Choosing a remedy for cockroaches in the apartment

Remedies for cockroaches today are so numerous that a person without proper training can easily get confused in all this diversity. Indeed, a reasonable question arises - what will be better and more effective: for example, gels or traps, insecticidal sticks (crayons) or aerosol products in cans? ..

It often happens that, it would seem, almost all the remedies for cockroaches that you can buy on the market have already been used, but there is still no effect - the cockroaches, as they were in the apartment, continue to commit excesses in it.

So, it is important not only to choose an effective drug, but it is also necessary to be able to correctly apply it in practice (many mistakes are often made here), and also to be able to combine different types of remedies to obtain the most pronounced result.

On a note

The good news is that among the variety of modern insecticidal drugs and cockroach traps, you can really choose a combination of products that can help even in the most advanced cases.Moreover, with a competent approach, it is possible to get rid of cockroaches in an apartment in a fairly short time.

About which remedy against cockroaches in an apartment is best suited in a given situation, what important nuances should be taken into account when using the appropriate drugs and, in fact, how to make annoying red pests leave you forever - let's talk about all this in more detail ...

 

Remedies for cockroaches in all its diversity

First of all, it must be borne in mind that every modern remedy against cockroaches can be classified into one of two groups:

1. Fast-acting products (aerosols, sprays, fumigation-type products). Preparations of this group allow you to destroy cockroaches in an apartment in just a few hours. If you act correctly, you can quickly "mow down" the entire population of pests, even in a heavily contaminated room;
2. Means that destroy cockroaches in the room slowly - as they say, slowly but surely (gels, insecticidal sticks, powders and various kinds of traps). If you use only the means of this group, then the fight against cockroaches can take several weeks, but with the right approach, it may well end in a complete victory over pests.

Now a few words about what nuances it is useful to consider when using cockroach remedies from the two above groups.

As you already understood, if it is necessary to quickly destroy pests in an apartment, insecticidal agents used in a finely dispersed form - in the form of an aerosol or spray are well suited:

• Preparations in the form of an aerosol or spray are easy to spray over a large area, and the smallest particles of poison can penetrate even into hard-to-reach places where cockroaches can hide (all sorts of cracks, holes, cracks);
• It is among insecticide concentrates for dilution and subsequent spraying in the form of a spray that today you can find the latest cockroach remedies, including the so-called microencapsulated;
• It should be borne in mind that most of the universal aerosol products that can be bought in cans kill insects quickly, but do not have a long-term residual effect (they are based, as a rule, on the same active ingredients - pyrethroids). Unlike them, many modern microencapsulated preparations have a long-term protective effect that lasts up to several weeks on treated surfaces (Get, Delta Zone, Lambda Zone, Xulat Micro, etc.);
• Perhaps one of the main disadvantages of using aerosol preparations and sprays is the need to somehow "breathe chemistry", even if through a respirator. And although the manufacturers of most of these remedies for cockroaches, bedbugs, fleas and other insects declare the relative safety of drugs for humans, however, as you understand, inhaling an insecticidal aerosol will definitely not add health to you in any case;
• So to speak, home remedies for cockroaches in spray cans are great for local treatment of places where insects accumulate, but it will be financially costly to treat a large apartment (or, moreover, an industrial facility) in this way. In this regard, the use of insecticidal concentrates is much more economical.

On a note

Insecticidal smoke bombs also belong to fast-acting means for the destruction of cockroaches - they are rarely used at home, since the smell of burning may remain in the room after treatment for some time. However, permethrin-based insecticidal smoke bombs are very effective against cockroaches (example - mosquito smoke bombs Quiet Evening, City, etc.)

Photo of a permethrin smoke bomb Quiet Evening:

Slow-acting cockroach killers work well as a complement to fast-acting ones:

• Insecticide gels, powders, sticks and traps are highly recommended to be combined with aerosols or sprays, even when it seems to you that the entire population of cockroaches in the apartment is completely destroyed (there may be single surviving individuals and, in addition, cockroaches can periodically enter the apartment from the outside - for example, from neighbors);
• Modern insecticidal gels are generally one of the most effective, although not very fast-acting means of combating cockroaches;
• It should be understood that if the fight against cockroaches is delayed, then the gel on the treated surfaces must be periodically updated, as the drug dries out over time. The effectiveness of the dried gel against cockroaches drops sharply (almost zero);
• Compared to powders, insecticidal sticks are much more convenient to use - in particular, they can be used on vertical surfaces;
• If you failed to block all the ways cockroaches enter the apartment from the outside (cracks in the walls, ceiling and floor, sockets, ventilation grilles, etc.), then the means of prevention against cockroaches in the apartment should be constantly present - their presence will be a guarantee that pests will not have a chance to multiply massively here;
• Boric acid or borax mixed with egg yolk, and other poisonous baits based on these substances really help to kill insects. However, such home remedies for cockroaches are effective only if the pests do not have easy access to water (otherwise they “drink off”, and the effectiveness of the toxic effect of boric acid is sharply reduced).

On a note

Today, advertising lures the gullible consumer to buy so-called ultrasonic cockroach repellers (sometimes also called magnetic resonance) - they say, these modern remedies for cockroaches and other insects will help solve pest problems in the house in just a couple of days. So, practice shows that repellers of this kind do not help in the fight against cockroaches and, moreover, do not give absolutely any effect at all - cockroaches not only are in no hurry to leave the room, but also quite freely crawl along the devices themselves.

Well, the main groups of modern tools that can be used to combat cockroaches in an apartment were indicated above. Now let's look at examples of specific drugs, and at the same time get acquainted with some of their important features.

 

Aerosol insecticides and their uses

First, consider a few examples of classic aerosol preparations, that is, those sold in cans:

• Raptor from crawling insects is a fairly effective universal drug suitable for the destruction of cockroaches, domestic ants, bedbugs, fleas and other pests and parasites. Although the manufacturer claims that one Raptor aerosol can is enough to treat an apartment of 50-60 sq. m., however, with a strong contamination of the premises with Prussians, one canister may not be enough. The agent is recommended to be sprayed mainly on the habitats, shelters and movements of insects. After processing, the apartment must be ventilated and wet cleaned;

Review

“Recommend a remedy for cockroaches. Recently, parents poisoned the Raptor, it helped them a lot. In one day, they cleaned a three-room apartment with three cylinders. But I can't find it for sale here. I'm afraid to order through the online store. Maybe there are some more affordable analogues?

Anna, Vorkuta

• Combat Multispray is a well-established and well-known remedy for crawling and flying insects.The drug is quite effective against cockroaches, easy to use and, in addition, contains a flavor with a lemon scent;
• Dichlorvos Neo - in terms of effectiveness against cockroaches, this aerosol product is quite comparable to the previous two. It is important to keep in mind that Dichlorvos Neo, as well as other modern variations of Dichlorvos - Varan, Eco and others, except for the name, have nothing to do with the old Soviet Dichlorvos. The fact is that the active ingredients of modern Dichlorvos are insecticides from the group of pyrethroids, while in the outdated Soviet version, the organophosphorus insecticide dimethyl dichlorovinyl phosphate, which is more dangerous for humans, was used.

And further: But the Reid aerosol really works - cockroaches die quickly. Watch our video...

On sale there are many other aerosol products designed to kill cockroaches and other harmful insects. Including, you can find aerosols that almost do not create an unpleasant odor in the room.

 

Insecticide concentrates for dilution and subsequent spraying

As noted above, among the concentrates of insecticidal preparations you can find the most modern means for combating cockroaches - these are the preparations that professional pest control services prefer to use in their work (primarily because of their high efficiency and economy).

Useful advice - when choosing a tool, you should not chase only the highest possible efficiency. There are very powerful pesticides, however, at the same time, they are very toxic to humans, have an unpleasant odor (can be stored in an apartment for months) and are sold only in industrial large containers, for example, in canisters of 5-10 liters.

When choosing a good cockroach remedy in the form of a concentrate, it is much more correct to choose the optimal ratio of consumer characteristics, the most important of which are:

• Highly effective means against cockroaches;
• Relative safety for humans and pets;
• No unpleasant odor in the room after treatment;
• Economy in use;
• Long-term residual effect;
• Possibility to buy a product in small packaging.

All of these properties today are satisfied by the following concentrates of insecticidal agents suitable for the rapid destruction of cockroaches in an apartment:

• Get is a microencapsulated preparation based on chlorpyrifos. The drug is today one of the most popular remedies not only against cockroaches, but also against bed bugs (which are often more difficult to remove than even to get rid of seemingly indestructible Prussians in the house);
• Lambda Zone is a microencapsulated drug based on lambda-cyhalothrin. Also a fairly popular means of universal action, it allows you to quickly destroy cockroaches in an apartment, without creating practically no foreign smell in the room;
• Xulat Micro is a microencapsulated drug based on a combination of three insecticides at once (tetramethrin, cypermethrin and piperonyl butoxide). This Spanish remedy for cockroaches, odorless, is distributed in the Russian Federation through a network of dealers.

And some others.

On a note

Quite popular today is also the German remedy for cockroaches and bedbugs Executioner - effective, adapted for domestic use, but, unlike the above drugs, it has a certain not very pleasant smell (which, however, quickly disappears from the apartment).

But no matter how highly effective against cockroaches a remedy from the group of high-speed ones, we recall once again that in order to reliably defeat pests in 9 cases out of 10, it is necessary to combine such drugs with agents that work, one might say, in the prevention mode. Let's talk about them further...

 

Gels from cockroaches

To date, it is insecticidal gels that are considered the best way to control cockroaches in an apartment in cases where a high speed of pest destruction is not required. Gels can be used without disturbing the order of life (in particular, without leaving the apartment for the period of fighting cockroaches), they are odorless, easy to use, and inexpensive.

But the main thing is that high-quality cockroach gels are very effective, and sometimes one tube of gel is enough to destroy the entire population of cockroaches in a multi-room apartment or a large private house.

On a note

Cockroaches in their development are extremely dependent on water sources, so the water-rich gel substance is an excellent bait - the Prussians greedily eat it, while getting dirty in it and dragging it to their hiding places. As a result, insects are often massively poisoned by a kind of chain reaction: a poisoned cockroach brings poison in its body and on its paws to places of shelter, dies here, and its relatives devour the victim, also being poisoned.

Of the gels against cockroaches, the following are quite popular today:

• Gel Globol is a German remedy for cockroaches, perhaps one of the most famous gels. Produced in tubes of 100 grams, this amount is enough to process a two-room apartment. The gel is applied in separate drops on surfaces near skirting boards, heating pipes, trash cans - in general, where pests are most common. The gel contains powerful insecticides, aromatic cockroach bait and bitters that make it taste disgusting to pets and children. One tube of Globol costs about 200 rubles, and it is easiest to buy it on the Internet. Just be vigilant: like all successful products, Globol gel is actively counterfeited, and the market today is filled with Global and Global drugs. The original gel is available in tubes with inscriptions only in German. The photo shows the packaging of the real gel:

On a note

By the way, according to the test results, one drop of Globol gel is enough to destroy about 500 insects. Of course, in practice, such efficiency is not achieved in most cases, but results reduced by several times will also be quite sufficient.

By mistake, many believe that Globol is a French remedy for cockroaches. This is wrong - the trademark is purely German.

Note: unfortunately, since the end of 2015, the gel under the brand name Globol is no longer supplied to the Russian Federation. However, its almost complete analogue is also Exil Schaben Paste gel made in Germany.

• Gel Fas is also quite a very effective and relatively new remedy for cockroaches.The Fas gel contains two insecticides of different nature at once, which ensures reliable destruction of cockroaches even where they are often and unsuccessfully poisoned, as a result of which the population develops resistance to individual insecticides;
• Sturm-gel-paste Kapkan, with its composition almost completely repeating Fas. Inexpensive, effective and, when used correctly, is quite safe for humans and animals.

And further: Cockroaches in the apartment are not only disgusting, but also dangerous to health. And they are dangerous not only with transmitted infections ...

There are many other cockroach gels that are no less effective and affordable: Dohlox, Combat, Forsyth, Raptor, Brownie, etc. Many of them can be safely recommended for use in an apartment.

Most cockroach remedies in gel form are relatively inexpensive. The price of 100 grams of an effective remedy is about 200-400 rubles, and this amount is enough for the whole apartment if used correctly.

Review

“And we bought Sturm. Also, everything was very quickly smeared and forgotten. And then every week, when cleaning because of the cabinets, cockroaches began to be swept out. It's a good product, but it's not sold in stores. You have to order online…”

Tatiana, Vinnitsa

 

Powders and pencils from cockroaches

Prusak powders are often also called dusts. This is not entirely correct, since initially Dust is DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloromethylmethane) adapted for home use. Nevertheless, among the people, it was precisely this name that was assigned to all powdered preparations from insects.

There are no pronounced advantages of insecticidal powders over gels.Moreover, it can be said that the powder is generally a less safe alternative to the gel (for example, powders are dusty). In most cases, the gel is more effective, and the powder is cheaper.

The most famous of the insecticidal powders:

• Insect dust Chisty Dom is a Russian development, inexpensive and effective. A good remedy for red cockroaches, but requires certain safety measures - powder should be scattered only where pets cannot get it;
• Phenaksin insecticidal powder - positioned as a remedy for cockroaches, bedbugs, fleas and flies. Its use in apartment conditions usually shows a fairly high efficiency against the Prussians. It is enough to sprinkle the powder in bedside tables and places where they are rarely cleaned, so that for several weeks it will effectively destroy cockroaches;
• Boric acid and borax are, one might say, folk remedies for cockroaches, time-tested and really working. True, unlike insecticides of contact action, boric acid and borax have only an intestinal poisoning effect, that is, cockroaches still need to be forced to somehow eat these substances, making various baits based on them.

It is interesting

Feverfew (aka Persian powder or chamomile) is a powdered insecticidal drug that differs from analogues in a completely natural composition. Actually, the toxic component in it is a powder of dried Dalmatian chamomile flowers, which is a powerful insecticide. Therefore, if you decide which remedy helps against cockroaches and at the same time poses a minimal danger to children and animals, then you can take a closer look at Feverfew.

The photo below shows one of the packaging options for Feverfew:

Separately, it should be said about pencils (crayons) from cockroaches. The most famous of them is Masha, famous since Soviet times. Insecticidal pencils under this brand continue to be produced today - they are inexpensive and have a more modern (and more perfect) composition, so this tool can be considered quite suitable for killing cockroaches in an apartment.

Moreover, an important advantage of insecticidal sticks compared to powdered products is the ability to apply lines on vertical surfaces, thereby increasing the damaging ability of the drug.

In addition to the well-known cockroach pencil Masha, today you can also buy similar crayons: Titanic, Clean House, Deltacid, etc.

As for the price, insecticidal pencils are very inexpensive means: in particular, the same Masha costs about 40-50 rubles per pack. With a low number of insects in an apartment, one crayon is sometimes enough to successfully deal with them.

On a note

Today, there is even a cheaper Chinese cockroach remedy in the form of a chalk in a red-yellow or green package with hieroglyphs, which is characterized by increased efficiency. However, with regards to its safety for humans and warm-blooded animals, it is difficult to say something definite, since one can only speculate about the composition of these crayons.

It is important to keep in mind that in advanced cases (with a large number of cockroaches in the apartment, as well as with the possibility of them entering the room from the outside), insecticidal powders and pencils will most likely be unable to destroy all pests - it is important here to combine different types of means. The most preferred option is to use one of the modern microencapsulated preparations (the names are indicated above), and in addition to this, apply a gel and an insecticidal stick.

It is this combined approach that will give the highest possible result in the independent fight against cockroaches.

 

Traps for cockroaches

It is advisable to use traps for cockroaches only as an aid in the fight - they work well when the apartment is slightly infested, and also as a preventive measure when insects enter the room, for example, from unscrupulous neighbors.

The designs of traps for cockroaches can be very different, but in general there are four main types:

• Electric, in which cockroaches are destroyed by a high voltage electric discharge;
• Sticky (perhaps the most popular), in which insects, having stepped on a sticky surface, can no longer tear themselves away from it. Sticky traps are one of the safest roach repellents;
• Traps with poisoned bait inside - generally speaking, it is wrong to call such cockroach remedies traps, since they do not catch insects, but poison them. But it just so happened;
• And, finally, traps that lure cockroaches into a container from which the victims can no longer get out (this includes, first of all, various variations of home-made traps for cockroaches).

If we talk about true traps (excluding from consideration the "traps" with poisoned bait inside), then most often used today, of course, sticky traps for cockroaches.

At one time, a Japanese remedy for cockroaches in the form of a house, in the middle of which a sticky plate was placed, turned out to be very effective. Insects ran to the smell of a special bait and stuck to it without the possibility of peeling off. Today in the markets you can buy a large number of analogues of such a trap, up to simple cardboard tapes with a sticky coating.

Review

“I was advised on the forum Raid houses. Helped. True, at first we etched the cockroaches with Karbofos, but there are still a lot of them left. We laid out five such traps and forgot about cockroaches in general.

Maxim, Nefteyugansk

A simple and at the same time effective trap for cockroaches can be made with your own hands: a chopped onion is placed on the bottom of a glass jar as a bait, and the walls of the jar are lubricated from the inside with vegetable oil. Insects that have climbed into such a trap can no longer get out of it, since the layer of oil on the glass prevents the cockroach from climbing onto the vertical surface of the can wall.

An example of making such a homemade trap is shown in the video at the end of this article.

Of course, it will be difficult to destroy a large number of cockroaches in the house using this method, but it is quite possible to thoroughly reduce the population of pests.

 

So, for the most effective fight against cockroaches in an apartment, you should combine different types of products: combine high-speed modern insecticidal preparations (sprays, aerosols) with long-acting agents (gels, insecticidal sticks, powders, traps).Using this approach, as well as blocking the paths of possible entry of insects into the room (and therefore the paths of a possible “retreat”), you will leave cockroaches with almost no chance of survival.

We wish you success in the fight against cockroaches!

If you have personal experience of using this or that remedy against cockroaches, be sure to share the information by leaving your feedback at the bottom of this page (in the comment box).

 

DIY cockroach trap

 

Interesting video: an overview of effective remedies for fighting cockroaches at home