Catching cockroaches can be a very troublesome affair. Getting rid of one-on-one cockroaches can seem like a hell of a job-or it feels vile-and sometimes you want to get rid of cockroaches without getting your hands dirty. A trap can be a substitute for insect repellent and will cost less than calling in a professional exterminator.
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Method 1 of 3: Catching Cockroaches with Gray Tape
Step 1. Make a trap with gray tape
The premise is really simple, you need bait to attract the cockroaches and something sticky to keep the cockroaches there. These traps are not difficult to make and are very effective in performance, only that they will be difficult to remove once installed.
Apart from making traps with tape, you can also buy traps that work by sticking the cockroaches together. Traps like this are available at home improvement stores, or you can ask an insect exterminator
Step 2. Buy some gray tape
Make sure the tape is new and sticky. Otherwise, the cockroaches will easily escape. You can also use tape in addition to the gray tape, but make sure it's the same level of stickiness. You can't use clear tape and paper tape. Your trap should be strong enough to hold the roaches in until you have time to deal with them.
Step 3. Select a feed
You can use anything that smells good or smells like oil. Usually people use onions, although food ingredients other than onions can also be used. You can also use a fresh banana peel, freshly ripe fruit, or a slice of bread. If you notice the cockroaches in your home are attracted to certain foods, use them as bait.
- If you want to kill cockroaches altogether, you can buy jelly baits that contain active ingredients that will kill cockroaches. However, these baits are not always attractive to cockroaches and may also be less effective. Ask a home appliance store near you or an exterminator service.
- Use only small pieces. If the bait crosses the tape limit, the cockroaches don't have to step on your tape. Cut the bait you are using into small but still useful sizes.
Step 4. Install the bait
Place the bait of your choice in the center of the tape. Make sure the bait is stable and won't tip over.
Step 5. Set the trap
Set your trap in a place where you often find cockroaches: maybe in the kitchen, or in a corner, or near a hole in the wall. Remember that you will still have to clean the cockroaches later. The cockroaches will get stuck in your tape, can't move, and you'll have to figure out a way to kill them or get rid of them.
Place your trap in a high place, such as on top of your kitchen cupboard. Cockroaches like to be in high places
Step 6. Wait
Cockroaches love the dark and they are active at night. Leave your tape on overnight. When you check your traps in the morning, you will find lots of cockroaches. You can then kill or get rid of the cockroaches.
- If you don't want to kill the cockroaches, remove the tape and take it outside. Bring it at least 30 meters away from your house, then flick it around and throw away the tape. If you don't want to remove the tape with your bare hands, wear gloves. You can also place a box over the tape and then slide a piece of paper underneath so that the cockroaches enter and become trapped in the box.
- If you want to kill the cockroaches, all you have to do is remove the tape with the cockroach still stuck to it. Make sure you tightly seal the trash box or plastic in which you dispose of the tape, otherwise cockroaches will keep walking out and your efforts will be in vain.
Method 2 of 3: Catching Cockroaches with Jars
Step 1. Try trapping cockroaches with a jar
This method is safe for children and pets, and easier to move than tape. Look for liter-sized jars with openings that aren't too wide, such as cookie jars or spaghetti sauce.
Step 2. Make it easy for the cockroaches to walk into the jar
Wrap some paper or gray tape around the outside of the jar (the sticky side of the tape sticks to the jar). You can also make a small incline. This gives the cockroach an extra push to climb up your jar and make its way easier. You can also place the jar near the edge of a wall or an uphill surface.
Step 3. Smooth the inner walls of the jar
Coat the inside of the jar with Vaseline or other oil, at least ten inches from the top opening. This is so that the cockroaches can't crawl out. You can also mix Vaseline with active bait to kill cockroaches at the same time, but active bait will also dry out. Vaseline will stay slippery.
Step 4. Install the bait
Place something strong-smelling at the bottom of the jar to attract cockroaches. For example, onions, banana peels, or fragrant ripe fruit. Make sure your bait is not big enough for the roaches to climb on.
Pour a small amount of beer or red wine into the jar in sufficient quantity to drown the cockroaches. Fruit juice, soda, or sugar water can also be used. These fragrant drinks will attract cockroaches and trap them
Step 5. Set the trap
Place the jar in a place where a lot of cockroaches pass, and make sure there is room to the left and right of the jar for cockroaches to enter. The key to this trap is for the cockroach to fall into the jar and never get out again.
Place the trap in an enclosed place, such as a closet, garage, or corner full of items. The smell of rotting bait will fill the air and attract hungry cockroaches to your trap
Step 6. Clear the trap
Let your trap sit overnight or even a few days until a large number of cockroaches collect. Finally, pour boiling water in your jars to kill any living cockroaches. After that, you can throw it in the toilet or compost heap.
Reattach the trap as needed. Refill the jar with Vaseline and new bait. Repeat as needed
Method 3 of 3: Catching Cockroaches with a Bottle
Step 1. Bait cockroaches in a wine bottle
First, find a bottle that is nearly empty. It's important to pay attention to the design of the glass or container (whether it's tall, tubular, narrow mouth, etc.), because you want the cockroach to be trapped inside and not be able to crawl out. A tall bottle with a narrow bottle mouth will be most useful. You don't need a lot of leftover wine, a few teaspoons will suffice.
- If your wine is dry (not sweet), add 1/4 teaspoon of sugar and swirl the bottle.
- If you don't want to use alcohol, mix water and sugar with a little fruit, or try it yourself. Boil the water and then let it cool down so the mixture doesn't get moldy before it attracts the cockroaches.
Step 2. Coat the inside of the mouth of the bottle with a little cooking oil
This will smooth the mouth of the bottle and the inside of the bottle.
You can also use a bottle brush or a brush with a long handle to apply the Vaseline just below the inner neck of the bottle. This way, it will be difficult for cockroaches to crawl up
Step 3. Set the trap
Place this wine bottle where you often see cockroaches, such as near a compost pile or in a dark corner of your kitchen. Leave it for at least one night. The mixture you make may take several nights to ferment into a mixture that is attractive to cockroaches.
- Cockroaches are attracted to the sweet smell of wine or beer. They crawled over the bottle, slipped on the cooking oil, then fell to the bottom of the bottle and couldn't get out.
- You can also create a trail of spilled wine on the outside of the bottle. This will amplify the smell of your trap wine.
Step 4. Remove the cockroaches
When you later check your trap in the morning and find cockroaches inside, carefully pour hot water into the bottle. Let sit for a minute or two until you are sure the cockroaches are dead. Dispose of the entire contents of the bottle in the yard, compost pile, or in the toilet.
- If one bottle doesn't solve your problem, repeat this whole process. You can install a new bottle every few days. Over time, the number of cockroaches you catch will decrease as there will be fewer cockroaches.
- You can use this wine bottle method in conjunction with the tape method above. Set different traps in different places in your home and see which method works best. Keep in mind that one of the traps may catch more cockroaches because of its more strategic location or more attractive bait, not because of the trapping mechanism.
Tips
- You can also top it with peanut butter or anything sweet.
- You can also remove cockroaches from the tape with a vacuum cleaner.
- You can also clean your home so it doesn't attract cockroaches. If your environment is attractive to cockroaches, more roaches will come back after you kill the old cockroach.
Warning
- The tape can dry.
- Keep the tape away from pets or children.
