How to answer the question, what are cockroaches afraid of? Folk remedies that repel insects are essential oils, dry herbs, boric acid and much more. But it seems that it is difficult to scare them with anything at all, pests can go without food for several days, and it seems impossible to find a safe island where it seems impossible to survive. They even live for several days without a head. Despite the fact that cockroaches are very tenacious creatures, there are things that they try to avoid - various odors, extremely low and high temperatures. To effectively combat insects, it is important to know what cockroaches are afraid of in the apartment and use this knowledge in practice. We will tell you which grass cockroaches do not like, the smell of which plants will scare them away, and much more.
Are cockroaches afraid of cold and heat?
Yes, cockroaches are afraid of cold, frost and high temperatures. Since ancient times, pests in homes have been controlled by freezing them out. It is difficult to freeze an apartment, because the temperature should not be higher than 10 degrees Celsius. And at this temperature there is a risk of damaging the heating and plumbing systems. Insects feel discomfort already at 0 +5 degrees, their life processes slow down.
What else domestic cockroaches are afraid of is extremely high temperatures - steam treatment, boiling water. Using high temperature, you can get rid of not only adults, but also eggs. There are cases where cockroaches left the house when the temperature in the premises rose to +35 degrees and above.
Poisonous chemicals
Products designed specifically for the destruction of cockroaches, or broad-spectrum insecticides, are available in the form of sprays, gels, powders, and liquids. For a house or apartment, you need to choose those that are intended specifically for everyday use, and not “professional” chemicals used by specialists.
Most often, these drugs have an intestinal contact effect. They begin to work, entering not only the digestive system, but also the outer chitinous integument. Death does not occur immediately; the cockroach manages to bring the poison into the nest and infect its “relatives”.
Important! When using chemicals, you must strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions, in particular, use the personal protective equipment specified by him.
Are cockroaches afraid of “Whiteness”, ammonia, bleach and other chemicals?
Cockroaches are afraid of bleach, ammonia, vinegar, ammonia and other chemicals. This is due to the fact that cockroaches have a keen sense of smell. All these substances have a pungent odor that will scare them away, but will not kill them. If you sprinkle bleach on an insect, it will die (it has no effect on eggs), but a Prussian will not go to certain death on its own if the substance is scattered in heaps on the floor. The activity of pests will decrease if ammonia, bleach or “White” are added to the water for washing the floor, but until the smell disappears.
The aromas of paints and solvents disorient them in space; insects may leave the room, although they may return later. What cockroaches don’t like is renovation; during construction work, you may notice their disappearance or a sharp decrease in number.
Pests are also frightened by the smell of gasoline and kerosene, but hardly anyone will dare to use flammable liquids in the apartment. What smell cockroaches don’t like are sharp, unpleasant aromas. This is what repels the cockroaches and makes them go away, at least for a while.
High temperatures
Cockroaches can tolerate normal summer heat without problems. To get rid of them, you need to create much more discomfort. Identified nesting sites are scalded with a directed stream of hot steam from a steam generator or poured with boiling water.
A temperature of 55ºC is required - then the insects die within 2-3 minutes. Having assessed the sharp decline in population size in a short time, the surviving individuals in most cases immediately leave the habitat that has become uncomfortable.
However, with such processing it is necessary to take into account possible damage to property. The combination of high temperature and humidity is often detrimental to wallpaper, wood, and furniture upholstery.
Important! When generously treating areas where cockroaches have settled in the apartment with boiling water, it is necessary to act in such a way as not to cause a flood for the neighbors below.
Are cockroaches afraid of wormwood, mint, the smell of bay leaves, and garlic?
Another thing that repels cockroaches is the aromas of certain herbs. As we have already said, the sensitivity of insects to odors is to blame. What smell are cockroaches afraid of? Smells that repel cockroaches are anise, mint, wormwood, eucalyptus, tansy. Aromatic herbs cannot destroy pests, but they can become a preventative measure: it is enough to spread herbal bunches in places where insects are likely to enter the house to repel cockroaches.”
People often ask, what grass are cockroaches afraid of, what plants do they not like? The most popular plant that repels cockroaches in the house and apartment is mint. Some people grow mint on the windowsill, thus expelling insects and preventing them from entering the apartment. What other plants are cockroaches afraid of? Prussians do not like the smell of pine nuts, honeysuckle, red elderberry, tansy. But when laying out bouquets of tansy inflorescences around the apartment, make sure that the plant is inaccessible to pets and children.
Essential oils are often used to control insects. The oil that cockroaches are afraid of is tea tree, eucalyptus. To repel pests, just drop a few drops of oil into the cleaning water. Before you diffuse the essential oil, you need to dilute it in water. Aroma lamps are popular.
Now that you know what smells cockroaches are afraid of, you can fight them using these folk methods. But remember that even if the pests leave the apartment, they will have time to lay eggs, from which offspring will appear, adapted to the aromas. And adults, being hungry, will ignore even the most irritating odors. The odors that cockroaches are afraid of still tend to fade, so alternate folk remedies and do not forget to renew herbal bunches.
Bright light
Cockroaches are predominantly nocturnal. Therefore, everyone who is forced to “live together” with them on the same territory is familiar with the situation when insects, frightened by a sharply turned on light, scatter at lightning speed.
However, apart from the “surprise effect,” light does not harm cockroaches in any way. Accordingly, leaving it turned on in a house or apartment all the time will not help you get rid of “undesirable neighbors.”
On the contrary, the opposite of the desired effect is quickly observed. Insects understand that light is completely safe for them and stop being afraid of it. There is no fear at the instinctive level, adaptation takes place quickly - literally in 2-3 days.
Are cockroaches afraid of ultrasound?
As manufacturers of ultrasonic devices assure, as soon as you turn them on, insects panic and flee. Is it really? What smell repels cockroaches has been known for a long time, but ultrasound appeared relatively recently. Experts and scientists have varying opinions about the effectiveness of ultrasound devices. Tests were carried out and during the experiment it was found that ultrasound at various frequencies does not repel cockroaches. Even powerful devices did not show significant results in laboratory conditions.
Expert advice
Chloride of lime is a strong oxidizing agent. It must be handled with extreme caution so as not to harm the health of residents. The smell of bleach irritates the eyes, skin and respiratory mucosa. In addition, substances in the form of a dry powder or concentrated solution can damage metal or plastic surfaces.
When using bleach to kill cockroaches, you need to make sure that pets do not come into contact with it. When disinfecting carpet or fleecy materials, it is better to use powder. To make sure that it does not harm the paints, the powder must first be applied to a small area of the product.
Experts doubt whether bleach will help against cockroaches and advise using it if it is not possible to use other, more effective methods. In a large private house, this aggressive product is ineffective, since it is impossible to treat remote areas (cracks, areas under the floor and baseboard). And it is difficult to ensure contact between cockroaches and bleach, since insects try to hide from human eyes, cleverly finding secluded places for this.
Are cockroaches afraid of radiation?
Some people wonder why cockroaches are not afraid of radiation. In fact, radiation affects the body of cockroaches, but its effects are not as terrible as for humans. Dividing cells are most vulnerable to radiation, and insects do not have as many of them as mammals. Another version is the weak metabolism of pests, but it has no scientific basis. We can say that cockroaches have increased resistance to radiation, although there are insects that can tolerate higher doses, for example, mealworms.
Keeping the room clean
Regular cleaning is an effective means of depriving cockroaches of food. But maintaining cleanliness must be constant. Required:
- thoroughly clean the surface of the stove and microwave oven, removing drops of oil, sauces, and other traces remaining after cooking;
- sweep and wash not only the “open space”, but also the floor under the kitchen unit and refrigerator (crumbs almost inevitably accumulate there);
- vacuum carpets regularly;
- get rid of the habit of eating outside the kitchen and wiping the kitchen table after every meal;
- wash dishes immediately after eating, without “storing” them in the sink.
Are cockroaches afraid of cats, pets, spiders, relationships with other living beings?
The presence of cats in the house will not affect cockroaches in any way. A cat can play with an insect, but will not hunt en masse. Lizards or spiders are another matter; they feed on insects and are able to slightly reduce their numbers, but no more.
And, perhaps, one of the types of smells that cockroaches don’t like is the pungent aroma from a cage with rats. Those who have kept decorative rats know that they need to clean the cage often, otherwise a strong unpleasant odor appears. This is what will scare away the pests. It is believed that cockroaches do not like the smell of fresh fish, also because of their special sensitivity, although if they are hungry, no smell will scare them on the way to a food source, rats or something else. They will eat fresh fish with pleasure if other products are not available.
So what animals are cockroaches afraid of? People have noticed that cockroaches are most afraid of rats, lizards, frogs, birds, i.e. those animals that feed on insects.
Many people are interested in whether bedbugs are afraid of cockroaches. There is no fear as such, but Prussians can eat bedbug eggs, thereby reducing the population.
Factor ten: rats
Cockroaches are afraid of rats and do not share such a neighborhood. If rats settle next to them, then the cockroaches will immediately begin to look for another, more comfortable place for themselves. They can't even stand their smell. Experts believe that this is due to food. Cockroaches believe that when rodents appear, they simply won’t have enough food.
Of course, bringing wild rodents into your apartment to get rid of cockroaches is not a good idea. Although you can get a decorative rat and let it out of the cage from time to time so that it has time to leave its scent. The result will not take long to arrive.
Are cockroaches afraid of boric acid?
Boric acid is a popular folk remedy for insect control. This is not to say that pests are afraid of boric acid. They move through the powder, clinging to it on their paws, and willingly eat bait with this substance, since the acid has no odor. And then they die, infecting their relatives.
There are two ways to use boric acid - in its pure form and as part of baits. The powder is poured in a thin layer in places where insects accumulate and move; they catch it on their paws and try to clean it, as a result of which the poison penetrates into the stomach. The baits are boron balls with products that the Prussians will not pass by, but will begin to willingly eat the poisonous mixture.
Lack of food
Cockroaches successfully survive by “starving” for several weeks and even months, but they are not able to exist indefinitely without food. At the same time, literally crumbs are enough for them to survive.
Accordingly, in order to completely deprive insects of food, you need to:
- clear food from the table after each meal;
- Wipe the table thoroughly, getting rid of crumbs and other food debris;
- hide bowls with pet food in places inaccessible to insects;
- all containers with products with long shelf life should be permanently closed with hermetically sealed lids;
- Take out the trash can every evening and keep it tightly closed during the day.
Are cockroaches afraid of drought and hunger?
What cockroaches don’t like and what they run away from is the lack of food and water. This is, perhaps, the answer to the question of what cockroaches are most afraid of in an apartment. Without moisture, cockroaches live no longer than a week, and can survive without food longer. Use this for pest control. If there is no access to water and food indoors, cockroaches will find your home uninhabitable. To do this, you need to repair the plumbing, make sure that there is not a drop of moisture left anywhere, including in the trays of potted plants, you should wipe the bathtub and sink dry, thoroughly vacuum the floor, take out the trash every day and do regular general cleaning. Now you know what cockroaches are most afraid of.
Of course, cockroaches are afraid of insecticides, bright light and other things. We can talk about this endlessly. On forums on the Internet they discuss why cockroaches are afraid of WD40, soda ash, noise, and even what color they avoid. But many of the pest fears discussed have no scientific basis or evidence. Getting rid of cockroaches quickly and effectively, if there are a lot of them, is possible only with the help of chemicals.
Water shortage
The experience of “cohabitation” between people and cockroaches shows that they can go without food for weeks and eat things that, from a human point of view, are completely unsuitable for this (paper, cardboard, fabric). However, they are unable to exist without water.
Insects leave the house or apartment within a week or a week and a half, where they have nothing to drink. To cut off all “sources of water supply” to them, you need to do the following:
- tightly close any containers with drinking and tap water;
- repair all plumbing, getting rid of leaks in pipelines and taps;
- wipe dry all surfaces on which condensation and drops of water may remain (especially the bathtub, sink, bathroom walls);
- close the toilet with a lid, drains in sinks and bathtubs with stoppers;
- do not leave wet sponges, rags, toothbrushes, washed and unwiped dishes, vegetables, fruits “in the public domain”;
- restore normal operation of the ventilation system (problems with it can also contribute to the appearance of condensation);
- Water the plants in the first half of the day so that the water has time to be absorbed into the substrate before nightfall.
Humidity
An indispensable condition for the normal functioning of parasites is high humidity. That is why their shelters are often located in bathrooms or under kitchen sinks, near water supply pipes. Without available water, cockroaches die very quickly. In apartments with dry air, these parasites rarely take root and are only in transit. The source of water for cockroaches can be drops in the sink or on the shower glass, condensation on pipes, watered flowers in pots, and leftover tea in mugs.
