How to permanently get rid of black cockroaches in the house

Many people suffer from the appearance of black cockroaches in their home, apartment or country cottage. These insects look scary, spread an unpleasant odor, spoil food, and may well be carriers of infections. The question immediately arises: how to deal with the problem, how to deal with cockroaches? Today we will try to consider all the most effective methods, their features, distinctive features and level of effectiveness.

• How do they get into the house?
• Danger from insects
• Safe and effective folk remedies
• Insecticides
• Modern means
• Calling professional exterminators

How do they get into the house?

First, you need to identify several ways these pests can enter your home. Then you will need this information to make your preventive measures more effective. Here are the important points.

• Most often they come from neighbors. This happens especially easily when a variety of methods are used in another apartment to scare them away. To prevent this from happening, try to close all the cracks, do not forget to cover the sockets with plugs, and also block the ventilation holes with meshes.
• Through ventilation, as well as directly through the door, insects can enter from the basement or entrance.
• You can bring them into the house along with things and furniture. This happens especially often if people buy used furniture.

Take precautions!

Black beetle

Preventive actions

After getting rid of insects, it is necessary to keep the apartment clean to avoid re-infestation. Follow simple preventive measures:

• wash dishes immediately after eating, without leaving them for later;
• store bread and pastries in plastic bags;
• carefully collect crumbs, preventing them from falling on the floor;
• periodically clean your kitchen cabinets, make sure that cereals and flour are stored in closed containers;
• throw away garbage on time;
• carry out wet cleaning daily;
• Treat the baseboards with insecticides every three months.

Maintaining order in the house and preventive treatment will help you forget about the presence of black cockroaches.

Danger from insects

It should be understood that pests pose a certain danger to humans, so it is necessary to combat them. Here are just the main factors.

• They are carriers of various infections; they spread germs throughout the apartment and into food.
• May cause allergic reactions and irritation.
• They spoil food and leather goods.
• Large individuals are capable of making such rustling noises and loud sounds that they even interfere with sleep. In the silence of the night, the results of their movements are especially clearly audible.

In addition, many people try to get rid of pests as soon as possible because their appearance is very disgusting.

Morphology of black cockroaches

In Russian apartments, black and red cockroaches are most often found, while the simultaneous residence of both species is impossible due to the competition that exists between them.

It is interesting that when red cockroaches appear, black ones quickly disappear because they are inferior to their counterparts in a number of life characteristics: relatively low fertility, poor care for offspring, a longer development cycle, low speed of movement.

The black cockroach (Blatta orientalis) is much larger than its red counterpart

Nevertheless, black cockroaches are the same constant companions of humans as the “Prussians”.

A characteristic external feature of black cockroaches is their large size (some individuals reach 5 cm in length). The average size varies within 3 cm. Females are larger.

Black cockroaches are characterized by sexual dimorphism (anatomical differences between males and females)

Appearance of a black cockroach - video

Habitats and lifestyle

The black cockroach is common in all European and Asian countries, in Russia, and on the African continent. It can also live in nature in areas with a mild climate, but is still close to human habitation. The main criteria for the life and reproduction of insects are warmth and water, therefore the main habitats are:

• private and apartment buildings;
• summer cottages;
• heated greenhouses;
• utility rooms (sheds, cellars);
• food warehouses;
• commercial buildings.

The usual places of settlement of cockroaches are sewer systems, which is why there is an unofficial name for this species - “water cockroach”.

The existence of the black cockroach directly depends on water sources, so the kitchen sink is an ideal habitat for it.

Black cockroaches are nocturnal insects. During the entire daylight hours, and until the artificial light sources go out, they silently hide in their nests and only with the onset of darkness come out in search of food. They move quickly, pick up any odors, are hardy - they are able to remain active for a long time until the search is crowned with success.

The shelters of cockroaches in the apartment are:

• plinths and cornices;
• furniture (behind it and inside it);
• cracks in walls and floors;
• household appliances (behind and inside them);
• sewer pipes and plumbing;
• sockets;
• decorative and rarely used items (mirrors, carpets, paintings, vases, etc.);
• ventilation shafts.

Nutritional Features

The peculiarity of cockroaches, including black ones, is their absolute indiscriminateness in choosing food. It’s even difficult to characterize it as omnivorous, because the diet includes not only classic edible products (organic), but also:

• paper;
• building materials;
• clothing made of leather and suede;
• personal hygiene products (soap);
• human hair;
• animal hair;
• indoor plants (especially unkempt ones).

Insects can even chew on the wiring in your home. Of course, the main source of nutrition in the apartment is any available food:

• cereals;
• bakery products;
• seasonings;
• vegetables;
• fruits;
• sausage;
• beverages.

Anything that is not hidden, poorly packaged, forgotten on the table or stove will definitely end up in cockroach stomachs. The brighter the smell of food, the easier it is to find. Insects also pamper themselves with garbage, any food waste (for example, on dirty dishes), and products affected by mold.

The female black cockroach eats up to 50 g of food per day, the male - up to 25 g

In the complete absence of food, black cockroaches are able to go without food for up to 75 days, and also resort to cannibalism, eating eggs and nymphs.

Safe and effective folk remedies

Most people prefer to use folk remedies in the fight against cockroaches. They often turn out to be quite effective, since the methods are proven, and they have practically no side effects.

Cockroaches

Let us outline several advantages of such traditional folk methods.

• The recipes are elementary. The products are really easy to prepare and use.
• Typically, such options are the most profitable from an economic point of view.
• Safe to use in families with children.
• You can safely use it if there are animals, birds or fish in the room.
• Such folk techniques are optimally suited for people with hypersensitivity. They do not provoke irritation or allergic reactions.

There will be no problems when using folk recipes for elderly owners or people with various chronic diseases.

Several effective traditional methods

First of all, take care of the lack of water. It should not be accessible to pests, since with its help they will get rid of poisoning. Check for leaks, remove all water from the kitchen and bathroom, and keep it only in closed containers.

Let us dwell on several folk methods of combating parasites in a private home.

Boric acid

• Duct tape. It is sold ready-made. It is best to place the tapes in different places, in areas where insects are likely to pass: near food cabinets, baseboards and cracks, and ventilation holes. It's a good idea to use these types of tapes and baits at the same time.
• Freezing. At low temperatures, the insects themselves and the larvae die. It is enough to bring the temperature to a level of five degrees below zero and leave the apartment like that for three to four hours.
• Essential oils. When fighting black cockroaches using traditional methods, ethers are used. These pests cannot tolerate strong odors. And with essential oils diluted in warm water, you can successfully treat various surfaces.
• Acetic acid. A good remedy that also allows you to quickly scare away. Acetic acid is diluted with water, and then sprayed onto baseboards, perimeter rooms, spaces under furniture and behind cabinets. Particular attention is paid to the bathroom and kitchen. Unfortunately, the smell may irritate sensitive people. This method cannot be used if there are children or animals in the house.
• Boric acid. It needs to be mixed with yolk and potatoes to reduce the smell. This product is guaranteed to kill insects within a couple of days.
• Plants. Of the houseplants, geranium fights insects best. They cannot stand its smell, so they will leave the room.

Choose the appropriate methods, combine different means for a comprehensive effect.

Reasons and sources of black cockroaches appearing in an apartment

Hundreds of thousands of years of evolution have served cockroaches well, providing them with excellent vision and the ability to detect any odors, so finding a new source of food and the water so necessary for life is not a difficult task. Human apartments are by no means impregnable citadels, but habitual places of residence, and there are several established ways to penetrate them:

1. Garbage chutes, basements and ventilation shafts are the most common sources of arthropods entering an apartment . It is interesting that throughout the summer insects can calmly live in these parts of the house without being detected, and only with the onset of the first cold weather do they begin to migrate en masse closer to humans.
2. The sewer system is an acceptable habitat for cockroaches. Resistance to water (the ability to not drown for a long time) allows them to travel through pipes, unexpectedly appearing in kitchen sinks, bathtubs, and toilets.
3. Neighbors' apartments are an eternal source of cockroach migration. One or two “bad” apartments in a building are enough to cause trouble for all residents. However, there is one caveat - the higher the floor, the lower the likelihood of cockroaches appearing . The distribution of humidity in the building plays a significant role in this; as a rule, all floors above the fifth are drier, and therefore not so tempting for insects.
4. Things brought home can sometimes become a source of infection in the apartment. For example, furniture and household appliances purchased second-hand, returned from a repair shop, or brought from the dacha. Even a book borrowed from friends (or borrowed from the library) can harbor a fertile resident under the spine or between the pages. Therefore, you should carefully inspect every new item in the house.
5. Hotels, hostels, transport. You can bring cockroaches into your apartment after returning from a trip, for example, in a suitcase or with hand luggage.
6. Various retail outlets located on the ground floors of apartment buildings. Not all of them strictly comply with sanitary standards. Increasingly, the source of the problem is not neighbors, but a convenience store or small cafe.

The fact that a cockroach enters an apartment does not indicate its permanent residence there. In a clean and well-kept house, where cleaning is carried out regularly and garbage is taken out, an insect may feel like an unwelcome guest and go in search of a more “comfortable” home.

Insecticides

Insecticides are considered more effective. They are available in different formats. Let's look at the main options.

• Gels. Such drugs should be selected in specialized or hardware stores. The product is usually sold in a large syringe, completely ready for use. For example, it does not have to be bred. It is recommended to apply the insecticide around the entire perimeter of the room, for example, on baseboards, near furniture. A step of approximately 10 cm is observed. It takes approximately 10 days for all the insects to die. “Raptor” has become the most famous; “Liquidator” and other drugs help well.
• Crayons. A good option if you use the product correctly, in full accordance with the instructions. Using crayons, you should be extremely careful and thoroughly treat all surfaces, baseboards, and cracks in a private home. This is done pointwise, along the perimeters. The desired effect can be achieved in a month.
• Aerosols. The most effective modern method for exterminating cockroaches. It is recommended to carefully treat all possible areas where insects may accumulate with aerosols. These are window frames with jambs, baseboards with cracks.
• Traps. A good tool, quite effective. The trap visually resembles a box, a matchbox. It has several holes for insects to enter, and the poison is placed inside. When insects are attracted to the poison, they then carry it to their nests and fatally infect other insects.

• Houses. An interesting technique against cockroaches involves luring and then destroying them. The boxes are made of cardboard and are shaped like houses. The walls inside are very sticky, and bait is also placed inside. The pests go after her, but they can’t get back.

A good solution is to combine different types of insecticides at the same time. This will guarantee a positive result in a short time and effectively poison cockroaches.

Modern means

Nowadays, innovative means for effective control of insects are emerging. They allow you to carry out work very quickly, but at the same time achieve success. Typically, such effective methods and preparations are used by professional exterminators.

Such modern means have two features. First of all, it is worth noting that they are not widely available. Such drugs are obtained on an individual order from specialized companies. In addition, in order to use them competently, you must have certain skills. Special modern equipment will also be required.

Steam generators

This is a great method. A special device generates steam from an insecticide aimed at the pest. Cold and hot fog techniques are commonly used.

Why is this method so attractive? A huge advantage is the large penetrating power of steam. He will be able to easily get into the most inaccessible places that are difficult to reach mechanically. For example, surfaces behind furniture will be treated. This technique allows not only to effectively destroy existing insects, but also to provide protection for the future.

Another plus is fast complex processing. Covers a large area with one device generating steam that will be poisonous to cockroaches. At the same time, the quality of processing does not depend on the complexity of the layout, quantity and furniture and personal items.

Repellers, traps

Nowadays, the popularity of electronic traps, as well as devices that repel insects, is increasing. They act with magnetic and ultrasonic radiation, forcing cockroaches to immediately leave the contaminated premises.

Experts and numerous users note that these devices actually help solve the problem. They are durable, extremely easy to use, and at the same time have a very affordable cost. Manufacturers also claim that such devices are completely safe for plants and animals and harmless to human health.

All these advantages are noted in reviews by buyers of such devices.