Getting Rid of Cockroaches without Chemicals

There are a lot of insects in this world, and some people like certain species, while others don't. For instance, some people like ants—so much so, that they buy glassed ant farms so that they can watch them work within a colony. But I don't know one single person who likes roaches. You don't see roach farms for sale in the science section of a hobby store. In fact, given the number of pesticides and insecticides available in the home-and-garden department of your local hardware store targeted for roach eradication, versus those for ant eradication, I'd wager that more people buy roach killer than ant killer. What does that say about how people feel about roaches in their homes? I'd say that we hate them and just want them gone.

But there are ways for getting rid of cockroaches without chemicals. Here are some tips for doing just that:

• Jar traps. Use an empty, clean mayonnaise jar—the kind that has a tapered mouth—and smear a thick layer of petroleum jelly onto the inside of the tapered shoulder area of the jar. Wind duct tape or masking tape around and around the entire jar, until you can no longer see any glass. Some roaches cannot walk on glass, so they'll need the tape to get a foothold and be able to climb into the trap. Bait the trap with any of the following: a little dry dog food, banana slices, a slice of bread soaked with beer, 1 inch of wine, or a saltine smeared with peanut butter. Place the trap behind a kitchen appliance. At night, the roaches will climb into the jar, but won't be able to escape because of the petroleum jelly. Once you catch a lot of roaches, screw the lid onto the jar, place it in your freezer to kill them, and then dispose of the jar.
• Sticky traps. Place super-strength packaging tape—sticky side up—along baseboards, behind your refrigerator and stove, and along countertops before going to bed. In the morning, check the traps to see if you've caught any roaches. Or, buy glue boards designed for mice control and place them anywhere you see roach activity.
• Sprinkle any of the following materials behind your appliances or in your cupboards to repel roaches: catnip, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, or dry laundry detergent.

You can kill roaches if you can get them to eat baking soda, since they will die from dehydration after ingestion. Mix cocoa powder, sugar, or peanut butter with baking soda and place the mixture anywhere you see roach activity.