Have you ever woken up to roaches in your kitchen? Or worse, roaches in your bedroom? How to get rid of roaches without an exterminator?
I’ve had my fair share of roach encounters, and I’m always caught off guard each time it happens. I hate killing them because it’s so violent, but something needs to be done.
Don’t just treat the problem – kill the root! How do you eliminate roaches without exterminators and harsh chemicals that harm you and your environment? Well, there is a way – using all-natural ingredients that you probably already have around your home or can pick up from any supermarket/grocery store for next to nothing. In other words: these methods will cost you pennies instead of dollars.
Another reason these natural roach killers work is that they target the root of an infestation, which a chemical pesticide can’t do. Chemicals will only kill on contact and only at the level it’s been sprayed or spread onto – killing a few roaches. At the same time, some continue to breed more due to the chemicals not targeting the root cause of your infestation (the nest(s), which are usually hidden from plain sight).
*Please be aware that if you have pets, especially cats and dogs – some of these methods may not be suitable for them. Please check before using any of these methods on them if you have them in your home.
So what are we waiting for? How to get rid of roaches without an exterminator? Let’s get started!
Chemical-free ways to get rid of roaches without an exterminator?
The Clove Cockroach Trap
Cloves have a powerful and distinct smell, so when you place the clove cockroach traps in your kitchen, it will help to mask out any other odors – this is important because roaches are an extremely skittish pest. They tend to run at the sight of even the slightest movements or due to sudden noises.
The clove oil acts as an attractant (like their siblings, the fruit flies) for them, leading them into what they believe is food – but it ends up being their death sentence instead!
*Remember that since these methods are all-natural if you don’t get rid of your infestation, then at most, you’ll end up with more fruit flies or whatever else you’re using for your method. Patience is a virtue, my friends – the key to success is not rushing at it and just leaving everything to their own devices!
Ingredients:
- 15 cloves (whole, don’t crush them)
- 1 cup of water
- A bowl (preferably one that can be covered tightly with cling wrap/saran wrap)
- Paperclips (optional)
Directions:
1. Place the cloves into the bowl, then pour in the water. Make sure that all 15 cloves are submerged underwater.
2. Cover the top of the bowl tightly with cling wrap/saran wrap and secure it well around the rim of your bowl using paper clips if needed to ensure there are no air holes.
3. Leave your mixture for a few hours/overnight, and then return to take out the cloves and dispose of them (don’t dump them down the sink). Place another bowl with fresh, clean water in its place and cover securely. Leave it overnight again.
4. Your concoction is now ready to use! Take it out of your bowl and place it somewhere unobstructed near one of your roach-infested areas, such as next to the kitchen sink or under the fridge, where roaches like to breed – these are common nesting spots for roaches. If you have pets, make sure they can’t knock over this contraption onto themselves because it contains oil, which can cause skin irritation if they lick it.
5. Try not to disturb it for at least a few weeks, as this will make the roaches even more skittish and harder to trap. Keep your eye on this trap during those weeks. If you see any dead insects caught in the saran wrap, dispose of them properly to prevent a further infestation from those drowned ones! I recommend replacing your traps after getting rid of about 80-90% of the roaches – if you don’t do this, they will keep coming back. Another alternative is that once you get rid of most/all of them, leave the traps down permanently because these pests are constantly coming in (even when they aren’t breeding), so they should get caught instead of breeding further multiplying.
You can experiment with the other cloves to see which one fits your needs – I recommend using natural cinnamon oil if you can get it because it’s known for its insecticidal properties, but sometimes the clove will do the trick too!
The Bay Leaf Cockroach Trap
Bay leaves have a distinct smell, so they are perfect for masking out any other odors left behind by cockroaches which might attract more of them into an infestation area. The bay leaves also act as a deterrent because once they find their way into the nest, more roaches won’t return. This method is better suited for use in rooms where you don’t want to use chemicals (i.e., bedrooms, living rooms, etc.) because the bay leaves are not precisely poisonous. Still, they can be harmful if ingested by children or pets, so consider that beforehand when trying this out!
Ingredients:
- A bowl (preferably one that can be covered tightly with cling wrap/saran wrap)
- 15-20 bay leaves
- A cup of water Paperclips (optional)
Directions:
1. Place your bay leaves into your bowl and pour warm water to immerse the leaves. Make sure all the leaves are submerged underwater. The more wet your leaves are, the stronger their scent will be, but remember that moisture helps fungus grow after time – you don’t want to leave these out for too long.
2. Cover the top of your bowl tightly with cling wrap/saran wrap and secure it well around the rim of your bowl using paper clips if needed to ensure there are no air holes. Leave your mixture overnight, so the leaves steep in their water and release a more aromatic scent.
3. Stir your mixture, and you’re done! Place this somewhere near an infestation area to trap roaches – preferably next to one or under one of these places where insects like to breed:
If you have pets, make sure that they can’t get into contact with this mix because it does contain bay leaves which could be harmful if ingested by them; although I’m not 100% sure about this – I recommend keeping it away from them to be on the safe side.
4. Avoid disturbing your bowl for at least a few weeks, as this will make the roaches even more skittish and harder to trap! Keep an eye on your trap during those weeks. If you see any dead roaches caught in the saran wrap, dispose of them properly to prevent further infestation from those drowned ones! I like using these traps because they’re super easy and require virtually no effort. Just pop them out after about three weeks or so, dump those dead roaches and leave the traps down permanently because these pests are constantly coming in (even when they aren’t breeding), so they should get caught instead of breeding further multiplying.
The White Vinegar Roach Trap to get rid of roaches
How to get rid of roaches without an exterminator? I like this method because it’s suitable for pre-treating any area already showing minor signs of an infestation (i.e., egg sacs, roaches in the corners, etc.). However, it can be used preventatively as well. Although you can use apple cider vinegar instead, as some people do, I would recommend against doing so because the smell is powerful and might attract more roaches! Keep your mixture away from pets/children who might try to drink it or get into contact with your traps! Another thing I love about this mix is that it only takes four, which are easy to get hold of and most likely already lying around your home!
Ingredients:
- A bowl or a glass
- 2.5 liters of water (just enough to immerse the glass/bowl)
- 1 cup of white vinegar
- A cloth/rag with a string attached to it (to tie around your glass or bowl for extra security)
- Paperclips (optional)
Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients in your bowl/glass except for the rag and paper clips if you’re using those. Stir it well, as vigorous as possible, because this will ensure that the mixture is completely spread out into a uniform coating on top of the water. You’ll know it’s ready when no more suds from the vinegar are left – it’s that simple!
2. Tie the string of your cloth around the rim of your bowl/glass and secure it well with some paperclips if needed to keep it in place. Make sure you tie the rag tightly so that no mixture will be spilled when you place this down or when you move this around. You can also try using a plastic sheet instead like I did for this tutorial which works just as well, although there were still a few stray drops on my floor by accident, but nothing major!
3. Place this down somewhere infestation-prone, such as under your sink or other hard-to-reach areas where bugs breed, and leave overnight to let the mixture do its work! This is one of the best ways to kill roaches without chemicals, so I like using this one the most.
4. Check on your trap after about 4-5 hours or overnight, and you’ll be surprised by how many roaches get stuck to the rag! If you see more throughout the week, leave this trap permanently until no more roaches are seen around your home! They will start dying out within days, so keep an eye on it every once in a while just in case – otherwise, you’re done with that area! Remove the paperclips before disposing of these bugs in a bag – don’t try touching them with your bare hands because they can carry diseases (not suitable for pregnant women either).
Conclusion
These are some of my favorite tips on how to get rid of roaches without an exterminator because they work well. I also like to use natural solutions whenever possible. However, some people need an exterminator if their infestation is too severe, which you can usually tell by the number of bugs. If you’re looking for something that kills roaches without chemicals, this is the way – try it out!
Related questions
Is there a difference between cockroaches and roaches? The difference between cockroaches and roaches is nothing. ‘Cockroach’ and ‘roach’ are two names for the same thing.
