What are cockroaches afraid of, what folk remedies to use to create unbearable conditions for them, what repellent to prefer, what unpleasant odors will they run away from without causing significant damage - subtleties that it is advisable for a city dweller living in apartment buildings to know
Information about what cockroaches are afraid of in an apartment can be a magic wand that will allow you to defeat the pest painlessly for you.
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.
An ounce of prevention is worth a kilogram of fight.
No matter how hard you try to control cockroaches, all your attempts may not be successful. Sometimes they just appear out of nowhere. But, of course, measures still need to be taken.
There are several ways to prevent them from invading your apartment. Cockroaches are attracted to a variety of boxes and may also come into your home with packages from grocery stores. Therefore, try to check all items before bringing them into the house if you suspect that you may be introducing cockroaches. For example, you spent the weekend in a not-so-clean hotel, the same goes for the things of your child who is returning from the institute dormitory for the holidays.
If the infestation of your house or apartment has already begun, you can be sure that the cockroaches are planning to stay with you for a long time. If you leave them without food, they will turn to a diet of soap, toothpaste and even books. And if you forget to leave dirty dishes in the sink, the cockroaches will have a real smorgasbord, which will not help you in the fight against them.
Given that they typically live in warm, cluttered areas (which is their natural habitat), insects often choose kitchens and bathrooms as their home. Although food can attract them to the living room and bedroom.
Cold
As a rule, cockroaches do not like the cold. They are cold-blooded arthropods, so they do not survive well in extremely cold or hot conditions. Their life activity slows down at lower temperatures. For example, when it's cold, German cockroaches may huddle together to stay warm.
With that said, cockroaches thrive in temperatures that humans find comfortable. We may think that we are installing our heaters for ourselves, but we are also potentially installing them for these pests.
However, these highly developed creatures can gradually adapt to cold temperatures. For example, Oriental cockroaches are able to survive significantly longer in sub-zero temperatures when they are first acclimated to cold temperatures.
Heat
Cockroaches are often controlled using high temperatures. Street heat cannot kill a cockroach, but a stream of hot steam or boiling water will lead to instant death. If you don't have anything at hand, remember that simple boiling water can cause irreparable damage to the kitchen pest population. Just pour boiling water into places where cockroaches gather and their community will decrease significantly. This method is good in your own home, while in an apartment you risk flooding your neighbors.
A good option is a household steam generator. With its help, you can easily treat any crevices where these omnivorous monsters are hiding.
What are cockroaches afraid of in an apartment and how to use it against them
The appearance of at least one cockroach in an apartment is a reason for owners to think about the cleanliness and safety of their home. After all, these ancient insects always settle in colonies, which means that after the first visitor, more than one hundred hungry pests will come to the apartment.
Insects are distinguished by their vitality, quick adaptability and fertility - these qualities turn a cockroach colony into a source of great trouble for humans. In addition, they are able to move quickly and climb even into the most inaccessible places - the somewhat flattened shape of the body allows the insect to squeeze even through a narrow crack or hole and end up in a cupboard with food.
Why are cockroaches dangerous?
The cockroach causes fear and disgust in people, introducing psychological and sometimes physical discomfort into a person’s daily life.
Insects, being omnivores and not at all squeamish creatures, happily feed in garbage cans and sewers. Moreover, they are attracted not only by food waste, but also by any organic debris and excrement. Having penetrated into an apartment or private house, the insect brings hundreds of pathogenic microorganisms on its paws and chitinous cover.
How dangerous are cockroaches to humans? It is believed that a cockroach is quite capable of infecting a person with E. coli or tuberculosis, not to mention all kinds of helminths. For this reason, insects getting on food is actually a one hundred percent guarantee that food supplies and ready-made meals will be contaminated with some pathogen of an infectious disease dangerous to humans.
Another problem lies in cockroach bites. Few people know that with its durable jaw apparatus, a cockroach easily damages the skin of a sleeping person, trying to find food or water. Of course, such aggressiveness can only be shown by members of large colonies in need of food. But the very possibility of a bite should be an additional incentive for the urgent extermination of pests in a residential area.
What is a cockroach afraid of?
Cockroaches, like any living creatures on the planet, are afraid of certain phenomena and smells. Cockroach fears can easily be turned to your advantage.
“Intimidation” is not always quite effective, but it can still be used as an additional means of struggle.
Fear of light
Inherent in most nocturnal insects. If you turn on the light in the kitchen at night, the insects that live there will immediately scatter. This fear goes back to the primitive fear of open fire, which is always a source of danger for insects and animals. In addition, a sudden switch on of the light confuses the pests; they cannot understand how day has come so quickly and they run away.
However, it will not be possible to use the instinct of self-preservation as a means of struggle for long. In a few days, the insects will adapt to the new conditions and will be able to feed on leftover food when the light is on. The main disadvantage of using light is that the effect is temporary. In addition, lighting has no effect on the number of pests.
Fear of acidic environment
Insects are repelled by vinegar and boric acid. Both of these products are widely used for pest control. The bite is absolutely safe for humans, and boric acid should be used with caution - overdose and acute poisoning in children or pets are possible. Vinegar is used to smear baseboards and places where pests accumulate. Various poisonous baits are prepared from boric acid.
The effect of using these drugs does not occur immediately. Insect numbers usually decrease around the end of the second week after regular application.
Fear of cold
Associated with the biological characteristics of the species. Insects are cold-blooded creatures that do not tolerate overheating and die when the temperature drops below zero degrees. Typically, freezing of premises is used in winter. The windows open for 12-18 hours, and the owners leave the room. In severe frosts, you cannot fight pests using cold - water pipes and the heating system may be damaged.
Fear of strong chemical odors
Cockroaches equally cannot stand the smell of gasoline, diesel fuel, ammonia, kerosene and bleach. Of course, you shouldn’t treat your apartment with gasoline or kerosene - this is a fire hazard, which can also lead to acute poisoning with chemical vapors in humans. But bleach is a good additional means for disinfection and repelling insects. After treating the nest with steam or boiling water, it is recommended to lubricate the area with bleach, which will destroy pathogens and repel pests.
Fear of essential oils and fragrant herbs
It is believed that cockroaches do not tolerate strong organic odors. If you place sprigs of fragrant herbs on cabinets, along baseboards and behind pipes, insects will try to avoid these places. Essential oils are used for adding to aroma lamps or dissolved in water and sprayed around the apartment using a spray bottle. You can also lubricate the surfaces under the sink, drainage tanks, near trash cans with aromatic oil, or add it to saucers and place them indoors.
Recommended plants for use:
- honeysuckle;
- tansy;
- eucalyptus;
- cedar;
- anise;
- mint;
- elder.
The odors of the listed plants have a beneficial effect on the human body, but are extremely poorly tolerated by domestic cockroaches.
Prevention
Having destroyed the nests, it is necessary to take measures to prevent the reappearance of insects in the living area.
Need to:
- carry out cosmetic repairs and putty all the cracks in the floor and walls;
- install fine-mesh mesh over the ventilation holes;
- eliminate the leak (adjust the taps, ensure the tightness of the water supply system);
- Always close the trash can at night and take out the trash regularly;
- store products in sealed packages and containers;
- remove crumbs from the floor and table;
- Do not leave food in pet feeders overnight;
- do not water indoor plants at night and do not allow water to stagnate in flower pots;
- wipe sinks and sinks dry at night;
- do not eat in bed or other rooms not intended for meals;
- carry out preventive treatment of baseboards and the space under sinks
- special insecticidal crayons or aromatic oils.
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Smells
What are the red-haired Prussians running from? Cockroaches are very sensitive to odors. The smell of food and pheromones attracts them, but everything else repulses them. Repelling cockroaches with scents is the sweetest thing. It is enough to understand what odors cockroaches cannot tolerate, or what plants they perceive with fear.
Below is a small list of odors that will not delight black and red parasites. Folk remedies, including field tansy and wormwood plants, and geranium flowers, will help to permanently scare them away, at least from the bed.
Eucalyptus oil
Eucalyptus oil and eucalyptus leaves are effective in repelling cockroaches. Add 10 drops of eucalyptus oil per hundred grams of water. Spray the mixture in and around the infected area. Your home will be free of cockroaches very soon.
Anise oil and anise herb
Anise herb is a wonderful plant that was popular among the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. It has many health benefits, for example, anise oil helps in the fight against excess weight. But in our case, it is important that anise oil repels cockroaches.
Mint leaves
Cockroaches hate mint. Mix eight drops of cypress essential oil and 10 drops of peppermint essential oil with half a glass of salt water. Spray the mixture in and around the infected areas. They, of course, do not die from this, but the smell makes them go away, the further the better.
Cedar
Cedar is a natural product that repels Prussians because its pungent odor acts as a deterrent. You can ward off cockroaches with homemade cedar chips. Place them in any area of your home where you have seen insects and in places where they live, including under the sink and inside kitchen and bathroom cabinets.
Tansy
Tansy is another well-known herb that repels cockroaches, as well as flies, ants, fleas, moths and mice.
Honeysuckle
Cockroaches hate the organic compound nepetalactone, which is present in catnip (catnip) and Tartary honeysuckle wood.
Red elderberry
Red elderberry is the most toxic of the three elderberry species. The leaves and unripe fruits of Sambucus species contain the mildly toxic cyanoglycoside sambunigrin, which has a negative effect on cockroaches.
Tea tree
Tea tree oil is very effective against cockroaches. Mix a quarter cup of tea tree oil and a quarter cup of vinegar with two cups of water. Spray the mixture in and around the infected areas.
Bay leaf
Bay leaves are effective at repelling cockroaches. It is advisable to crush these leaves and spread them in and around the infested areas. Cockroaches hate their smell and stay away from them.
Clove oil
Clove oil works best against cockroaches when combined with other essential oils, such as citrus oil or peppermint extract. Mix a few drops of these oils with one liter of water and spray the mixture in and around the infected areas.
Lemon
Lemon is used not only for culinary purposes. We recommend cutting the lemon into slices. Place them in a small container. Place the container in the contaminated area. Cockroaches will be repelled by the scent of lemon.
Nim
Neem is effective against cockroaches. Its smell interrupts the insect's hormones and prevents them from reproducing. Studies have proven that neem bait kills cockroaches. Neem bait prepared with neem seed extract kills young cockroaches and prevents egg laying in adult cockroaches.
Using a solution of pepper, garlic and onion
Make a mixture of one tablespoon of cayenne pepper powder, one clove of garlic and one grated onion mixed in one liter of water. Leave for one hour. Add one tablespoon of liquid soap to this mixture and apply it to all areas in your home where cockroaches frequent. The smell of the mixture will make the cockroaches run away.
Smell of pine and bleach
If you are concerned about the question: are cockroaches afraid of bleach and whiteness, then the answer is yes. A mixture of pine essential oil and bleach has a very strong odor that will help you drive cockroaches out of their hiding places. Keep room windows open as this mixture has a very strong odor. Clean up the area after 20-30 minutes.
Mouthwash
A mixture of mouthwash and water can also help you get rid of cockroaches. Essential oils such as menthol, thymol and eucalyptus are effective in repelling cockroaches and also keep your home smelling fresh.
Features of cockroaches
So, first, let's look at the main features of cockroaches that should be taken into account when using this method. Cockroaches can live without food, but their existence without water is impossible, for them water is life! If a cockroach is injured, maimed, half-poisoned or half-dead, then it can survive if it gets to a source of water.
These unpleasant creatures are very small, so it is simply impossible to destroy them by cutting off access to water, because they will find it everywhere. They can drink in a flower pot, near the sink or in the toilet; even a small drop of water on the floor is enough for them to quench their thirst. This is why it is impossible to get rid of cockroaches by leaving the house for a long time and leaving them without food, they will continue to live in the house, since there is always water there (at least in the toilet tank), and they can run to the neighbors on the floor for a snack .
Another interesting fact about cockroaches is that they are incredibly curious. You can even do an experiment to see for yourself. For example, place a bright candy wrapper in the middle of the room so that you can observe the area. If there are a lot of cockroaches in your house, then just step aside and hide for a while, but if there are few of them, then you need to wait until it gets dark. What will you see? These small insects will begin to approach an interesting object with curiosity, exploring it with their antennae.
Cockroaches cannot transmit information to each other or exchange their own life experiences. Of course, it is possible that there are some ways of transferring certain experiences between them, but they are still unknown to humans. However, the fact that they are unable to warn their comrades about the approaching danger is reliable.
Boric acid is the worst poison for cockroaches! If pesticides that have a wide spectrum of action (i.e., which are used for poisoning, except for cockroaches, bedbugs, people and animals) cause cockroaches to die in the most ordinary way, then boric acid, in addition to directly causing the death of the insect, causes indescribable torment in it. When exposed to acid, the cockroach's body is covered with hellish itching. A cockroach poisoned by acid may even survive, but it will move as far away from the site of infection as possible and never return there again.
Chemical substances
If you use chemical products, strictly adhere to the dosages indicated on the label, assessing the level of contamination in advance so that you can apply the most correct dosage.
Gels
Gels work well in cases where residual is carried out. It is advisable that at least 4-5 weeks pass before the intervention with the gel. If it is technically necessary to apply a liquid insecticide at the same time as a gel, give preference to a small amount of residual product.
Crayons
Cockroach chalks have been on the market for decades, but they remain just as effective against parasites. To get rid of cockroaches for a long time, you can use this old-fashioned method.
Aerosols
There are many insecticides on the market that contain cyfluthrin, which is very effective in getting rid of cockroaches completely. This includes aerosols and sprays. Spray the insecticide in roaches' hiding places, such as wall cracks, vents, drainage areas, trash cans, etc. Cockroaches usually breed in warm, humid places. It is important to follow all safety instructions when spraying insecticide. Keep children and pets away from the insecticide.
Fumigation
This method allows you to get into wall voids and other places where cockroaches might be hiding and can be used throughout your home. And most importantly, it is a quick solution that does not require several subsequent visits to specialists to ensure the complete destruction of all cockroaches in the structure.
Professional pesticides
If your home or apartment is experiencing excessive infestation, you may need to use powerful professional pesticides containing chemicals such as cypermethrin. The residual effect of these chemicals will last for at least three months and will kill all kinds of insects in your home.
This remedy should only be used as a last resort. Do not use this product if you have children or pets at home. Most cockroach prevention or repellent methods available on the market contain harmful chemicals that are hazardous to your health if not used carefully.
Chlorine and cockroaches
Bleach solution and chlorine powder are used to destroy pathogenic organisms - fungi, bacteria, etc. But insects are also afraid of the smell of this chemical. If you treat with bleach at home, you can get rid of unwanted neighbors for a while. A one-time treatment will last no more than a couple of days, after which the cockroach population will very quickly recover, if you do not resort to repeated treatment. Once the smell of chlorine appears, the longhorned beetles will immediately retreat because they will be scared off by the chemical and, in addition, they will no longer smell food or any other organic matter that they can profit from.
The powder is poured in those places where insects are particularly crowded. But such use is unacceptable in apartments and houses where there are pets and small children.
A chlorine solution is mainly used against cockroaches (at a concentration of no higher than 2%!). This bleach is used to treat surfaces (walls, floors), furniture and utensils. Particular attention should be paid to baseboards, cracks under furniture, bathrooms and kitchens.
To wash floors, use a bleach-lime solution (1 kg of bleach per bucket of water). A precipitate of undissolved chlorine remains in the container; you can use it again by adding less water or filling it to the top and adding a cap of “Belizna” product.
Rules for working with bleach:
If you have a respirator (the kind you use when working with varnishes and paints), you need to use it. It will help to some extent neutralize the pungent odor of chlorine.
When working with household items, you must remember that chlorine solution and household chemicals containing chlorine have a bleaching effect. Therefore, it is better not to touch painted surfaces so that discolored spots do not form there.
Boric acid
Boric acid bait is suitable to kill cockroaches. Mix one part powdered boric acid with one part white flour and one part sugar and make a dough out of it. Place small balls of dough in various areas of the house where cockroaches frequent to get rid of cockroaches. The flour and sugar in the mixture will attract cockroaches, and the boric acid in the mixture will kill the cockroaches.
Ultrasound
Ultrasonic pest repellers are used as a replacement for mosquito coils and liquids to avoid inhaling toxic fumes. This is a non-toxic way to repel pests. According to scientific information and experimental data, cockroaches respond to ultrasound and avoid its presence at radiation of 38-44 kHz.
Rats
If cockroaches and rats live in the same area, they will most likely get along somehow. The point is that mice and cockroaches (both nocturnal) will come into contact from time to time in search of food, but they will both have a different goal. Sometimes rats eat cockroaches, but this does not happen regularly.
Treating cockroach infestations with gels is one of the most common pest control operations.
Are there any benefits from cockroaches?
It's very simple, they eat up our leftovers, and thereby make some contribution by cleaning our homes. But this fact, of course, will change few people’s attitude towards cockroaches and make them treat them with gratitude after that.
Moreover, there is also a certain harm from them - for example, they can be carriers of various diseases, and if there is a small child in the house, then out of curiosity he can catch an insect and taste it; adults are unlikely to like this. Well, in the end, the owners of the apartment cannot stand such a neighborhood out of feelings of hostility and disgust.
That is why everyone who is faced with the unpleasant neighborhood of cockroaches simply dreams of getting rid of them as quickly as possible. There are many ways to do this, ranging from traditional karbofos, used by sanitary and epidemiological stations, to popular chemicals and traps advertised on TV.
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.
