Cockroaches might be the most disgusting pests on the planet. Many people would agree that cockroaches are downright appalling and if you have cockroaches in your home, then you probably want to figure out how to get rid of them.
It’s natural to try to kill a cockroach if you see one scurrying about in your house. You might grab a shoe or some other object so that you can kill the roach without having to touch it.
Killing a cockroach with force is one of the most common ways that people eliminate them. It’s an easy way to get rid of one or two cockroaches, but it’s not going to be easy when there are many other cockroaches around.
You might even notice that other cockroaches will come out and loiter around the dead corpse of the cockroach that you killed. If this has happened to you recently, then you might be wondering whether dead cockroaches can attract more roaches to the area.
Do dead cockroaches attract more or is this simply not the case? Keep reading to dig into the details and find out everything that you need to know about cockroaches.
Yes, Dead Cockroaches Do Technically Attract More to the Area
Before moving any further, you’ll want to know that dead cockroaches do indeed attract other cockroaches to the area. When you kill a cockroach with a shoe or some other object, it’s going to cause the cockroach to release oleic acid.
Oleic acid has a powerful smell and this smell is able to attract more cockroaches to the area. The roaches will realize that another roach has died and will come to check things out.
Why do they do this, though? Are they mourning the dead roach or are they trying to get revenge for a fallen comrade?
No, cockroaches definitely don’t have complex instincts such as this. The reason why they come to check out the dead cockroach has to do with looking for food.
You see, cockroaches are not above eating their own kind when they can’t find enough to eat. If you do a good job of keeping your house clean, then cockroaches will probably have a difficult time getting enough food.
They might go ahead and eat a dead cockroach so that they can survive. This isn’t at all unusual for cockroaches, and it’s a reason why you shouldn’t leave dead cockroaches lying on the floor for too long.
Dispose of Dead Cockroaches
If you don’t want more cockroaches to come out of hiding, then it’s imperative to dispose of dead cockroaches. You shouldn’t just go about your business after smashing a cockroach with a heavy object or stepping on it.
Leaving the dead cockroach on the floor is going to attract more cockroaches. There’s no getting around it, and you likely have other cockroaches in your home already if you’ve killed one.
You aren’t typically going to have one or two cockroaches in your home. These pests come in large numbers and they multiply faster than you might realize.
As disgusting as this might be to think about, you’re going to need to take steps to get rid of them. You aren’t really going to benefit in any way from leaving a dead cockroach on the floor.
You might think that you could use this as a tactic to lure more of them out and kill them. However, there are going to be so many cockroaches to deal with that this is likely going to be impractical at best.
To truly get rid of cockroaches, you’re going to need to use pest control methods such as chemical sprays and roach poisons. You’ll have to spend money to get rid of cockroaches, but you’ll be able to learn more about that in a bit.
For now, you should know that it’s a good idea to pick up any dead cockroaches that you have in your home. Grab the dead cockroaches and put them in a plastic bag so that you can dispose of them.
Take the plastic bag out to the garbage can that you keep outside. The cockroach corpses won’t be a problem once you’ve disposed of them like this.
How Can You Tell If You Have a Cockroach Infestation?
Generally, it’s not going to be hard at all to tell if you have a cockroach infestation. Cockroaches are going to be very easy to spot and they often come out at night to try to scavenge food.
You’ll also very likely be able to smell the cockroaches even if you don’t see them that often. They create a very distinct musty odor, and you might notice smells such as this in dark places in your house.
Cockroaches will hide in musty corners, cupboards that you don’t use often, and many other places. You might also notice cockroach eggs and you won’t even know what you’re finding.
Some cockroaches produce eggs that have an oblong shape and a brown casing. The eggs are actually hard and many people have no clue what they’re looking at when they discover these small eggs throughout their homes.
Not all cockroaches leave behind eggs such as this. Some types of cockroaches carry their eggs with them instead of leaving casings behind.
Another sign to look out for is cockroach feces. Cockroaches are going to leave behind fecal matter, but the cockroach poop will wind up looking like specks of coffee in most instances.
If you’re seeing tiny black pellets or specks on the floor or in your cupboards, then that’s likely cockroach poop. Yes, that’s a really gross thing to discover in your home, but you have to recognize the signs to understand that you’re dealing with a cockroach infestation.
What Attracts Cockroaches to Someone’s Home?
If you generally consider yourself to be a clean person, then you might be wondering what attracts cockroaches to someone’s home. What is it that causes the cockroaches to infest certain peoples’ houses?
Cockroaches enter homes looking for food and they’re usually good at sensing where they might not be able to find it. The cockroaches will eat debris and trash outside of homes, but when they’re able to get inside of houses, they’ll go search for food in there as well.
Seeing cockroaches in your house will likely be an indication that you aren’t keeping your house as clean as you think you are. There can be some exceptions to that rule, but cockroaches are attracted to things that they can eat.
For example, if you aren’t putting away your dirty dishes in the dishwasher, then cockroaches might want to come to eat the food debris that is left behind on the plates. If you don’t wipe your counters down each day, then cockroaches will want to come out to eat the food crumbs that you failed to wipe away.
Cockroaches might even try to eat pet food or other things such as that. If you accidentally leave out an open food container, then cockroaches will be attracted to that.
There are many things that will attract cockroaches to a home. If you want to make your home less attractive to cockroaches, then you’ll need to be proactive about cleaning your house.
Some people do happen to live near areas where cockroaches are very common. For instance, you could live near a woodland area where there are many cockroaches outside.
In this instance, it might be hard to keep cockroaches away because of how common they are. There are parts of the southeastern United States where cockroaches are very common and you’ll see them outside at night all the time.
If the cockroaches are able to get into your house, then they’re going to come looking for food when they can. Even if you do a good job of cleaning, it’s still likely that you’ll see cockroaches sometimes if you live in specific parts of the world.
What’s the Best Way to Kill Cockroaches?
You’re going to get pretty tired if you try to kill cockroaches individually with blunt objects. The sad truth is that there are likely dozens or hundreds of cockroaches infesting your home.
To get rid of the cockroaches reliably, it’s going to be best to use products that can get rid of them. A cockroach spray can kill a cockroach very easily, but the effectiveness of the spray might wane after some time.
It’s said that cockroaches might adapt to the spray and won’t be as bothered by it if you continue to rely on it. This might also depend on the type of spray you’re using.
There are professional-grade cockroach sprays that do a wonderful job of killing cockroaches. Sprays such as this are usually what the professional extermination companies will use to take care of cockroach issues.
Even standard commercial cockroach sprays will help you out. You should likely buy a can of cockroach spray if you wish to get rid of cockroaches easier.
Another thing to consider when you want to get rid of cockroaches is poison. Poison bait will be attractive to the cockroaches and they will eat it up without thinking twice.
A cockroach that eats the bait is eventually going to die. If a cockroach happens to eat another cockroach that was poisoned, then that cockroach should also die.
Overall, bait might be more effective than chemical sprays that you can buy from the department store. It isn’t something that kills roaches instantly, but it can help you to get rid of a cockroach infestation over time.
If you want to get good results, then it might be wise to use both chemical sprays and bait in tandem. This can help you to be able to kill roaches that get too close to you while also having the long-term option when you’re trying to get rid of as many roaches as possible.
There are also cockroach traps that work to kill roaches by trapping them in a “roach motel.” You can place these traps around your home in specific spots that you think the roaches will be likely to go.
Some traps have different designs than others, but the basic premise is that roaches will be lured to the trap with some type of bait. Sometimes the bait is a type of food but it could also be a scent that is being emitted.
When the roach enters the roach motel, it’ll get stuck on the glue that is inside. The cockroach will be unable to move and will eventually die.
Placing traps such as this down should help you to get rid of many cockroaches. It’s a very effective method when you want to kill cockroaches passively.
If you have a severe cockroach infestation, then it might be sensible to use as many of these options as you can. You want to be able to get rid of the cockroaches reliably so that you can live in your home peacefully once more.
There Are Plants That Repel Cockroaches
Have you thought about doing what you can to repel cockroaches naturally? Not everyone likes having to spend a significant chunk of change on cockroach sprays and traps.
There are actually plants that will do a good job of repelling cockroaches and keeping them away from your home. If you plant these plants around the perimeter of your home, then you should be able to see fewer cockroaches overall.
One of the most common plants used to repel cockroaches is peppermint. Cockroaches dislike the smell that is given off by peppermint plants and this makes it a good choice for anyone who is experiencing issues with these pests.
You’ll likely find the scent of peppermint to be rather pleasant, but the cockroaches will want to stay away from the plants. Having many peppermint plants outside can be a part of managing cockroach problems in areas where they’re common.
It’s also possible to get good results when planting catnip plants. This is another type of plant that gives off a strong smell and repels cockroaches.
Cockroaches can’t tolerate the powerful scent of catnip. You will want to be aware that catnip can attract more cats to the area, though.
Since this is likely going to be far less of a problem than dealing with cockroaches, it’s still going to be practical to use catnip plants to your advantage. If you’d prefer not to stir up the neighborhood cats, then you could plant rosemary instead.
Rosemary is something that many people use as an ingredient in meals, but it’s also a very good cockroach repellent. It’s also nice that caring for rosemary plants will be very easy even if you’re a newcomer to taking care of plants.
If you want to plant something that will add more aesthetic appeal to your property, then you should consider chrysanthemums. Chrysanthemums are gorgeous and they also happen to be capable of repelling cockroaches.
You now have many different options available to you that will make it possible to keep cockroaches away from your home. Use this to your advantage to protect your home from cockroaches in the future.
Calling Exterminators
The easiest way to take care of an ongoing cockroach infestation is to call exterminators. You’ll be able to find a local pest extermination company that will be happy to help you out.
Once you make contact, a professional will come out to your home to check things out and see how bad the infestation is. Exterminators have experience when it comes to taking care of cockroaches and other pests.
They’re going to be able to find the hiding spots that the cockroaches are using and they can help you to solve many problems. When it comes to killing the cockroaches, exterminators will be able to do so expediently.
An exterminator will use professional-grade cockroach sprays that can get rid of cockroaches fast. You should be able to get the problem taken care of much more swiftly if you call in a professional.
You’ll also be able to get advice about how to prevent future infestations. There might be spots where the cockroaches have been entering your home that the exterminator will be able to point out.
Sometimes it’ll be necessary to make repairs so that it won’t be so easy for cockroaches to get in. Thankfully, the sprays that are used by exterminators will give your home protection from these pests for a certain amount of time.
Depending on the spray that is used, you might be able to expect cockroaches to stay away from your house for many months. You can ask for details about how long your home will be protected when you speak to the exterminators.
Some people who live in areas where cockroaches are quite common will have their homes sprayed regularly. This is a good way to keep cockroaches from getting too close to your home.
Of course, the downside to this is that you’re going to have to pay a pretty penny to make it happen. Exterminators will have to charge you a fair price for their work, and it won’t be as inexpensive as buying standard chemical sprays from a department store or online retailer.
Exterminators will be much more efficient when it comes to taking care of cockroach problems. It’s up to you to decide whether hiring exterminators to get rid of the cockroaches will be practical based on your budget restrictions.
I have a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When I’m not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies…I’m at home with my wife, two daughters and a dog. Outside of family, I love grilling and barbequing on my Big Green Egg and working on projects around the house.