Why you shouldn’t use home remedies to get rid of cockroaches

Home remedies are often the first solution people look to after discovering traces of cockroaches in their homes. However, there’s a reason pest control professionals don’t use them. Here are four home remedies you should avoid:

1. Tea tree oil. Unless you spray a ton of tea tree oil on a roach, you won’t kill it. Additionally, essential oils are unregulated, which means they may vary in strength. Highly concentrated tea tree oil is toxic to pets, especially cats and dogs, and can cause unpleasant symptoms like drooling, vomiting, weakness, seizures, coma, and death.

2. Rubbing alcohol. While rubbing alcohol can kill a cockroach, it would need to be applied both directly and in a large amount to kill it. This approach is simply unsafe. First, rubbing alcohol is toxic if inhaled; second, it’s highly flammable.

3. Distilled vinegar. Contrary to many online articles, distilled vinegar doesn’t kill or repel roaches out of a structure. You’re better off using diluted vinegar as a cleaning agent.

4. Citrus. While some online resources say cleaning with citrus-scented cleaners can deter cockroaches, keeping your place clean is the trick. Citrus or any other repellent won’t stop cockroaches from finding food, water, and somewhere to hide once inside a building.

Although a few home remedies might help for short periods, nothing beats professional solutions.

Professional recommendations

Here are a few tried and true ways to keep cockroaches out of your home and away for good:

  • Keep your home clean. Roaches are attracted to food. Therefore, keeping your home clean is the best line of defence. Make sure you promptly clean dirty dishes, frequently wipe the counters, store food in sealed containers, and keep garbage cans covered at all times. Don’t forget to dust, sweep, and vacuum regularly.
  • Inspect items carefully before bringing them into your home. Sometimes, used items may have some hitch-hikers hiding inside. Sometimes the same delivery truck used to ship new items such as appliances has been used to pick-up used items and the insects may have made their way into the new items.
  • Fix leaky pipes and cover other areas with excess moisture. Check the bathtubs, sinks, pipes, and washing areas in your home for leaks. Fixing leaks and covering drains will cut off easy sources of water.

Some commercial products may help you stop cockroaches in their tracks. You can purchase glue boards, granular bait, diatomaceous earth, and residual insect killer spray from Poulin’s Pest Control’s online store. If you have a significant roach problem, consider getting help from our professional team.

Professional cockroach management solutions in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba

If you’re dealing with a cockroach problem in your home or business, Poulin’s Pest Control can help. We carry various approved products, like powders, baits, traps, and residual sprays, to quickly rid your place of those critters. Our team of knowledgeable pest experts can also visit your property and assess your control needs to develop a personalized solution to get rid of cockroaches for good. Contact us for more information.

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