How to Eliminate Cockroaches Without Toxins

Cockroaches

You share your neighborhood with other people and other animal species—affable ones like dogs and sweet ones like songbirds, but also not-so-savory, blood-sucking ones like mosquitoes and ticks. Your least favorite neighbor—the cockroach—might be living in your home, nastily not paying rent, and making your children sick. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation, the presence cockroaches in the home has been linked to higher rates of childhood asthma.

Cockroach Allergy

Take a deep breath because the next sentence is gross; on second thought, don’t—you’d be better off holding your breath. Scientific studies have found that it’s inhaling roach “dust” (a euphemistic way of saying feces, which is a scientific way of saying roach poop) that makes it hard for the kids to breathe. Okay, now exhale and do something other than blame yourself for not keeping a completely spotless, completely clutter-free home. It’s not your fault.

Roaches are survivors. They’ve been living successfully on the planet for a long time – since the Devonian Period of the Paleozoic Era.They can live anywhere and eat pretty much anything; even the glue on the back of postage stamps. They can scuttle themselves into dark, tight spaces the thinness of a dime. And they reproduce faster than rabbits. If, when you turn on the kitchen light in the middle of the night, you see one skittering along the wall, doubtless there are 800 more behind that wall and inside the cupboards and under the floorboards. Disgusting.

Getting Rid of Roaches and Staying Green

You can keep these bugs at bay, and with minimal use of the harmful pesticide sprays and bombs that could further sicken your children. Some of the best pieces of advice are common sense:

• Clean the kitchen after every meal and disinfect all surfaces with bleach
• Declutter (roaches love the nooks and crannies provided by bric-a-brac, your kids’ treasures, un-put-away stuff, etc.)
• Limit their access to water; roaches can live for months without eating but they need water every day.
• Never leave water and dirty dishes in the sink; doing this is like advertising a free roach buffet.
• Wipe down the tub after every use.
• Immediately fix all plumbing leaks.

Boric Acid to Kill Roaches

Something you wouldn’t immediately think of—boric acid—is considered one of the best roach-killers. Its natural crystals stick to the roach’s legs and, when the bug is cleaning itself, it ingests them and is poisoned and dies within 48 hours. Sign you up for that, right?

Be cautious. Boric as is a natural, green product, but it must be respected. Breathing boric it and ingesting it can be harmful, so talk to your pediatrician before you sprinkle your apartment. For more suggestions on pesticide-free roach eradication, check out Environmental Health Watch.

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