How to Get Rid of Roaches Fast!

Updated on November 03, 2008
E.S. asks from Amarillo, TX
16 answers

my future brother in law and sister in law have a very bad roach infestation. Any ideas of how to get rid of them very fast they have two young kids and my kids and i go over there often! They have bombed the house but it didnt help much!

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F.C.

answers from Tyler on

The Fumigator works wonderful. I had a really bad roach problem in a mobile home that I lived in and used Raid Fumigator and never had another roach. Nothing else ever worked.

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C.R.

answers from Dallas on

We got roaches after buying a used mobile home several years ago. The mobile home had them, and when we moved to a house, we ended up taking them with us. I tried every single thing that was suggested to you below, with the exception of the fire ant killer, and nothing worked. I had a terminix contract for three years where they came out every three months, I used Cleburne pest control, and that didn't work either. One problem is my house is pier and beam, and they live under the house (and yes, we and the exterminators we used treated there, also)
Then I read in a Keepers At Home magazine about a homemade product, I tried it, and after the hundreds of dollars I have spent, this seems to be working!! It was a cup of boric acid, half a cup of flour, a fourth of a cup of lard, an eighth of a cup of sugar (easy to remember) and half a chopped onion. Mix it all together - I put it in a zip lock baggie and kneaded it. Add a little water to make it sticky. Then put tiny balls of it wherever you see roaches. Within a week, I saw a massive reduction. A month or so later, I began to see the tiny babies that had hatched since I used it the first time, so I made another batch. I think I'm going to actually get rid of those things with this stuff!! It's cheap and uses mostly things you already have in your house.

1 mom found this helpful
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G.R.

answers from Dallas on

Spectracide Bug Stop Indoor Plus Outdoor Insect Killer
you can find it at home depot or walmart.(garden section

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K.S.

answers from Dallas on

If it is the large water bug type, they are hard to get rid of, especially if neighbors have them too and do nothing about them. They are really bad in apartments. My husband gets the bigger bottle of Powdered Borax (it is a green label on the poison aisle) and he lines the backs of the cabinets, behind the fridge and all around the outside foundation. This has to be redone every few months or so, when you start to see them again. We usually find them dead on the floor. It is more common in older houses to find them and harder to get rid of. Good Luck.

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N.O.

answers from Dallas on

My dad had roaches when I was a kid....uuugghhh! They were so gross! He wasted SOOO much money on bombs and roach killers.
The ONLY thing that worked, and I repeat ONLY, is an exterminator.
He put off calling one for years thinking he could get rid of them on his own but finally realized sometimes it takes more than the sprays and bombs.
I'm not sure how much an exterminator costs but it's worth it.
It solved my dads roach problem and his was pretty bad!!

Take care.

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K.H.

answers from Dallas on

if it is really bad an exterminator is probably best, but i would also take boric acid & sprinkle it all around the outside of the house (the perimeter right next to the house) & on the outsides of window sills.

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M.W.

answers from Dallas on

We had them when we first moved into our home. Those nasty things are the bugs I hate the most. We sprayed indoors & out with the Ortho pest spray (can't remember exactly what it's called...got it at Home Depot). Worked like a charm! I did make sure the children weren't at home for the indoors-spraying.

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D.S.

answers from Dallas on

First of all, those bombs do not work for cockroaches. It doesn't matter how many times you buy them or which brand you use- they will not get rid of roaches. Second, the house is being filled with chemicals every time you set off the bomb. The only way to eradicate those pests is with an exterminator. It is best to find a company that does not use the harsh chemicals.

I use Green Rain. The company itself is relatively new, but the owner had another company previously that he sold. These guys are great. I even let them into my house when I am not home. They use essence oils that actually smell good. It's unbelievable that this stuff works, and it isn't harmful to your kids or pets. Their rates are very good. 817.429.RAIN.

good luck!

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D.S.

answers from Dallas on

silly question- expterminator !
then major clean up of the home- remove all food and damp areas. Get rid of ALL PAPER BAGS AND CARDBOARD - huge for breeding and transporting

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C.G.

answers from Dallas on

I too had a roach problem when i moved into my house but i used what my mom once used to get rid of her roaches. You can purchase these powder at Home Depot it is called ORTHENE FIRE ANT KILLER. I just placed it around my kitchen floor and countertops one night and by the end of the week there was NO more roaches at all. It smells terrible but it works like a charm and best of all you only have to use it for one night.

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C.M.

answers from Lubbock on

Mix self-rising flour, sugar and baking soda together and put on all cabinet selves, around the base boards and in as many hiding places as they can all over the house. I used 1 cup self rising flour, half cup sugar and 1/4th cup of baking soda. After a few days do the foggers in every room again.

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S.W.

answers from Dallas on

Bengal Gold roach spray - available at most grocery stores, Walmart, etc. Within minutes of spraying it, roaches will come out from the walls, stumbling and dying. It lasts for at least 6 months - that's how often we spray. I think it not only kills the live roaches, but also kills the unhatched baby roaches too.

I suggest they spray it in areas where they usually see roaches (ESPECIALLY anywhere inside the home where walls/drywall meets interior brick, like the fireplace). Then, as soon as they spray, they should go to a movie. By the time they get home, the roaches will be dead and all they have to do is vacuum or sweep up the dead ones. Don't be afraid to use up a whole can on the house. It's well worth it.

C.R.

answers from Dallas on

Roach killing gel, Combat makes it and you can get it at Walgreens. This stuff WORKS and fast. I've tried even the hard core stuff I got from the feed store. It would work for a short time and then they would return. The great thing is that you apply it in those out of reach places like under your sink. I found it on a forum when I was sick and tired of those things scaring me to death around the house!
C.

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M.B.

answers from Dallas on

I highly recommend the Bengal as well. It was recommended to us by an exterminator in 1992 when apt. dwelling roaches moved in with us when some family members moved in. Have been using it ever since. They have one for ticks/fleas that is wonderful too.

Be sure if you have boxes packed somewhere spray in there as well ie: garage,attic the mist will cover the boxes and catch any hiders that may come out.

Besure to get behind the refridgerator and hot water heater etc. they love to hide there.

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J.R.

answers from Dallas on

boric acid as others have said is the best. The little critters run through it and take it back to their nest on their fuzzy little feet and there you go.

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J.A.

answers from Amarillo on

Hi E., at walmart you can buy some roach stuff that comes in a huge syringe. I've helped my mom treat her rent house many times and we both agree that this works better than anything else by far. You simply squirt little dots into cracks and crevices all around the house. We do inside the cabinets in kitchen and bathroom and under the counter top. Use it anywhere you think there are roaches living or hiding and within a couple of days you will be amazed and disgusted at how many dead ones you find in the mornings. For my moms house we repeat the application every 3 months just to keep them gone.

Also, the exterminator told my mom that roaches can live for months on nothing but water so tell you sister to keep all food put away and not to leave any standing water anywhere. Pet food also needs to be kept in an air tight container.

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