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Roaches are NASTY!  Besides damaging your property, home and belongings, and eating your food, they spread disease causing a variety of serious health problems.  They carry bacteria on their bodies that are easily transmitted to humans.  The most common being different forms of gastroenteritis – food poisoning, dysentery, and diarrhea; also, they worsen childhood asthma and spread salmonella and other bacteria throughout your home.

There are several species of cockroaches here in the United States. 

The five most common are:

The American Cockroach:  reddish-brown in color, 1 ½-inches or more in size, winged but seldom flies.  These roaches prefer moist, warm environments like bathrooms, basements, etc.
 
The German Cockroach:  pale to medium brown in color, ½-inch or larger in size with 2 dark and 1 light stripe on its body, winged and seldom flies.  Very resilient, and since they are from North Africa they prefer warm air; can be found around furnaces and other sources of warmth.
 
The Brown-banded cockroach:  shades of light brown in color, about 5/8-inch long with 2 light and very visible bands; winged – but only the males fly.  These roaches prefer warm and dry places (they are cousin to the German cockroach).  They will destroy books, clothes, etc. and prefer to live in wall fixtures.
The Oriental Cockroach:  shiny brown or black in color, about an inch or so in size; winged – but only the males can fly a short distance; slow-moving and prefer to live beneath ground level.  They like garbage cans, living off decaying food and extremely good at spreading food-borne illnesses like salmonella.

The Smoky-brown Cockroach:  dark brown or black in color with well-developed wings and can fly distances.  Usually found in greenhouses and gardens.  They will enter your home for rotting fruit or vegetables.

Cockroaches love to live in dirt, clutter and in dark, damp places.  The best prevention is to keep your kitchen clean.  Cover all trash and remove to covered trash cans outside (which should be kept away from the house) – never leave any food out.  Wash all dishes and clean the kitchen counters, stove tops, etc.  Never leave dishes in the sink – if you have to – soak them in hot, soapy water.  Sweep and vacuum the floors after eating so there is no food source for them to be attracted to – little spills, crumbs and other food remnants are a feast for roaches.  Clean the bathroom regularly.  Fix any leaky pipes and faucets.  Take away their food and water supply.  These are places they head for first.

Do not leave pet food out – and store pet food in tightly covered plastic containers.

Vacuum the entire house – remember they eat anything and everything.  Be sure to get rid of fingernail clippings, hair on the floor, etc.  Vacuuming will also eliminate the allergens of roach dust.  Use the crevice attachment and vacuum everywhere.  If you are vacuuming up dead/live roaches – immediately empty your vacuum cleaning bag into a plastic bag that ties tightly and place immediately in the trash can outside.  Cover tightly.

Cockroaches can live a long time without food but they need water to survive.  Dry out all sinks and tubs or showers after use.  Pour bleach down your drains.  If you need to – get a dehumidifier.

Keep food in tightly covered containers in the cupboard or pantry.  Get rid of loose shelf paper and replace any loose wallpaper.  Plug all holes and cracks; fill all crevices.  Use weatherstripping.

Remove all standing wood or debris in your yard.  Roaches hide in debris and when the weather gets cold they head inside.  Trim trees and bushes so they don’t touch your home.

If you have cockroaches in your home, find their colony.  Since they hate light, roaches are active in the middle of the night.  When it’s dark, turn on a light and see where they scurry off to – that will be their colony.

Borax and boric acid are some of the best products for killing cockroaches.  Sprinkle or dust onto just about any surface.  Use in dark and damp areas as well as anywhere you have seen roaches.  This can also be sprinkled under and around your home.  If you have an area you cannot use boric acid in – place bay leaves there.  Roaches do not like the taste of bay leaves.

NOTE:  BUY ONLY THE BORIC ACID THAT IS SPECIFICALLY SOLD FOR PEST EXTERMINATION – THE KIND IN SQUEEZABLE, PLASTIC BOTTLES.

Borax is much less toxic and is intended for indoor use – but it is still lethal to children and pets.

You can use roach baits which have a mixture or poison and roach food.  The roaches take this back to their colony.  And there are roach hotels that will hold them in place with an adhesive.

You can make your own traps by placing a jar placed next to a  wall.  Just use some coffee grounds or chocolate to bait them with.

Make a solution of water with dishwashing detergent in it – spray the roaches (aim for the head and belly) and it will look like its dead – but will be stunned.  Stomp on it and take the dead bodies outside to the trash.

If you are going to step on them – spray the bottoms of your shoes with a bug spray for cockroaches.  You may kill a cockroach, but any eggs will deposit on your shoes only to hatch later.

You can purchase an insecticide formulated especially for cockroaches and spray everywhere – under sinks, in vents – just everywhere.

There are also aerosal bomb sprays that will do the job.  But you will need to leave the house for a couple hours and air the house out quite well before you can return.  Then you need to wash everything – especially everything in the cupboards and pantry.

There are liquid concentrates that for years were only used by professionals but are now available for home use.  These are a poison (deterrent) that are slightly diluted with water and sprayed or mopped across various surfaces in the home.  They can repel roaches for up to 2 weeks and may have to be re-applied.