21 Natural Ways to Get Rid of Cockroaches

It can be upsetting to find cockroaches inside your home. They often hide in kitchens, bathrooms, cupboards, and other warm or damp places.

A large infestation may also produce a musty odor. Cockroaches can contaminate food and surfaces. Their shed skins and droppings may also trigger allergies or asthma in some people.

Roaches can be hard to eliminate because they hide in small cracks and reproduce quickly. Cleaning, removing water, sealing entry points, using traps, and applying suitable baits or dusts can help control them.

How to Get Rid of Cockroaches Naturally and Safely

Below are natural, homemade, and low-toxicity ways to control cockroaches. Some treatments are pesticides, even when their ingredients come from natural sources.

Always follow product labels and use caution around children and pets.

1. Cockroach Bait Stations

Ready-to-use bait stations can help control cockroaches hiding inside the home. The roaches enter the station, eat the bait, and later die.

Place bait stations along walls, under sinks, inside cabinets, and behind appliances. Focus on places where you have seen roaches or found droppings.

Do not spray insect repellent close to the bait. A strong spray may cause roaches to avoid it. Follow the label carefully, and place the stations where children and pets cannot reach them.

2. Use Borax Products Carefully

Borax can harm cockroaches that eat it or come into contact with it. However, homemade borax mixtures may not work as well as products made and labeled for cockroach control.

Do not spread piles of borax around rooms or spray homemade mixtures over floors and surfaces. The powder can be inhaled, swallowed, or carried to other areas.

If you use a borax-based pesticide, choose a product labeled for indoor cockroach control. Apply it only as directed.

Keep it away from food, children, and pets.

3. Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth damages a cockroach’s protective outer layer. This causes the insect to lose moisture and die.

Choose a diatomaceous earth product that is labeled for indoor cockroach control. Apply a very thin layer in dry cracks, crevices, wall spaces, and other places listed on the label. Cockroaches may avoid thick piles.

Avoid breathing the dust. Do not spread it over counters, floors, beds, or other open areas where people and pets may disturb it.

4. Essential Oils

Some people use essential oils to make a DIY cockroach repellent.

Certain oils have killed or repelled cockroaches in laboratory studies [1]. However, a homemade spray may not be strong enough to control an infestation throughout a home.

Essential oils also do not mix evenly with plain water. A spray may leave concentrated drops on surfaces. Some oils can irritate people or harm pets, especially cats.

For these reasons, do not rely on essential oils as your main treatment. If you use a commercial essential oil pesticide, follow its label carefully.

5. Clean Up Food and Crumbs

Removing food is one of the best ways to make your home less attractive to cockroaches.

Sweep or vacuum crumbs and wipe up food spills right away. Clean floors, sinks, counters, cupboards, and food preparation areas. Keep food in sealed containers and empty the garbage regularly.

Do not leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight. Store pet food in a sealed container, and remove pet food bowls when your pet has finished eating.

6. Boric Acid

Boric acid can help control cockroaches when it is used correctly.

The powder sticks to their bodies as they crawl through it. Roaches may later swallow some of the powder while cleaning themselves [2].

Choose a boric acid product labeled for cockroach control. Apply a very thin layer in dry cracks, crevices, and hidden spaces listed on the label. Do not leave visible piles because roaches may avoid them.

Never apply boric acid to food, dishes, counters, or open areas where children or pets can touch it. Keep the powder dry and follow every direction on the label.

Boric acid does not kill cockroach eggs. However, it may kill young roaches after they hatch and crawl through the treated area.

7. Seal Cracks and Holes

Seal openings around doors, windows, pipes, cabinets, baseboards, and vents. Pay close attention to gaps where water pipes enter walls.

Repair damaged window screens and add door sweeps where needed. In an apartment, roaches may travel between homes through shared walls, pipes, and other openings.

Tell your landlord or property manager if you think roaches are coming from another apartment.

8. Neem-Based Products

Some neem compounds have been shown to affect cockroach growth and reproduction in studies [3]. However, ordinary garden neem oil is not automatically suitable for indoor roach control.

Only use a neem product indoors if its label lists cockroaches and allows indoor use. Follow all label directions.

9. Use Gel Bait in Small Hiding Places

You can place cockroach gel bait in small cracks and hidden areas where bait stations may not fit. Apply small spots near walls, cabinet hinges, gaps, and other places allowed by the product label.

Do not put gel bait on food preparation surfaces or in places that children and pets can reach. Do not spray repellent insecticides near the bait because roaches may avoid the area.

Check the bait regularly and replace it as directed on the label. Never apply more than the directions allow.

10. Fix Water Leaks

Cockroaches need water to survive. These pests also like to hide and breed in moist places.

Leaking faucets and pipes provide water that can help cockroaches survive. Check carefully under bathroom and kitchen sinks.

Repair leaks as quickly as possible. Dry sinks, counters, and other damp areas before going to bed.

11. Remove Cardboard and Clutter

Cockroaches like to hide inside cardboard boxes, paper bags, old newspapers, and piles of clutter. Cardboard may also carry roaches or their egg cases into your home.

Remove boxes and paper items that you do not need. Store important belongings in plastic containers with tight lids.

Check grocery bags, packages, luggage, and used appliances before bringing them inside. Removing clutter gives roaches fewer places to hide and makes traps and other treatments work better.

12. Make a Jar Trap

A deep, smooth-sided jar may be used to catch and monitor cockroaches.

Place a small amount of bait in the bottom and spread petroleum jelly around the upper inside edge. Add a rough strip of tape to the outside so roaches can climb into the jar.

Place the trap against a wall in an area where roaches are active. Check it each day and keep it away from children and pets.

This homemade cockroach trap can catch and kill individual roaches, but it will not eliminate a large infestation. Although people may call it a homemade cockroach killer, it mainly traps individual roaches.

13. Clean Behind Appliances

Grease, crumbs, and spilled food often collect under and behind kitchen appliances. These hidden food sources can feed cockroaches for a long time.

Carefully clean around the stove, refrigerator, microwave, toaster, and dishwasher. Vacuum loose crumbs before wiping away grease and spills.

Always unplug small appliances before cleaning them. Do not move a large appliance unless you can do so safely.

14. Cover Drains and Check Pipes

Cockroaches may enter through gaps around drainpipes or damaged plumbing. Some species may also move through drains and sewer lines.

Cover unused drains with tight-fitting stoppers or screens. Check under sinks for openings where pipes pass through walls, and seal suitable gaps.

Keep drains clean and repair damaged pipes. If roaches continue coming from a drain, ask a plumber or pest-control professional to inspect the area.

15. Pyrethrin Products

Pyrethrins are insecticides made from certain chrysanthemum flowers. They affect the nervous systems of cockroaches and other insects.

Do not make homemade pyrethrin dust from flowers. The amount of insecticide would be unknown, and breathing the dust could be harmful.

If you choose a pyrethrin product, make sure the label clearly allows indoor use and lists cockroaches as a target pest. Never use an outdoor garden insecticide inside your home.

Follow all label directions. Keep the product away from children, pets, food, and fish tanks. Pyrethrin sprays may kill exposed roaches, but they may not reach insects hiding inside walls and cracks.

16. Sticky Traps

Sticky traps are a simple way to catch and monitor cockroaches naturally.

Place the traps along walls, behind appliances, under sinks, and near other areas where roaches are active. Cockroaches usually travel along edges and corners, making these spots ideal for trapping them.

You can buy ready-made sticky traps or make a simple one with strong tape. Place duct tape sticky-side up on a small piece of cardboard. Secure the edges so the tape stays flat, and place the trap where children and pets cannot touch it.

While sticky traps will not eliminate a major infestation on their own, they can help reduce roach numbers and show where the problem is worst.

17. Look for Signs of Roaches

Check dark and hidden areas for droppings, shed skins, egg cases, and dead roaches. Look under sinks, inside cabinets, behind appliances, and along walls.

Small cockroach droppings may look like dark specks. Larger roaches may leave droppings that look like small dark pellets.

Place sticky traps near the areas where you find the most signs. This will help you locate the main hiding places and decide where to put baits or other treatments.

18. Vacuum Cockroaches and Egg Cases

A vacuum cleaner can quickly remove visible cockroaches, shed skins, and egg cases. Use a narrow attachment to reach cracks, cabinet corners, and spaces around appliances.

Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter if one is available. Cockroach droppings and body parts can contain allergens, so avoid stirring them into the air. A damp cloth may be better for cleaning small amounts of droppings from hard surfaces.

When you finish, place the vacuum bag or contents inside a sealed bag. Put it in an outdoor trash bin right away. Clean the vacuum attachment afterward.

Vacuuming will not eliminate every hidden roach, but it can quickly reduce their numbers when used with traps, baits, cleaning, and sealing.

19. Soapy Water

A mild mixture of dish soap and water can be used as a DIY cockroach spray.

It may kill a cockroach when the insect is sprayed directly and thoroughly. However, it has little lasting effect and will not reach roaches hiding inside walls or cracks.

Use only a small amount of mild dish soap in water. Avoid spraying electrical outlets, appliances, food, or surfaces that water could damage.

Clean the area afterward.

20. Orange Guard

Orange Guard is an OMRI-listed insecticide containing orange peel extract. According to its current label, it can kill cockroaches on contact.

Spray the cockroach directly or apply the product only in places allowed by the label. Do not assume that “organic” means the product can be used without care.

Check the current product label before buying or using it because ingredients, approved uses, and organic certifications may change. Use the product only in the locations listed on the label.

21. Avenger Roach Tablets

You can also use Avenger Roach Tablets, which contain 40% boric acid, to kill cockroaches by placing the tablets where they like to hide.

They will feed on the tablets. When ingested, boric acid damages the insect’s digestive system and eventually kills it.

Follow the product label instructions.

How to Help Prevent Cockroaches

• Store food, including pet food, in sealed containers.
• Wash dishes and wipe up spills before going to bed.
• Empty garbage regularly and keep the bin covered.
• Reduce cardboard, paper bags, and other clutter.
• Repair leaking faucets, pipes, and appliances.
• Dry sinks, tubs, and counters at night.
• Seal openings around pipes, doors, windows, and baseboards.
• Vacuum crumbs and cockroach droppings frequently.
• Check boxes, bags, luggage, and used appliances before bringing them inside.
• Remove leftover pet food and clean up spilled water before bedtime. Always make sure pets have the fresh water they need.

When to Call a Pest-Control Professional

Call a qualified pest-control professional if you see roaches during the day, find many young roaches or egg cases, or keep catching large numbers in traps. These signs may point to a heavy infestation.

Professional help may also be needed if the infestation returns after treatment or spreads through an apartment building.

Ask whether the company uses an integrated pest management plan. This approach combines inspection, cleaning, sealing, monitoring, baits, and careful pesticide use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Vinegar Kill Cockroaches?

White vinegar does not reliably kill cockroaches. However, you can use it to clean some hard surfaces and remove food spills and odors.

Never mix vinegar with bleach or other cleaning products.

Does Baking Soda and Sugar Kill Cockroaches?

Baking soda and sugar are often promoted as a homemade cockroach killer. The sugar is meant to attract the roaches, while the baking soda is said to kill them.

However, there is not enough reliable evidence that this mixture can control a cockroach infestation. Labeled cockroach baits are a better choice.

Do Bay Leaves Repel Cockroaches?

Bay leaves have a strong smell, but there is little evidence that placing them around your home will keep cockroaches away. They will not kill roaches, destroy their eggs, or remove an infestation.

For better results, remove food and water, seal openings, and use traps or labeled baits.

Takeaway

Cockroaches can enter even a clean home inside boxes, bags, groceries, luggage, or used appliances. In apartments, they may also travel through shared walls and pipes.

Baby roaches in a kitchen or bathroom may be German cockroaches, but another species is also possible. Use sticky traps to find where the insects are most active.

For the best results, combine cleaning, leak repair, clutter removal, sealing, traps, and properly labeled baits or dusts.

Do not rely only on scented plants, citrus juice, vinegar, or essential oils. These remedies are not likely to eliminate an established infestation.

If the infestation is large or keeps returning, contact a pest-control professional.