Roaches are perhaps one of the most unpleasant pests to have in your home. They have a creepy look that sends a chill down your spine.
The kind that flies is even more deplorable. When you see it take off or glide through your home you want to take flight yourself from fright.
Good thing though, a well-timed whack with a slipper or fly swatter will kill the roach.
The problem is you will not always be around to kill roaches physically.
Roaches being nocturnal animals, they love to raid your kitchen during the night when it’s dark and everyone is asleep.
Most people would rather try natural methods of eliminating pesky roaches and will only use harsh chemical options as a last resort. If you do not have an infestation yet and occasionally see a roach or two, every so often, then a natural remedy such as the use of peppermint essential oil may work for you.
Peppermint oil is one of the proven options that can help discourage roaches from setting camp in your home and multiplying into a full-blown roach infestation.
Contents
- What repels roaches naturally?
- What kills cockroaches instantly?
- Why use natural pest repellents?
- Essential oils for cockroaches - how effective are they?
- How to get rid of roaches using essential oils?
- How to mix peppermint oil for roaches?
- How to make a DIY peppermint spray?
- Great ready-made peppermint spray for roaches
- Downfalls of using essential oils for pest control
- Other natural non-toxic home remedies for roaches
- Common mistakes to avoid when repelling roaches
- How to prevent cockroaches from coming back?
- When to call professionals?
- Conclusion
What repels roaches naturally?
Peppermint essential oil has the ability to naturally repel roaches because they hate the smell of mint.
Although the peppermint does not kill roaches, it helps repel them and discourages them from getting comfortable in your home to start breeding.
On the other hand, while chemical insecticides can be lethal to roaches killing them instantly, they contain many harmful chemicals that can also be harmful to humans.
Other natural options that have the ability to repel roaches are diatomaceous earth and neem. Mixing diatomaceous earth with cocoa powder or flour and placing it near an infected area is also a good option. Diatomaceous earth is poisonous to roaches and other pests but not harmful to humans.
Roaches also hate neem. This a natural repellent that interferes with roach hormones and prevents them from breeding which eventually helps diminish their population.
What kills cockroaches instantly?
Peppermint oil when sprayed on a roach directly will result in the death of a roach. It may not act as quickly as a commercial insecticide does, but the upside is that you need not worry about harmful chemical and pungent toxic fumes.
A peppermint solution sprayed directly on the roach will yield the same result but will work slower.
They are timid creatures and therefore very good at hiding in crevices, as well as within doors and furniture.
So spotting them can be a challenge.
Spraying peppermint oil in the affected areas or their favorite spots can effectively repel them into looking for another place and staying outside of your home.
Why use natural pest repellents?
Today people are more conscious of harmful chemicals in commercial insecticides and their side effects, which include allergy symptoms such as asthma, coughing, runny nose, as well as tearing.
Other harmful compounds in chemical insecticides are pungent and carcinogenic.
While they are extremely effective when directly sprayed on the roach, their pungent smell and side effects on humans can be undesirable. This is why it makes better sense to work with non-toxic and natural options, such as peppermint essential oil spray.
The additional benefits of peppermint oil over and above being a lethal natural roach killer is the fact that it has a pleasant fresh scent that will have your home, kitchen, or any other roach populated area smelling fresh and scented.
The beauty of using natural repellants is that most options are gentle on humans but unforgiving to roaches and other pesky insects in the home. They do not contain strong artificial chemical compounds that can be carcinogenic to humans nor do they have other unpleasant side effects.
For instance, it may prove impossible to sleep in a house that has been sprayed by a commercial insecticide.
Using natural options, such as peppermint solutions, is unlikely to disrupt your sleep. If anything, they have a disinfecting effect coupled with a tolerable natural scent.
Essential oils for cockroaches - how effective are they?
Unfortunately, there are no supporting studies to show the efficacy of essential oils on roaches and other insects.
The best approach is to give it a go and see how well it works for your case.
One thing that is important to note, when it comes to essential oils and killing roaches, is that it is not the right option if you already have an infestation.
Essential oils, such as cedarwood, peppermint, and eucalyptus will serve to prevent roaches from coming back after you have exterminated them.
They will help prevent an infestation if they are frequently used as a preventative measure. They are fairly effective in repelling roaches but not exterminating them.
As mentioned earlier, the sweet disinfecting scent of mint is pleasant to humans but intolerable to insects such as roaches.
Take for instance the cedarwood essential oil.
Cockroaches sense the presence of the cedarwood oil and try to avoid it because in roaches, octopamine functions as a neurohormone, controlling the release of trehalose and lipids. Mint scented essential oils have the ability to block the action of octopamine.
This is why natural options, such as peppermint can effectively repel roaches. Whether essential oils are effective in roaches will depend on several factors:
How hungry the roaches are and whether the situation has already turned into an infestation.
While some roaches will flee at the scent of peppermint, others that are hungry may decide to brave the scent and cross the barrier in search of food.
Like most pest killing approaches, it is always recommended that you use several layers. That is, using essential oils in conjunction with one or two other roach controlled methods.
This ensures that if the roach gets past the first barrier, there is a good chance that it will be stopped by the next.
Part of the concerted effort to repel roaches from your home effectively has to include proper hygiene. Since roaches venture into your home looking for food.
Ensuring that your home is clean and free from food debris is a good start.
The kitchen is particularly vulnerable to roaches. Therefore ensuring that you seal stored good, as well as emptying the trash can before going to bed is particularly helpful in discouraging roaches from your home.
A peppermint solution can be used to disinfect the countertops in the kitchen while some can be sprayed sparingly along the areas that are most affected in the kitchen or other sections of the house.
How to get rid of roaches using essential oils?
If you are wondering how to use essential oils to get rid of roaches, here’s how.
To begin with, one must understand that not all essential oils will work as a roach repellant. That said, there are top three options that are backed by so many reviews to be effective in killing roaches are peppermint, cedarwood, and eucalyptus.
You notice that they all have a mint aspect to them which explains their efficacy in the task of repelling roaches.
Given that essential oil is relatively costly to use as the only ingredient, it works well when you pair any of the above essential oils with other natural ingredients that enhance the potency of the solution and makes it more effective.
Such inclusions can include ingredients such as vinegar and water. This type of solution is very cost-effective, as you can make gallons of the mixture at a low cost.
Since you need only to spray a small amount of the solution at any given time for once or twice a week, it can last for a long time. Roaches about to enter your home will also be discouraged by the strong scent.
How to mix peppermint oil for roaches?
Here’s how you can mix peppermint oil to repel roaches from your home. All you need are the following ingredients:
- 10 drops of peppermint essential oil
- Two parts water and one part vinegar
This should be put in a spray bottle together in order to mix.
The resulting solution is the perfect deterrent.
By spritzing this solution in the areas where roaches are likely to hang out, such as the kitchen, bathroom, and cupboard areas, will help deter roaches from settling into your home and populating.
It is worth reiterating that such a peppermint essential oil deterrent will only help deter roaches, as well as other pests such as spiders.
In the event that you already have an infestation, it is prudent to have the exterminator get rid of them first, then start using the peppermint option to keep them away.
How to make a DIY peppermint spray?
Alternatively, you can opt for a more lethal dose of peppermint spray by simply using a higher concentration of peppermint oil, such as 15 drops of peppermint and 10 ounces of water.
The peppermint scent will be stronger and intolerable to roaches.
Spraying this solution at their entry points to your house or any other place in the home where they like to hang out, will likely discourage them from entering or staying in your home.
Great ready-made peppermint spray for roaches
If your preference for a natural roach repellent, such as peppermint spray, is one that comes already mixed, then check out this option.
Organic Peppermint Spray by Healing Solutions
This is an excellent option for those who prefer natural home remedies that do not contain harsh chemicals.
The water infused with peppermint essential oil spray has an inviting smell and has a number of uses in your home, including repelling nasty bugs such as roaches.
- The pleasant and strong peppermint scent
- Refreshing and purifying qualities for countertops
- Discourages roaches and spiders from entering your home
- No toxic additives
- Does not come in a bigger bottle
Downfalls of using essential oils for pest control
Essential oils are amazing for varied use, including repelling roaches as in the case of peppermint oil and other minty oils such as eucalyptus and cedarwood oils.
The downside of using them in pest control is they only act as a repellant to help prevent pests from resettling into your home following an extermination exercise. They do not work to clear an infestation.
Other natural non-toxic home remedies for roaches
Other than peppermint essential oil, there are other home remedies that can help rid your home of roaches.
This includes, but not limited to:
- Diatomaceous earth
- Boric acid and powdered sugar
- Cinnamon
- Catnip
- Vinegar
Common mistakes to avoid when repelling roaches
Using one method is often not the best approach when dealing with roaches. A layered approach involving several roach killing methods usually works best.
For instance, over and above overall good hygiene, you can use diatomaceous earth mixed with cocoa or flour to kill the roaches that get beyond the peppermint barrier.
A layered approach is the best to ensure the best results in repelling roaches as well as killing them.
How to prevent cockroaches from coming back?
So if you had an infestation and the exterminator has done his job in getting rid of them then the task at hand for you then becomes preventing their comeback.
You can effectively do so by maintaining high hygiene standards in susceptible areas such as the kitchen, bathroom, and so forth.
Roach repelling minty scents, such as those found in peppermint essential oil can play a huge role in preventing roaches from resettling in your house.
Peppermint essential oil has a refreshing and disinfecting scent that you will love and roaches will find intolerable.
When to call professionals?
Roaches are one of the hardiest pests that can live through some of the harshest environments.
To make it worse, their ability to reproduce rapidly is what makes them so dreadful, as their populations can quickly overrun a home.
Should you see the number of roaches in your home rising, it is best to call the exterminator to clear the problem root and stem. Thereafter you can use home remedies to help keep them from coming back for as long as possible.
Conclusion
An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
If your home has only the occasional one or two roaches, using home remedies, such as peppermint essential oil spray may help discourage them from entering and staying in your home.
This way you can be sure that no infestation will follow.
Have you been using peppermint to keep your home pest-free?
Or do you have any experience with using peppermint for roach control?
Let us know how it worked for you in the comment section below.
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