Are you worried about black cockroaches everywhere in your home and want to get rid of them forever? If yes, you must know our authentic and scientifically proven ways to get rid of black cockroaches.
Not all cockroaches respond equally to the same insecticide. Every species of cockroach is different and responds differently to the same insecticide. Before learning how to get rid of black cockroaches, you must understand them—their behaviors, habits, and hiding places. Once you understand them, you will be able to eliminate them effectively and permanently from your home.
Understanding Black Cockroaches
Physical Characteristics and Identification
Black cockroaches are scientifically known as Periplaneta americana. They are one of the largest roach species which are dark brown to black in color. Black roaches have a flattened and oval-shaped body and are approximately 2 inches in length. They are capable of flying due to the presence of wings. They are fast climbers owing to their long and spiny legs.
Habits and Behaviors
Black roaches are nocturnal and prefer dark and moist habitats. They are omnivorous and thus can feed on a variety of food items including food scraps, garbage, and paper. They are adaptable to variable environmental conditions and thus can thrive in all types of habitats. Being excellent climbers, they easily infest small cracks and crevices.
Why Black Cockroaches Are a Problem?
Rapid Reproduction and Infestation Potential
Females of black roaches are capable of producing large numbers of eggs, making them prolific breeders. Their rapid reproduction rate causes fast infestation of homes and businesses, making their eradication quite difficult.
Contamination of Food and Surfaces
Black cockroaches are dangerous, as they are usually found in kitchens. They contaminate food and places with harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites. They also serve as vectors for transferring diseases like typhoid and dysentery through their bodies and legs.
Triggering Allergies and Asthma
Black cockroaches have certain proteins in their bodies and feces which act as allergens. These allergens trigger allergic reactions like sneezing, runny nose, itching of eyes, and asthma attacks. The allergens of black cockroaches cause severe respiratory problems.
Property Damage
Severe infestation of black cockroaches in homes and businesses reduces the property value. They cause unpleasant odors, staining, and damage to properties. The control of pests has substantial costs for the inhabitants of infested areas.
Preventive Strategies for Black Cockroach
Sanitation and Cleanliness
According to research carried out at the University of Kentucky, the most important preventive strategy for black cockroaches is maintaining proper sanitation and cleanliness in homes and businesses. You should clean the kitchens, dining areas, and food storage spaces regularly as these places highly attract roaches.
You should store the food in proper airtight containers to limit the access of roaches. Remove the debris and garbage from the surroundings, as these are the potential food and hiding places for black roaches. Keep the drains clean to prevent entry of black cockroaches.
Moisture Control
Black cockroaches prefer moist habitats so try to control moisture levels in homes. One can do this by repairing leaking pipes, faucets, and roofs. Improve the ventilation system of homes to reduce humidity. Eliminate the standing water sources as they attract cockroaches.
Sealing Entry Points
The main entrance points for black roaches into homes are cracks and crevices. To limit their entry, one must seal the cracks and crevices around the pipes, windows, doors, and walls. Check the pipes and vents regularly for any damage and repair it in a timely manner.
Natural Remedies for Black Cockroaches
According to the research carried out by Commonwealth Open Research Repository, the important natural remedies to get rid of black cockroaches are:
Diatomaceous Earth
One of the most effective natural remedies to eliminate cockroaches is using diatomaceous earth. It is a fine powder obtained from fossilized diatoms. It works by dehydrating the insects, thus killing them.
To use this powder, sprinkle it in areas infested with black roaches like cracks, crevices, etc. The diatomaceous powder will break down the exoskeleton of roaches, leading to their death by dehydration. One must be careful while using it as it can cause irritation of the skin and lungs.
Borax
Borax is a natural and toxic mineral that is capable of killing cockroaches by disrupting their digestive systems. To use it, prepare its bait by mixing it with sugar or flour. Place this bait in small containers around the home.
The black roaches are attracted to this borax mixture due to its sweet taste. Its consumption causes the death of roaches. It must be noted that ingestion of bait is harmful to human health. So you must use it with great caution and keep it out of reach of children.
Essential Oils
Essential oils like peppermint, eucalyptus, and tea tree oil can repel insects. To deter the black roaches, make a mixture of oil and water. Spray it in areas infested with cockroaches.
The strong scent of these oils will stop the black cockroaches from entering your home. This method is not as effective as other remedies, as the oil smell is short-lived. It must be sprayed frequently to make it effective.
Homemade Sprays
Several homemade sprays are effective in controlling black cockroaches. Some of the famous remedies include vinegar-water spray and baking soda-borax-water spray. Spraying these solutions in areas with cockroach populations changes the pH of their habitat, thus causing the death of the roaches.
For excellent results, experts recommend using a combination of natural remedies. These remedies usually take time to show results so be patient and consistent in your efforts. If you feel the remedies are not working, go for professional help.
Professional Pest Control
When to Consider Professional Pest Control?
In order to know if you should consider professional pest control, you must take into account certain signs. If you observe a large number of black cockroaches in your home, it indicates that there is widespread infestation that might not be controlled through natural remedies. The severe roach infestation can also cause damage to domestic property.
Another important sign is a recurring infestation of black cockroaches after trying the home remedies. One should also note the potential allergic reactions and diseases that are caused by cockroaches in home residents. If these exist, then it’s time to go for professional help.
Benefits of Hiring a Pest Control Expert
Seeking the help of an expert in black cockroach control provides several benefits. They have the knowledge and experience of how to combat the black roach infestation effectively. They can quickly eliminate the pest thus saving your time and energy.
The experts also make sure to reduce the exposure of humans to harmful chemicals, thus reducing its hazards. The experts use those techniques, which reduce the chances of future roach infestations.
Treatment Options and Techniques
The pest control experts use a variety of treatments and techniques to eliminate the populations of black cockroaches. The most common method is to establish bait stations around the home to create attraction centers for black roaches. The roaches will consume it leading to their death.
The application of insecticides to cracks and crevices where cockroaches hide will kill them effectively. For severe infestations, experts go for fumigation. For this purpose, buildings are sealed and filled with gasses that kill the roaches.
DIY Traps and Baits for Black Cockroaches
Homemade Traps
The DIY traps include making homemade traps to capture black cockroaches in homes. Make a cardboard box having a small entrance. Place the borax bait inside it. Place the trap in areas with a high cockroach population. The bait will attract cockroaches, and they will ingest the borax and die. Check it regularly and dispose of the trapped cockroaches.
Commercial Traps and Baits
The commercial traps and baits for black cockroaches make use of attractants and sticky glue to capture the roaches. The attractants attract the cockroaches while the glue captures the cockroaches thus leading to their death.
Placement and Monitoring
While using DIY traps and baits, one should make sure to place the traps and baits near food sources and dark and moist areas that are the potential habitats of black roaches. Place the traps in multiple locations, such as the kitchen, bathrooms, etc to enhance the capturing chances.
Check the traps and baits daily to remove the captured roaches. Replace the bait with a fresh one at regular intervals to keep it attractive for black cockroaches. For effective control of severe black roach infestation, combine the DIY traps with professional help to get effective results.
Professional roach sprays
You can also use professional roach sprays to get rid of black cockroaches. Professional roach sprays are those that contain insect growth regulators, pyrethroids, and pyrethrin. These roach sprays can eliminate roaches overnight from your space and provide long-lasting residual effects.
Additional Tips for Controlling Black Cockroaches
Regular Inspections
Once you have controlled the black roach population, it is not the end of the task. You must inspect the potential breeding grounds of roaches like kitchens, bathrooms, and sanitary points regularly. This will let you know about the dangers of future infestation of black roaches. One should look for signs of roaches like droppings, shedding skins, or alive roaches.
Check the food storage areas like pantries, cupboards, and refrigerators where cockroaches may begin breeding. Inspect the areas having moisture like sinks, drains, and pipes which serve as entry points for roaches into homes. Don’t ignore the surrounding areas of your houses from where the black roaches can enter your homes through cracks or crevices.
Community Involvement
For those living in shared housing like apartment buildings, the control of black roaches needs community involvement. The residents must work together to make any type of control method effective. The pest control measures should be applied collectively in hallways and basements.
You should share the information about roach control with your neighbors to help them. One should identify the real causes of infestation, such as poor sanitation or high moisture, to aid in applying the right controlling strategy.
Patience and Persistence
The task of getting rid of black cockroach infestations is quite challenging. It calls for patience and persistence, as it takes time to show visible results. Show consistency in your efforts, especially in case of severe black roach infestations. By following all these steps, one can create a healthier and roach-free environment for them.
Conclusion
Dealing with black cockroaches is a common issue in both residential and commercial spaces. However, they can be controlled effectively through their right knowledge and applying the right control strategy. Understanding their habits and the potential health risks they pose is crucial for effectively getting rid of black roaches. One can opt for natural remedies, professional help, or DIY traps depending on the severity of black roach infestations. By eradicating the black roaches from homes, one can create a healthy and comfortable environment for themselves.
FAQs
Are black roaches harmful?
Yes, black roaches are very harmful to humans. They carry viruses, pathogens, and bacteria on their bodies that can be dangerous to humans. If they come in contact with your food items, countertops, utensils, or other kitchen surfaces, they can cause food poisoning.
Black cockroaches can also trigger allergic reactions in humans because their shed skins, droppings, and saliva contain proteins.
Do black cockroaches bite people?
Generally, black cockroaches do not bite people like mosquitoes or ticks. However, if there is any food residue on your skin, they may crawl on you to collect it. They are not there to bite you but rather to gather food.
I found one Oriental cockroach in my house
If you have found one oriental cockroach in your house, then first of all, you don’t need to panic. It is possible that this is a stray cockroach that has come into your house from a neighboring area.
But you need to do an inspection as well. It is also possible that the covers of your drain pipes are not fitted properly, and it may have come from the sewage system. You need to choose anti-cockroach drain covers for your drain pipes.
After checking the drain covers, you need to check all the places where roaches hide. If you find more roaches, then you need to use roach killers for your house.