Roaches are a big problem in many homes because they spread bacteria and other diseases around our kitchens. It’s best to be proactive about getting rid of them before they get out of control. Once you have found out which type of roach is invading your space, purchase an appropriate cockroach poison or insecticide based on where the bug lives – if you find them in your kitchen, buy a roach killer for apartments. If they’re hanging out in your bathroom or laundry room, buy cockroach poison instead.
Table of Content
Best Roach Killer on the Market
1. Combat Max 12 Month Roach Killing Bait
Last update on 2025-01-19
Keep your home free of roaches with Combat Max 12 Month Roach Killing Bait. It’s easy to get rid of unwanted pests once and for all using these non-messy bait stations which are conveniently packaged in 18. Place them near sink drains, behind toilets, and along walls or corners to cover more ground around the house (or other areas). The best part? They start killing small roaches in hours and will work up to twelve months.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- 18 bait stations are included
Cons:
- Expensive
2. Harris Roach Tablets
Last update on 2025-01-18
Harris Roach Tablets – Great Value. Long-lasting, EPA registered, and irresistible to roaches! Harris roach tablets are easy to use with a minimum of 96 tablets included in each package so you can treat a minimum of 12 rooms. One or two tablets per room will provide long-lasting protection. The active ingredient is boric acid which is used around the world by pest control companies for controlling ants, cockroaches, and other crawling insects.
Pros:
- Registered with the environmental protection agency
- Kills the entire colony
- Easy to conceal
Cons:
- Pets could eat them
3. Ortho Home Defense Ant & Roach Killer
Last update on 2024-12-31
Ortho Home Defense Ant & Roach Killer will get rid of all those pesky old bugs in your home and outdoors. It is formulated with just the right amount of essential oils to kill any household pests on contact. Ortho Home Defense Ant & Roach Killer works 6 times faster than other leading brands in invisible areas like cracks and crevices, stoves, sinks, patios, flowerpots or around window frames.
Pros:
- Safe to use around kids and pets
- Spray at all angles
Cons:
- Strong and irritating scent
4. Advion Cockroach Gel
Last update on 2025-01-18
Advion cockroach gel is one of the best products on the market to control roaches. Advion Roach Bait can be applied in areas with the most sensitive populations like hospitals, nursing homes and greenhouses, WITHOUT risk. For those looking for an effective product but don’t want to deal with harsh chemicals, we recommend advion roach baits!
Pros:
- Safe even for people
- Fast cockroach extermination
Cons:
- The gel does dry out so put a fresh dot in the same places every day
5. Hot Shot HG-95789 Roach Killer
Last update on 2025-01-18
Stop your roach problem now! Get Hot Shot HG-95789 Roach Killer and start doing away with those pesky bugs once and for all. This product is effective, safe, and easy to use. Get rid of them for good by using this new technology to kill both the roaches currently infesting your home as well as any potential eggs being bred.
Pros:
- Kills roaches and the eggs they carry
- Kills in hours
- Contains 6 bait stations
Cons:
- Very strong odor
Causes of cockroaches
Free access to food, high humidity, heat, and darkness are ideal conditions for cockroaches. They move from apartment to apartment through cracks in windows or doors, crawl through vents, pipes, garbage chutes, and building facades. In addition, they can be accidentally brought into the house on clothing, along with old things during a move, in a suitcase from a vacation, with a parcel from the post office or a delivery from a furniture store.
All house roaches are synanthropic organisms. This means that they cannot exist outside of the human dwelling. More often than not, the insects settle in the kitchen, where it is easier to get food. Especially if you have open garbage cans, leaking sinks, and unwashed dishes, bread crumbs, or traces of grease left on the tables. And they are interested not only in human food but also in pet food.
Cockroaches often nest in electrical appliances: toaster, microwave, stove, TV, on the back wall of the refrigerator – it is warm, dark, and safe there. They also like to inhabit spaces under sinks, kitchen cabinets, vents, cavities under baseboards, and peeling wallpaper.
When the population grows and the insects lack food, some individuals move to neighbor apartments or houses. Interestingly, before this, they send their “scout” who inspects the territory and determines its suitability for life. If it’s dry, clean, all the food is hidden and there is repellent, the cockroaches will prefer a more comfortable place.
What mischief do cockroaches cause?
Cockroaches are a frequent carrier of pathogens, including viruses and bacteria. They can also cause allergic reactions in humans by triggering asthma or eczema. If you have pets at home, roaches may even transmit toxoplasmosis to them – the disease that causes the animals’ death. Cockroaches feed on food spills from garbage cans, pet’s bowls, and dirty dishes; they groom themselves with saliva mixed with dirt which accumulates under their wings and inside their bodies. In this way cockroaches are one of the primary carriers of many bacterial diseases capable of infecting people:
- salmonella and hepatitis A for example is transmitted via feces left behind after feeding on contaminated food scraps outside kitchen containers;
- norovirus is communicated through contact with water or food contaminated by cockroaches.
Types of Roach Killers
The best roach killer for your home is a pesticide that will kill all the life stages of cockroaches. There are many different types of roach killers, but some people prefer natural repellents, such as diatomaceous earth or boric acid powder. These products can be sprinkled around areas where cockroaches live in low concentrations – under sinks and cabinets to keep them away from food sources. If you find yourself with an infestation on your hands, it’s best to use more potent pesticides like Raid Max Roach Killing Gel because these have been shown to knock down populations quickly without long-term consequences for pets and family members who may wander into affected spaces (including bedrooms!).
Gels
The main advantage of gels is that they can be used in a house with small children and pets. The main thing is to apply the product point-by-point to places where none of them can reach. For example, behind the dishwasher, on top of kitchen sets, or in the cupboard under the sink.
Gels have no unpleasant odor and do not emit any harmful substances, but are very attractive to insects. The sticky substance remains on their paws and is transmitted to their congeners. The active substances block the cockroach’s nerve impulses, as a result of which it stops breathing.
Traps
Traps can be different: glue traps, electric traps, poison traps. The first work is on the same principle as homemade traps. The second attract insects and destroy them with a weak current discharge. The third one is small plastic pucks with poison hidden inside. The cockroach runs into them, becomes a carrier of the poison, and then infects its colony.
Crayons
A popular and cheap remedy that looks like ordinary white chalk. It is necessary to draw thick straight lines on baseboards, around vents, behind kitchen furniture and pipes. If a cockroach crosses one of these lines – the insecticide will end up on its body, penetrate into the body and cause paralysis within a few hours.
Aerosols
Sprays and aerosols are easy to use and have an instant effect. It is sufficient to spray a spray can in places where cockroaches congregate. For best results, it is recommended to temporarily close windows and doors.
Minus of such means: they are much more toxic than crayons, traps and gels. Even if the aerosol is odorless, you can spray it only with a respirator. No children or animals should be in the apartment at the time of treatment. If you have an aquarium or terrarium, it should be moved temporarily to another place or covered tightly with a lid and turned off the aeration. After using the spray, ventilate the apartment and clean it.
Ultrasonic repellents
These are compact devices that do not destroy insects but force them to leave their nests with the help of ultrasonic waves. The frequencies are chosen so as to cause them maximum discomfort. The gadgets can be battery or mains powered. They are silent and safe for people and large pets.
