There are a lot of life skills you should have mastered by the time you live on your own. Our top three? How to change a lightbulb, how to clean a bathroom, and how to get rid of cockroaches. As anyone who's had a run-in with one of the unwelcome guests will tell you, there's nothing worse than the heart-stopping shock of seeing a roach in your home of all places (the audacity!). They're just so much more disgusting than houseflies or mosquitos. Whether you spot a cockroach on the bathroom floor or the kitchen counter (sorry), it just makes you feel like you'd rather pack up and move out than figure out how to get rid of it.
If that nightmare scenario is what brought you here, welcome! You are now part of an elite group of homeowners ready and willing (and brave enough) to banish bugs from their homes once and for all. The good news is once you learn how to get rid of cockroaches like an exterminator, your chances of ever seeing one again go way down. We got the straight truth from Charlie Jones, executive vice president of operations at Arrow Exterminators.
How to Get Rid of Cockroaches Like a Pro
Jones knows from experience how to kill cockroaches and stop them from coming back. We asked him to share his best advice for non-professionals, and he delivered. (Did you know there are lightbulbs that can prevent bugs?) Check off these seven tasks to make unwelcome encounters with cockroaches a thing of the past.
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1. Seal dark, tight spaces.
When a cockroach gets into your house, it's looking for food, water, and shelter. Jones says they'll travel along baseboards until they find a suitable area to support those basic needs. Common areas of roach refuge include kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, attics, basements, and the spaces behind and under the refrigerator. To prevent them from getting in in the first place, walk the perimeter of your interior, making note of any places where you need to repair a hole or caulk a crack to make roaches less able to sneak in.
2. Check cardboard boxes and electronics.
If your Amazon deliveries are piling up, take heed. "You should inspect any type of packaging that comes into your home. That includes cardboard boxes, groceries, or any electronics," says Jones. It doesn't matter if they have food in them or not. He explains that corrugated cardboard boxes provide almost ideal areas to harbor cockroaches, so it's always a good idea to take a closer look at any deliveries before bringing them inside. And put the recycling out promptly. Getting rid of cardboard is a big piece of how to get rid of cockroaches.
In addition to boxes, cockroaches can get pretty comfortable inside your electronics (*shudder*). Roaches love them because they provide a tight space they can cozy up in, as well as ambient warmth, another big draw for the bugs. Inspect any used TV, computer, or other electronic items before bringing them inside, and do a periodic sweep of your own gear if it's been in storage (say, in an attic or rarely used cabinet).
3. Get insect-preventing outdoor lights.
Jones suggests swapping out standard exterior lightbulbs for insect-prevention bulbs, which are less of a draw for creepy crawlies. "These bulbs emit a wavelength not easily seen by insects and are available in most home improvement stores," he explains. Not only can this lower the odds that a cockroach will find your home appealing, but it will drastically reduce the number of moths, mosquitos, and gnats circling around your door in the evening.
4. Kill any eggs you see immediately.
The egg case is called the ootheca, and the number of nymphs (baby cockroaches) per ootheca varies depending on the type of cockroach. Jones says German cockroaches (the most common kind) can hold up to 90 nymphs per egg case. "German cockroaches will actually carry their eggs until a few hours before they hatch, so it's important to dispose of them urgently if you find them," explains Jones.
Cockroach eggs look like small brown or black pill-shaped capsules that are about 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch long. You'll typically find them near a food source, like in kitchen cabinets or the pantry. Crush the ootheca when you find it, then vacuum it up and get it out of your home immediately. Real talk for a minute: Finding cockroach eggs is not great and can mean you're well on your way to a full-blown infestation. It's best to call in a professional at this point.
5. Put insect traps where cockroaches can't resist them.
Suppose you're dealing with Smoky Brown (the largest kind of cockroach) and American (typically found in sewers and drains) cockroaches. In that case, Jones says you'll need to improve the overall sanitation of your home and then use traps. "Place insect traps in areas cockroaches prefer to live. Even with taking these steps, you may need professional assistance," explains Jones, as these types of roaches tend to multiply rapidly.
6. Bring in a pro (and a HEPA filter vacuum) for an infestation.
Jones says his best advice for dealing with common German cockroaches is to call a professional and not to attempt to treat the issue yourself. But that doesn't mean you don't need to take action: "Even with professional assistance, there are steps that you need to do to assist in the eradication of these persistent cockroaches," he explains. In his experience, Jones finds that there's usually an underlying and maybe even unnoticed sanitation issue that's attracting the bugs. It can be something as simple as a grease trap leaking or small crumbs trapped under a refrigerator. "Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to clean up any area where you've noticed cockroaches, as they're likely to revisit. A HEPA filter will also be needed, as you don't want to spread allergens into the air with a standard vacuum," he says.
7. Take preventive action now.
Jones was generous enough to share his no-cockroaches-in-my-house checklist with us. Take these four steps—inside and outside your house—to get rid of cockroaches now and prevent them in the future :
- Limit open food sources, including bird feed, pet food, food waste, and pet droppings. Ensure everything in your cabinets and pantry is stored in airtight containers and that crumbs are cleaned up quickly and completely.
- Remove clutter and stored items, like firewood, from the exterior of your home, so there are fewer places for roaches to hide and breed.
- Clean your gutters and roof, which could give roaches an easy path into your home.
- Keep trees and shrubs trimmed back from your home to allow for better airflow and sunlight, which roaches aren't so fond of.
Products to Help You Get Rid of Cockroaches:
Bell & Howell Ultrasonic Pest Repellers
Shark Rotator Vacuum
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I like pink, iced coffee, and long walks through the candle section. When I'm not lighting up my favorite scents (probably while testing out new skincare), you can find me writing and editing all of the lifestyle things at Seventeen.
