How to Get Rid of Roaches in Your House Naturally: Mama T’s Cheap DIY Bug Routine
How to Get Rid of Roaches in Your House Naturally: Mama T’s Cheap DIY Bug Routine
Because Apparently the Roaches Have a Neighborhood Facebook Group—and Somebody Shared Your Address
There are few things in life that will humble a grown woman faster than walking into her perfectly clean kitchen at 2:17 in the morning and seeing a cockroach hauling ass across the countertop like he pays property taxes.
Friend.
I don't care how mature you are.
I don't care how peaceful you've become.
I don't care how many times you've told people you're “protecting your energy.”
One big roach comes galloping across that kitchen floor and suddenly you're barefoot in your nightgown holding a flip-flop like you're defending the Alamo.
“COME BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE SH*T!”
And where does he go?
Under the refrigerator.
Of course he does.
Because apparently that's where the witness protection program is located.
If you've been searching Google for how to get rid of roaches in your house, how to get rid of cockroaches naturally, DIY pest control for roaches, or why roaches suddenly appear in a clean home, pull up a chair.
Mama T has been there.
And I have questions.
Primarily:
WHO INVITED THEM?
Why Are There Roaches in My Clean House?
This one makes women mad.
You clean.
You sweep.
You mop.
You wipe down the counters.
You put away the groceries.
You've cleaned behind things that haven't seen daylight since George Strait had a mullet.
And then...
ROACH.
Standing there looking at you like you're the intruder.
Here's the frustrating part: seeing cockroaches doesn't automatically mean you have a dirty house.
Roaches can enter homes through cracks, gaps around pipes, doors, windows and utility openings. They can also hitchhike inside on boxes, bags and other items.
And if you live in an apartment, duplex, townhouse or other attached housing?
Honey, apparently roaches don't recognize property lines.
Your neighbor can have a problem and those little freeloaders can start traveling.
No suitcase.
No forwarding address.
No security deposit.
Just:
“Earl said the lady next door has snacks.”
Next thing you know, Earl, Wanda and their 63 children are underneath your dishwasher.
5 Horrible Things About Having Roaches in Your Home
• You Start Conducting Nighttime Police Raids in Your Own Kitchen
Before roaches, you walked into the kitchen and turned on the light.
After roaches?
You crack the door.
Listen.
Reach one arm around the corner.
CLICK.
Then jump in screaming:
“EVERYBODY FREEZE!”
You aren't getting ice water anymore.
You're serving a warrant.
• Every Piece of Lint Becomes a Suspect
Once you've seen a roach, your peripheral vision cannot be trusted.
Piece of cereal?
Roach.
Brown thread?
Roach.
Leaf by the back door?
ROACH.
Your own hair brushes your neck?
You slap yourself hard enough to rearrange a vertebra.
Your nervous system is now employed full-time by pest control.
• You Start Wondering Where the Little Bastards Are Hiding
This may be the worst part.
Because you saw one go behind the stove.
But...
Where did he go after that?
Now you're on the kitchen floor at midnight wearing reading glasses and shining a flashlight underneath your appliances.
Behind the refrigerator.
Under the sink.
Around the pipes.
Along the baseboards.
Inside cabinets.
At some point you realize:
I used to have hobbies.
• Your Kitchen Suddenly Feels Like an All-You-Can-Eat Roach Resort
Roaches are looking for the same basic necessities every freeloader wants:
Food.
Water.
Shelter.
That tiny drip underneath your sink?
Waterfront property.
Crumbs underneath the toaster?
Breakfast buffet.
Cardboard boxes?
Luxury condominiums.
Pet food left overnight?
Complimentary room service.
Meanwhile you're standing there thinking:
“I bought those groceries for PEOPLE.”
• Professional Pest Control Can Become Another Household Expense
When DIY searches turn into professional pest control for roaches, you're suddenly looking at inspections, treatments, follow-up visits and sometimes ongoing service plans.
Actual pest-control prices vary significantly depending on where you live, the size of your home, the type of pest, how serious the infestation is and whether you purchase recurring service.
But when you're already trying to stretch the grocery budget, the last thing anybody wants is another recurring household bill because six-legged squatters discovered the kitchen.
Which brings us to Mama T's inexpensive DIY routine.
Mama T’s Under-$5 DIY Household Bug Spray
If you're looking for a cheap DIY bug spray for inside the house, this is the simple household mixture I use as part of my nighttime inspection and cleaning routine.
What You'll Need
1 cup 3% hydrogen peroxide
1 cup water
1 teaspoon dish soap
1 medium spray bottle
That's it.
No hazmat suit.
No chemistry degree.
No second mortgage.
No man standing in your kitchen with a clipboard asking:
“So when did you first notice activity?”
Sir.
When one ran across my kitchen like he was late for work.
That's when.
How to Make the DIY Household Spray
Add:
1 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide
1 cup of water
1 teaspoon of dish soap
to a medium spray bottle.
Put the top on and gently mix.
Give the bottle a couple of gentle shakes before using it.
Mama T Safety Note
Never mix hydrogen peroxide with bleach, vinegar, ammonia or other household cleaners.
Don't spray people, animals, food, dishes or pet food and water.
Keep the mixture away from children and pets.
And always test an inconspicuous area first because hydrogen peroxide can discolor or damage certain surfaces.
We are trying to aggravate the bugs.
Not remove the finish from Grandma's cabinets.
The Best Time to Look for Roaches in Your Kitchen
Here's where Mama T turns into CSI: Kitchen Edition.
If you've been wondering where roaches hide during the day or where cockroaches come from at night, inspect the kitchen after it has been dark and quiet for a while.
Grab a flashlight.
Walk quietly.
And don't announce yourself.
This ain't Thanksgiving.
We're not welcoming company.
Check the places where you've previously noticed activity.
If you spot one, watch where it runs.
That little sucker might tell on the whole family.
“FOLLOW THAT ROACH!”
Suddenly you're chasing Earl behind the refrigerator because Earl knows where the clubhouse is.
Where to Check for Roaches in the Kitchen
When you're trying to figure out how to get rid of roaches in the kitchen, don't just look in the middle of the floor.
Check the places insects are more likely to find food, moisture, darkness or hiding spaces.
Look:
Behind the refrigerator
Behind and underneath the stove
Under the kitchen sink
Around plumbing and water pipes
Along kitchen baseboards
Around cracks and crevices
Behind cabinets and countertops
Around the dishwasher
Near trash and recycling areas
Around pantry and food-storage areas
Near pet feeding areas
Remove pet bowls before treating or cleaning the surrounding area and return clean bowls only after the area is completely dry.
And while you're crawling around down there, look for gaps.
Because spraying something while leaving a six-lane roach highway around the plumbing isn't much of a long-term strategy.
The Step Everybody Skips: Keep Roaches From Coming Back
If you really want to know how to keep roaches out of your house, you have to make your home inconvenient.
Seal cracks and crevices.
Seal openings around pipes.
Repair leaking faucets and plumbing.
Clean crumbs and grease.
Don't leave dirty dishes sitting overnight.
Store food in tightly sealed containers.
Keep garbage covered.
Reduce cardboard and clutter.
Clean underneath appliances.
Don't leave pet food sitting out overnight.
Dry sinks and wet areas before bed when practical.
Basically:
Close the restaurant, drain the swimming pool and evict the tenants.
Because if your kitchen offers food, water and a cozy studio apartment behind the refrigerator...
Earl ain't leaving voluntarily.
What About Roaches Coming From Your Neighbor's House?
This is especially frustrating for people searching:
“How to get rid of roaches coming from neighbors.”
Or:
“How to stop roaches from coming into my apartment.”
In attached housing, your individual cleaning routine may only be part of the solution.
Inspect openings around plumbing, cabinets, baseboards, doors and utility penetrations.
Seal appropriate gaps.
Reduce food and water sources.
Use traps to monitor where activity is occurring.
And if you're renting and seeing ongoing activity, report it to your landlord or property manager.
Because there comes a point when Earl isn't visiting.
Earl has established residency.
How Often Does Mama T Do Her Nighttime Routine?
When I'm seeing bug activity, I repeat my nighttime inspection and cleaning routine every couple of nights while also concentrating on food, moisture, hiding places and possible entry points.
You might notice activity decreasing as conditions change.
But I'm not going to promise you:
“On exactly Night Nine, every roach will starting packing a tiny U-Haul and leave.”
Different insects and different infestations require different control methods.
A serious cockroach infestation—particularly ongoing sightings, lots of droppings, egg cases, baby roaches or roaches appearing during the daytime—may require proven cockroach-control products or professional treatment.
There comes a time when Mama T knows her limitations.
If I flip on the light and 47 roaches scatter in different directions?
I'm not reaching for a spray bottle.
I'm reaching for somebody with a license.
The Bottom Line: A Clean House Can Still Get Roaches
So if you've been frantically searching:
How to get rid of roaches naturally
How to get rid of cockroaches in the kitchen
Why do I have roaches in my clean house
How to prevent roaches from entering your home
DIY pest control for cockroaches
How to get rid of roaches in an apartment
How to keep roaches away at night
How to stop roaches coming from neighbors
First, don't assume your housekeeping is the problem.
Find the food.
Find the water.
Find the hiding places.
Find the entrances.
Then start making your house the least hospitable destination in the neighborhood.
Because Mama T believes in hospitality.
I'll feed people.
I'll pull up another chair.
I'll make room at the table.
I'll even send you home with leftovers.
But if you've got six legs, antennas and enough audacity to run across my kitchen counter at two o'clock in the morning?
Hospitality has officially ended.
You don't need a plate.
You don't need a chair.
And you DAMN sure don't need directions to the pantry.
Pack your tiny sh*t, grab Earl, and get out of my house.
— Mama T