Cockroach Extermination

September 27th, 2008 Posted in Ants & Roaches

¡Ay, caramba! ¡La cucaracha está en su casa!

A common reaction when a cockroach is spotted at home is to jump, scream, and point, which doesn’t do much to get rid of the pest.

Watch the following video to see a cockroach in action:

Cockroaches can present a problem not only in your home, but in restaurants, hospitals, warehouses, offices, etc. They are carriers of human pathogens, like E. Coli and Salmonella.

Additionally, they contaminate food and eating utensils; they also destroy fabrics, paper products, and other surfaces by staining and leaving odors. Luckily, there are several ways to get rid of the buggers.

This article will cover:

  • Cockroach facts
  • Cockroach identification
  • Cockroach extermination methods

Cockroach Facts

  • Immature ones are called nymphs.
  • Can hold their breath for 40 minutes!
  • About 5000 species of them worldwide.
  • Been around for 300 million years!
  • Can live a week without its head.
  • Can live without food for a month, but will die without water after a week.

What do cockroaches eat?

“Teacher…I ate all my paste!”—Ralph Wiggum, The Simpsons

Ralph isn’t alone. Cockroaches also eat glue (off of postage stamps and book bindings), since it is made from animal protein. Cockroaches are omnivores, like humans, and eat anything organic.

Usually they eat dead or immobile things, but sometimes they nibble on a human’s sores in the middle of the night while he/she is sleeping!

Cockroach Identification

Not to politicize, but it is important to be able to identify your enemy before implementing your attack to be sure it is effective. Just as it is hard to fight a war on “terror,” since it is faceless; you cannot fight a war on cockroaches, if the face is a beetle’s.

Four common species that can become pests, include:

  • American
  • Brownbanded
  • German, usually the most troublesome and persistent
  • Oriental

American Cockroach
American cockroaches typically live outdoors and come inside looking for food, water and harborage areas. They prefer very warm, damp places and forage in basements and ground floors of buildings.

Adult males and females are:

  • About 1½ -2 inches long
  • Reddish-brown

Both adult males and females have long wings that cover their abdomens.

In a lifetime, a female deposits about 9-10 egg cases containing about 14 young into cracks. Eggs hatch in about 45 days.

A nymph is reddish brown and wingless and matures in about 215-400 days.

Brownbanded Cockroach
Brownbanded cockroaches like to stay warm (warmer than the German cockroach) so they may be found hidden near radios and televisions.

While both sexes of this species are about ½ inch long and have distinctive horizontal yellow bands, there are some differences:

Adult male appearance:

  • Golden Brown
  • Narrow body
  • Wings extend beyond tip of abdomen

Adult female appearance:

  • Dark, chestnut brown
  • Teardrop-shaped body
  • Wings are shorter than abdomen

Unlike the German cockroach, the female deposits its egg case on surfaces such as furniture or appliances. The eggs take about 70 days to hatch.

A nymph has two pale bands that run horizontally on its body and takes about 160 days to reach maturity.

German Cockroach
German cockroaches are the most common indoor species and are usually found in food preparation areas, like restaurants, grocery stores, and bakeries. They are also commonly found in homes.

They favor warm, humid areas close to food and water, like plumbing in bathrooms and kitchens

They are:

  • About ½ inch in length
  • Light brown or tan with two dark bands or streaks behind the head.
  • Especially prevalent in multiple-family buildings

German cockroaches have the highest reproduction potential of the four species mentioned in this article. Each egg case contains about 30-50 young offspring that the female carries until the eggs are ready to hatch.

Nymphs do not have wings and are dark brown in color. Nymphs complete development in about 60 days.

Oriental Cockroach
Some consider the Oriental cockroach one of the dirtiest of cockroach species. Yuck!

The oriental cockroach, often called a water bug, prefers damp basements, cellars, crawl spaces, and sewers; they forage mostly on the first floors of buildings. They like dark, damp places, so they may also be found near plumbing, under refrigerators, or under washing machines.

This species can tolerate cool temperatures and have been found surviving freezing temperatures outdoors.

The adults of this species are:

  • About 1 to 1¼ inches long
  • Dark brown, nearly black in color

Males have fully developed wings that are shorter than their bodies, while females have short, rudimentary wings.

During its lifetime, a female deposits about eight egg cases containing about 16 offspring.

It takes 300-800 days for eggs to hatch and develop into adults. A nymph is similar in appearance to a female, except smaller and wingless.

Cockroach Extermination

Using sticky cockroach traps is not a very effective way of solving a cockroach infestation, but will help you monitor where they hang out. So, use traps to help you in your mission to kill. Be sure to place them against walls so that cockroaches can not walk around them!

In this section, you will learn about:

  • Natural extermination methods
  • Chemical insecticidal methods
  • Cockroach prevention

Natural Extermination Methods
There are several ways that you can get rid of cockroaches naturally, including: trapping, vacuuming, freezing, and using organic sprays. Using all methods together is pretty effective.

Traps

As aforementioned, traps are not very effective in getting rid of many cockroaches, but are nevertheless useful in determining where they are most prevalent.

To make your own trap:

  1. Get a bowl
  2. Rub inside walls with Vaseline to make it slippery
  3. Place some food (bread, carrots, etc.) and a water-dampened towel in the bottom
  4. Place in a typical hiding space with a water-dampened towel acting as a ramp up to the bowl

Cockroaches will go up the ramp into the bowl for the food but will not be able to escape because of the slippery walls. Flush the cockroaches you catch down the toilet.

Vacuuming

Vacuuming works to remove cockroaches and egg cases. Using vacuums with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters reduces cockroach debris.

Freeze them!

Cockroaches like it warm, so if any are infesting a small item, like a toaster, clock, or box, seal the item in a plastic bag and put it in a freezer or outside in the winter for 5 days. Clean the item well before using it again!

Organic Insecticide Sprays

There are organic insecticides available, such as EcoSMART’s Ant and Roach Killer, that you can spray directly at your target. EcoSMART’s Ant and Roach Killer is safe enough to use indoors and out, since it contains organic plant oils, such as peppermint oil, rosemary oil, and wintergreen oil. The oils work together to block neuro-receptors that are not in mammals, which leads to immobilization followed by death.

To see how effectively EcoSMART’s Ant and Roach Killer works, watch the following:

Chemical Extermination Methods
There are several chemical extermination options, including:

  • Baits
  • Dusts/powders
  • Sprays

Using chemical insecticides is more effective when used in combination with the aforesaid natural methods. Be sure to use sticky traps to determine where the invaders are hanging out so you can target those areas.

Baits

  • Available in plastic child-proof containers
  • Active ingredients include: abamectin, fipronil, or hydramethylnon
  • Advantage: Can be placed in precise locations
  • Disadvantage: Work somewhat slowly and noticable results may take awhile

To use, follow labeling directions and place in areas where you find cockroaches.

Dusts/Powders

  • Active ingredient: typically boric acid
  • Advantage: can fit in small places where roaches live/hide
  • Disadvantages: messy and not recommended for use around children

Place dust/powder, in isolated places, e.g. behind and under refrigerators, stoves, sinks, and other areas where cockroaches have been seen.

Sprays

  • Active ingredients include typically synthetic chemicals, such as: permethrin, deltamethrin, cyfluthrin, and cypermethrin
  • Advantage: fast acting
  • Disadvantage: not as precise and are potentially hazardous if not used properly

Spray in specific cracks and crevices behind sinks, around plumbing and other sites where cockroaches has been detected according to the labeling directions. If sprayed out in the open, it is important to wipe away residue to prevent contact by children and pets.

Do not use foggers and bombs!

An insect fogger or bug bomb do not deliver insecticides to cracks where cockroaches hide and you will have to stay with a friend for a few days.

Cockroach Prevention

Now that you’ve gotten rid of your cockroach problem, it is important to take measures to prevent their return.

Clean up!

Not just when company is coming.

Cockroaches need food and especially water to survive, so it is important to make sure your home is not their go-to source. The key to preventing cockroach companions is to never procrastinate cleaning up.

By doing the following cleaning measures, you will reduce the presence of cockroaches in your home:

  • Put your left-overs away! Never leave food sitting out, instead keep it stored in a refrigerator or in sealed containers.
  • Store bagged food, such as chips, cereal, flour, sugar, and rice, in tightly sealed plastic containers or glass jars with screw-on lids.
  • Do not leave pet food and water out, either. If Fifi didn’t finish her meal, scrap it.
  • Wash your dishes as soon as you are done using them.
  • Wipe spills from surfaces right away with soapy water.
  • Vacuum thoroughly, especially cracks and crevices.
  • Sweep crumbs out from under appliances daily.
  • Do not walk around the house while eating—less vacuuming.
  • Take garbage and recyclables outside daily.
  • Wash waste containers often!
  • Remove unnecessary cardboard boxes, newspapers, bags, etc.

Make some home improvements

Tim “the tool man” Taylor not required!

The following steps will help to prevent cockroaches :

  • Caulk around leaky pipes and fix dripping faucets.
  • Caulk cracks where cockroaches can or do hide.
  • Seal spaces where plumbing and electrical wiring goes through walls with steel wool in multi-unit dwellings to prevent cockroaches from going unit to unit.
  • Place escutcheon plates where plumbing enters the wall in multi-unit dwellings.
  • Increase ventilation where condensation is frequent, like in bathrooms.
  • Keep sink plugs over drains.

Did You Know? Cockroaches can squeeze into the tiniest of cracks! Young cockroaches only need a crack as thin as a dime to squeeze into, while adult males can squeeze into cracks as thin as a quarter. Pregnant females only need a crack as thick as two stacked nickles! So, taking some steps, like plugging up those cracks will keep cockroaches away.






organic pest control



  1. 42 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers!

  2. By Kathleen on Jan 13, 2009

    I would like some help getting rid of cockroaches in our apartment building, as I am the caretaker of the 4 apartments. We don’t have very many in our apartment, but we have plenty in the other apartments. I like the steel wool idea, as well as sealing up the cracks.

  3. By EcoSMART Kara on Jan 26, 2009

    Cockroaches definitely like to migrate from apartment to apartment, so, sealing cracks and steel wool will certainly help.

  4. By Name on Mar 5, 2009

    I have been living with roaches for so long it is sickening. I first got them when I moved into an apartment and the neighbors and of course I ended up with them. I moved states away into my own home, and guess what they moved too! I have tried EVERYThing known to man,to kill them and they are everywhere they group up in the ceiling crevice, and no where is safe. My son has asthma so I really hope Eco smart works so I can get rid of these nusances.

  5. By Name on Mar 5, 2009

    I have been living with roaches for so long it is sickening. I first got them when I moved into an apartment and the neighbors had them and of course I ended up with them. I moved states away into my own home, and guess what they moved too! I have tried EVERYThing known to man,to kill them and they are everywhere they group up in the ceiling crevice, and no where is safe. My son has asthma so I really hope Eco smart works so I can get rid of these nusances.

  6. By EcoSMART Kara on Mar 6, 2009

    “Name,”

    They certainly do find a way into boxes – I would recommend getting rid of any boxes you had. Good luck!

  7. By jennifer on Apr 9, 2009

    I live in a apartment and am preganant is this a safe product to use. I know the people that live down stairs brought them here because i am a clean freak and see roachs and want to kill them before the baby comes.what can i do?

  8. By EcoSMART Kara on Apr 10, 2009

    Certainly is safe, Jennifer – good luck with your pregnancy and getting rid of the roaches!

  9. By Jessica on Apr 27, 2009

    My current extermination method for roaches is our two cats. They work decently for keeping them at bay and when they do venture out at night (which is basically nightly) the cats leave us roach carcass gifts all over the house. The problem we have is that our house needs major renovations and we currently only have subflooring which expose tons of holes in the walls and floors. We have been spraying every few months but with two cats and a dog it becomes a dance. Move them all into a room and spray the house, let it air out, then let them out and spray the last room and hope they don’t eat any of the poisoned roaches. It’s terrible and we hate doing it. We’ve been putting it off for over a month now hoping that we could figure out an alternative. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that EcoSMART is our saving grace!

  10. By EcoSMART Kara on Apr 27, 2009

    Jessica, hope your dancing days are over with EcoSMART – unless you’re on a dance floor!

  11. By kevin on May 7, 2009

    Man I hate roaches! We have an asthmatic child too and recently read an article about the connection between roaches and asthma. Plus I heard that roach spray can also trigger astma! When we spray for roaches in our home now we have to drop our son off over grandpas so he doesnt have an attack. Hopefully this product will allow us to control the roaches and keep our son nearby too. Thanks EcoSmart!

  12. By EcoSMART Kara on May 12, 2009

    Kevin, you’re right about that asthma connection – check out our upcoming blog entry that we’ll be posting soon about just that!

  13. By Cecily on Jun 27, 2009

    I live in an apartment building, and we have little roaches all over. From the info here, they sound like the brownbanded or the german. They like to hide under our mattress, then they crawl out at night. I can’t sleep! I don’t want to use traditional bug sprays, because I don’t feel comfortable having harsh chemicals sprayed around where I sleep. I just got some EcoSMART, so hopefully I will start seeing a decrease in the roach population. One can watch the roaches die within minutes of being sprayed, and it smells like rootbeer! Much better than chemicals!

  14. By Tina on Jul 9, 2009

    I am ready to try ANYTHING to get rid of the roaches we have in the kitchen. With 7 kids, they inevitably leave crumbs lying around and we are constantly killing the nasty bugs! Hubby just went under the house to do some work and there are NONE under the house…they’re all in my kitchen!! I would love to try EcoSMART!!

  15. By Ina on Jul 9, 2009

    Wow
    Thanks for sooooo much good information.
    I have had an influx of these nasty little buggers lately. I realize that not I need to get a caulk gun and handle this situation quickly.

    Thanks again for the good advice.

  16. By Debbie on Jul 9, 2009

    Uck I hate roaches! Someone recently sprayed their house and now they are headed to mine, I try to keep baits out all the time but would like a safe spray to get rid of them faster. I have kids and dogs around all the time, so I have to watch out for them.

  17. By daisy marchese on Jul 9, 2009

    my cup runneth over with roaches. Help me get rid of them, please. Would klove to try your product”’I've tried lots of things, but can’t seem to get rid of them.

  18. By daisy marchese on Jul 9, 2009

    my cup runneth over with roaches. Help me get rid of them, please. Would love to try your product”’I've tried lots of things, but can’t seem to get rid of them.

  19. By jennifer fowler on Jul 9, 2009

    i have tried everything to get rid of my roaches nothing works. everytime i get rid of them the neighbors bring some clothes or something over and bring them back. now we have a new puppy and i am afraid to use a posion chemical because i dont want to harm him when he comes in the house

  20. By Stefanie Schmidt on Jul 9, 2009

    I have such a huge cockroach problem and would love to try your roach spray to cleanup my apartment. What a great ecofriendly way to get rid of the roaches.

  21. By Heidi Shearburn on Jul 10, 2009

    to become a tester for this product would be a blessing…i have a beautiful brick home in oklahoma and saw a few roaches about 3 months back now we are infested and nothing works …please help !!!!!

  22. By Justin on Jul 13, 2009

    Well, I’m at this blog because I just saw another one in the kitchen. Geez, I get up for a snack, see one of these guys, and I’m on high alert for the next two hours. Help!

  23. By Sandy on Jul 13, 2009

    We usually have cockroaches cycle through our lives – as summer begins down south. This year however has been much worse than years past and they are everywhere. We are not big fans of spraying every time a bug appears, but we have reached our breaking point with these roaches.

  24. By Judith on Jul 22, 2009

    I recently moved to a street floor apartment in NYC. There is a garden outside my door along with a water spigot used by management to water my garden and others. In addition, the wall opposite my front door abutts an incinerator shoot. In addition, the basement under my apartment is the laundry room. I think I am in the worst possible location all around. The building has an exterminator come every week and he sprays the basement, incinerator area, etc., and now my apartment regularly. I have always done what is recommended about not leaving food around,etc. Nonetheless, I see large waterbugs (cockroachs or whatever they are)one at a time and every other week, but they drive me insane. When we kill one, I know in a week or two there will be another. I MUST find a way to get rid of them – I am going insane with concern.

  25. By Sarah on Jul 25, 2009

    We are military… living in a government house and have had some problems with ants… only, last night I came into our dining room and saw a small cockroach EWW! It totally grosses me out, but I dont know what to use because I have a 3 year old and a 15 month old… I want to make sure they are safe. My son also has asthma… is this product safe for children with asthma?

  26. By reid on Jul 30, 2009

    My grandparnts have had them sporadically for years but nothing seeme to kill them for good. Now they almost have an infestation! Nothng seems to work and my Granfather has COPD and Alzheimers ,so I know it can`t be good for him. I am terrified of them and am scared to visit as often as I want to! I`m totally against toxic chemicals though and would love to find out how effective your product could be at saving my grandparents` house!

  27. By Maureen on Jul 31, 2009

    We have a roach problem (small german roaches) – will bug bombing help…or do we need to get the whole house fumigated?

  28. By Sharon Kirkbride on Sep 2, 2009

    I currently use regular (probably toxic) chemicals and roach traps to prevent roaches from being in my home. I really don’t ever see any, but if thre is a more natural way to get the same results, I would be very interested in being a tester:)

  29. By Cheriese on Sep 5, 2009

    Hi,

    Thx for the great thorough information. I am on a mission to rid my home of these horrible roaches. I don’t pay rent for bugs! We eat mostly organic and use environmentally safe products. I am definitely looking for your product. I look forward to posting a praise report!

  30. By Lisa on Sep 26, 2009

    Trying to get rid of those nasty vermin willing to try anything that will work and keep on working!

  31. By Bob on Oct 5, 2009

    We’ve got so many roaches and ants, they’re taking over the house! Found out my EX-Roommate used to feed them like pets – no wonder, eh? Anyway – I’m on the war path now that she is gone, but I’m sensitive to those poisonous kind of sprays. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks and Blessings!

  32. By SUE on Oct 9, 2009

    We have two cats who bring us prizes when they come in from outside at night-usually one or two palmetto bugs! In the last month, we’ve seen very small baby German cockroaches (two or three a day). Now with the cold weather we’re seeing one or two grown cockroaches on dresser, chair or kitchen counters. Help! Our cats are normally inside & my husband has COPD so bombing is out of the question. Will your product help safely????

  33. By Farrah on Oct 24, 2009

    Our new apartment is full of cockroaches. We abide by natural living but don’t know how to get rid of them! No stores around here have organic roach killer. We have a 2 yr old and a 2 month old so we need something very safe!!

  34. By TANISHA THOMAS on Oct 25, 2009

    Oh I really believe me and my six kids and one dog needs your help. We have roaches in our kitchen, bedrooms, bathroom, and even in our living room. They are mostly in our kitchen and I don’t know where they came from but i tried all bad chemicals trying to get rid of them I’m at my wits end and it’s only so much I can do with the chemicals considering my kids and dog. I really would love to be a tester so I can get rid of these pesky roaches with something that is so earth and kid friendly, please help, thanks for this opportunity.

  35. By Michelle on Nov 6, 2009

    I moved into a Bronx apartment almost 6 months ago, but only recently have I been seeing roaches. I am completely sickened. And what’s worse, I fear they’re the brown-banded ones and I’m going to find them everywhere. I have a husband who is asthmatic and two dogs, so I need something non-toxic. Would so appreciate the opportunity to become a tester.

  36. By Marissa on Apr 11, 2010

    Help!! We just moved into a new apartment and have been seeing german roaches.. DISGUSTING. I, as well as my daughter have asthma and allergies. I bought some Delta Dust, Phermone traps and Cypermethrin, but how effective is it? More importantly, how safe is it? I would love to try this product, we NEED something that will work, I promise if it works I will promote your product to anyone I see that has a bug problem!!

  37. By Jillian lawler on Apr 15, 2010

    I just moved to Florida into an aprtment complex. After the first week I saw a roach. I never lived with them. I was terrified. I killed it, then immediatly threw out all my food I had open on my counters in my kitchen. The next night I went to the kitchen and found two more. One ran the other stood there and just looked at me, like I was going to feed it. So I went out and bought countainers for any kid of open food packages, like cereal, and roach motels. The next couple nights I kept seeing them, motels did not work. My nieghbors said they had them and the landlord will spray, but it doesn’t help. The neighbors also bombed for roaches, and that did help either. I put out boric acid, they are still here. I am afraid of the infestation getting worse, I am afraid of th crawling on my dishes and food. I am mostly afraid of them in my bed and my childrens bed. The other pest I am afraid of are these giant Mosquitos here in Florida. They are huge, I have so many bites from them. Did I mention huge? I am bound to my lease so I need to make my apartment livable.

  38. By Donna on Sep 18, 2010

    My husband and I have never had roaches growing up. We have been living in our house for four years now and been battling roaches ever since. Come to find out, when we lived in an apartment complex, the lady next door to us had roaches. Even though we’ve never seen one in our apartment before then, they traveled with us when we moved. We have tried everything we can possible think of for four years, including having an exterminator come out several times a year. But I fear for my children because my oldest son just started elementary. This problem is such an embarrassment!

  39. By Jen on Jul 26, 2011

    I must say that I am very disappointed in this product. It says on that can that it “kills on contact”. If “contact” means chasing a roach around the bathroom and dousing it until it dies then I have to squish it with my shoes, then yes, EcoSmart “kills on contact”.

  40. By deb on Aug 8, 2011

    are any of the types of roaches capable in living in Saskatchewan Canada, we have never heard or seen any roaches here before but I am pretty sure I found one in my house? maybe it came in on something. In the summer it gets over 30 C in the winter -40 C.

  41. By sarah on Aug 12, 2011

    Found one on our couch while watchin a movie at home never seen none b4 this but wanna get ride of them b4 i see anymore….

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