It seems to me that the roach must be the most reviled creature on the face of the Earth. No matter what country I've been in, the local people do their damnedest to wipe them out only to see the nasty buggers reappear in short order. They appear from all over the place, from rotting roots in the ground to inside our walls and everywhere in between. I'm going to briefly explain how to get rid of roaches permanently. Or… almost permanently.
An Army of Geckos
I've lived in two places with tropical climates: 3 years and some odd number of months in Hawaii and the last 2+ years here in the Philippines. By far, the greatest enemies of the small roaches are the geckos. The geckos feast on cockroaches, moths and any other insects small enough for them to swallow whole. Some people don't like geckos (also known as a small lizard called butiki in the Philippines) except when they see them on the GEICO commercials. I don't know why that is because for humans, they're harmless. The biggest problem I have is accidentally stepping on them when they attempt to scurry out of my path.
The geckos in my house are always ready for action. They must be, I see them doing push ups when it's really hot and humid. [They're not really doing push ups -- it's just how they cool off.] Though they're untiring troopers, they can't do anything about the huge roaches that are big enough to stomp on two geckos side by side. Heck, they're big enough to carry off babies in my opinion. When I spot a big roach in my house, I will not stop chasing it until that roach is a dead roach. I don't even know how they get in. They must slither in when either the front door or back door is open. Sneaky bastards.
Boric Acid Powder
It goes by many different brand names and it all depends on where you buy it. I'm talking about boric acid powder. I bought a container of it back in the mid-1980s and wiped out every roach in the house I was in. You can buy it at places like Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware, True Value and places like those. I doubt you'll find it at places like Wal-Mart.
I'm not concerned about the small roaches in my house. The geckos take care of them, as well as most other insects in the house, excluding the ants. There aren't enough geckos in the world to stop the ant invasion in my house. Stopping the ants is done the same way as stopping the big roaches (the ones that I don't get a chance to kill first).
I wouldn't recommend it if you have small children who like to play in the kitchen cabinets or the vanity in the bathroom. I don't know how poisonous the powder is, but it can't be good for humans if it kills insects. For everyone else…
Sprinkle it on the baseboards under the kitchen sink, in the back of the pullout drawers, in the corners of the cabinets and cupboards and behind the refrigerator. Put it any place you've ever seen roaches and anywhere you haven't seen them — places they can hide when the lights come on. The areas to concentrate on are the kitchen and every bathroom in the house. Roaches seem to gravitate to where they can get moisture and those are the two places with the most of it.
Other Pest Control Alternatives
Some people hire pest control experts to come into their homes and spray on a regular basis and some people fumigate their houses on a regular basis. I don't like either option. I prefer not to smell anything that isn't a natural smell (except for bacon).
Granted, you just can't get rid of all the creatures in your house if you live in places unlike mine. My house is 90 percent cement, I kid you not — walls, floors, ceilings, you name it. I don't have to deal with termite extermination because there isn't enough wood (used only for the dropped ceiling support) in the house to matter.
Although my relatives have seen rats in their houses (in this compound, no less), I have yet to see a single rat in my own house. A rat (the size of one of the rats is incredible) really wouldn't have a place to hide if it managed to get into my house. There are no openings or holes. If one appears, it will have been made by a rat. Anyway, I won't need any home remedies for rats anytime soon.
Back to the original question since you now know what I do to get rid of roaches. How do YOU get rid of them?
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- A Cockroach-Free Home is within your Reach: A DIY Pest Control Approach
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This article is published as: How do YOU get rid of roaches?
I have lived in New York for most of my life and hate roaches with a passion. I have spent over the last 16 years in the southeastern part of the U.S. and have seen some really nasty bugs. Unfortunately, insects do develop an immunity to many of the insecticides that are used. That is why most pesticide companies change their formulas on a consistent basis, so it will take the insect longer to become immumne.
One product that can be use for many inscects, especially roaches, is Diatomaceous Earth. This is a totally organic and safe product. I have used this product around the exterior and interior of the house, on my pets for fleas and ticks. This product is widely use on livestock, (horses, cows, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, etc) with great results.
Please visit http://www.dirtworks.net or http://www.newenglandnatural.com they will have more information Diatomacious Earth.
Roaches are very disgusting and irritating insects. I think we must use insecticides to get rid of to these insects. But most likely if you use any insecticide see to it that your pets and children will stay away from the area you've been spraying. Just be safe…