Cockroaches are creepy and annoying creatures. Their presence in any home is never good news because cockroaches bring with them a hoard of bacteria, germs, and pathogens that cause many diseases in human beings.
Besides that there is also the fact that roaches breed very fast and before you realize the intensity of the infestation, it will already be serious enough that can only be resolved with very quick human intervention.
These insects are nocturnal, which means that you might not spot them when it is light but they will come out when you are sleeping at night. And if the infestation is severe, you might even find roaches in bed or wherever you are sleeping.
Roaches may even take a bit out of your hair and skin, which may get infected. In essence, these bugs are dangerous and harmful and should be eliminated.
So, if you are having sleepless nights and are desperately typing on the web something along the line of “cockroach in my room can’t sleep”, then you have found the right place. We will be discussing a lengthy list of remedies against cockroaches. Especially how to keep them away at night.
How to Keep Cockroaches Away at Night?
To an extent, roaches can be called intelligent creatures. They are equipped with developed sensory and visual organs that help them to stay alert as well as forage for food in the dark.
Therefore, when we try to keep cockroaches away at night, we also have to keep this in mind. The methods and techniques used to drive the bugs away have to attack their sensory systems to stop them from being active.
Keep the House Clean
The first and foremost step to getting rid of cockroaches for good is to maintain healthy sanitary conditions in a home. That is because cockroaches are attracted to waste and garbage. Keeping dustbins open without any lids may end up attracting cockroaches.
And there is always a good chance that cockroaches who come foraging for food by the smell of the trashcan can enter your bedroom even with the door closed.
Similarly, leaving old appliances, cardboard boxes, and stacks of paper should also be avoided as cockroaches will often make these their hiding spots.
Boric Acid
Boric Acid is a very effective cockroach killer. It is so for three specific reasons:
- It crumbles the resilient and tough cockroach body from the inside.
- It severely dehydrates the cockroach and destroys its digestive system.
- It takes some time to take effect and in the meanwhile, if the cockroach dies with boric acid inside its body, it will serve as poisoned food for other cockroaches.
You can use this in multiple ways, such as making balls out of sugar dough and boric acid, making a spray, or just scattering the powder in places of cockroach habitation.
However, you must be careful about where you place this because it is toxic and cause kids or pets may eat it unsuspectingly.
Gel Baits and Sticky Traps
Gel Baits are one of the best ways to get rid of cockroaches and if that is paired with sticky traps then even better. Gel bait is a poison that is applied to edible stuff such as biscuit crumbs, sweets, cookies, and anything else that will attract cockroaches.
Once the cockroach consumes the poison, it does not immediately die but takes the food back to the nest thus poisoning and killing other cockroaches. This is of course a long-term solution.
But if you need something quicker that will keep away roaches in bed at night then lay sticky traps along with gel baits at the foot of the bed legs.
The cockroach will try to crawl up and get stuck in the traps and get poisoned as well. If they do escape from the trap, they will have been poisoned already.
Cinnamon
If you are on the lookout for an organic solution to keep roaches away while you sleep, then you should give cinnamon a try. It is a common household ingredient that is often used in oriental cooking. Although it smells great when added to food, the smell repulses cockroaches.
You can use this to your benefit and sprinkle powdered cinnamon in the entry points of your home such as cracks in the foundation and windows, on sink drains and washroom drains, etc. If you add enough amounts of cinnamon to the spots then the roaches will be disgusted and turn the other way before they even enter your house.
You can use the same thing in the hiding spots of these bugs to turn them away for good. Also, sprinkle some cinnamon at the foot of your bed to keep them away from crawling in your bed at night.
Bay Leaves
Bay Leaves are known for adding a rich aroma to dishes. But the same aroma is also good at driving roaches away. Fresher bay leaves right from the plant are more effective as they have a stronger smell. But you can also buy preserved bay leaves from stores to serve the same purpose.
Bay Leaves are a natural cockroach repellent. When they smell the leaves, their sensory organs of smell are triggered and they immediately run away until they are out of the vicinity of the smell.
Fill spaces that you suspect are hiding places of cockroaches or are frequented by them for food with bay leaves.
You can either store them in the open or stuff them inside a glass jar or tumbler without a lid. If your garbage cans are attacked by roaches often, then bay leaves can be placed inside or outside.
Don’t miss:
Where Do Roaches Come From
Do Cockroaches Bite
Can You Eat Food That a Cockroach Has Been On
How to Get a Cockroach Out of Hiding
Essential Oils
Essential oils are derived from the processed leaves of plants such as tea trees, peppermint, cedar, catnip, oregano, rosemary, eucalyptus, lavender, citrus, mint, etc. These plants are known for having very pleasing and strong smells that are often used in soaps, diffusers, and the like.
But as we have already found out, cockroaches are wary of strong smells like the ones stated above. So this is a very good way to keep cockroaches away at night and keep your house smelling great at the same time.
If you wish to keep away cockroaches in bed while you are asleep you can use the essential oil in a diffuser to keep it inside your bedroom.
These oils can also be mixed with water and sprayed onto surfaces that are often visited by cockroaches. To avoid roaches from raiding your cabinets and pantry at night, you can douse a small piece of cloth with some essential oil spray and place it inside. To avoid your food smelling like essential oils, make sure it is well sealed inside an air-tight container or bag.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is certainly a quick and effective way to prevent the appearance of cockroaches in your house again and again. Because of its chemical properties baking soda dehydrates the roaches and they immediately seek out water. But when they drink water after having consumed baking soda, that is what kills them.
Baking soda mixed with water goes through a chemical reaction that makes it expand and generate heat. If the same thing happens within the tiny body of a cockroach, it soon loses muscle control and turns over due to the center of gravity being on its exoskeleton.
Their insides eventually explode and they die. Sometimes this may even damage their outer shell which is otherwise known to be extremely tough.
In this study about the efficacy of home remedies to control pests like cockroaches, it was found that pellets made of baking soda showed good results in killing cockroaches.
Diatomaceous Earth
Roaches crawl on beds when the case of infestation is very high or when there is not enough food for all the cockroaches lurking around. They would never otherwise willingly approach human beings- their natural predators.
Whatever the reason, a cockroach bite can have bad consequences for some and so if you are living in a cockroach-infested home, it is better to take measures before sleeping.
Diatomaceous Earth sprinkled around the four legs of the bed is a good and non-toxic way to deter cockroaches from climbing onto your bed. While it is not harmful to humans, it can easily kill cockroaches. It is abrasive and breaks down the hard exoskeleton of the cockroach, killing it by dehydration.
Like boric acid, if a cockroach eats another cockroach that died from DE, it is also very likely to die. DE is available in powdered form or as compressed chalk by which you can use to draw a boundary around the high-traffic areas. It will stick to the hair on the roach legs and when it carries the DE back to its nest it will also poison the other cockroaches in there.
Seal Cracks in the Walls
As a way to stop reinfestation in your house after having applied one or more of the above-stated methods, the seal in the walls must be fixed so cockroaches can no longer find a way in. They will use any small crack, even if it is tiny, they will squeeze their way into your house.
And if the cracks are on the walls with plumbing lines then they will also crawl on the pipes to get into other rooms or condo units. If the drain line is cracked then it will be a free way for cockroaches to use.
Therefore, seal up the cracks on the walls using sealants or plaster of paris to end the possibility of a roach ever entering from there.
Don’t miss:
Does Killing Cockroaches Attract More
Can You Kill a Cockroach By Stepping On It
Do Roaches Play Dead
Why Do Roaches Die Upside Down
The Bottom Line
Roach infestations should be taken very seriously as if it is allowed to grow, the problem will be severe enough for cockroaches to crawl into your bed and disturb your sleep. In fact, that is the worst-case scenario as cockroach bites are really rare.
What’s more, is that many people are allergic to cockroaches and can develop serious skin rashes or infections from cockroach bites. These insects like dead and rotten flesh and if it manages to take a bite out of an open wound, the area might get a septic infection and worsen drastically.
Therefore, you should take immediate action even if you spot just one cockroach and not let the problem be.