Are you struggling to get rid of German cockroaches from your private life? Well, look no further than reading this post that teaches you how to do it
German cockroaches are a common household pest, though notoriously difficult to eradicate. Their flat bodies allow them to fit into the smallest of cracks and crevices, and a single female can produce hundreds of difficult-to-kill nymphs.
Getting rid of German cockroaches requires diligence, patience, and employing multiple control methods simultaneously.
what are german cockroaches?
German cockroaches are a type of small light brown cockroach typically about half an inch to five eighths of an inch long. Distinguishing features include two dark brown bands on the area behind their head and wings that are too short to cover their yellowish-brown abdomen. Their flattened and oval shaped bodies let them squeeze into incredibly narrow gaps and cracks in walls, under cabinets, etc.
These roaches prefer warm and humid spots, frequently infesting homes as well as restaurants, food factories and other buildings where they have access to food and water. German cockroaches breed rapidly, with a single female capable of producing up to 400 nymphs in her lifetime. Getting rid of them is so tricky because of their size and speed, as well as females glueing their egg capsules in deep, hidden crevices.
How to Get Rid of German Cockroaches
Here are the 8 simple steps that will help you get rid of German cockroaches from your house and office.
1. Identify You Have German Cockroaches
Confirming you have German cockroaches is the critical first step before attempting to get rid of them. About 1/2 to 5/8 inches long, German cockroaches have two dark stripes on their pronotum (the area right behind the head).
They’re yellowish-brown in color and their wings appear too short to cover their abdomen. German cockroaches thrive in humid, warm environments with access to food and water. You’ll often see them darting back to hiding spots if disturbed.
Check carefully along walls, in cabinet cracks, behind appliances and where plumbing meets walls. Seeing babies, egg cases or the musty odor associated with cockroach infestations are also signs. Getting rid of German cockroaches is challenging, so properly identifying them prevents wasting effort on the wrong solutions.
2. Remove All Access to Food and Water
Cockroaches need food and water to survive, so step one is removing all their sources. Start by storing human and pet food in airtight containers rather than boxes or bags. Any crumbs or food waste gets immediately cleaned up and trash is tightly sealed before taking it outside. Fix any appliance or plumbing leaks right away.
This includes the refrigerator, dishwasher, pipes under sinks or the toilet. Thoroughly wiping down kitchen surfaces helps too. If living areas border garages, patios or sewers, use weather stripping or caulking to tightly seal possible entryways. The goal is keeping your home clean and dry with no food or water available.
3. Apply Boric Acid Powder & Sugar Baits
A critical weapon in your arsenal for getting rid of German cockroaches is boric acid powder. Sprinkle it lightly in areas cockroaches hide or travel, like cracks and crevices along walls or cabinets, under appliances and behind furniture.
The sharp powder abrasively damages the cockroaches’ exoskeleton and digestive tract when they make contact with it. Mix boric acid with a sugary bait like powdered sugar which roaches find irresistible.
The boric acid poison kills them when ingested. Focus on applying these products out of reach of children and pets to avoid potential contact. Reapply after cleaning or if there’s excessive moisture to keep it effective against German cockroaches in hiding.
4. Use Gel Baits – But Not Sprays
While spray insecticides seem an obvious cockroach solution, they’re generally ineffective for getting rid of German roaches. Their scattered application fails to deliver a lethal dose and only scatters the cockroaches deeper into their hiding places temporarily.
Gel baits, however, contain insecticidal ingredients combined within a sugary food source. The sugar attracts roaches to eat the bait while the poison kills them over several days. Place tiny quarter-sized gel bait dots into cracks and crevices or concealed bait stations wherever roaches are spotted.
The bait works slowly, allowing roaches to crawl back to their harborages and infect others. As each roach dies, it leaves trails more roaches follow back to the bait. This repeated community exposure is key to successfully getting rid of German cockroaches.
5. Set Sticky Traps and Bait Stations
Traps are useful tools in tackling a German cockroach population. Sticky glue board traps catch roaches traveling between food and harborage. Place traps along walls, under and behind appliances, and anywhere you observe roach activity.
Bait stations – plastic containers holding roach bait inside – serve a similar monitoring and control purpose. They allow you to place insecticidal gel baits or boric acid bait mixes discreetly in hidden areas while preventing children/pets from contacting them.
Always check traps and bait stations frequently; emptying/replacing them as needed. This keeps attracting/killing roaches that avoid other treatment methods when attempting to get rid of German cockroaches.
6. Apply Insect Growth Regulators
Insect growth regulator (IGR) products are slower acting but crucial when trying eliminate German cockroaches long term. As roaches walk through IGR treated areas, they ingest it and pass residues to others in their population.
Rather than immediately killing roaches, IGRs prevent immature roaches from growing into reproducing adults. With no babies being produced, the German cockroach population dwindles over time. Combine using an IGR like pyriproxyfen or hydroprene with immediate kill options like boric acid and gel baits when focusing your efforts on how to get rid of German cockroaches effectively.
7. Repel Roaches With Essential Oils
Certain strong scents deter roaches, driving them away from treated areas. Essential oils like peppermint, tea tree, eucalyptus and oregano oil have natural repellent properties against German cockroaches.
Mix a few drops of your chosen oil into water and spray onto baseboards, around pipes, under appliances, in cabinets or anywhere roaches may hide. The lingering scent is disagreeable, causing roaches to avoid those treated spots. Essential oils are especially helpful for keeping cockroaches away from kitchen and bathroom areas.
Their pest-repelling power diminishes after about a week as the scent fades. Reapply essential oils daily at first for continuous roach repelling activity while working on getting rid of German cockroaches completely.
8. Seal Cracks, Crevices and Entry Points
Given how flat their bodies are, German cockroaches easily squeeze through astonishingly tight spaces. Sealing all these cracks shut makes it harder for them to nest, hide and reach food. Carefully inspect along walls, under cabinets, around pipes and wiring penetrations.
Utilize metal plates, cement, putty caulk or expandable foam to seal gaps around your home. Weather stripping and door sweeps likewise seal thresholds cockroaches could use for entry. Eliminate dense vegetation touching your home’s exterior.
Prune back tree branches extending over or near the roof. Installing fine wire mesh screen over vents blocks outdoor roaches trying to enter as you work on getting rid of German cockroaches already inside.
how to get rid of german cockroaches in car
Here are some effective tips that will help you to get rid of German cockroaches in your car:
Start by thoroughly vacuuming the car’s interior and cleaning any garbage, food wrappers or drinks that could be attracting roaches. Pay close attention under seats, floor mats and on the floorboards where food debris may accumulate.
Use aerosol spray made from essential oils like peppermint, clove, and eucalyptus. Treat floor mats, carpeting, cracks of upholstery, and other fabric areas German roaches may hide. The strong scent repels and kills roaches. Reapply weekly.
Place sticky glue traps under seats and along floorboards overnight. The traps will catch roaches traveling around unseen. Check each morning, remove caught roaches, and replace used traps.
Seal food tightly and avoid eating in the car to prevent new infestations. Fill cracks with silicone caulk to close off harborage areas in the vehicle’s interior.
Schedule monthly parkings in direct sunlight. The heat inside helps kill all life stages of roaches and eggs over several hours.
For serious infestations coming from car vents, professionals may need to fumigate the ventilation system as part of a comprehensive treatment plan to completely rid your vehicle of German cockroaches.
how to get rid of german cockroaches forever
To Completely get rid of German cockroaches requires diligence and attacking the population from multiple angles.
First, thoroughly inspect every nook and cranny where roaches may hide. Check inside cabinets, under appliances, behind baseboards, around plumbing fixtures, etc. Identify and target their nesting areas and entry points into the home. Seal up holes, cracks and gaps with caulk/sealant to remove shelter and keep additional roaches from invading.
Second, make the environment inhospitable by storing all food tightly in containers, promptly fixing any water leaks, and cleaning spills right away. Starving them out is crucial. Combine this with placement of roach bait stations and sticky traps to monitor movements.
Thirdly, directly kill roaches already on the premises with boric acid powder sprinkled into hard to access areas and gel bait for those emerging at night. Prevent future generations with insect growth regulators that stop nymphs from reaching adulthood.
Finally, don’t cease efforts until there’s been no sightings or other indications of activity for at least four weeks. Stay vigilant in order to prevent German cockroaches from returning later on down the road. Consistency is key when aiming for permanent removal.
how to get rid of german cockroaches in kitchen cabinets
To get rid of German cockroaches that have infested your kitchen cabinets requires some diligent effort, but can be done.
Here are the most effective steps you can use:
1. Remove everything from the cabinets and clean thoroughly inside with an all-natural cleaner. Vacuum out debris. This eliminates food sources and allows you to inspect closely for nests.
2. Use caulk/sealant on cracks and crevices in the cabinet interior where roaches can hide. This includes sealing around pipes, gaps around drawers, or cracks in the walls behind cabinets.
3. Lightly dust boric acid powder into hard to reach corners and hinges in the back. The fine particles will stick to roaches traveling through.
4. Place bait stations with roach killing gel inside the cabinets out of sight. The bait attracts roaches which then spread the poison by contact.
5. Spray essential peppermint, eucalyptus or clove oil onto cabinets’ interiors and doors to repel roaches. The scent deters them from entering treated areas.
6. After replacing cabinet contents, use airtight containers for any food items rather than boxes or bags. Keep areas clean and dry by immediately wiping spills.
Repeat spray treatments and replace bait over time until sightings have ceased for at least four weeks. Consistent pest management focus is key to kicking German roaches out of your kitchen cabinets for good.
Conclusion
Getting rid of German cockroaches takes diligent effort combining techniques. Integrate sanitation, traps, growth regulators and chemical treatments to attack all life stages. Monitor regularly and frequently replenish bait stations and traps. Don’t let your guard down until there’s been no sightings or other signs of German cockroaches for at least four weeks. Remain vigilant to prevent future comebacks and avoid needing to repeat the process of getting rid of German cockroaches all over again.
