People worldwide are terrified of roaches and other such creatures, as these insects can carry diseases and spoil food. Even though roaches only bite in case of hunger or self-defense, people often tend to kill them by any means available. However, if you want to avoid killing innocent bugs, we present you with ways on how to keep cockroaches away at night.
1) Make sure there is no water around
Cockroaches need water almost as much as they need air. Therefore, eliminating their access to water will help you get rid of them. Ensure that your house has properly sealed windows and doors so that the pests don’t have a chance to enter through any damp crevices. Also, make sure there are no leaky pipes or taps near the house.
2) Use fabric softener sheets
If you’re wondering what to use against roaches, fabric softener sheets are a great option. Just rub the sheets on the legs of your tables, chairs, and any other furniture to keep these bugs away from them. While this trick effectively gets rid of cockroaches, it won’t make your home smell like fabric softener sheets.
3) wash dishes daily
As we mentioned before, water is necessary for cockroaches to survive. If dirty dishes are left unwashed for several days, the pests have a chance to appear in your house for sure! Besides that, if there are no dirty dishes around, there will be no roaches around either.
4) Use cleaners
Have you ever wondered how to get rid of roaches? Well, the answer is simple – spray some cleaner on their hiding spots, and they will dry up in a matter of minutes. This trick works well for kitchen and bathroom areas, while some people even use it against any other insect that bothers them at night.
5) Put all your food away
As we said before, these creatures are attracted by food items instead of humans. Please keep all your dirty dishes in the sink or the dishwasher, wipe down counters daily and put all food items in tightly sealed containers placed high enough so that they are out of reach from these pests.
6) Place plants near windows
The plants you choose to place near your windows should repel cockroaches instead of attracting them. Some examples are lavender, geraniums, basil, and rue.
7) Don’t let water accumulate in the drain
While it is important to keep all doors and windows closed tightly enough, you also need to ensure that no water accumulates in the drain – not even for one night. Cockroaches will make their way inside through tiny cracks if there is anything like puddles or spills present.
8) Get rid of any possible shelter
You probably saw at least one roach scurrying into a hole or crack during your lifetime. So don’t just close up any crevices that may appear on your walls – get rid of them completely by painting over all cracks and holes.
9) Use peppermint oil
Have you ever asked yourself how to get rid of roaches? Well, the answer is simple – pour some peppermint oil into a spray bottle and kill these bugs with it! This trick works great for kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, and other areas where the pests have been spotted.
10) Use cedar trees
You can easily grow cedar trees around your house to keep roaches away from it at night. Cedar bark extract is a natural pesticide that repels cockroaches and mice, ants, and flies; therefore, growing such trees is an excellent idea if you want to avoid using chemicals around your house.
11) Use cloves
Cloves are a great option if you’re looking for a natural solution to the problem of cockroaches in your house. All that you need to do is put some clove oil into a spray bottle and leave it overnight near the areas where the pests have been spotted – the next morning, all roaches will be gone.
12) The coffee trick
Did you know how to get rid of roaches? Instead of using chemicals or dangerous traps, place used coffee grounds in areas where these bugs have been seen frequently. They will eventually start developing an aversion towards those spots, so they will help get rid of them for good!
13) Get rid of any standing water sources
Cockroaches are constantly searching for water, so if there is any standing water around your house – whether in a planter or the sink – they will be drawn to it. Therefore, make sure that all areas where water can accumulate are kept dry at night.
14) Keep your kitchen clean
Food items attract cockroaches, so if you want to get rid of these creatures once and for all – keep your kitchen clean. Ensure that dishes are done every day, counters are cleaned up after each meal, and garbage is taken out regularly.
15) Get rid of old furniture
Don’t forget to clean up old, unused furniture stored in garages or basements. Of course, this won’t prevent roaches from coming inside, but at least they won’t be able to hide in these items and breed.
16) Use peppermint oil
This is probably the best tip on how to get rid of roaches! All you need to do is pour some peppermint oil into a spray bottle and leave it overnight near the areas where the pests have been spotted – next morning; all roaches will be gone.
17) Place coffee grounds
Place used coffee grounds in areas where these bugs have been seen frequently. They will eventually start developing an aversion towards those spots, so they will help get rid of them for good.
18) Make your house less inviting
Finally, remember that keeping your house clean isn’t enough when it comes to keeping cockroaches away. You also need to ensure that there are no nooks or crannies where these pests can hide during the day, so they don’t come inside for long.
Conclusion
The best way to keep cockroaches away is a mix of prevention and extermination. To prevent infestations, seal up all cracks in the walls or floors with caulking. This will make it difficult for any roach eggs that may be present to latch on and start new colonies. Make sure you vacuum your home frequently as well since vacuuming kills adult roaches that are hiding near floorboards or carpets. You can also use repellant sprays that contain natural ingredients like lemon eucalyptus oil, cloves, lavender extract from plants-based oils such as peppermint essential oil. Still, these don’t work forever, so they must be reapplied every month or two.
