After takingsteps to eliminate problem areasthat attract cockroaches, you may still have the pests appear in your home.

Learn whether bleach will kill cockroaches, and other methods to manage cockroach infestations.

Does Bleach Kill Cockroaches?

Dead roach on wooden floor

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If full-strength chlorine bleach is sprayed directly on a cockroach, it will kill it.

Chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite) damages a roachs armor-like exoskeleton and kills it.

Additionally, liquid bleach will not always kill a cockroach until the liquid is ingested.

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Commercial Spray

Aerosol or liquid sprays provide the quickest control of cockroaches.

Avoid food preparation and eating areas.

Boric Acid

Boric acid will kill roaches by dehydrating them.

Mix equal parts of boric acid, flour, and sugar.

Sprinkle behind appliances, inside cabinets, along baseboards and anywhere you’ve seen roaches.

Clean up dead roaches and replenish the boric acid mixture as needed.

The mixture should not be applied on shelves and counters where food and utensils are kept.

Never place within reach of children or pets.

Sticky Traps

Sticky trapsare small boxes with glue spread across the bottom.

The roach crawls in and becomes trapped.

They work well for trapping a few roaches but won’t resolve a big infestation.

Check the traps every few days and replace them as they become full.

Commercial Bait

Cockroach baitscontain a slow-acting insecticide combined with a food attractant.

Pests find and ingest the bait and crawl away to die.

Place bait stations in corners or near where you suspect roaches are coming into your home.

Installing stations away from edges and corners will be far less effective.

As the bait is eaten, apply more.

Do not use cleaning products directly around either jot down of bait because that discourages the roaches.

Liquid Bait

Baits are also sold in a gel form with a syringe for app.

Commercial Insecticide Dust

Dusts are slow-acting but provide long-lasting control.

Dusts are sprayed into cracks and crevices, along baseboards, and behind appliances.

These experts have a wider range of insecticides that should take care of the problem.

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