At Escueladejardineria.es we are specialists in all kinds of insects that can threaten our crops, but we must not only keep pests from the outside in mind, but we must also be aware that inside our house, we may have “undesirable inhabitants”
We are going to give you a series of tips to deal with the most common pest in homes, the cockroach, but we recommend that you contact a specialist pest control company if the problem is not solved with these tips.
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Cockroaches, those unwanted little beasts
Cockroaches are generally nocturnal and roam every corner of the house in search of food. Hungry omnivores, they devour absolutely everything, from sugars to starches to meat and sometimes even certain materials such as old cardboard or hair. The main problem is that cockroaches they reproduce a lot and very quicklyrapidly forming colonies that are difficult to get rid of.
Accused of being the sign of poor hygiene and of being vectors of diseases and bacteria, they are not appreciated anywhere! But keep in mind that in terms of poor hygiene this is not always the case, the proximity of an infested space, for example in a collective dwelling, exposes any house or family to this undesirable. So what are the effective methods to get rid of cockroaches and how to do without toxic, dangerous and smelly chemicals that are sold everywhere?
Against cockroaches: developing a plan of attack
- Why are they there, how did they get there (hole in the wall, window…) and where are they hiding? you have to watch behind, under and inside furniture and appliances especially in the kitchen and bathroom , because cockroaches particularly like warm, humid corners and leftover food! insects nocturnal They are rarely seen during the day, but can be detected by their droppings and molts;
- The second rule of thumb for dealing with cockroaches is hygiene. Cleaning is required Thoroughly: vacuum every corner, use a steam cleaner with a touch of vinegar, wash the furniture with soap containing borax, wash the curtains… Repeat the operation 1 or 2 times in the following weeks ;
- Reorganization of the kitchen: no more crumbs and leftover food lying around use a well-fitted trash can and change it regularly to limit the odors that attract them, do not leave a trash can even half full on vacation, store food that has been opened in the refrigerator or in closed boxes,
- Maintain good reflexes over time and use repellents on the inside and outside edges of windows and doors .
Fight cockroaches with plants
It is possible to cultivate and use garden plants against cockroaches: the bay leaf sauce, catnip, pyrethrum are natural repellents , which can limit the installation of these insects. You should leave a few sheets here and there, especially in hard-to-reach places, or in bags of flowing fabrics like tulle.
Natural products to kill cockroaches
There are natural and healthy products to fight cockroaches at home. We can cite for example:
- Peppers garlic and onion powder sprinkle in small corners;
- Lemon pressed, in addition to the disinfectant, to be sprayed, with a little water, on the shelves and kitchen furniture;
- oils essential peppermint, lemon eucalyptus and fine lavender to sprinkle with white vinegar or water, for example on window sills;
- oil of neem;
- Diatomaceous earth mixed with sugar to sprinkle under furniture. Just use a glass verrine with a metal lid and make holes with a nail…
homemade cockroach traps
It is also possible to make cockroach traps yourself:
- Mix of baking soda and sugar placed in small capitals;
- Headband along the walls and furniture, with a piece of cheese in the middle;
- Glass jar with accessible mouth (box or cloth placed next to it) covered with Vaseline inside and bait;
- Glass jar containing very sweet wine (which will serve as bait);
- Small balls of boric acid with milk, placed in strategic places…
In any case, if the problem is recurrent, you can check the price of eliminating a cockroach infestation here. A professional is always the best way to eliminate a cockroach problem.