Rules and methods for using ammonia against cockroaches in residential premises and precautions when using an aqueous solution of ammonia

Cockroaches and ammonia are incompatible concepts. Due to its pungent, repellent odor, this product has long been used in pest control.

When used correctly, ammonia can become a real lifesaver in the fight against these annoying insects.

The effect of ammonia on cockroaches

For cockroaches, which have an excellent sense of smell, an area treated with ammonia is a place from which they will try to stay as far away as possible. It is this fact that has become decisive for those who prefer ammonia in their tireless quest to get rid of the unwanted presence of these insects in their home.

Ammonia

How to deal with cockroaches in an apartment

Chemicals
Without a doubt, cockroaches are a big nuisance. And that is why humanity is constantly at war with them. It would seem that nothing could be easier: the man went to the store and bought a suitable poison there. Treated all surfaces and victory. Whatever the case. These ubiquitous creatures can hide in any, even the smallest, crevice. And if at least a few survive after treatment with the chemical, then their generation will no longer be susceptible to this drug. And for the person himself, frequent use of chemicals can cause great harm. Especially when there are children in the house.

And yet a struggle is still necessary. There are many different remedies for these small pests. Professionals use the following drugs:

• Averfos;
• Sychlor;
• Sinulan;
• Xulate c25;
• Titrix.

Not a single cockroach, flea, or bedbug will escape a sad fate.

Important! When using ammonia against cockroaches, you should use personal protective equipment (gloves, respirator, mask, goggles, overalls). And be sure to remove other people from the premises, especially children.

Folk remedies

In homes, many insects feed on leftover food. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain maximum cleanliness in places where food is stored, prepared and eaten.

Don't forget about folk methods. These include:

• Freezing. At temperatures of minus 5-10 degrees, these pests and their eggs and larvae die. For this procedure, 3-5 hours are enough.
• Duct tape. You can buy it ready-made in the store. But you can do it yourself. Double-sided tape is attached to the cardboard. And it is located in places where parasites accumulate: under the sink, near the trash can, in the bathroom, in the closet.
• Traps. Beer or water with sugar is poured into the bottle, the Prussians crawl inside, but cannot get out.
• Treat areas of accumulation with essential oils.
• Chamomile powder. Mix with boiled egg yolk, form balls and place at desired points.
• Boric acid. Sold in pharmacies. It is necessary to sprinkle the powder where needed.
• Vinegar, turpentine, kerosene. Use these solutions to treat cracks, baseboards, walls in the bathroom and toilet, etc. Leave the room for several days. Then rinse everything thoroughly.
• Ammonia solution. Can be purchased at a pharmacy or hardware store.

Important! Traditional methods have been used for hundreds of years.
And although they are less effective in terms of effectiveness, they cause much less harm to humans.

What are the proportions and how much is needed per room?

There are no strictly defined proportions in preparing a solution with ammonium hydroxide. It is important that the solution does not cause any discomfort to the manufacturer of the product. If the smell becomes extremely intrusive and unpleasant, it is better to reduce its concentration.

Practice shows that it is better to use ammonia for cockroaches in the following proportions: you need to take one teaspoon of this product per liter of water. The resulting solution is quite enough to spray 1-2 rooms in an apartment, kitchen and bathroom.

To wash floors, use an ammonia solution in a proportion of 100 ml per bucket of water.

Why ammonia?

Firstly, cockroaches are not the most common living creatures. They easily adapt to various unfavorable conditions and are able to go for a long time without normal food or without food at all.

In addition, they have long adapted to the poisons with which they are poisoned with such zeal; moreover, they have even learned to pass on this ability, useful for survival, to their numerous offspring.

And yet, Prussians have a weak point: this type of insect is very afraid of low temperatures and does not like certain odors.

Of course, you are unlikely to freeze your apartment, but then why not use substances with an unpleasant and pungent odor if these insects do not like them?

Ammonia for cockroaches is perfect for this situation.

Recipes

Ammonia in its purest form

In the fight against cockroaches, you can also use ammonia in its pure form. The solution is drawn into a syringe through a large needle and then carefully sprayed in places where insects may be found: crevices, cracks, baseboards, the space behind the radiator, etc.

Ammonia in its pure form can also be used against cockroaches using small containers, such as lids. Pure ammonia is poured into them, and then all these containers are carefully placed around the perimeter of the entire apartment.

With the same success, you can use small pieces of fabric that absorb liquid well. They are thoroughly soaked in ammonia and also laid out in places where cockroaches may accumulate, on cockroach trails, etc.

Weak and saturated ammonia solutions

A weak solution of ammonia (1 teaspoon of ammonia per liter of cold water) is one of the most popular ways to use ammonia against cockroaches in apartments and private homes. It is used mainly for wet cleaning of premises and regular cleaning of floors.

This treatment not only helps to expel existing insects in the house, but also prevents the appearance of new pests. It is absolutely safe for home inhabitants, including children and pets.

A saturated ammonia solution (100 ml of alcohol per liter of water) is used, as a rule, during the initial treatment of a home if a large number of cockroaches appear in it. It is also recommended to carry out preventive cleaning of premises using a saturated solution. Its frequency is once a month.

In both cases, the effect (the absence of cockroaches in the apartment) is achieved due to the categorical dislike of insects for the pungent ammonia smell. Pests prefer to quickly leave areas treated with this product.

Ammonia and vinegar

Many experts (often reluctant) recommend mixing vinegar with ammonia. Add 200 ml of each active ingredient to a liter of water, and then mix everything thoroughly. The finished solution is used in the same way as a solution without adding vinegar. Vinegar makes the mixture even more intolerable to cockroaches, and the smell more persistent.

A mixture of vinegar and ammonia

How to use

So, how to get rid of cockroaches using ammonia?

There are several main methods that involve the use of aqueous solutions of varying concentrations, the main active component of which is ammonia. Low concentration solutions are recommended to be used to prevent the appearance of Prussians. In addition, they should be used if there will be people or pets there when processing the room.

If a large number of parasites appear, it is recommended to use a concentrated solution of ammonia against cockroaches in the apartment. The following proportions are optimal: one hundred fifty to two hundred milliliters of product per liter of warm water. Poisoning cockroaches with ammonia when using a strong concentration solution should only be done in an empty room.

Important! Ammonia has a detrimental effect not only on cockroaches, but also on people. It is especially important to follow safety rules when using this product.

Wet cleaning

Ammonia is a fairly effective remedy when fighting cockroaches, even when using a low concentration solution. For example, to prevent the appearance of parasites or upon completion of the treatment of the room, it is recommended to wash the floors with ammonia solution. To prepare it, just add one hundred milliliters of the substance to a bucket of warm water. Wash the floor thoroughly with the resulting solution. After the surfaces have dried, the room must be thoroughly ventilated.

Impregnation

Carrying out wet cleaning with an ammonia solution is not always effective, since the concentration of the substance is quite low. If a large number of parasites have appeared in the room, in places where Prussians like to visit, it is recommended to leave small pieces of cotton wool, gauze, fabric, which must first be soaked generously with a concentrated solution of ammonia.

Such impregnations should be left in the space behind the furniture, behind the baseboards; you can put a small amount of cotton wool directly into the ventilation hole. This measure will help prevent cockroaches from entering. If an overly saturated solution was used, an unpleasant ammonia alcohol odor may be detected. Due to the risk of poisoning, it is imperative to remove the impregnation and then thoroughly ventilate the room.

Repellent containers

The use of wet impregnations, despite all their effectiveness, can cause mold and dampness. In view of this reason, as an alternative, you can use repellent containers with ammonia, and in this case the cockroaches will quickly leave the room.

To implement this idea, you need to prepare several small containers in advance. Small caps from various bottles and jars are quite suitable. A small amount of pure alcohol or diluted with water in a one to one percentage ratio should be placed in them. The duration of processing an apartment using this method should not be less than a day. People and pets are advised to leave their homes during this time.

Syringe for inaccessible places

To treat difficult areas, which include various crevices, the space behind baseboards, furniture, and a number of others, you should use concentrated, that is, pure ammonia against cockroaches. To carry out the procedure, you should draw a small amount of the substance into a syringe, then spray the above areas with liquid.

It is especially important to treat areas with high humidity, for example, water pipes, sewer pipes, siphons, and others. This is due to the fact that cockroaches cannot do without water. Lack of moisture can lead to their death or force them to leave the room. For this method, the rule that is also relevant is to first clear the premises of people and animals.

Increased concentration for non-residential premises

To treat non-residential premises, high concentrations of ammonia against cockroaches should be used. The optimal ratio is: one hundred milliliters of the substance per liter of warm water. Treatment with a concentrated solution of ammonia can be carried out in various ways.

For example, you can put the prepared liquid in a spray bottle, and then thoroughly spray all surfaces with it. In addition, you need to thoroughly wash the floor with a saturated solution. To obtain the maximum effect, you can leave several containers filled with pure, that is, undiluted alcohol in the room.

What other smells can repel cockroaches?

In addition to ammonia, the following odors may help repel roaches from your home:

• anise;
• mint;
• tea tree;
• cedar;
• eucalyptus;
• Noble laurel.

The easiest way is to buy the essential oils of the above plants and use them in their pure form, applying them to the habitats and movements of cockroaches, or in the form of a spray solution. To do this, 4-5 drops of the selected oil are added to water at room temperature and sprayed on the places where Prussians can move or live. This method is much more pleasant than using ammonia - if only because of the pleasant aroma of essential oils instead of the harsh stench of ammonia.

The treatment is carried out daily for 10-14 days, and then repeated at least a couple of times a month to maintain the effect. Many people like to use an aroma lamp - just pour a couple of drops of oil into a special bowl and light a candle under it. When heated, essential compounds will quickly fill the entire apartment with an aroma that is pleasant for people, but unbearable for arthropods.

Disadvantages of ammonia “aromatherapy”

Despite the simplicity of the method and the low cost of ammonia, this method of “aromatherapy” against cockroaches has a number of significant disadvantages:

• the Prussians do not die, but only move to other apartments to escape the unpleasant smell;
• many people cannot tolerate ammonia because of the strong stench, and your pets, whose sense of smell is much sharper than yours, will suffer from the smell even more than you;
• short-term effect - as soon as the smell of ammonia completely disappears, the Prussians will immediately return.

Rules for the safe use of ammonia

Many people do not like ammonia solution because of its strong stench, and for good reason.

• When inhaling ammonia directly from a bottle, our body reflexively stops breathing for a few seconds, since ammonia vapors strongly irritate the nasal mucosa.
• If it comes into contact with the skin, ammonia can cause redness and itching, and in some cases a severe allergic reaction, so it makes sense to use rubber gloves and a respirator.

In addition to the direct effect on the skin and mucous membranes, ammonium hydroxide can cause poisoning. Symptoms of intoxication with ammonia vapors are:

• choking, difficulty breathing;
• headache and nausea;
• feeling of weakness and dizziness.

In order to stop the symptoms and come to your senses, it is necessary to provide an influx of fresh air - open the windows wide, go out onto the balcony. If your health does not improve after a few hours, it makes sense to consult a doctor. Fortunately, poisoning with ammonia vapors in everyday life occurs extremely rarely - after all, people are not particularly sensitive to this drug.

Now you know how to drive away the Prussians using a bubble of ammonia solution, and what disadvantages this method has. It’s up to you to decide whether to use traditional methods or resort to the help of specialized insecticidal agents that will not just temporarily repel the nasty insects, but will destroy their entire population.

Preparing premises for treatment

It is necessary to begin preparing your home for treatment with ammonia with a general cleaning of the entire room. Particular attention should be paid to floor preparation. Windows, furniture in the apartment - everything should be properly washed and wiped. This is especially true in the kitchen. It should simply shine with purity. Products must be properly packaged and stored in the refrigerator or tightly closed cabinets.

If there are indoor plants in the house, it is better to remove them away, since the effect of ammonia vapor is destructive for many of them.

It goes without saying that there should be no pets in the house.

Using ammonia in an apartment against cockroaches

Cockroaches are guided in their activities by their sense of smell. The long moving mustache on their heads is not at all for beauty. They act like an antenna. The whiskers pick up even the slightest odors. The cockroach uses them to find food. A highly developed olfactory system played against them. People began to use ammonia and thereby mislead pests. With the constant aroma of ammonia, cockroaches cannot find food, and their respiratory tract suffers from a strong irritant.

However, one feature should be taken into account - ammonia has a bad effect on people, including. If you go too far with the con and all its legal residents. When using the substance in an apartment, you must follow the rules for preparing the solution.

Treatment

Washing floors with ammonia

Ammonia as a remedy against cockroaches shows good results if used regularly when washing floors.

For a bucket with a capacity of 5-7 liters, take 5-7 (a couple of spoons more if the drug is well tolerated by the performer of this procedure) teaspoons of ammonia. Everything is mixed properly. Adding a few teaspoons of vinegar to the solution (also about 5-7) will make the smell of the solution prepared for mopping the floor more persistent and repellent to the cockroach population.

It would be good if the floor rag was specially adapted for this purpose. The quality of washing and, accordingly, processing will obviously be higher.

With a low concentration of ammonia, floor treatment can be done three times a week until all pest residents leave the apartment. In a radical way, with a high concentration of ammonia, it is allowed to treat the apartment no more than once a week. For prevention, it is recommended to carry out such cleaning once a month.

Spot impact

In some cases, it is advisable to target pests in a targeted manner: ammonia is poured into some small container, which is then placed in places where cockroaches are likely to be concentrated. Insects are really afraid of the pungent ammonia smell.

The result when using ammonia is achieved precisely due to the fact that this pungent odor forces insects to quickly leave the occupied territory, and with regular repetition of such ammonia attacks, cockroaches will prefer not to return back.

Precautions and health hazards

Unlike many folk remedies, ammonia causes severe harm to human health if it comes into contact with the skin or inside the body. It contributes to the appearance of irritations on the skin and burns of the gastrointestinal tract. Even inhaling ammonia vapor causes negative effects on the respiratory system.

For these reasons, the premises are processed in compliance with the following precautions:

• windows in the room open;
• a respiratory mask is put on the face;
• hands and exposed skin are hidden in gloves and under thick clothing.

Spraying and wiping are carried out quickly and accurately. It is also advisable to protect the mucous membranes of the eyes from ammonia vapors.

Operating principle

In everyday life, ammonia is better known as ammonia hydroxide solution. Outwardly, it looks like ordinary water. The only difference is the presence of a specific and unpleasant odor for insects. In everyday life, ammonia is used to effectively cleanse precious metals, namely gold and silver. It also allows you to remove stains from the surface of upholstery of upholstered furniture and wardrobe items. Many people also use this solution to clean their plumbing fixtures.

Cockroaches are the oldest and most resilient domestic parasites. They multiply quickly and are able to fill an entire home in a short period of time. The principle of action of ammonia in the fight against cockroaches is based on the very sensitive sense of smell of parasites. It also underlies some other folk methods - for example, fighting insects using repellents of natural origin, that is, herbs. As well as their analogues - essential oils.

Cockroaches sense even the slightest aroma of ammonia and flee from the place where it is present. This remedy can be called more of a repellent than capable of physically eliminating pests. During wet cleaning, you can add 5 - 7 ml of ammonia to a bucket of water. To get a lasting effect, you should add the solution with each subsequent cleaning.

Advantages and disadvantages of using ammonia

In order to understand whether ammonia helps against domestic cockroaches, it is necessary to study its advantages and disadvantages.

pros

1. Effectiveness of the drug.
2. Relatively low cost.
3. Constant availability. Therefore, the product is used best against cockroaches.
4. Easy to use. In order to poison cockroaches, you do not need to carry out serious preparation.

Minuses

• The rich ammonia composition repels insects rather than destroys them.
• The period of action of the drug is 30–35 minutes.
• The number of treatments is huge.
• If ammonia is diluted incorrectly, the likelihood of poisoning or damage to the mucous membrane increases.

Before getting rid of cockroaches using ammonium, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules for preparing the solution. After all, using an incorrectly prepared mixture can cause allergic reactions and health problems. In order to properly dilute the concentrate, it is necessary to study the manufacturers' recommendations.

Danger to humans and pets

The volatile substance is toxic if inhaled for a long time. Vapors from ammonia irritate the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth. Symptoms of intoxication:

• swelling of the respiratory system;
• severe dizziness;
• nausea.

A person may experience coughing and watery eyes due to inhalation of NH₃ vapors. Contact of the solution (concentrated product) with the skin causes a burn.

Precautionary measures

Before washing the floor with ammonia, you need to study the reviews, as well as basic precautions. Experts identify 5 rules:

1. If concentrated ammonia is used to remove arthropod pests, then windows and doors must be open while distributing containers with the composition. After all activities are completed, the room is sealed. All residents leave it in order to prevent poisoning.
2. To implement everything correctly, you will need items such as a respirator, safety glasses, rubber gloves and a thick jacket. It is prohibited to perform activities in home clothes.
3. After moistening a sponge or rag, it is necessary to wipe those places where arthropod pests or chitinous cover are found. The effectiveness of the drug depends on how well all areas are treated.
4. If during use of ammonia drops get on the skin or eyes, the damaged areas are washed under running water.
5. The room in which ammonia was used must be evacuated.

Although ammonia does not kill insects, it is popular. After all, this composition acts as a repeller. With its help, you can drive arthropod pests out of your apartment or house within 1–2 months.