especially when not exposed to sunlight.

How to use:

Residual aerosol sprays are typically used where cockroaches commonly go or live (i.e. in wall voids, in cracks and crevices, etc), as they will pick up the active ingredient when they come in contact with it.

When treating for outdoor cockroaches, it is recommended to spray up to 6 feet around the perimeter and 1 foot up the foundation of the entire house.

Caution: These synthetic pyrethroid products can also adversely affect the human nervous and endocrine systems. The EPA assesses human health risk for many common pesticides.

The Organic Approach

There is an alternative to traditional chemical pesticides—a new, organic, but equally effective approach to cockroach control. EcoSMART Ant & Roach Killer uses all-natural, organic plant oils, such as rosemary, cinnamon, wintergreen, and canola which block a neuroreceptor only present in invertebrates (i.e. insects) resulting in metabolic frenzy and ultimately, death.

The ingredients in these organic insecticides are based on the same natural defenses that plants and trees use as self-protection against insects.

How to use:

Use this EcoSMART organic ant killer as you would any contact aerosol insecticide product—spray directly on the cockroach for results. The only difference is that EcoSMART Ant & Roach Killer is safe to use around children and pets.

See how EcoSMART works on an American Cockroach:

Try EcoSMART today to get rid of cockroaches.

Killing Smaller Cockroaches

For getting rid of the common German cockroach, you want a more long-term solution to make sure these critters get out and stay out. The most popular methods include roach baits and gels which work on eliminating all the cockroaches you cannot reach with an aerosol spray (since German cockroaches live and breed behind the walls in a house). While aerosol sprays are available for indoor roaches, they are short-term solutions since you can only spray what you can see.

The “Domino Effect”

Roach bait contains active ingredients that, when ingested, kill the cockroaches slowly. The poisoned cockroaches then crawl back to their nests to die. Other cockroaches feed on the dead carcass of the poisoned cockroach, so eventually whole nests can be eliminated.

These methods are preferred over aerosol sprays for long-term indoor cockroach control.

Boric Acid Baits:

  • White powder made of water and a boron compound.
  • Slowly poisons cockroaches when ingested.

How to use:

Squeeze the paste into crevices where the cockroaches live, and it will begin to kill cockroaches in a few hours to a few days

Cockroach Baits:

Cockroach baits contain bait either in a gel form or in a plastic station (bait stations) that attracts cockroaches to feed on them.

How to use:

Apply gels in cracks and crevices where cockroaches go, or place bait stations in spots where cockroaches go, such as kitchens or bathrooms (depending on which method you choose).

Baits can last for 3-12 months.

Conventional Aerosol Spray Approach

Caution: Conventional aerosol prays are not the best approach to controlling cockroaches in commercial venues. Be especially careful of which insecticides are labeled for usage in commercial kitchens, as food preparation areas could be contaminated by harmful sprays.

The Organic Approach

The organic alternative to the conventional approach is EcoSMART’s Ant and Roach Killer. See above for more information.


Yilu Zhang





organic pest control



  1. 30 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers!

  2. By Lisa T. Nakamura on Oct 6, 2008

    Is your product available in Honolulu (Hawaii), and if so, would you be kind enough to tell me where I can get it. I have 3 pets; live in a condo; and these roaches are killing me, no matter what I do. I even have to keep my toaster ziplocked. If I could do the same with my micro, I would. Calling an exterminator is out of reach financially.

  3. By Jerry Moran on Dec 16, 2008

    We have tried bates, raid, and other sprays, and still have a Roach problem!!! What will really kill them???

  4. By Linda on Dec 16, 2008

    I agree with Jerry–I just need a way to get roaches out of my house.

  5. By lynne downhour on Dec 17, 2008

    Occasionally I see a dead cockroach in the middle of my floor, I do not use anything to be rid of them, so what could be killing some of them? Too much to eat?

  6. By Angela on Dec 22, 2008

    these bugs are bugging me

  7. By Nancy on Dec 27, 2008

    I live in Florida and seem to be forced to share my living quarters with every type and size of roaches. I’m fanatically clean, but these critters are finding their way into my clothing drawers and even electrontics! My coffee maker and VCR blip out occasionally cuz of these guys! I’ve tried lots of products, but very sensitive to chemicals.I’m not sure anything less toxic would help.

  8. By Jacquie on Dec 27, 2008

    I have recently moved from a condo that had a serious infestation. I personally spent $120 a month fighting this problem ($12 for bombs and the rest went to motel rooms: I have allergies and asthma, so I cannot be in my home immediately following a full bombing), I finally moved out, because it was just too expensive. Now I notice that my neighbors’ have been sitting their trash on their porch, which is across from me and wouldn’t you know, roaches crawling under my door. I would really love to get ahold of your organic spray. Would be nice to nip this in the bud before it starts. Just tell me where to go to get it.

  9. By Rebecca Jean on Dec 28, 2008

    I have a serious roach problem. I used to rent a house and their were roaches in the previous rental probably from the former tenant.
    Later on I bought a brand new home and I am the first person to live here, but the problem is I think we carried some of the roaches by accident of course to our new home, when we moved the furniture and our personal belongings.
    My brand new home is full of roaches also. I have tried sprays and roach trays, but nothing works. I am concerned about the dangerous chemicals being used, as I already have 2 Autism disability children (not to say that this is to blame because I don’t know), but anyway I am very interested in using natural organic products.
    I would love to try your natural roach formula to get rid of roaches. I think this is a good idea and a healthy way to remove pests.

  10. By Larry Dickinson on Jan 15, 2009

    Roaches have been problem for me. I live in an old mansion and since two girls up stairs moved in we have roaches. I can’t bomb or other things as I have a cat. The traps and motels don’t work well.

  11. By Brandi on Jun 17, 2009

    This product does not work. You can literally drown them in this product and they will keep running until someone stomps on the disgusting thing with a shoe.

  12. By Diana Clark on Jul 2, 2009

    I have been fighting roaches for some time now I work on rentals and tend to bring them home with me when cleaning junk out of them. I would love to try this product.

  13. By Terri on Jul 9, 2009

    We have “waterbugs” here in Baltimore, which are really similar to roaches. We’ve been using roach traps to stop them, but we still find them in our kitchen on occasion! Ew!

    We have a 14-month-old, so I’d love to try some eco-friendly, safe alternatives to the harsh products I’ve been buying.

  14. By sandra on Jul 9, 2009

    we live in an apartme nt building and it is full of roaches.. no matter what we use it seems like they are winning!

  15. By sue bush on Jul 9, 2009

    This sounds like what I have been looking high and low for.
    The roaches here are so big, 6 could carry me away!
    I am concerned because I am immuno-compromised.

    At night, the roaches come in under the door and skitter when I turn on a light in the kitchen. It is gross, they are scary they carry bacteria and I am defenseless.

    Please help save me and get rid of them.
    Thanks for what I hope, is a great eco-product.
    *Sue Bush*

  16. By Bradley on Jul 28, 2009

    I have American, german, and oriental cockroaches in my house, now at this point im willing to try anything, they have infested my house so bad I catch them mating all the time which could only mean the infestation is catastrophically bad!!! I will definently try your product!!

  17. By mark Brazell on Aug 12, 2009

    Boric Acid no longer works. Orkin accomplished nothing. I can hit them with everything and the’re back the next day. I need something that will run them off so we can have our house back.

  18. By Ali on Aug 25, 2009

    After six years of living cockroach free in NYC I have a problem. For the past two weeks I’ve seen German Cockroaches in my kitchen. I went from seeing one every couple of days to two to three every day. Last night I saw one walking along a crevice btw the door of my frige. I’ve used boric acid and gel, but need something more aggressive that I can apply safely around my fridge.

  19. By dell on Aug 26, 2009

    I NEED HELP THEY WANT GO AWAY THEIR TAKEN OVER HELP

  20. By Patty on Sep 2, 2009

    Hi!

    I have/had a German cockroach problem in my apartment. I have a middle apartment in a building in which my apartment touches five others on the sides, back, and above me. While my place is clean, others are not so dilligent….LOL!

    I bought the Ecosmart roach killer and had a lot of success with it. I sprayed all around the kitchen area (where the roaches are the worst). I pretty much hit every crevice, corner, and hidden dark area I could. I have noticed a drastic decline in the number of roaches. As a matter of fact, I have only found three in the last month. I’m sure there are still some around but at least I don’t feel like I have the same level of infestation I had a year ago. Each time I take a trip somewhere, I spray the apartment so any remaining bugs don’t take over while we’re gone! I do have asthma so I generally spray and leave the apartment (taking my cat with me) for a couple of hours just to ensure I won’t have breathing problems. I’m sure if you sprayed and opened windows, it would be okay.

    I have recommended the roach spray to a couple of friends who were also having problems in their apartments because I have been so pleased with the results!

  21. By BEN LAPLANTE on Oct 9, 2009

    I would like to try your product, we have roaches and do not want the spray man to put his chemicals in our apartment.

  22. By viridiana carreon on Nov 18, 2009

    my nasty squatter neighbors finally got evicted from their apt, but now their roaches have invaded mine! HELLLLPPP!!! i am so mad since the pest control the HOA hired never did anything!

  23. By Ren on Nov 23, 2009

    Great blog! Thank you for the education.

  24. By Leigh Grafton on Apr 26, 2010

    I am at the beginning of a roach problem no matter how clean my kitchen is but at least they are confined to the sink area. I have been trying a new bug barrier spray but no luck. Would love to try this stuff because I have a six month old and a six year old.

  25. By Samantha Fisher on Jun 24, 2010

    I have read your info on your product i would like to try it but i have serious doubts it is gonna help. i have tried everything and we still have problems with german cockroaches. i need them out of my home fast. i have a daughter with asthma and i have a niece that can’t come here anymore because she has to have a breathing treatment everytime she does. so if you can help i would gladly be a product tester and i will even video tape my using the product if need be.

  26. By trudy mearing on Jul 7, 2010

    having problems with roaches willing to try anything

  27. By Stephanie on Jul 9, 2010

    I’ve always had some pretty good success using boric acid both in powder form in places that can’t be seen or easily accessed except by these creepy critters, and by mopping with it mixed with bleach, but it would be nice to try something that doesn’t stink to high heaven and not have to worry about making sure the kids and animals can get into the powder!

  28. By Sheri Wahlen on Oct 26, 2010

    Have been getting sick (headaches, runny nose and eyes, sneezing) every time I’m exposed to the “safe” pesticide professionals use. Did not realize that “safe” pesticide is derived from CHRYSANTHEMUMS. I react similarly but even worse to CHRYSANTHEMUMS! Good to know I’m not “crazy” like the bug guys make me out to be. Would like to know where I can buy your products, as I’m not allergic to any of the compounds you list.

  29. By richard wilkinson on May 23, 2011

    i have tried many different ways from sprays to powders gels hotels its been 6 mounths and still cant find a way to get rid of german roches. if u have any suggestions cheaply because iam now running low on money please let me know for my kids and my 14 mounth old grand child please need help desperatly richard wilkinson

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