Which Roach Traps Work?
Florida’s famous cockroaches are tough customers. Roach infestations are hard to deal with anywhere, but ours seem extra hardy. Taking out an infestation is a big job, but what tools can you use? There are entire aisles of foggers, traps, hotels, motels, and more. Some folks even suggest you don’t need to buy anything, that you can eliminate roaches on your own. Which traps actually work? Can traps control roach populations? The reality is that poisons are some of the most effective roach control solutions on the planet. Because cockroaches take food back to their nest, poisoned food sources can kill several roaches at once.
Because there are many traps, we will go over some of the most common ones today.
Sticky Traps
Sticky traps are pieces of cardboard that have a strong adhesive on them. Most of these traps come baited with peanut butter. The pro to these traps is that they can attract pests. Peanut butter is one of the most successful bait products for insects and mice. The con to sticky traps is that they only target particular pests without addressing the colony. For example, while cockroaches can and will cannibalize one another, roaches are likely to avoid other roaches in distress. It’s a bit like trying to fix a water leak with tissue paper. The few roaches you catch will teach the others to hide elsewhere.
Powder Traps
Boric acid can handle a lot of pests. When mixed with some household ingredients like diced onion, it can become a lethal bait item. However, the powder itself is also effective if scattered around. Despite what you may think – And despite the many germs they spread – Roaches are quite clean. They stop to groom themselves frequently, and if they lick off boric acid, they die soon after. Food-grade diatomaceous earth can also kill roaches. The tiny ground-up seashells are incredibly sharp for insects. They step onto it and begin to “bleed” out. If you decide to use powder, use it where you see roaches walking. Along the back edges of cabinets, for example.
Bombs and Repellent Sprays
Of all the traps to avoid, avoid anything that promises to repel insects in the home. A fogger may indeed remove all the bugs in your living room, but there’s a catch. The bugs in your living room are now in the bathroom, down the hall, under the stairs, and crawling into your bedroom. Even killing a handful of bugs isn’t worth spreading the infestation. Some of the fleeing pests may be carrying hundreds of eggs.
The Best Solution for Roaches
Which trap should you use for reaches? No one trap will solve your roach problem. Getting rid of cockroaches requires a coordinated effort and multiple tools. Poisoned bait and poisonous sprays work very well at killing entire nests. For roach problems, professional care is often required. Don’t second guess it, because roach populations explode rapidly. A handful of roaches can explode into a thousand in under a year. When dealing with roaches, you need to know that you’ve gotten every one of them. Place traps as you are treating the problem. Baits and poisons will lead roaches to wander as they die.
