How to answer the question, what are cockroaches afraid of? Folk remedies that repel insects are essential oils, dry herbs, boric acid and much more. But it seems that it is difficult to scare them with anything at all, pests can go without food for several days, and it seems impossible to find a safe island where it seems impossible to survive. They even live for several days without a head. Despite the fact that cockroaches are very tenacious creatures, there are things that they try to avoid - various odors, extremely low and high temperatures. To effectively combat insects, it is important to know what cockroaches are afraid of in the apartment and use this knowledge in practice. We will tell you which grass cockroaches do not like, the smell of which plants will scare them away, and much more.
Are cockroaches afraid of cold and heat?
Yes, cockroaches are afraid of cold, frost and high temperatures. Since ancient times, pests in homes have been controlled by freezing them out. It is difficult to freeze an apartment, because the temperature should not be higher than 10 degrees Celsius. And at this temperature there is a risk of damaging the heating and plumbing systems. Insects feel discomfort already at 0 +5 degrees, their life processes slow down.
What else domestic cockroaches are afraid of is extremely high temperatures - steam treatment, boiling water. Using high temperature, you can get rid of not only adults, but also eggs. There are cases where cockroaches left the house when the temperature in the premises rose to +35 degrees and above.
Herbal aroma
An affordable remedy that cockroaches cannot tolerate can be ordinary grass collected in the garden or during a walk in the forest. True, not the first herb you come across will do, but one that has a specific aroma.
Small bunches of herbs can simply be laid out in problem areas (behind the refrigerator, under the sink, under kitchen cabinets, etc.) or hung indoors. You can also fill small cotton bags with them and place them on the shelves of your cabinets.
Are cockroaches afraid of “Whiteness”, ammonia, bleach and other chemicals?
Cockroaches are afraid of bleach, ammonia, vinegar, ammonia and other chemicals. This is due to the fact that cockroaches have a keen sense of smell. All these substances have a pungent odor that will scare them away, but will not kill them. If you sprinkle bleach on an insect, it will die (it has no effect on eggs), but a Prussian will not go to certain death on its own if the substance is scattered in heaps on the floor. The activity of pests will decrease if ammonia, bleach or “White” are added to the water for washing the floor, but until the smell disappears.
The aromas of paints and solvents disorient them in space; insects may leave the room, although they may return later. What cockroaches don’t like is renovation; during construction work, you may notice their disappearance or a sharp decrease in number.
Pests are also frightened by the smell of gasoline and kerosene, but hardly anyone will dare to use flammable liquids in the apartment. What smell cockroaches don’t like are sharp, unpleasant aromas. This is what repels the cockroaches and makes them go away, at least for a while.
Chemicals
Scientists working in the chemical industry have spent a lot of time determining which odors instill fear in cockroaches.
The data obtained during the research was used to create drugs to destroy these pests.
It is chemical agents that have proven to be the most effective solution to this problem. The most popular insecticidal products today are gels, sprays, aerosols, poison traps, pencils and crayons.
Chalk
Chalk has a nervous and paralytic effect on cockroaches and today it is a very common means of exterminating them. It is not a very effective drug, but it does not allow the Prussians to spread, provided that their population is not very large.
Aerosols
Insecticides made in aerosol form act quickly and are very convenient to use. But there are also some negative aspects here.
The drug affects insects directly during its spraying and for a short time after treatment is completed.
Aerosol vapors with toxic substances contained in them can harm human health; they penetrate through the ventilation system into other apartments of a multi-story residential building.
But today aerosols based on pyrethroids have begun to appear. Therefore, these drugs do not pose a danger to humans, but their effectiveness is much higher.
Gel against cockroaches
Gels, in addition to the insecticidal substance, contain a fatty base, which prevents the preparation from drying out quickly, a number of food flavorings and additional substances.
Gel insecticides do not have a pronounced toxic effect on people, because they have an intestinal-contact effect on insects when the poison penetrates the digestive tract of the Prussian or its chitinous integument.
The most convenient and safest insecticides to use are those in the form of traps with a toxic substance inside.
Are cockroaches afraid of wormwood, mint, the smell of bay leaves, and garlic?
Another thing that repels cockroaches is the aromas of certain herbs. As we have already said, the sensitivity of insects to odors is to blame. What smell are cockroaches afraid of? Smells that repel cockroaches are anise, mint, wormwood, eucalyptus, tansy. Aromatic herbs cannot destroy pests, but they can become a preventative measure: it is enough to spread herbal bunches in places where insects are likely to enter the house to repel cockroaches.”
People often ask, what grass are cockroaches afraid of, what plants do they not like? The most popular plant that repels cockroaches in the house and apartment is mint. Some people grow mint on the windowsill, thus expelling insects and preventing them from entering the apartment. What other plants are cockroaches afraid of? Prussians do not like the smell of pine nuts, honeysuckle, red elderberry, tansy. But when laying out bouquets of tansy inflorescences around the apartment, make sure that the plant is inaccessible to pets and children.
Essential oils are often used to control insects. The oil that cockroaches are afraid of is tea tree, eucalyptus. To repel pests, just drop a few drops of oil into the cleaning water. Before you diffuse the essential oil, you need to dilute it in water. Aroma lamps are popular.
Now that you know what smells cockroaches are afraid of, you can fight them using these folk methods. But remember that even if the pests leave the apartment, they will have time to lay eggs, from which offspring will appear, adapted to the aromas. And adults, being hungry, will ignore even the most irritating odors. The odors that cockroaches are afraid of still tend to fade, so alternate folk remedies and do not forget to renew herbal bunches.
Mistakes that are important to avoid
Avoid mistakes that could jeopardize your success in preventing cockroaches.
- Do not throw dead cockroaches in the trash, because if the females carry ootheca eggs, they will hatch and the infestation will be present again. In addition, dead insects can attract other pests such as flies and ants.
- Always recheck after 7-14 days. Sometimes additional baiting may be necessary to eliminate an infestation.
- Do not use the same insecticide on the same treated area.
- Don't treat all cockroach species the same: German and Oriental cockroaches, for example, have very different feeding and reproductive habits. Therefore, the removal methods will differ.
Are cockroaches afraid of ultrasound?
As manufacturers of ultrasonic devices assure, as soon as you turn them on, insects panic and flee. Is it really? What smell repels cockroaches has been known for a long time, but ultrasound appeared relatively recently. Experts and scientists have varying opinions about the effectiveness of ultrasound devices. Tests were carried out and during the experiment it was found that ultrasound at various frequencies does not repel cockroaches. Even powerful devices did not show significant results in laboratory conditions.
Cooking recipes
Getting rid of cockroaches once and for all using folk remedies is difficult, but possible. One of the most effective methods is making baits with boric acid. This substance has a detrimental effect on pests and can quickly destroy even large numbers of them.
Here are some proven recipes:
- Boil the egg hard . Separate the yolk, grind it with a small amount of warm mashed potatoes, add 40 g of boric acid . Mix everything well, roll into small balls, dry a little on the radiator, and spread throughout the apartment . This method is absolutely safe for people or animals.
- Mix boric acid, flour, sugar in equal proportions, add a little water and knead into a thick dough. Balls are rolled out of it in the same way and laid out indoors, preferably overnight.
- You can simply dissolve the acid in water and leave it near the sink. The main thing is to completely prevent insects from having access to any liquid, then they will be forced to drink from a poisoned drinking bowl.
- Some experienced experts advise simply sprinkling dry boric acid on areas where parasites accumulate: baseboards, bathroom and kitchen sinks, ventilation holes, trash cans.
We bring to your attention a video about preparing a cockroach repellent based on boric acid:
It is often recommended to use sodium salt or borax as a poison. It is also harmless to humans, but very destructive to pests.
What are cockroaches afraid of? Folk remedies:
- For 1 tbsp. Borax powder, take a little vanillin, 60 grams of starch and powdered sugar, add water and mix thoroughly. The resulting adhesive mass is placed throughout the house.
- Mix mashed potatoes with a whole boiled egg, add tbsp. l borax. Then place the bait in hard-to-reach places.
Such recipes are effective if the population has not reached critical sizes. Otherwise, it is better to use strong chemicals in different forms, for example, Get or Karbofos.
Are cockroaches afraid of radiation?
Some people wonder why cockroaches are not afraid of radiation. In fact, radiation affects the body of cockroaches, but its effects are not as terrible as for humans. Dividing cells are most vulnerable to radiation, and insects do not have as many of them as mammals. Another version is the weak metabolism of pests, but it has no scientific basis. We can say that cockroaches have increased resistance to radiation, although there are insects that can tolerate higher doses, for example, mealworms.
Heat
Exposure to high temperatures also has a detrimental effect on baleen pests. Since even extreme heat will not lead to the death of an insect, the use of high temperatures must be approached radically.
A jet of hot steam directed at a cockroach guarantees death in the shortest possible time. You can use boiling water and pour it into all the cracks in the apartment.
Be careful, because there is a risk that water will leak to neighbors living on the floor below you. The optimal solution would be to use a steamer, steam generator or iron that has a steam function.
Are cockroaches afraid of cats, pets, spiders, relationships with other living beings?
The presence of cats in the house will not affect cockroaches in any way. A cat can play with an insect, but will not hunt en masse. Lizards or spiders are another matter; they feed on insects and are able to slightly reduce their numbers, but no more.
And, perhaps, one of the types of smells that cockroaches don’t like is the pungent aroma from a cage with rats. Those who have kept decorative rats know that they need to clean the cage often, otherwise a strong unpleasant odor appears. This is what will scare away the pests. It is believed that cockroaches do not like the smell of fresh fish, also because of their special sensitivity, although if they are hungry, no smell will scare them on the way to a food source, rats or something else. They will eat fresh fish with pleasure if other products are not available.
So what animals are cockroaches afraid of? People have noticed that cockroaches are most afraid of rats, lizards, frogs, birds, i.e. those animals that feed on insects.
Many people are interested in whether bedbugs are afraid of cockroaches. There is no fear as such, but Prussians can eat bedbug eggs, thereby reducing the population.
Factor ten: rats
Cockroaches are afraid of rats and do not share such a neighborhood. If rats settle next to them, then the cockroaches will immediately begin to look for another, more comfortable place for themselves. They can't even stand their smell. Experts believe that this is due to food. Cockroaches believe that when rodents appear, they simply won’t have enough food.
Of course, bringing wild rodents into your apartment to get rid of cockroaches is not a good idea. Although you can get a decorative rat and let it out of the cage from time to time so that it has time to leave its scent. The result will not take long to arrive.
Are cockroaches afraid of boric acid?
Boric acid is a popular folk remedy for insect control. This is not to say that pests are afraid of boric acid. They move through the powder, clinging to it on their paws, and willingly eat bait with this substance, since the acid has no odor. And then they die, infecting their relatives.
There are two ways to use boric acid - in its pure form and as part of baits. The powder is poured in a thin layer in places where insects accumulate and move; they catch it on their paws and try to clean it, as a result of which the poison penetrates into the stomach. The baits are boron balls with products that the Prussians will not pass by, but will begin to willingly eat the poisonous mixture.
Fresh cucumber
The news that cockroaches cannot bear the smell of cucumbers comes as a surprise to many! But not an ordinary smell, but the one that results from its interaction with aluminum.
To do this, you need to cut the cucumber and create conditions for its oxidation, making it possible to combine with aluminum (for example, put it on the lid of a tin can).
Oxidation will be accompanied by the appearance of an odor that is not perceptible to humans. For a cockroach, this smell will be unbearable.
Are cockroaches afraid of drought and hunger?
What cockroaches don’t like and what they run away from is the lack of food and water. This is, perhaps, the answer to the question of what cockroaches are most afraid of in an apartment. Without moisture, cockroaches live no longer than a week, and can survive without food longer. Use this for pest control. If there is no access to water and food indoors, cockroaches will find your home uninhabitable. To do this, you need to repair the plumbing, make sure that there is not a drop of moisture left anywhere, including in the trays of potted plants, you should wipe the bathtub and sink dry, thoroughly vacuum the floor, take out the trash every day and do regular general cleaning. Now you know what cockroaches are most afraid of.
Of course, cockroaches are afraid of insecticides, bright light and other things. We can talk about this endlessly. On forums on the Internet they discuss why cockroaches are afraid of WD40, soda ash, noise, and even what color they avoid. But many of the pest fears discussed have no scientific basis or evidence. Getting rid of cockroaches quickly and effectively, if there are a lot of them, is possible only with the help of chemicals.
Bright light
Avoidance of bright light is a characteristic of the domestic cockroach. He strives for secrecy and invisibility. If you look at cockroaches' aversion to light from a practical perspective, you'll realize that they have evolved to view light as a kind of warning of danger.
Many larger predators can spot them when it is light. And since this insect has been around for about 300 million years, the strategy of avoiding light has proven to be effective. They prefer to do their feeding, foraging and mating in the dark.
Application of essential oils
Essential oils that emit a strong aroma are good at repelling cockroaches. The pest will be disoriented by the strong smell and will not be able to find food or water by smell, as a result of which it will leave its previous habitat.
What oils scare cockroaches
Oils help get rid of “unexpected guests”:
- vetiver;
- citronella;
- lemon balm;
- geraniums;
- eucalyptus;
- mint;
- cedar;
- lemongrass.
You can buy any of the esters at a pharmacy or perfume store.
How to use oils against cockroaches
There are several options for preparing a cockroach repellent from essential oils.
- Add 15 drops of ether to 1 liter of warm water and use the resulting solution to clean the room, paying special attention to baseboards, areas under the sink and near the trash can.
- Add 2 tbsp to half a liter of warm water. spoons of vinegar and 10 drops of ether. Spray the resulting mixture in secluded corners and hard-to-reach places.
For the methods to work, repeat the cleaning and spraying procedure at least 3 times a week.
Preventive maintenance of living quarters
Preventive measures In order to protect your apartment from pests, you must always remember what cockroaches are afraid of and constantly use these repellents. Regular wet cleaning and periodic treatment of premises with bleach will help get rid of insects for a long time.
Homemade traps
If you don't want to use strong-smelling products or poisons, homemade traps are an excellent alternative. Unfortunately, homemade devices do not provide a 100% guarantee of the destruction of the entire population, since not all individuals will reach it. The method works great in combination with other means.
Trap options
There are several options for homemade devices for catching cockroaches. The method is based on luring the Prussians with an aromatic substance and making it impossible for the cockroach to return. You can use a deep container, the neck of which is lubricated with a fat-containing substance, as well as cardboard with double-sided tape.
How to make a cockroach trap with your own hands
To make a trap from a jar you will need: a 0.5 liter jar, beer or honey, Vaseline or vegetable oil. Pour some beer or honey into the bottom of the jar, then coat the neck and sides of the container with Vaseline. The insects will smell the fragrant product and crawl into the trap. In this case, they will no longer be able to get out.
A similar trap can be made from cardboard. You will need: a piece of cardboard, double-sided tape, honey or other aromatic product. Apply tape to the entire surface of the cardboard, and pour a little honey into the center. Cockroaches will flock to the fragrant treat and stick to the tape.
