Eliminate Roaches in Your Home with this EASY DIY Step-by-Step Routine
Roaches in your home? I understand your pain and please reassure yourself and know that you are not alone! When I first moved into my first home almost three years ago, I was faced with an overwhelming roach infestation in my home. After much trial and error, countless hours of research, and testing out dozens of methods and products I have developed a routine that allowed me to finally feel comfortable in my home without seeing a pesky roach for over the past year and a half. Below you will find a list of the products and step-by-step routine I use to help keep the cockroaches out of my house & then to kill any that are currently living in your home.
Before I begin, if you haven’t already viewed my video on Tiktok as a response to Grace O’Malley who’s new apartment in NYC was infested with roaches then go ahead and view it now via the Youtube video below.
The most important tip I can give you is that if you don't seal up their points of entry then they will definitely continue to find their way in your apartment. But not to fear! It's easier than you think. Caulk any crevices or holes, cover your air vents, close your drains at nighttime (bathroom sink, tub/shower, & kitchen sink) and literally they won't be able to get into your space! Then once you've stopped the points of entry your priority is to kill any existing cockroaches in your place with a few products that will deter them from being there in the first place and or kill them and any babies in their colony/nest.
P.S. I have listed Amazon links below for the products I have used, however almost all of these items you should be able to find at a hardware store, Lowe's, Home Depot or a Wal-Mart/Target. The only exception might be the vent covers and the bug repellent plug-ins (I have sometimes seen the vent covers at Marshalls/TJ Maxx & I always see the bug repelling plug-ins there too)
1. Caulk (this one is super easy to use & you don't have to use the tricky caulk gun).
2. Vent covers
These are magnetic rubber ones so they automatically will stick to your vents (just measure your vents so you know which size to get). Magnetic Floor Register Vent Covers, 6 x 10 Inch Air Vent Filter Mesh, Sticky Magnet PVC Vent Screen Net for Wall Ceiling Floor Catches Toys Snacks Pet Hair and Pet Food 4 Pack - Amazon.com
This is another option for air vent covers that I've seen & it's made of mesh to allow for adequate air flow. Most imporantly it has good reviews. Floor Register Trap/Cover, Floor Vent Trap, Screen for Home Air Vent Filters,Vent Mesh, Black, 4"x10", 4PCS (4x10 Inch) - Amazon.com
3. Roach gel bait (put little bits of this in all your kitchen, bathroom cabinets & behind/around kitchen appliances)
4. Boric acid powder in a bottle. Depending upon the size of your apartment or house I would at minimum buy 2 of these bottles to then place the boric acid in all your windows (inside & outside), exterior door frame, baseboards if there are any crevices, etc. especially put this product in any holes/crevices you are filling with the caulk and then repeat this step every 3-4 months)
5. RaidMax No Mess Dry Fogger (I do one of these foggers every 6 months)
6. Boric acid tablets (put these in all crevices under sinks, near appliances, pipes, window seals, door seals, & I also threw a couple in my AC floor vents). Here you can view another blog post with a more in-depth overview of the boric acid tablets where I also show you where and how to place them in your home.
7. Bug killer plug-ins. Place at least one unit in each room of your home. If you have an open concept style space with larger rooms, place upwards of 2-3.
Don’t give up! You've got this & I promise you are going to eliminate and overcome these roaches once and for all so that you can finally feel comfortable in your home!