Cockroaches are one of the most loathsome pests that you can come across. Just thinking about a cockroach can make your skin crawl. One can’t be blamed for ruthlessly despising cockroaches. And the fact that some cockroaches can even fly is terrifying!

But apart from them looking scary, cockroaches also carry diseases and thrive in the darkest and dingiest corners of your home. What’s worse is insects like roaches multiply quickly and in large numbers. If you leave one cockroach behind, it will take over and you’ll have no way to control the infestation. So here’s a brief guide on cockroaches and how you can get rid of them effectively.

Bay Leaves

If you cook at home, you probably have some bay leaves in your pantry. Crush a few bay leaves into powder and sprinkle the powder in areas where you spot cockroaches most often. Bay leaves have a very distinct odor that acts as a repellent against cockroaches and keeps them away. You should note that bay leaves will not kill the roaches but will draw them out.

Baking Soda And Sugar

Baking soda is one of the most effective DIY ways to eradicate roaches. All you need is a mixture of baking soda, water, and sugar in a bowl. Drizzle this homemade solution around common hiding spots. Slowly but surely, you’ll see the roach population decrease.

Lemon Juice

The acidic properties of lemons and their strong scent repel cockroaches. You could spray a mix of lemon juice and water over surfaces and corners of your home to eliminate roaches. You could even mop surfaces using a towel soaked in lemon juice to make the lemon juice smell stronger.

Klass99:


I find the text in bold to be interesting because I recently described someone's house as being dark and dingy (i.e. dark and unattractive from being dirty and not well cared for) and the number of cockroaches thriving in one room of the house alone is enough to make me puke. I shudder to think of what the rest of the house is like.

Fear dey catch me to eat or drink water in that house sef, I can't wrap my head around the level of filth in that house, they don't even like to open the windows properly to let natural light and air flow in. Some people shock and awe me with their attitude to hygiene and cleanliness.

OH! Cockroach expert here! I'm excited to reply this because I actually worked on Cockroaches for my undergraduate project research. I was struggling to find a research topic in my kitchen one day when a cockroach rushed passed me. My professor was a little skeptical at first, but I got the job done. I worked on Americana pleriplaneta, and isolated the parasites I found in their belly (I opened them up actually ) and on their body surface.

Yep! You'd find cockroaches wherever there's filth, however, finding them around doesn't necessarily mean the house is dirty. As long as the surrounding is favorable for them, and they can get food, inorganic(books, furniture, foam, rubber, toothpaste, etc) and organic material, they'd thrive. Cockroaches exist in every household, if not inside the house, then in the roof and the sewage system.