How to Get Rid of German Cockroaches | Homeowners’ Guide

Nobody likes dealing with unwanted pests in their houses, especially if they involve spreading diseases and other risks of damage to the property. German Cockroaches are one of the most common pests infiltrating our homes, leading to a lot of complications along the way.

Unlike the standard cockroaches that are deep brown (almost) black, German cockroaches are small, flat cockroaches measuring between 1/2 to 5/8th of an inch in size. They have a slightly lighter color with two lines running down the back of their head.

This article will explain several ways to get rid of German cockroaches and ensure that they don’t infiltrate your home.

Also read: 10 Best Ways to Get Rid of Cockroaches

What are German Cockroaches?

German cockroaches, as we mentioned, are small with characteristics similar to a standard cockroach that you find infesting your home.

One of the biggest differences between a German cockroach and a standard cockroach is their inability to fly. Although they do possess wings, they can’t fly.

Additionally, the female German cockroach can lay up to 40 eggs, which later grow into a nymph, and then grows into a fully-grown adult cockroach.

One of the biggest misconceptions people have regarding cockroach infestation is thinking their presence means your home is dirty.

Surprisingly, that isn’t the case at all. If you notice a German cockroach infestation at your home, it has nothing to do with you.

In most cases, cockroaches infest homes in search of warmth, moisture, and food. If your home provides ideal living conditions for cockroaches, that’s enough reason for them to infiltrate your home.

Does having German Cockroach Infestation at Home Impose a Health Risk?

German cockroaches, by themselves, aren’t bad. They don’t bite and since they can’t fly, you won’t have to worry about that aspect of attack too.

That said, these pests carry bacteria and other kinds of diseases with them, which can lead to many health complications if you aren’t paying close attention to your surroundings.

Since they crawl through dirt, mud, gutters, and sewers, they unknowingly carry a lot of germs and pathogens with them, which they end up transferring inside the home too. This is one of the main reasons you can’t entertain the growth and proliferation of cockroach infestation at home.

Additionally, German cockroaches instigate and trigger risks of allergies in some people, so that’s another thing you have to be mindful of.

Steps to Get Rid of German Cockroaches from Home

1. Identifying the issue first

There’s no alternative to this step. If you want to eliminate German cockroaches from your home, the first step is to identify them.
Confirming which variety or type of cockroach you are dealing with is an effective way to treat the infestation properly to eliminate it without any hassle.

The easiest way to confirm the problem is by getting into the nooks and corners with a flashlight. This will help you identify the type and then take necessary action. While you are tracking their path, ensure to check in your kitchen or pantry too.

Also, if insects, especially cockroaches, make you squeamish and you can’t do a close inspection yourself, the best alternative is to use sticky traps and paste them in areas where the cockroaches frequent the most.

2. Clean the hot spots before treatment

Now that you have confirmed a potential infestation of German cockroaches in your home, the next step is to identify the hot spots they frequent the most.

This is where you will find the maximum dirt and debris. Before you start the treatment to kill these cockroaches and eliminate them, your work is to clean these hot spots first. Vacuuming is the best option regardless.
If you find live roaches and eggs in those spots, vacuum them immediately before things take a turn for the worse.

3. Use Gel Baits

The next step is to kickstart the extermination process. It’s pretty simple, provided that you are using the proper techniques and good-quality gel baits.

For those who aren’t sure, gel baits contain a mix of chemicals and pesticides in gel form, which effectively end up killing the roaches infiltrating your property.

Keep in mind that when the German roaches come in contact with these gel baits, they will not die right away. However, these chemical formulations are so potent that you won’t have to worry about them not killing the cockroaches around the house.

What’s also great about gel baits is that they aren’t harmful to humans. The small amount of poison that’s added to the gel isn’t harmful to humans. However, that’s more than enough to kill the cockroach infestation you have going around at home.

4. Opt for preventive measures

Once these above extermination methods are done and dusted, and you are sure that you have eliminated a good portion of these insects, the next step is to opt for different preventive measures.

This is the most crucial part of the process, especially if you don’t want to keep eliminating them consistently every few weeks.

The best way to get rid of them is by using ammonia or bleach around your house. It might end up making your entire house stink, but it’s for the better good in the long run.

Besides that, you also need to look for areas that could potentially attract the cockroach infestation further, for example, leaking taps, dripping water, etc. Also, if you have cracks in the walls, windows, etc., that’s another way to prevent them from your house for good.

Additionally, you have to prioritize cleanliness and hygiene around the house. If you leave dirty dishes around the kitchen or open food containers, trash cans, etc., that’s another thing you have to keep out of the way.

Following these tips should be enough to eliminate the unwanted German cockroach infestation from around your home.

5. Using Natural Remedies

If you don’t want to use chemicals, two of the best natural remedies that eliminate cockroach infestation from around your home are boric acid and baking soda.

They might seem impractical but trust us when we say that they work like magic. The acid in boric acid destroys the cockroach’s digestive and nervous systems, killing them in the process. The same is the case with baking soda too.

6. Contact Professional Exterminators

If nothing is working out in your favor and you aren’t finding success in eliminating the cockroach infestation from your home, another effective way to eliminate them is by contacting professional exterminators.

Contact the nearest pest control department or company near you and then go ahead and schedule an appointment with them to ward off the complications.

They will start with an initial consultation to check the issue and the extent of the damage before implementing the necessary fixes to eliminate the infestation for good.

That’s all you need to know on how to get rid of German cockroaches infesting your home. It is by no means an easy task. However, if you have the right resources, handling the infestation should be easy. That said, another thing you have to keep in mind is that if the infestation is not manageable by you, the best alternative is to contact a professional exterminator. If required, don’t delay it.

Also read: How to Get Rid of Flour Mites? | 7 Potent Remedies

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