How to Get Rid of German Roaches
If you’ve ever lived in a city or over a restaurant, you’ve likely needed to learn how to get rid of German roaches. The German roach is the most common member of this creepy crawler family that's found in the home and in eateries. They tend to like warm, moist environments, which is why they are found in kitchens and bathrooms, stores and restaurants. They are notorious hitchhikers and can come into the home on groceries or in second-hand furniture. Once in the home, they congregate in the kitchen and bath, hiding in clusters behind baseboards, refrigerators and stoves. They tend to shun motion and light, so if you are seeing them during the day, it can indicate a much larger infestation than you might realize.
So, you want to know how to get rid of German roaches? The first obvious thing is to inspect what you bring into your home carefully to be sure you have no hitchhikers. Since they eat pretty much any kind of food we do, cleanliness is very important. Wiping up spills and sweeping up crumbs are very important preventative measures to take so that you’re never in the position where you have to learn how to get rid of German roaches.
There are many products on the market you can use to eradicate invaders, once you know how. To get rid of German roaches, read the pesticide packages carefully.
- Gel baits work by attracting the roaches to feed on their poison. Gel works well in small spaces with targeted application to protect people, pets and food.
- Aerosols work well in cracks and crevices that are impossible to reach manually.
- Dusts can be active for up to 8 months and work well with crawling insects. If there are out-of-the-way spots that need treatment, dusts require fewer applications overall.
- Boric acid is one of the oldest and most effective methods of eliminating cockroaches, when used properly. It is highly toxic to German roaches, but boric acid has little effect on people and pets (when used in low doses). The trick is to apply it as a nearly invisible powder coating to infested areas. Often, it’s applied in big white clumps, which German roaches avoid. But a thin powder will be invisible to the bug and cling to it when it walks through it. Avoid using boric acid on counters or other food preparation areas and wash as necessary.
Learning how to get rid of German roaches is not that difficult. It does, however, take diligence and constant attention to thoroughly clean one’s home of the pest permanently.
Author Linda Merill is a professional interior designer and writer based in Massachusetts. Visit her decorating blog and her Web site. Linda is an amazing resource for interior design information. Go ahead and send her a message!
