If you have a cockroach problem and they’re mostly tiny roaches, it can sometimes be more inconvenient simply because they’re so small. There are more than 4,500 species of roaches all over the world and around 70 of them live in the U.S.
The interesting thing is that most roaches will not invade your home, but the ones that do can be difficult to get rid of. Getting rid of small cockroaches usually involves both over-the-counter remedies and natural remedies, and some are more effective than others.
You can get rid of tiny cockroaches using products you have around the home like sugar, baking soda, borax or citrus products.
This article will explore 8 easy ways to get rid of tiny cockroaches at home including natural methods.
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Types of Cockroaches
Most of the roaches that will come indoors are most commonly one of 3 mains species.
- German cockroaches – usually light brown with two dark parallel stripes on their bodies
- Brown-banded cockroaches – roughly 1/2 inch in size and usually dark brown with light-yellow bands on their abdomens and wings
- American cockroaches – usually quite large, growing up to three inches in length
Regardless of the type of cockroach that you find in your home, you won’t want it there at any time.
9 Ways to get rid of tiny cockroaches
To get rid of tiny cockroaches you have lots of options. Check out these great ways to get rid of cockroaches at home below.
1. Baking Soda
Baking soda is cheap, effective, and kills roaches instead of repelling them. Simply fill bait traps with some diced onions and sprinkle baking soda on top of them.
Place the traps (which can be simple shallow dishes) anywhere you’ve seen roaches before. Once the cockroaches eat the onions, the gases created in their stomach will cause them to burst and die.
For more on how to make a roach trap with baking soda, check out my article here: How Does Baking Soda Kill Roaches? | Plus Homemade Recipe
2. Citrus Products
Citrus fruits and citrus-scented products will repel roaches because they hate the smell. They especially hate the smell of lemon, so if you use lemon-scented cleaning products, they are certain to stay away.
While citrus scents only repel roaches and don’t kill them, they are still very effective. They are also very inexpensive and are safe enough even for homes with pets and children in them.
3. Diatomaceous Earth (DE)
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is a natural insecticide that consists of fossilized and pulverized algae. While it is a bit messy because you have to sprinkle it anywhere you’ve seen roaches before, it is both safe and affordable.
The particles contained in DE are sharp and dehydrating, so roaches’ exoskeletons are damaged when they come into contact with DE, which in turn dehydrates them until they die.
This is great for sprinkling outdoors, around the outside of your house or near entrances such as door frames.
4. Boric Acid
Boric acid is a great way to get rid of roaches because it is made with boron, which is simply a mineral. It’s harmless to humans and pets but deadly to roaches.
Boric acid sticks to the legs and wings of roaches. When they ingest the powder it kills them quickly because it attacks their digestive and nervous systems.
To use boric acid to kill roaches, just sprinkle some on a paper plate and add something roaches love—such as peanut butter or an orange peel—and the roaches will die once they eat it.
5. Essential Oils
Essential oils repel roaches because they have a strong sense of smell and will run in the opposite direction if that smell is in your home. Just fill up a spray bottle 3/4 full with water and add 15–20 drops of the oil, then spray it anywhere you’ve seen roaches.
Essential oils are non-toxic and safe, and some of the oils most offensive to cockroaches include peppermint, citrus, lemongrass, and tea tree oil.
6. Borax
If you dust the areas that you see roaches with some borax, they will consume it and die due to dehydration. Of course, you have to make it attractive to the roaches, so combine the borax with some table sugar, and the sugar will lure them toward the mixture.
This method kills cockroaches of all sizes including small ones, and it is very affordable as well.
7. Bait Stations
You can buy cockroach bait stations to catch tiny roaches at hardware stores and large grocery stores and they work well.
They are usually long tubes or small square traps that you place around your home, and they have a smell that lures the roaches to the station itself. The good news about this option is that the roaches will go back to their home after eating the bait and die there; then other roaches will eat them, and the poison will spread throughout the group.
Check out roach traps on Amazon here.
8. Glue Traps
These traps are inexpensive and are available in both grocery stores and on Amazon. They have a smell that lures the roaches to them, where they become stuck after crawling on the trap.
The only negative factor is that you have to keep an eye on the traps and throw them out as soon as they become filled with dead roaches. To get the best results, always place these traps where cockroaches are protected. This could be underneath the kitchen or laundry sinks, next to your refrigerator or in the back of cupboards.
Check out roach traps here on Amazon.
9. Liquid Concentrates
These are found at home-improvement stores and consist of a liquid that you dilute and then spray into all of the cracks and crevices, which are where roaches love to hide.
The concentrates are toxic and therefore not ideal if you have children or pets in the home, but they are very affordable and tend to get rid of roaches quickly.
Conclusion
Small roaches can be more bothersome than larger ones, but the good news is that there are lots of methods that can either repel or kill the roaches altogether. You can use natural methods such as baking soda or boric acid, or you can choose a few commercial products such as glue strips and bait stations.
There really are a lot of options available for you when you have pests such as roaches in your home, and most of these options are inexpensive, simple to use, safe, and most importantly, effective.
Just make sure you use all of these products according to the instructions so that you can increase the likelihood of eliminating your roach problem quickly. No one enjoys roaches being in their home, but at least now you have a few solutions that can help you get rid of them before you know it.
I am an accredited practicing dietitian, experienced gardener and a dedicated cook. I love writing and sharing my experience so you can learn from my successes and mistakes.