How To Get Rid Of Cockroaches

Getting rid of cockroaches on your own can be challenging because they are resilient pests that reproduce quickly and hide in hard-to-reach areas. However, with persistence and the right combination of sanitation, exclusion, and targeted treatments, homeowners and business owners can reduce or even eliminate a cockroach problem. Here’s the best approach:

Identify the Cockroach Species: Different cockroach species (German, American, Oriental, etc.) behave differently and prefer different environments. Identifying the type will help you choose the most effective strategy.
Eliminate Food, Water, and Shelter: Cockroaches thrive in cluttered, moist, and food-rich environments. Store all food in sealed containers, avoid leaving pet food out overnight, and clean up crumbs and grease promptly. Fix leaky pipes, dry sinks and counters at night, and empty standing water in dishes, buckets, or trays. Reduce clutter (especially cardboard and paper), vacuum regularly, and seal gaps around appliances.
Seal Entry Points: Cockroaches can squeeze through tiny cracks. Seal gaps around windows, doors, plumbing, and baseboards with caulk or weather stripping to reduce new infestations.
Use Baits: Cockroach baits are one of the most effective DIY tools. Apply pea-sized drops of gel bait in cracks, crevices, under sinks, behind appliances, and near entry points. Place bait stations along walls, in cabinets, and behind appliances. Baits work because cockroaches eat the poison, then spread it to others through droppings and carcasses.
Apply Insecticidal Dusts: Boric acid or diatomaceous earth (food grade) can be applied lightly in wall voids, under appliances, and in hard-to-reach areas. Use sparingly—a light dusting works better than clumps, as roaches avoid piles.
Use Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs): IGRs prevent nymphs from maturing and stop adults from reproducing, cutting off the population cycle. These are available in sprays or as part of some bait systems.
Trap and Monitor: Sticky traps can help monitor where roaches are most active so you can focus treatments in those areas.
Maintain Consistency: Cockroach control isn’t a one-time fix. You’ll need to reapply baits, refresh traps, and maintain sanitation consistently for several weeks to see results.
Limitations of DIY Cockroach Control: Severe infestations are extremely difficult to eliminate without professional help. Roaches hide in deep wall voids, sewers, and inaccessible areas where DIY products may not reach. Businesses, especially those in food service, face health and reputation risks if infestations aren’t fully resolved.

Learn more: Roach Bombs

How To Get Rid Of Cockroaches Fast

The fastest results come from combining professional-grade gel baiting, insect growth regulators, and deep sanitation, because this trio attacks the population on every level at once. Gel baits work quickly by exploiting cockroach social feeding behaviors—when a roach eats the bait and dies, others feed on its body or contaminated droppings, creating a multiplier effect that rapidly reduces numbers. Pairing baits with an insect growth regulator prevents surviving juveniles from maturing or reproducing, cutting off the population’s ability to rebound. Thorough sanitation—especially removing grease, crumbs, water sources, and clutter—forces roaches to rely almost exclusively on the bait, dramatically increasing feeding and speeding up results. In heavier infestations, supplementing with non-repellent residual treatments (designed to be undetectable so roaches walk through them and transfer the active ingredient to others) can accelerate collapse even further. This integrated approach typically delivers visible reduction within days and continues working until the infestation is eliminated.

Learn more: What Kills Cockroaches Instantly?

How To Get Rid Of Cockroaches Permanently

Permanent resolution depends less on any single product and more on long-term disruption of the conditions that support the population, paired with targeted tools that prevent future reproduction or reinvasion. The following approaches offer the highest likelihood of lasting elimination without getting into professional treatments:

Comprehensive sanitation that removes all food, water, and grease sources: Cockroaches cannot sustain a colony where food residues, moisture, and clutter are consistently eliminated. Deep cleaning behind appliances, repairing leaks, reducing cardboard storage, and maintaining strict kitchen hygiene cut off the fundamental resources that allow infestations to return.
Long-term use of high-quality bait systems paired with insect growth regulators (IGRs): Baits wipe out active populations, while IGRs prevent surviving juveniles from maturing or reproducing. Used together over multiple reproductive cycles, they collapse the colony and stop rebound. Maintaining periodic bait availability in high-risk zones drastically reduces chances of reinfestation.
Elimination of harborage and structural vulnerabilities: Permanent results require sealing gaps around plumbing, patching wall voids, installing door sweeps, tightening thresholds, and closing cracks near cabinets and baseboards. When shelter and entry points disappear, roaches can’t establish new nests even if they wander in.
Moisture reduction and airflow improvements: Bathrooms, kitchens, basements, and utility rooms often become chronic hotspots because of humidity. Improving ventilation, insulating sweating pipes, using dehumidifiers, and fixing slow leaks produce an environment roaches can’t easily colonize long-term.
Consistent monitoring and preventive maintenance: Sticky monitors placed in strategic areas help detect early signs of activity. Early detection allows quick intervention before a population expands. Keeping these in place year-round—especially in multifamily buildings, restaurants, or older homes—provides ongoing protection.
Exterior and perimeter exclusion measures: Preventing outdoor roaches from entering is essential for permanent control. This includes sealing foundation cracks, screening utility penetrations, maintaining clean dumpster areas, trimming vegetation away from structures, and reducing outdoor moisture near walls.
Professional evaluation for persistent or severe cases: Some infestations persist because of hidden wall voids, adjacent units, sewer access points, or construction defects. Our trained professionals can identify structural issues, apply advanced non-repellent treatments that are not available to consumers, and develop a customized prevention plan. This is often the final step that makes permanent elimination possible, especially in larger or commercial buildings.

Together, these measures not only eliminate active roach populations but also remove the conditions that allow them to return, which is the true key to permanent resolution.

How To Get Rid Of Cockroaches Naturally

Natural methods can help reduce cockroach activity, but only a few have enough reliable impact to contribute meaningfully to actual elimination. Even then, they work best as part of a broader sanitation and exclusion effort rather than as stand-alone fixes. The most consistently useful option is diatomaceous earth labeled for household insect control. When placed in thin, barely visible layers along baseboards, behind appliances, and inside cracks where roaches travel, it dehydrates them over time. It isn’t fast, but it can weaken a population if the environment is already very clean and if moisture is limited. Boric acid, while technically a mineral rather than a synthetic chemical, has modest effectiveness when dusted lightly into tight spaces where roaches groom themselves; however, its results depend heavily on proper placement and a very dry environment. Sticky traps provide a natural, non-chemical way to monitor and reduce numbers slightly, though they rarely impact a full infestation on their own. Essential oils, herbal sprays, and ultrasonic devices are often marketed aggressively but generally provide only short-lived repellency, not elimination. In practice, the “natural” methods that make the biggest real-world difference are the ones focused on environmental control—deep cleaning, removing grease films, reducing humidity, fixing leaks, sealing harborages, and eliminating clutter. These changes directly undermine the conditions roaches need to survive, and when combined with mineral-based dusts, they can sometimes resolve light infestations. For anything moderate or heavy, natural measures alone rarely provide complete, lasting removal, but they can strongly support a broader strategy.

Learn more: Natural Cockroach Repellents

The Best Way To Get Rid Of Cockroaches

Our professional cockroach control is the most effective way to eliminate cockroaches because it combines specialized knowledge, advanced tools, and proven treatment strategies that go far beyond what DIY products can achieve. Here’s why:

Expertise in Cockroach Biology & Behavior: Our professionals are trained to correctly identify the species (German, American, Oriental, Brown-Banded, etc.). Each species has different nesting habits and preferred environments. This knowledge allows for targeted treatments that attack roaches where they live and breed, not just where they are seen.
Access to Professional-Grade Products: Over-the-counter sprays and traps have limited potency and short residual effects. Our professionals use stronger, regulated insecticides, baits, and growth regulators that are not available to the general public. These treatments are designed for long-term control, often lasting weeks or months, and are applied in ways that minimize risk to people and pets.
Advanced Treatment Techniques: Our professionals don’t just spray— we use a combination approach, including gel baits, dusts, liquid residuals, insect growth regulators, and sometimes vacuuming or flushing agents. We apply products in hidden areas where cockroaches nest, such as wall voids, drains, and behind appliances—places most DIY efforts miss.
Comprehensive Inspection & Monitoring: Our technicians perform a detailed inspection to locate entry points, harborage areas, and breeding zones. We use monitoring tools like sticky traps to assess infestation levels and track progress, adjusting treatments as needed.
Breaks the Life Cycle: DIY treatments often kill only the visible roaches, leaving eggs and hidden populations untouched. Our professionals use integrated pest management (IPM) techniques, including insect growth regulators, to stop nymphs from maturing and prevent reproduction—breaking the infestation cycle.
Faster & More Reliable Results: A severe cockroach infestation can take months to control on your own. Our professionals can dramatically reduce populations quickly and establish long-term protection plans, minimizing the chance of reinfestation.
Safety & Compliance: Misuse of store-bought pesticides can pose risks to health, pets, and food safety. Our licensed professionals are trained in safe application methods, protecting occupants while ensuring effective results. For businesses—especially restaurants, healthcare facilities, and hospitality—our professional pest control ensures regulatory compliance and protection of reputation.
Ongoing Prevention: We provide maintenance plans, providing regular inspections and treatments to keep cockroaches from returning. We also advise on sanitation and exclusion practices to make the environment less attractive to roaches in the future.

DIY methods may reduce cockroach sightings temporarily, but they rarely eliminate the root problem. Our professional cockroach control provides a thorough, targeted, and lasting solution, protecting both homes and businesses from the serious health risks and reputation damage these pests cause.

Get Rid Of Cockroaches With Miche Pest Control

Hiring our team of professionals at Miche Pest Control is an investment in long-term protection, expertise, and peace of mind. Here’s why:

Personalized Service and Local Expertise: We know the specific pest pressures in the area. Our technicians understand the environment, climate, and building types common to the area, allowing them to provide targeted, effective treatments.
High-Quality, Comprehensive Solutions: As a full-service provider, we don’t just treat surface problems; we address the root causes. From inspections and prevention to exclusion and ongoing maintenance, we deliver complete, integrated pest management (IPM) programs designed to both eliminate infestations and prevent future ones.
Accountability and Reliability: We live and die by our reputation. We rely on trust, referrals, and repeat business, meaning we're committed to doing the job right the first time and providing exceptional customer care.
Faster Response Times: We respond quickly to emergencies and schedule services sooner than large, national chains. Especially when you’re dealing with urgent pest issues, that speed matters.
Customized Treatment Plans: We tailor our services to your property’s specific needs instead of using one-size-fits-all chemical treatments. This results in safer, more effective pest control that minimizes environmental impact and reduces unnecessary pesticide use.
Highly Trained, Experienced Technicians: We invest in training, certification, and continuing education for our technicians. We stay current on the latest pest biology, control techniques, and safety standards.
Long-Term Prevention and Value: Our focus on providing quality service means fewer callbacks, longer-lasting protection, and better value over time. Instead of repeated, temporary fixes, you get strategic solutions that protect your home or business for the long run and provide better peace of mind.

Hiring our team means you get expertise you can trust, faster service, safer and more effective treatments, and long-term results that protect both your property and your peace of mind. Contact us today!