How to get rid of german roaches fast – Insecticides, Baits, Gels and more…

Roaches are quite nasty pests and they come in variety of sizes and species and some of them can even fly.

The important thing is that if you know the specific species of cockroach that has invaded your home then it will help you to determine the probable solution to remove the infestation.

One of the species that can really be a nuisance once it enters your home is the German cockroach. You are probably wondering it doesn’t really matter as, a roach is a roach. Well! It does matter because some roaches can be hard to kill.

So, what is a German roach?

German Roaches – The Menace

The scientific name for a German cockroach is Blattella Germanica and it is quite a small species of roach. It not more than 1.1 to 1.6 cm long and the body colour varies from black to tan. They do have wings but can barely fly, although they are known to glide.

The German roaches are domestic pests and can be found across the world. These indoor cockroaches can also live outdoors especially in humid or largely tropical environments.

Just like their Asian counterparts, they live and breed in the more humid or warmer areas of home or residential structures. They are typically known to invade bathrooms and kitchens and are quite capable of moving to other areas of your home as well.

The last thing you would probably want it these roaches have a gala time in your living room and thus scaring all your guests away.

So, the big question is how do you get rid of these german roaches fast?

How to kill German cockroaches

When it comes to a German roach infestation, you definitely have to kill these pests as they can multiply rapidly. They are not only pests that create a lot of nuisance but are indirect carriers of several diseases. The last thing you would want is to incur unnecessary medical bills.

There are several ways to kill roaches apart from crushing them under your feet! You can kill them using roach sprays, roach bait, and even through homemade recipes. Let’s look at some of the options and how effective they are.

Different ways to get rid of German Roaches

Roach Gels

Generally the roach gels contain attractants and powerful active ingredient that helps to rapidly control the German roaches. There are certain roach gels even bait averse German roaches cannot resist them from contacting.

Mostly Cockroaches cannot resist these baits. So Even the toughest populations can also be quickly controlled with help of roach baits.

Insect growth regulators (IGR)

Insect growth regulator is a chemical substance that is most commonly found in German roach sprays. Roach insecticides contain IGRs they can be used for other household pests as well.

IGRs work by preventing a roach from reaching the maturity stage. It interferes with their molting process and this plays an important role in curbing infestation. In layman's language it hampers the reproduction process of the all pests or insects including German roaches.

Some of the common chemicals that are present in IGR include hydroprene, methoprene, pyriproxyfen, azadirachtin, triflumuron, and diflubenzuron. Insect growth regulators for German roaches are available in can or bottles, aerosol, and point sources or bait stations.

Benefits :

The primary benefit of an insect growth regulator is that they interfere with the molting process and thus kill roaches slowly but surely.
The chemicals in IGR ensure German roach infestations are controlled along with population control of other harmful household pests like fleas.
IGRs are compatible with most pest management systems especially those that use biological controls.
Last but not the least; roaches can become resistant to pesticides but not with IGRs.

Home Remedies :

Remedy #1
REMEDY #2
REMEDY #3

The roach water trap method is also quite an innovative way of getting rid of these pests permanently. Put a funnel on top of a jar and add some sugar or coffee into the jar. This will attract the roaches into the jar. Fill it with water and they will drown. The funnel ensures they can enter easily but cannot exit.

The most important benefit of using home remedies is that they are perfectly natural and will not pose any health risk to your children as well as pets.

Note: If there is a large infestation at your home then it is better to go with insect growth regulators as they can cover a huge area in the smallest time as compared to home remedies, which are preferred for small infestations.

Prevention and Control Methods

If you already have an infestation in your home then remedial measures will help in getting rid of German roaches but you need to follow it up with an equally potent prevention and control method, so that future infestations don’t take place.

Where do you really start from?

Roaches are there in your home because they love damp places and food. Hence, you need to start with the most essential aspect of future roach prevention and control, which is cleaning your home space!

There are several areas that you will need to clean as a part of German roach control program while ensuring there is no food left out in the open as that attracts roaches. No food - no roaches! It is that simple! Here are some of the things to follow as a part of the

prevention and control plan:

Always keep your kitchen area spotless and especially the countertops and sink area.
Ensure you have an enclosed trash can that is inaccessible to roaches.
Remove trash everyday and try to keep the can emptied.
Once in a week, clean the trash can using detergent.
Food should not be left anywhere in the kitchen area or in any other place in your home.
Take special care of the fact that food leftovers are not there in sink stainers.
Clean your kitchen appliances on a regular basis including toasters, microwaves, ovens, stoves, and refrigerators. Ensure they are grease free.
German roaches can invade your cardboard boxes, furniture, almirah and other storage areas.
You need to ensure your storage areas are well organised and dry.
Eliminate clutter in your home! Throw away anything that is of no use.
Floor drains should be free of any kind of food waste.
German roaches hide inside cracks and crevices in the walls. You need to close off any such crack or crevice.
You need to strengthen the integrity of wall coverings using fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) or stainless steel as this will reduce roach hiding places.
German cockroaches also live in environments where there is paper and wood. If you have any such items in your home then you need to remove them like yesterday!

CONCLUSION

German roaches can come from the outside and invade your home in such a way that they become threats to the overall well being of your family. The bottom line is that your home should be a "no entry" area for roaches and this can be achieved using several remedial solutions along with rigorous cleaning of your home. The cleaner your home is the lesser the probability of roach infestation.

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