How To Get Rid Of Cockroaches At Home

Nobody – literally nobody! – likes the sight of a cockroach skittering around their home. So do you want to know what one of the most common questions we’re asked is?: How to get rid of cockroaches. Not surprising, right?

They don’t just look and smell gross – they’re also unbelievably filthy, spreading bacteria, triggering allergies, and rapidly multiplying into a massive, widespread infestation that’s notoriously difficult to get rid of. So today’s question is clear: What is the best way to kill cockroaches at your place without calling in the pros just yet?

How to get rid of cockroaches, the DIY way?

Sure, professional cockroach control in Brisbane delivers long-term results and you don’t have to get your hands dirty at all – and dealing with it yourself will save you a few dollars as well, which is always useful! So in our exclusive guide, we’re going to take through how to kill cockroaches in the house – starting with the simplest methods and working our way down the list of difficulty.

So if you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and take control of your own cockroach problem, let’s get started:

1. Keep your home clean & dry

We’re often asked what is the easiest way to get rid of cockroaches. Answer? To not have any cockroaches scurrying around in the first place!

Remember, cockroaches thrive where they can easily access food, water, and shelter. So the easiest way to get rid of cockroaches is to make sure these things aren’t just laying around for the critters to enjoy.

HOW TO DO IT:

• Clean up food crumbs and spills immediately – especially in the kitchen.
• Store food in sealed containers, including pet food.
• Take the rubbish out regularly and use bins with tight-fitting lids.
• Fix leaky taps and pipes, as cockroaches need water to survive.
• Declutter – remove stacks of newspapers, cardboard boxes, and other materials that can provide hiding spots.

WHY IT WORKS:

Sure, this method won’t kill them outright, but it will make your home a lot less inviting.

2. Use baking soda & sugar

Perhaps the next most common question we’re asked about cockroach control is how to kill cockroaches naturally – in a non-toxic way. Answer?: Baking soda is a great solution.

When ingested, it reacts with the acid in a cockroach’s stomach, causing a fatal gas buildup.

HOW TO DO IT:

• Mix equal parts baking soda and sugar in a small dish.
• Place small amounts near cockroach hotspots – behind appliances, under sinks, near drains).
• Check regularly and replace the mixture as needed.

WHY IT WORKS:

It’s pretty simple – the sugar attracts them, and the baking soda kills them. It’s also completely safe for pets and children since the brew contains no harsh chemicals.

3. Set up sticky traps

So we’ve covered the easiest way and the best way to get rid of them – but what’s the best way to kill cockroaches at home?

In our view, we’re going for sticky glue boards. It’s also brilliant for getting your head around just how severe your infestation is.

HOW TO DO IT:

• Buy cockroach glue traps from a hardware store or online.
• Place them in high-activity areas – under the fridge, along baseboards, near drains.
• Check the traps daily and dispose of them when full.

WHY IT WORKS:

Sticky traps attract and trap cockroaches – and therefore kill them because they can’t escape.

4. Use boric acid

Another great way to wave bye-bye to one of the most universally detested insects is by using boric acid. It’s a natural mineral that you’ll probably find in the cleaning aisle in the supermarket that sticks to cockroaches’ legs and bodies and eventually poisons them to death.

HOW TO DO IT:

• Lightly sprinkle it in areas where cockroaches travel – behind cabinets, along skirting boards, and inside cracks.
• Don’t pile it up, because cockroaches are clever about avoiding big clumps! Instead, a fine dusting is the way to do it.
• Reapply every few days for best results.

WHY IT WORKS:

Boric acid kills cockroaches quickly by attacking their nervous system. However, it can be harmful to pets and children if ingested, so be careful!

5. Make a cockroach bait

Remember how we said a little earlier that cockroaches love sugar? Well, who doesn’t? But when we’re asked how to attract cockroaches and kill them, we don’t just suggest sugar and baking soda – we suggest something even better.

The idea is to get cockroaches to ingest a slow-acting poison that they take back to their hiding spots, where it spreads to other roaches and kills plenty of others.

HOW TO DO IT:

• Mix boric acid, baking soda, flour, and sugar into a dough-like paste.
• Roll small amounts into balls and place them in cockroach-prone areas.
• Replace the bait every few days as needed.

WHY IT WORKS:

Cockroaches are drawn to the delicious sugar and flour, they eat the boric acid and the baking soda at the same time, and then spread the poison recipe to their colony – wiping out multiple pests in one hit!

6. Buy a cockroach spray from the supermarket

So we said we’d start simply and work our way up to the most difficult DIY method – well, we’ve got a surprise for you. This one is not just one of the easiest methods, it’s also arguably the most effective way to kill cockroaches. And all you need is your trigger finger!

No, we’re not talking about a cockroach gun – we’re talking about a simple insecticidal spray from the supermarket. It’s an immediate knockdown effect when you spray them directly on roaches, but creating a barrier that kills them when they walk through it also works well.

HOW TO DO IT:

• Simply buy a cockroach-specific insecticide from a supermarket or hardware store.
• Spray in cracks, behind appliances, and along entry points where cockroaches hide.
• Avoid overusing sprays inside food prep areas.

WHY IT WORKS:

A lot of sprays kill cockroaches on contact, but some also provide residual effects for ongoing impact. Just be aware that cockroaches are so hardy that if you rely on this method exclusively, they’ll eventually build up a resistance. So be strategic!

When DIY isn’t enough – Call the professionals

DIY methods like these can be great for getting a small infestation under better control. But for a problem that’s really taken hold, the absolute best way to kill cockroaches and ensure they don’t come back is by calling a pro! Here at Dale’s Pest Control, we use the most advanced pest control techniques all across Brisbane – including Chermside, Burpengary, Morayfield, North Lakes, Deception Bay, and beyond.

Unlike the more modest DIY methods, professional treatments ensure cockroaches can’t survive the onslaught – and then don’t come back a few weeks or months later. We also focus on professionally sealing access points and then offer continuous monitoring to prevent future infestations. Best of all, our treatments always use low-toxic chemicals that are safe for families and pets.

So what is really the best way to get rid of cockroaches? It’s simple – give Dale’s Brisbane Northside pest control service a try today.