Seeing cockroaches crawling in your kitchen and other parts of the house can trigger stress and anxiety. These pests are not only disgusting to look at but are almost impossible to catch. Plus, they carry numerous diseases that can severely affect your health.
These nasty pests have survived different catastrophes for around 300 million years. Impressive, isn’t it? However, it might have made you wonder if a small cockroach trap will work on these pests.
The answer is yes. Cockroach traps can help you eliminate these pests. These traps are the most common ways homeowners use to get rid of different infestations. If you want to know how these traps work and how long they take to terminate cockroaches, keep reading.
What are Roach Traps?
Roach traps are mechanical or non-mechanical tools that effectively catch cockroaches. They lure in roaches with different smells, food particles, or chemicals. Once the pests come in contact with the trap, it catches them until the cockroach dies of hunger or poisoning.
A roach trap is an easy and non-invasive way to reduce cockroach infestation in a house. You can use these traps inside and outside the house depending on your requirements and the severity of the infestation.
Furthermore, using a trap does not require professional assistance as they come with detailed instructions on the packaging. However, some of these traps may contain poison or harmful chemicals. So, using them in houses with children and pets can be risky.
What are Common Types of Roach Traps?
There are different kinds of traps to target specific cockroach infestations. Here are the most common categories of roach traps that you can easily find in the market:
Bait Traps
Baits are any substance used to lure in insects or small animals. For example, in a bait trap, a substance is attached to a trap that attracts the cockroach. The cockroach gets stuck in the trap when it comes close to that substance.
This trap is ideal for homes with kids and pets as the bait is placed inside a shell made of plastic or cardboard. Open bait traps are not safe for such homes. Make sure you know which breed of cockroaches you are dealing with to use the right bait.
Some common baits for cockroaches are bread crumbs, dog food, sugar, yeast, apples, onions, and peanut butter. You can place a small amount of these foods inside the trap to attract cockroaches. In addition, you can buy chemical-based baits from the store to lure the pests into the trap.
Adhesive Traps
Adhesive traps have become quite popular in the last decade. They are quick and effective and can work with several pests. This trap is based on a cardboard or plastic board with a layer of high-strength glue to capture the pests.
Once a cockroach steps on the board, the glue entraps its body until it dies. The adhesive is so strong that a cockroach can’t escape the trap. The best part is that these traps work for both big and small cockroaches.
Adhesive traps are non-poisonous, so your food items and house won’t be contaminated. However, since this is an open trap, it can be quite unhygienic to leave it opened with dead cockroaches. So, carefully discard the trap within 24 to 48 hours of use and place a new one.
Mechanical Traps
A mechanical trap is a device used to attract and capture roaches. These traps come with advanced technological features, allowing cockroaches to enter the trap easily.
One good thing about these traps is that they make it impossible for cockroaches to exit them. This means It will be easier for cockroaches to go in but almost impossible to leave the trap.
Another impressive part of mechanical traps is that they don’t contaminate the environment with poison or pesticides.
Most people use DIY mechanical traps as they are easy to make at home. However, the effectiveness of a mechanical trap also depends on the bait you place inside. So, they are somewhat a subcategory of bait traps.
How Well Do Roach Traps Work?
A good roach trap will catch cockroaches within 24 to 48 hours. First, however, you need to ensure its quality. With many types of roach traps available in the market, you must choose an effective one considering the kind of infestation in your house.
Roach traps are effective for several pests like cockroaches, ants, and flies. If you use a poisonous bait, the cockroach is supposed to die within a few minutes to an hour of ingesting it.
Therefore, you can easily deal with a cockroach infestation with traps. However, you need to use them correctly. Remember one thing: using the right trap at the right time is essential to catch the maximum amount of roaches.
The good news is that roach traps are inexpensive and easily available at local stores. So, you can try different types to check which ones work best for your house.
What are the Ideal Places to Put Roach Traps?
As mentioned above, the effectiveness of the traps increases if you use and place them correctly. Therefore, once you have figured out the right trap for your house, it is time to put it on all the roaches’ hot spots.
Some ideal places to put the trap include:
Behind the Refrigerator
The area behind the refrigerator is rarely cleaned and has a dark and cool environment. This is the ideal habitat for cockroaches to live and grow. So, placing a trap here will help you catch the most amount of pests.
Inside the Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets contain several cardboard boxes and food items which act as a meal for these pests. Place a small trap inside your cabinets to get rid of small cockroaches.
Under the Sink
The environment under the sink can be cool, humid, and dark, which is a favorable living condition for cockroaches. Therefore, place a bait trap under your sink to kill as many cockroaches as possible.
Near the Drains
Drains are one of the favorite places for cockroaches to live. If your drain does not have a protective cover, cockroaches will easily go in and out of the drain. So, place a trap near the drain to trap these disgusting pests.
Over the Kitchen Counter
Cockroaches love to crawl around the kitchen counters to look for leftover food. So place a sticky trap on your kitchen counter to catch those pests on track.
Behind the Stove
Placing the trap behind the stove is also quite effective since this place is dark, dry, and barely gets cleaned. It is also easier for cockroaches to pick up fallen food particles from the stove and take it behind.
Corners of the Attic
If you have a poorly maintained attic, cockroaches can enter the area from cracks and crevices. In addition, the dark and cool environment allows the roaches to live and breed quickly.
Under the Bed
Yes, cockroaches can enter your bedroom, especially if you habitually keep your bed untidy. If the space under your bed is cluttered, it is ideal for cockroaches to live. Place one or two traps under the bed to eliminate cockroaches from your bedroom.
What is the Best Time to Use a Roach Trap?
The best time to use a roach trap is at the beginning of an infestation. You need to lay out traps at different locations as soon as you start seeing the signs of cockroaches at your home.
Some early signs of cockroach infestation are:
- Small white-colored eggs
- Droppings
- Foul smells
- Shedded wings
If there are only a few cockroaches in your house, it’s better to use a pesticide spray to kill them instantly.
How Long Does a Roach Trap Last?
Different types of traps have varying lasting capabilities. For example, bait pellets and gels last for a week only. After that, they either dry out or start losing their potency.
A glue trap is a disposable, single-use trap that works for 24 to 48 hours. After that, you must throw it away and set up a new one. Lastly, a mechanical trap can be used for a long time till you keep changing the bait and discarding the trapped cockroaches.
How Many Roach Traps Do You Need to Eliminate the Infestations?
The number of cockroach traps required to eliminate the infestation depends on its severity. The more roach population you have, the more traps you will need.
For example, the infestation is moderate if the cockroaches only come out at night. In contrast, if you can see them during the day, it means the infestation is severe.
You might need a separate trap for different corners of your house for severe infestations. If you are using a glue trap, you might need a new one every alternate day. However, you can keep moving the trap from one place to another for moderate infestations.
What are Some DIY Roach Trap Options?
If you don’t want to use store-bought roach traps, you can easily make one at home. Here are three easy ways to make a cockroach trap that also acts as bait to attract these pests:
Boric Acid Bait
Boric acid damages the cockroaches’ nervous and digestive systems, causing them to die eventually. Mix one part of boric acid and one sugar and sprinkle it around your house. When the cockroaches digest the mixture, it will start poisoning them instantly.
At-Home Glue Trap
Just like a store-bought glue trap, you can make one at home. The most common way of doing this is sticking a duct tape upside down on cardboard and placing it on the hot spots. You can also add a dollop of peanut butter to the middle of the tape as bait.
Sugar Water Trap
This trap requires a plastic soda bottle, sugar and water solution, and a sharp cutting tool. First, cut one-third of the bottle open, separating the cap and bottom parts. Next, fill the bottom part of the bottle with sugar solution and put the top part upside down on the lower part.
Sugar will attract the cockroaches, making them enter the lower part of the bottle through the hole. However, it will be almost impossible for them to come out of the bottle later.
FAQs
Does Putting Out Roach Traps Attract Roaches?
Yes, putting out roach traps attracts cockroaches because most traps contain bait. This bait can either be a food item or chemicals with a strong luring smell. So if you start seeing more cockroaches in your house after laying out the traps, it means they are attracted to the trap.
Are Roach Traps Effective for Small Roaches?
Yes, roach traps are effective for small roaches. However, most store-bought baits are designed to target all kinds of bugs. If you use a DIY trap or adhesive pad to catch these pets, make sure to use a bait that attracts almost all breeds of cockroaches.
Do Cockroaches Learn to Avoid Traps?
Yes, cockroaches can learn to avoid traps over time. If the traps are placed in the wrong place, they will easily walk past them, and the other cockroaches will follow suit. Therefore, strategically placing the trap in unavoidable places like their nest or hotspots is essential.
Final Thoughts
A cockroach infestation can be controlled with roach traps. First, however, you must find the right trap and place it strategically around the house at the right time. The trap’s effectiveness depends on these factors, or else the cockroaches will learn to avoid it.
One of the most easy-to-use traps is the glue trap, which is safe for houses with kids and pets. Using baits is the best option if you want the cockroaches to die instantly.
Nonetheless, you must remember that eliminating the cockroach population from your house is not a one-step task. Instead, it includes a series of steps that might take a few days or weeks to complete.
Therefore, you must consistently set out traps to catch every last cockroach from your house and take preventive measures to stop them from returning.