So, it’s about 2 am, your sleep time but a cockroach decides to harass you by appearing in your room, and then immediately scuttles under your wide bed. It can be difficult to get rid of the hiding cockroach without luring it out. So, quickly I will tell you how to get a cockroach out of hiding.
It could also be that you saw the cockroach running on your floor or kitchen counter, and it’s normal to feel disgusted once it hides and refuses to come out. This should not bother you anymore because, by the end of this article, you will be able to get it out of hiding.
How to Get a Cockroach Out of Hiding
1. Lure It Out with a Broom and Flashlight
There are many ways to get a cockroach out of hiding, but will really depend on your circumstances. Let’s say it’s midnight. You can get a cockroach out of hiding with a broom and a flashlight. Just poke around with the hopes that the bug will run the other way. At this point, you can start removing one piece of trash at a time. You also need a non-toxic pesticide to spray it to slow it down enough for you to capture it with a huge wad of paper towels. Alternatively, you can use hairspray to slow the cockroach, and it will not smell as strong as the pesticide.
2. Use Food as a Lure
You can draw a cockroach out of hiding with food as an attractant. Breadcrumbs or baby food are good options for luring cockroaches from their nests to your traps. Peanut butter works well too, and soaking bread in beer is known to be a particularly strong attractant for cockroaches.
3. Set Up a Jar Trap
A jar trap is another simple method to lure out of hiding and catch a cockroach. Use a large jam jar or something similar and put bait such as bread inside. Smear Vaseline inside the jar.
The cockroach will be attracted to the bait and enter the jar, but the Vaseline will prevent them from climbing out. Collect and dispose of them each morning. Empty and wash the jar often, as a full jar or the smell of dead cockroaches will deter others from entering.
4. Blow Hot Air into the Hideout
If you can access the roach’s hideout, use a hair dryer to blow hot air into it. The hot air will force it to flee, and it might even kill it. You would need a flashlight. Roaches, being nocturnal, prefer darkness. Shining a bright light into their nest can make them leave.
In place of hot air, you can use essential oils such as tea tree, eucalyptus, peppermint, or lavender. A roach dislikes these. Place a cloth soaked in one of these oils into their hiding place to get a cockroach out of hiding.
5. Apply Hot Water and Detergent
You can pour a mix of hot water and detergent into the nest can bring out the hiding roach. Be cautious to avoid water damage, especially in an apartment as it might flood the unit below.
6. Use a Soda Bottle Trap
This trap is similar to the jar trap but uses a plastic soda bottle. Take an empty two-liter soda bottle and cut off the top about four inches from the rim. Apply Vaseline around the outside of the cut top.
Put bait. It could be bread soaked in beer, in the bottom part of the bottle. Invert the cut top into the bottom part, placing the Vaseline-covered side inside.
Secure the two parts with duct tape and place the trap where the cockroach is hiding at night. It will enter the bottle for the bait but can’t escape due to the Vaseline. Check and empty the trap every day or two.
7. Duct Tape Trap
You can create a simple trap to get a cockroach out of hiding using duct tape and peanut butter. Here’s how to do it:
- Cut a piece of duct tape.
- Identify the area in your house where the roach is hiding.
- Place a strip of duct tape sticky side up.
- Put some peanut butter in the middle of the tape.
This method works well because the roach will be attracted to the peanut butter. It will get stuck on the tape when they come for the peanut butter. Remember to check the trap regularly as the peanut butter can spoil.
How Do You Kill a Cockroach Hiding?
So, now I will show you how to get rid of a roach without seeing it.
1. Use Commercial Traps to Draw Out a Cockroach
You can lure out a roach from its hiding spots with commercial traps available in stores. These traps are useful, especially if you’re dealing with a large number of roaches hiding in your home. It can be glue traps. Glue traps for roaches are similar to the old-fashioned sticky fly paper used for catching flies.
They work by having a sticky surface that cockroaches walk over. Once they touch this surface, they can’t get free. These traps often contain a scent that attracts cockroaches, luring them from their nests to the trap.
Glue traps will really work on nymphs and baby cockroaches, as they struggle more to escape once stuck.
Adult cockroaches, however, have a better chance of getting out if they get caught in a glue trap. If you buy glue traps, make sure to check them daily and replace them as needed. Dead roaches on the trap can discourage other cockroaches from approaching it.
2. Set Up Poisoned Roach Bait
Poisoned bait is a potent method to attract cockroaches from their hiding places and also kill them. The roach or roaches don’t die immediately; they carry the poison back to their nests, which then eradicates the rest of the roaches living there.
There are many commercials available, however, gel bait works the most. You just apply it in areas where you’ve seen cockroaches and wait for it to work. For this method, you might not actually see the cockroaches, as they tend to return to their nest after consuming the bait, dying there rather than in plain sight. However, over time, you should start seeing a decrease in your cockroach problem. Regular application of poisoned gel can eliminate up to 100% of cockroaches in about 2 months. But, it may not be the best choice if you have children or pets at home.
3. Use Duct Tape to Catch Hiding Roaches
You can create your own version of a glue trap is easy with building-grade duct tape. Just place strips of duct tape, sticky side up, in areas where roaches are often seen. To attract them into the trap, use peanut butter, jam, or breadcrumbs as bait and let it work.
You have to check the trap daily to see how many roaches you’ve caught and replace it when needed. Be aware that dead roaches on the trap can deter others from getting trapped.
However, remember that this isn’t a long-term solution. While it can catch a few roaches and lessen the issue, it won’t eliminate the other roaches and their offspring in the nest.
4. Place Anti-Roach Cookies
You can make homemade roach cookies as a lure. Prepare regular cookie dough and mix in an equal amount of boric acid. Don’t bake the dough. Instead, break off small pieces and place them where roaches are likely to find them.
The cookies attract roaches, and the boric acid in them will poison and kill them. Replace the dough every week or two, monitoring if your cockroach issue is reducing.
Store any leftover dough in your fridge, but label it as toxic to prevent accidental consumption.
Tips to Get a Cockroach Out of Hiding
Use Enticing Bait
A cockroach is smarter than it looks and also cautious. To get a cockroach out of hiding easily, use bait they can’t resist. It could be beer-soaked bread, peanut butter, or baby food. This will make it brave the risk for the tasty smell.
Stay Quiet
After setting the lure, be silent. Noise scares them and they’ll stay hidden. Quietness will encourage them to come out.
Keep Distance After Setting Your Lure
Once your roach lure is set, keep your distance. Checking the trap too much will make the cockroach cautious and it’ll avoid it.
Combine Different Methods to Get a Cockroach Out of Hiding
The most effective strategy is to use a mix of the methods and lures mentioned earlier. This increases your chances of attracting them out of their nest and into your trap. Experiment with different techniques to find what works best.
Read also:Â Roaches in My Car at Night (What to Do)
