I wouldn’t say that it’s possible to wipe out an entire roach population from the house in as little as overnight, especially when you have an active infestation.
The situation is pretty similar to exterminating ants and their related species. Its mission far too difficult to imagine, talk less of executing.
In spite of that, guess what? It actually possible to get pretty decent results by sticking diligently with the tips and techniques outlined below prior to the exhaustion of any night-time.
And…, even better results with the progression of days and months and the household expressing their confidence in consistency.
So what are these tips and techniques?
1) Get clean
It’s almost impossible for any professional pest exterminator to begin any control tactic without going over the cleanliness aspect of the area first, especially when the pests in question are hunger-driven roaches!
Like any other cause of menace inside the house, roaches are forced indoors from outside due to two main factors which are the search for food and water, and also for shelter that can carter for reproduction and convenient living.
The reason why you have roaches in your house can therefore never fall outside of these two main reasons. Which brings us to this – the things you can actually do with regards to this department to get things working in favor of your roach banishing campaign.
Start with the kitchen
All kitchens are favorite hotspots for roaches because that’s where sanitation can easily be overlooked. With sweet-drink spills everywhere and food crumbs all over the counter and stovetop, no wonder why roaches are throwing night parties every now and then.
So start off by:
- Washing dishes before going to bed.
- Cleaning food crumbs off the ground immediately.
- Wiping fruit drink spills from the floors immediately.
- Emptying kitchen trash cans into the bin outside. Make sure to use garbage bags for the bins and avoid emptying contents directly into the bin as roaches can easily get inside and party.
- Cleaning remnants of food in the sink
- Discarding rotting fruits and vegetables sitting on the counter.
- Cleaning pet food after the pets are done eating to avoid keeping them overnight.
- Properly remove food spills on ovens, appliances, stovetops etc.
- Sealing food containers.
These all serve as food for roaches.
The message here, in short, is to get every corner, space and area around the kitchen looking sparkling clean, even though I know you’ll only be able to TRY. Do it, and if you fail, at least then you have a reason to seek after professional help.
2) Destroy roach habitat around the house
Cleaning shouldn’t be limited to the kitchen area only. It’s only a hotspot, but not the only place you’ll find roaches around the house. So make sure everywhere from the bathrooms, toilets, to dining table and parlor shelving’s are looking clean. When you’re sure everywhere around the house is clean, the next thing to do is raid down and destroy the potential hiding place of roaches around the house. When you do this, and the next three steps on this guide, roaches won’t have that many places to hide when they’re disturbed.
So for raiding down the best cockroach hiding places, where and where should you look out for?
- Empty cardboard boxes. Takes these out of the house.
- Newspapers
- Old appliances that aren’t used. Wash them and reposition them around the kitchen. Or get rid of them.
- Redundant furniture’s and equipment. Take these out if possible.
- Clear out the clutter. You know them best.
3) Deal with their entry points appropriately
Next, it’s how to limit the number of roaches that enter the house. In this step, you want to seal obvious holes, cracks, cervices and other entry points around the house.
Entry points to watch out for:
- Around windows and doors: Use weather stripping.
- Gaps between walls. Use caulk.
- Crawl space vent.
4) Strengthen your extermination game with traps and baits
Apply traps and baits specifically targeted for roaches around hotspots in the house. This will help to capture some roach populations that are active, although these by themselves are really never enough and must be paired up with other methods on this list. Use traps and baits as directed by the manufacture and make sure to opt for quality stuff.
Traps are also useful in the identification of hotspots which can then be the focal point for insecticide application which is next on the list.
Trap can be gels, bait stations, or whatever that’s popular in your area.
5) Now use insecticide
When choosing insecticide, make sure it’s professional grade. These usually cost more but will definitely work better and save you more money on the long run. Apply insecticide as directed by the manufacturer and keep away from children. Insecticide usually work to kill active roach population and thus need to be used alongside other methods on the list.
Use insecticide in:
Cervices in cabinets and shelves
Bathroom cabinet and closets
In hotspot areas.
6) Add IGR to the mix.
A forced birth control remedy will disrupt roach reproduction which therefore offers opportunity for faster extermination. As with other methods, make sure you opt for quality product and nothing else.
7) Alternatively:
Purchase the complete roach control kit and use as directed.
8) Stay consistent
With only insecticides and baits, you’re signed up for a never ending battle with roaches because they’ll definitely find their way in. But with careful observation of all the methods outlined above, and with the most important thing which is consistency, you will definitely begin to observe the roach populations around the house begin to decline.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to get roaches out of your car
Roaches in a car are often temporary due to the hot environment in there and also due to the lack of food and water. For removing roaches in there, vacuuming only is often sufficient. Use a portable vacuum cleaner for the task. And make sure to eliminate spills and food crumbs inside the car.
What kills cockroaches instantly?
For killing roaches instantly, a very quality and strong insecticide is typically the best, although even they will take some minutes to do the damage. Glues also work great overnight and manual killing of roaches also work.
How do you get rid of a heavy cockroach infestation?
Professional help is often the best solution to get rid of a heavy roach infestation around the house. Opting to tackle them manually could usually be a burden too heavy to bear, but it still can be done.
To tackle a heavy roach infestation on your own, you need the type of extermination plan normally set forth by professionals. First, you need to keep the house clean, then get rid of popular roach hiding places around the house. Next, apply insecticide to kill the living roach population then use an IGR. After that, keep consistent with cleaning, and extermination methods and hopefully, the roach population around the house will begin to decline.
How long does it take to get rid of roaches?
Depending on the severity of infestation, it may take between 2 weeks to 6 months or more to properly tackle a roach infestation. Proper and quality methods and procedures would often mean faster extermination than if otherwise.
How do you get rid of cockroaches in kitchen cabinets?
Vacuum the kitchen cabinet to force roaches out. The apply insecticide to kill the roaches.
How to get rid of roaches in appliances
To get rid of roaches in appliances, you need to thoroughly wash the appliances. First, you need to blow dry the appliance well. This will force out some roach population inside the appliance. Keeping in the sun will also help drive out roaches out of the appliance. Additionally, an entry tap will also drive roach populations to confusion and therefore force them out from different places.
Final Verdict
Wanting to get rid of roaches overnight is what it’ll tag as overly-optimistic, especially when it is an infestation. Roaches are very persistent creatures and it could take anywhere from a few weeks to 6 months or even more to suppress their population to a trifling figure, but that is only possible using quality and proper procedures and products discussed above.
In summary, to get rid of roaches, you need to:
- Be clean everywhere.
- Get rid of roach hide outs.
- Kill active cockroaches using traps, bait, and insecticide.
- Control roach birth.
- And be consistent.