Getting rid of a roach infestation is tricky business. You have to decide whether you’re willing to risk inhaling bug spray fumes just to kill the roaches, or whether it’s time to pack up your stuff and find a new place to live. But don’t let these creepy crawlers take over your sense of rationality.
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Even though they’re pretty resilient against many bug-killing tactics and can survive without nourishment for long periods of time, you can get rid of roaches by consistently setting up effective roach traps.
The Best DIY Roach Traps
Whichever trap you use to get rid of a roach infestation, place them in the spots where the cockroaches come out from or areas where they’re seen frequently. Remember to renew the traps to catch and kill as many of them as possible so they can’t breed. Eventually, they will leave your house completely.
1. The Boric Acid Trap
The things you will need for this trap are:
- Boric acid powder
- Flour (any kind you have lying around)
- Cocoa powder
- Oatmeal
- Duct tape OR Plaster of Paris and some thick card paper
Mix all the ingredients and fill in the boric acid – the food will attract the roaches, and the boric acid will kill them. The sticky surface will prevent them from moving. Place a couple of these near the popular roach spots in your house. When they’re full, replace them with fresh traps and make sure to dispose of the used ones properly.
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Keep the length of tape/ paper you use long enough for you manage easily. If it’s too long, you may risk dropping the trap.
2. The Peanut Butter Trap
The things you will need for this trap are:
- Some peanut butter
- Boric acid (optional)
- Duct tape or a sheet of paper covered in Plaster of Paris
Research indicates that cockroaches have evolved a taste for sweet foods, and apparently, many of them have a liking for peanut butter. For this trap, just lather on some peanut butter on your sticky surface and place it near the roach-infested areas. If you want to make sure they die and don’t just get stuck on the trap, mix in some boric acid.
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Like the previous trap, make sure to replace it frequently so that you kill as many as possible.
3. The Jar Trap
The things you will need for this trap are:
- A jar (glass or plastic)
- Vaseline
- Tape (or any other sticky paper)
- A roach snack– any food item with a strong smell will do, such as chopped onion, etc.
Clean and dry the jar properly and either cover the entire jar in sticky tape or make a ladder of sorts on one side – this will ensure that the roaches find their way into the jar easily, or get stuck to the tape on the outside so that they can’t scurry away.
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Coat the inside of the jar with a layer of Vaseline to make it too slippery for the roaches to climb out once they get in.
Place the bait inside the jar to complete the trap. Place these traps in all the roach-heavy areas of your house.
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You don’t have to buy the bait – just use any oily and strong-smelling food item in the house.
4. The Water Trap
The things you will need for this trap are:
- A plastic or glass jar
- Water (or a sweet drink)
This is a pretty simple and quick trap. You can use any empty pickle or jam jar for this. Simply fill it with water or even some juice (beer will also work since it has natural sugars in it) since most roaches are attracted to sweet items.
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Place them near all the spaces in your house that have the most cockroaches. The cockroaches will go in the jar and be unable to get out because of all the liquid.
5. The Delayed Reaction Trap
The things you will need for this trap are:
- Delayed action insecticide (i.e. Advion Roach Bait Gel, Invict Gold Roach Gel).
- Duct tape or other sticky sheets
- Bait – may be any food item that the roaches in your house like to eat
Mix some of the insecticide into the bait and apply it onto the tape. Leave these strips of tape around the house. This trap is likely to be pretty effective because if the roaches consume some of the insecticide and manage to get off the trap, they’ll go back to their hiding spaces, where they will eventually throw up and die.
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When they throw up, other roaches will eat what comes out, effectively wiping out the entire colony.
Using Your Roach Traps Effectively
The most important thing to remember is that these traps are incredibly effective when it comes to trapping and killing mature roaches. They don’t work on the eggs and the baby roaches. However, if you use these traps consistently and frequently, you will notice that the number of bugs in your house will reduce overtime.
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Combine these traps with maintaining a clean house, and eventually, you’ll be able to get rid of the roach infestation completely.
Which One Works Best?
There’s no one best method. If you find one trap to be ineffective, try another. Different cockroaches may prefer different foods (some might like bread; others may prefer peanut butter, etc).