Cockroaches are very resilient insect. Their eggs can take up to 8 weeks to hatch into babies. Therefore even if your house may be in a clean state, there is still a chance that your home may become infested with cockroaches. Try our home remedies to removes those pests from your home.

1. Hot Sauce Spray

Make up a mixture of approximately 2 tablespoons of hot sauce with a quart of water. Pour the concoction into a spray bottle. You can mist this around cabinets and other areas where the cockroaches have been seen.

2. Moth Balls

Similar to moths, roaches do not like the smell of moth balls. You can strategically place moth balls around your home to help get rid of cockroaches. A few places where moth balls should be placed include underneath the stove, in the cabinet under the sink, and in furniture cushions. Moth balls are hazardous for humans, so make sure to keep them away from any areas where food is stored or prepped and keep it out of reach from children.

3. Cedar

Another item that offers a natural deterrent for roaches is cedar. There are cedar balls, chips, and blocks that can be purchased and placed in certain areas of the home to help deter not only cockroaches, but other bugs as well. Cedar has been used as a natural deterrent for bugs for many years. This can be seen with older dressers and closets that are lined with cedar.

4. Mint Oil

This type of oil is used in many types of roach sprays. Cockroaches will stay away from mint oil and if you spray mint oil onto a cockroach, it will suffocate and die. Mint oil sprays may not work as fast as some of the normal poisons that may be used to get rid of roaches, but it is safer to you in kitchen areas and around young children and pets.

It is possible to make a spray with mint oil that can be used the same way as the hot sauce spray. Dilute some peppermint soap with water and then put it in a spray bottle.

5. Bay Leaves

Another scent that cockroaches do not like is that of bay leaves. You can find bay leaves in the spice aisle of any grocery store. Put the leaves in a small sachet and place in your cupboards and your closets. This is probably the best source to use in your kitchen cabinets.

However...

Cockroaches are one of the many pest that you definitely do not want to encounter in your home. The reason being, once they are there, these bugs can be hard to get rid of. Therefore it is better to prevent it right from the beginning.

1. TAKE the garbage out. This it the first place cockroaches look for food. Make it a habit to empty the trash can everyday before you go to bed or first thing in the morning before you leave the house. Tightly closed trash cans will also prevent the bugs from reaching into the garbage.

2. CLEAN after you eat. It is a good practice to vacuum or sweep up your eating area after each meal. Cockroaches can survive on a very small amount of food so make sure you get all the food crumbs removed. Pay attention to your furniture especially your sofa as it can be a great place for cockroaches to find a meal.

3. WIPE down the cabinets. Cockroaches love to feed in the dark. Wipe down your cabinets including your appliances such as the refrigerator, microwave and/or toaster. Be sure to clean them regularly inside and out.  

4. DO the dishes. It is a good practice to wash your dishes after every meal. Leaving them overnight will only attract the cockroaches and other pest. This will also ensure you have no dirty dishes laying around the house. 

5. STORE your leftovers. Use tight lid containers for all unused cooking supplies and leftovers. Avoid using rubber bands as they can sometimes become loose and give access to the pests. 

6. DRY up the water. Cockroaches needs water to breed. Be sure to clean up any water spills and regularly check places that tend to be moist like under the sink, behind refrigerator and stove.