Homemade Roach Bait with Peanut Butter [with Pictures]

After looking up various homemade roach killer recipes online, I decided to experiment and create a homemade roach bait with peanut butter mixture. I’m eager to know if it works for you, so any feedback regarding its effectiveness would be greatly appreciated.

Homemade Roach Bait with Peanut Butter [Method 1]

So, I’m including two methods here. You can try any of them. Actually, both work. Let’s begin with the first homemade roach bait with peanut butter.

First Step – Gather Ingredients

Here’s a list of the ingredients I used for this homemade roach bait with peanut butter. Note that the measurements are just an estimation:

• 2 teaspoons of honey
• 1 tablespoon of hot tap water
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
• Several tablespoons of powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons of boric acid (borax also works)
• 1 teaspoon of diatomaceous earth

Second Step – Mix Them Up

You want to avoid additional cleanup. So, use the same jar that had some leftover peanut butter. Mix these ingredients in a container that will not be used again for food preparation.

1. Mix the peanut butter and hot water to create a thinner mixture.
2. Add the honey and mix thoroughly. This mixture combines proteins, sugars, and other elements that attract bugs but are lethal to them.
3. Add the Boric Acid, which is the key roach-killing ingredient. I’ve noticed that simply sprinkling Boric Acid around doesn’t work well; the roaches avoid it.
4. Add the diatomaceous earth. The mixture should start to resemble the consistency of peanut butter.
5. Gradually mix in powdered sugar to achieve a slightly pasty consistency. Remember that the water will evaporate over time, so avoid making the mixture too hard, as this could prevent roaches from consuming it.

Diatomaceous earth is available in gardening sections of stores like Home Depot, usually in large quantities. While it’s not harmful to humans and is often used in flour and other baking products to deter insects, it’s lethal to bugs. Its microscopic particles have sharp edges that cut and pierce a bug’s exoskeleton, leading to dehydration or death.

Third Step – Fill Your Roach Traps with the Mixture

Get a roach trap and use a butter knife to spread the mixture into the traps. You can make it messy to make some of the mixture easily accessible to the cockroaches.

If you have young children or pets, be more careful with the application, and make sure to place these traps out of their reach!

If you don’t have traps, you could use pieces of a paper plate or a small cardboard box and smear the mixture on them—the roaches won’t mind.

Fourth Step – Finish Up

You may have leftovers. Store them in the jar for future use. Be sure to label the jar or container clearly. I advise not storing this mixture in the kitchen. I placed mine on the top shelf of my bedroom closet to avoid confusion. The homemade roach bait with peanut butter mixture might last about a month, but that’s just an estimate.

Homemade Roach Bait with Peanut Butter [Method 2]

I’d like to show you a different type of roach trap with peanut butter. This time, we will use tape and peanut butter. This one is suitable for use in your home. You can easily slide these traps under your refrigerator. When you pull it out, you’ll find that roaches are attracted to it.

Here’s an example; this trap has caught several roaches.

It’s been in use for about a week, and I’ve recently seen a new group of roaches. I had completely gotten rid of them a long time ago using these traps, but the roaches have returned. I believe they came in with cartons or packages, such as the water bottle packages where I first saw a roach emerge. These packages were brought in from a warehouse, which is likely where the roaches came from.

Now, about the tape, you can get it from Dollar Tree for just $1. It’s silver, cloth-backed tape, also known as duct tape. It’s the most affordable tape you can find, and it works in making these homemade roach bait with peanut butter for traps. Follow the steps below carefully.

Step 1

Fold one end of the tape back.

Step 2

Take a piece of cardboard, like from a cola drink carton. The brown color seems to attract the bugs well. If the cardboard has a slight ridge, it’s even better as it keeps the tape slightly elevated.

Step 3

Take some peanut butter. I’m using crunchy peanut butter here, but I’ll scrape out the smooth part with a knife since you don’t want the crunchy bits sticking out too much. What you’ll do is tear off a piece of tape about the same length as the cardboard, and fold the end back a bit to make it easier to handle. Fold the end of the tape back. Now you have the tape with both ends folded.

Step 4

Next, put three small dabs of peanut butter on it, each about the size of a pea. Smear them a bit, then lay the tape flat. If there’s a ridge, like a seam or a corner, you can leave a bit of space for air, which helps attract bugs. They like to crawl under there, making it an effective trap. Slide it under your refrigerator.

This homemade roach bait with peanut butter is inexpensive. To make another one, cut a piece of tape, fold the ends for easy handling, and add three dabs of peanut butter. I usually place these traps under the refrigerator, where roaches are attracted to the warm air from the fan. Slide the trap under, leaving an inch out for easy removal. When you pull it out, you can see the roaches caught and dispose of it.

This homemade roach bait with peanut butter seems to work better after catching a few roaches, attracting more quickly.

Read also: Roach Poop But No Roaches Explained