Nobody invites cockroaches into their home. But if you’re beginning to see more and more of them, isn’t it time they were properly asked to leave?

In this short guide, you’ll learn to say goodbye to cockroach guests by sending them on a deadly little trip—via a product called a roach motel.

The time has come to send roaches packing.

So let’s go.

The 2 Types of Roach Motel and What They Do

The idea of roach motels has been around for at least a hundred years, but it took a 1970’s ad campaign from Black Flag to give these tiny death chambers a name good enough to stick.

At its simplest (and they’re all simple) a roach motel is a box that roaches either eat from or crawl into, and voila—they’re dead within a few days. Roach motels are inexpensive, don’t require much instruction, and depending on how you use them, can work really, really well.

There are a couple of different kinds, though. They kill roaches in different ways. And if you buy the wrong one or buy with unrealistic expectations, you could find yourself disappointed with the results. Let’s take a look:

1. Roach motels that capture roaches with glue

Roaches check in, but they don’t check out.

Also known as glue or sticky traps, these pesticide-free, fold-to-assemble roach motel traps use scents to attract roaches and a layer of glue to permanently stick them down. They’re not made for eradicating severe infestations, but work well for catching stragglers and heading off problems before they get too bad.

Beside their straightforward, merciless killing abilities, sticky motels have a special feature: They allow you to examine the roaches that they kill.

Disgusting as that may sound, examining and counting the roaches in your traps can reveal the true extent of a cockroach problem, help you discover unseen hiding spots, and tell you where to focus your efforts should you need to use more aggressive tactics.

Exterminators call this valuable technique insect monitoring, and if you’re going to buy a glue motel anyway, you may want to take advantage of it.

Why?

You can monitor roach populations before and after treating for pests. Not sure you have enough roaches to justify calling an exterminator to begin with? Set out some sticky traps to get a sense of the situation. Concerned that roaches will come back? Set out a sticky trap to see if they’re still around or their numbers are increasing.

Monitoring helps you keep bugs under control.

2. Bait motels that poison roaches then send them on their way

Roaches stop in for a poisoned snack, then take other roaches with them when they die.

This kind of roach motel doesn’t kill with sticky surfaces, but with a bait—a potent insecticide disguised as food. Roaches eat the bait and escape… but only temporarily.

Designed to have a delayed effect, the bait kills the roach slowly, allowing it to return to its nest before it dies.

Why is that often better than killing it instantly?

Because slowly dying roaches continue to spread the poison in their feces and the material they spit up. Other roaches eat those and die, too. This ability to kill roaches that never even came near the roach motel, transforms these little discs and boxes into serious, long-term solutions for tackling bigger infestations.

Do Roach Motels Work?

Roach motels do work, but not always in isolation, and not for every problem. They also take more time to work than near-instant products like cockroach sprays, so patience is important.

Importantly, for serious infestations, you won’t want to rely on roach motels exclusively:

If you have roaches scurrying brazenly around your home, getting into your food, your clothes, your drains, and your bed… if you find them swarming when you open a drawer, or infiltrating your electronics—if you have that level of infestation (see “How Do You Know if You Have a Roach Infestation“), you’ll want to hit the bugs with a more comprehensive plan.

But if you have an early roach problem—the kind you catch before the roaches begin to take control, roach motels can be a highly useful tool. And if you use them for cockroach monitoring—well, at that point you’re applying pro-level skills.

How to Use Roach Motels

Roach motels are popular in part because they’re so simple to set up and use. The sticky-type traps only take a minute to put together, and bait traps only need to be unsealed.

Monitoring, if you decide to do it, takes some additional record keeping at the outset (like labeling traps with a marker and jotting down the information in a notebook). But aside from that, you can begin placing roach motels pretty much right away.

So, where to put them?

Placement is key with these devices. You may think cockroaches use your house like a giant race course, but individual roaches don’t typically wander far from a favorite place. If you miss those places, you’ll miss many roaches too, so give your placement some thought.

For most homes, that means heading into the kitchen, bathroom, and basement, where roaches like to hang out most. Then when you get there, examining surfaces for the obvious signs that cockroaches leave behind.

You’ll want to look for signs like roach droppings, smears, and stains, egg cases, or discarded bits of shell. If you’ve actually seen roaches crawling around, those are obvious areas to target, too.

Since roaches aren’t particularly fond of easily accessible spaces, a step stool and knee pads can help you do a better job reaching areas bugs live and hide.

And as you poke around, pay special attention to cramped, hidden areas, especially near food and water, like rarely-seen kitchen crevices, walls under sinks, spaces underneath appliances, in corners, and along the edges of walls (the routes roaches often take to get around). The lures in roach motels won’t attract them if they’re placed too far away.

Buy more than a few

Solving a cockroach problem is not the best time to be stingy, so buy enough motels to hit the problem hard. Most are fairly inexpensive, and most are sold in packs.

If you’re using bait-type roach motels, they’ll last until the bait runs out or the insecticide gets too old.

If you’re using sticky roach motel traps, check them every few days or so—and more frequently if the situation is really bad.

You’ll want to replace sticky motels when they fill up, leaving little sticky surface to do the job. If you’re using them for monitoring, you’ll want to gather them up at regular intervals, and examine them at the same time.

Tip: Used-up poison and sticky-type roach motels should be thrown away in sealed garbage bags. And contrary to what you may have heard, don’t leave poisoned roach bodies lying around for other roaches to consume (they could get your pets or children sick). Instead, if you’re using poison-type traps, just put out a couple more. It’s a safer way to deliver more insecticide.

Roach Motel Reviews: Main Contender Showdown

Sticky Glue Motels

1. Black Flag Roach Motel

The “go-to” cockroach motel for nearly 45 years, the Black Flag Roach Motel is the ideal glue trap for the squeamish, obscuring its cockroach catch unless you really want to peek inside.

The motel is compact and wood-grained to blend in with your furniture or floor. It’s not so great for monitoring, but does a fine job catching roaches.

Tip: When the bottom of the roach motel is covered with bugs, simply flip it over to catch more on the top sticky surface.

2. Exterminator’s Choice Glue Sticky Traps

For a Made in the U.S.A, environmentally conscious cockroach motel that works great for extermination and monitoring, Exterminator’s Choice Sticky Traps are the ones to get.

The bait is a natural, pheromone-free blend, the trap is designed for insect-sized creatures only, excluding larger critters like mice that you may want to tackle in other ways, and the trap’s cardboard is made from recycled material, making it a greener, more thoughtful choice.

3. Victor Roach Pheromone Trap

Though Victor Roach Pheromone Traps can be used like any other insect trap, they’re designed for monitoring. Each unit is printed with a record-keeping aid, and the traps are sold in bulk, making them especially useful for commercial and long-term applications.

In addition to a naturally-scented lure embedded in the glue, Victor’s product provides a special lure that attracts roaches with a pheromone.

4. Terro Roach Magnet

Another pheromone-based option is the Terro Roach Magnet. It’s very similar to the Victor Pheromone Trap but lacks the additional food scent.

At about $1 per trap, Terro Roach Magnets are an affordable way to monitor an infestation and start trapping the most active roaches overnight.

Poison Bait Motels

1. Combat Roach Motel (for Small Roaches)

Combat Max attracts roaches with a powerful Fipronil-laced bait. While Fipronil can kill both large and small cockroaches, only smaller roaches (like the Brown-banded and German cockroach) can squeeze into the the roach motel itself.

2. Raid Roach Motel (for Large Roaches)

Raid Double Control Roach Bait packs a double whammy against cockroaches, using two different food baits to deliver its insecticide. Like Combat, it focuses on a single size of cockroach, in this case, large species like the Oriental, Smokybrown, and American cockroach.

3. Hot Shot Liquid Roach Bait (for All Cockroaches)

Hot Shot Liquid Roach Bait contains a strong bait formula and an equally strong insecticide to bring roaches running within hours and start eliminating the infestation in the first week.

Roaches check into Hot Shot’s product for the promise of not only food, but water (even more attractive to cockroaches when resources are scarce). Both deliver the powerful pesticide that eliminates roaches after they feed and leave.

What’s the Best Roach Motel for You?

The right roach motel—glue or bait—depends on what you need it to do. Both types can be effective. Both are easy to use. And neither pose significant dangers for children or pets, though you’ll want to place them well out out of kids’ and animals’ way.

The question you will want to ask is whether, given your particular situation, cockroach motels alone will be enough. And if you try them first for monitoring or managing minor, occasional infestations, they’re the perfect tool to answer that.

If you still have a cockroach problem after using roach motels, there are more aggressive products and techniques that will do the job (see “How to Get Rid of Cockroaches Forever“).

But for now, go get ’em.

And don’t let those roaches check out!

Frequently Asked Questions

Written by Andrew Martin. Reviewed by James Miksanek, PhD.

Disclaimer: This page is strictly for informational use. When using insecticides, keep in mind—the label is the law. Insecticides should be applied correctly and safely when needed, and according to the laws of your state or country.

---

Sources

1. Roach Trap and Bait Placement Guide. Seabright Laboratories. Retrieved from http://www.seabrightlabs.com/place.htm

Eliminating cockroaches doesn’t have to mean using harmful chemicals and putting your family and pets at risk.

Instead, use all-natural, non-toxic diatomaceous earth! Roaches don’t stand a chance against this dust and all you have to do is sprinkle it wherever you’ve seen them. It’s safe, cheap and easy to use!

Ready to learn the “how-to’s” of diatomaceous earth roach control? Let’s get started.

Remember, when using insecticides, the label is the law—read and follow the instructions carefully, not only for your own safety, but to make sure each treatment is as effective as possible.

Diatomaceous Earth Basics: What It Is and Where It Comes From

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a fine dust created by grinding up the fossilized shells of diatoms, microscopic ocean organisms. It’s like sand but much finer and made of only one material.

Fun fact: If you thought there were a lot of cockroaches in the world, there are even more diatoms. They produce over 20% of all of the oxygen we breathe. Diatoms have existed for at least 200 million years—leave it to an organism that’s nearly as old as cockroaches themselves to be their weakness!

What do you use diatomaceous earth for?

DE is an ingredient in hundreds of products, from hardware and paint to personal care and even food. You’ll probably see the term “food grade” used with DE. Food grade diatomaceous earth is finer than other types—and it’s the kind you want to use.

Does Diatomaceous Earth Kill Roaches? Yes!

Diatomaceous earth kills a variety of insects, including cockroaches, fleas, ticks, bed bugs and more.

As both a preventative measure and an insecticide, it’s a fantastic home remedy for killing roaches. It seems too good to be true… but diatomaceous earth really works!

How Does Diatomaceous Earth Kill Cockroaches?

Diatomaceous earth powder is abrasive and breaks down the waxy layer of the cockroach’s hard exoskeleton, killing it through dehydration. When they walk through diatomaceous earth, roaches carry away some of the DE that clings to the tiny hairs on their legs. They typically die later, back at their nest.

Diatomaceous Earth & Cockroaches: Putting DE Powder to Use

One of the benefits of DE powder is its versatility. It’s easy to sprinkle or spray it behind appliances, under furniture, inside cupboards and even outside! Use food-grade DE in the kitchen on countertops and in cupboards. Since it’s easy to clean up with a vacuum, diatomaceous earth works for roaches in cars and trucks, too.

We recommend using a duster to apply diatomaceous earth. You don’t have to buy a specialized pest control duster, though; you can make your own duster by poking or drilling holes in the top of a 2-liter soda bottle. Then, simply fill it about halfway with DE dust, twist on the cap and squeeze to spray the dust through the holes.

Bonus: Do you like a dash of powdered sugar on your French toast or pancakes? Use that handy sugar shaker to sprinkle your DE mixture (but remember to wash it thoroughly after you’re done)!

In a pinch, you can also spread DE with a scoop. Maybe you have one for pet food or you got one with a bucket of ice melt—you can always use a spoon, (washing them later, of course) too!

How to Use Diatomaceous Earth for Roaches, Step-By-Step

Step 1: Clean and dry. DE needs to be dry to kill cockroaches. If you decide to clean before applying the DE, give the area a few minutes to dry. If the humidity is too high in your attic, basement or bathroom, use fans to reduce moisture before applying DE.

Step 2: Spread a thin coating. Apply a light coating of the DE dust on surfaces and in crevices where you’ve seen evidence of cockroaches. Focus on areas like the backsides of stoves, refrigerators, and other appliances where the bugs can find crumbs and other food sources. You can treat bathrooms and closets, too, if they’re not too humid.

Step 3: Hit roaches’ entry points. Dust inside of tiny spaces, including cracks, outlets and gaps around wiring. You’d be surprised at the number of places roaches can come from.

Step 4: Treat inside wall voids. If you find any cracks or holes leading into the walls, there’s a good chance roaches could be hiding in there. Luckily, your duster bottle makes it easy to blow the dust right through the hole. (If there’s no opening, drill a small hole near the ground or behind a decoration.)

Step 5: Try diatomaceous earth outside. Spread DE in the mulch, garden soil and grass around the perimeter of your house without worrying about damaging your landscaping! Just like you did inside, sprinkle a thin layer and let it do its job. Just try to pick out a few dry days from the weather forecast!

If you have a crawl space or similar space beneath your house (or under a deck, for example), roaches could nest there. One simple solution is to pour a pile of DE right at the entrance. Then, use a leaf blower or large fan to quickly dust the whole interior of the space. When spraying that much DE, wear a mask and goggles to avoid irritation (and to definitely avoid inhalation).

Step 6: Repeat and, hopefully, relax. Keep an eye on the places you’ve treated—the DE might need to be refreshed from time to time, depending on the conditions and the size of the cockroach infestation you’re fighting.

If it rains or seems too humid, you’ll have to reapply. If you’re facing a lot of roaches, try dusting twice per week. One study saw up to 80% effectiveness within 72 hours but a large infestation will take more ammunition.

Cleaning up DE is as easy as applying it.

Clean up diatomaceous earth by simply sweeping, wiping and vacuuming. Use a damp towel to wipe it off of surfaces and a broom and dustpan to sweep it off of wood and tile floors. Anywhere there’s carpeting, a vacuum will do the trick! Best of all, it doesn’t leave any dangerous chemicals behind.

Note: You don’t want to get DE into the air, so wipe and sweep gently. Also plan to switch out your regular vacuum cleaner bags for drywall or fine particle bags.

Make Diatomaceous Earth a Part of Your Total Pest Control Plan

Diatomaceous earth doesn’t have to be your only tool against cockroaches. It works even better in combination with other treatments.

Use gel baits along walls and save the DE for tiny cracks and crevices. Or, treat the inside of your home with DE and the outside with a residual spray.

Want another natural insecticide to use alongside DE? Boric acid (and the similar borax) is a similar-looking powdered roach killer that makes a solid sidekick for DE.

Boost your roach control plan further by using natural cockroach repellents in the areas where you’re not dusting with diatomaceous earth. Cockroaches will be driven away from these areas—possibly right into your DE minefields!

Finally, every pest control system has to include good cleaning and organizational habits to take away roaches’ food sources and some of their favorite hiding places. DE will eliminate your existing problem; your long-term game plan is prevention.

Caution: DE Can Still Cause Irritation and Shouldn’t Be Inhaled

Unlike filter-grade diatomaceous earth which contains 60% crystalline silica (a hazardous material associated with various lung diseases), food-grade DE contains less than 2% and is considered safe to use.

That said, you should keep the material away from small children and pets, and use goggles and a mask when applying it (the fine particles can irritate your lungs).

Conclusion

DE is a proven and easy-to-use part of a total pest control plan. With just a duster and some diatomaceous earth in your arsenal, roaches won’t know what hit them!

Good luck!

Frequently Asked Questions

Written by Andrew Martin. Reviewed by James Miksanek, PhD.

Disclaimer: This page is strictly for informational use. When using insecticides, keep in mind—the label is the law. Insecticides should be applied correctly and safely when needed, and according to the laws of your state or country.

---

Sources

1. Bunch, T. R. et al. (2013) Diatomaceous Earth General Fact Sheet. National Pesticide Information Center. Retrieved from http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/degen.html
2. Ogg, Barb et al. (2006) Cockroach Control Manual. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension.
3. Hosseini, Seyyed Akbar et al. (2014) The insecticidal effect of diatomaceous earth against adults and nymphs of Blattella germanica. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4025297/

Cockroach Facts is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

When you find yourself staring in the face of a water bug problem, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. These pests can wreak havoc on your peace of mind.

It’s time to take back your home! We’re going to help you learn how to get rid of waterbugs in a few simple steps, before and after they make themselves comfortable in your space.

What Are Water Bugs?

Let’s clear something up: when we’re talking about water bugs (also known as Palmetto Bugs), we’re really talking about one of these 3 species of cockroaches:

1. Oriental roaches
2. American roaches
3. Smoky brown roaches

Why the nickname? Well, there are domestic cockroaches—those are the indoor species and they’re the troublemakers.

And then there are water bugs—the outdoor roaches. Generally, water bugs stay outside but, sometimes, they do invade homes. That’s the situation you want to avoid.

(While we can’t just ignore Belostomatidae, the Giant Water Bug that lives in fresh water, it’s probably not the one you’re thinking of.)

Getting Rid of Waterbugs for Good

How do you get rid of water bugs? By rigorous application of the supplies and steps below. Once you’ve found a water bug in your space, it’s game on. Why? Because you might not be facing a dangerous cockroach infestation yet, but water bugs can multiply and spread just as quickly.

The good news is that the same things that kill and prevent cockroaches will work on water bugs, too. Let’s get started.

How to Kill Water Bugs

Does Anything Get Rid of Waterbugs Instantly?

We’re going to cover a few things that kill these pests, but with a delayed effect. But what if you want to kill them instantly? Even squishing them doesn’t always work because of their hard, flexible exoskeletons!

Killing them on contact comes down to using chemical pesticides. To use these products, you typically dilute the pesticide with water (according to the instructions) and spray it into cracks and crevices where you think water bugs are hiding.

The problem comes with your ability to access all those hiding places. Waterbugs are sneaky and you may never find where they’re actually hanging out.

Bug-killer sprays sold in supermarkets? They also work on waterbugs. However, killing one at a time won’t solve your water bug problem in the long run.

Suggested Products If You Have a Water Bug Problem

To Find Their Hiding Spots and Kill Them Quickly When You Have Just a Few

To Kill Them Inside Your Home When You Have a Serious Problem

To Kill Them Outdoors Before They Have a Chance to Get Inside

Getting Rid of Water Bugs Naturally

There are a number of natural ways to get rid of waterbugs. And if you’re going to do it yourself, you might want to consider these approaches first.

Diatomaceous Earth: Fast but Not Instant

One of the best-known water bug treatments is food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE). It’s all-natural, safe to use around children and pets (but do take precautions not to inhale), and best of all, effective (although we do recommend CimeXa for even better results).

Most hardware stores sell DE and it’s easy to mix and apply. Some products even come with a duster to make things as simple as possible.

When using DE dust, you want the water bugs to eat it or, at least, walk through it. To attract the bugs to it, you can mix the DE with powdered sugar and spray a thin layer in specific parts of the house.

You can even use it outside, sprinkling it in the grass or mulch to form your very own anti-water-bug moat!

DE doesn’t quite kill instantly but it works more quickly than baits, which are designed to have delayed effects.

Will Baking Soda Kill Them?

Baking soda is a potential killer. It sucks up the water in the environment and can fatally dehydrate water bugs as they walk through it. However, baking soda isn’t nearly as effective as gel baits or chemical pesticides that are designed to kill them.

Boric Acid: An All-Natural Pest Killer

Boric acid is a great natural pest control product that works for water bugs, too! It’s poisonous to the bugs but, in small amounts, it’s not dangerous for pets or children.

Like DE, boric acid isn’t bait so you’ll have to mix it with something to attract the bugs. Again, sugar works really well.

All it takes is a little of the mixture, sprinkled thinly in areas where you think the water bugs are walking. Don’t use too much, though, or the bugs might not want to walk through it.

Home Remedies for Water Bugs

There are plenty of home remedies for waterbugs that may be worth exploring too, including homemade traps, and even essential oils.

Gel Baits: Your Secret Weapon Against Water Bugs

Baits are your secret weapons against water bugs because they’re insecticides hidden in a formula that water bugs just can’t wait to sink their teeth into.

You apply baits by spreading the gel near cracks and holes where water bugs might be hiding. For less of a mess, you can use bait stations, which hold the bait inside a compartment that you can discard after it’s worn off (or been eaten).

What makes bait so much better than simple sprays or traps is that it spreads the pesticide throughout the colony, from bug to bug.

A water bug doesn’t die immediately after it’s eaten the bait; usually, it dies later, after it’s returned to the nest. Then, as the other water bugs feed on the dead insect, they eat the pesticide, too! Even if only one or two water bugs eat the bait, it can kill a dozen or more as its effects spread.

So What’s the Single Best Approach?

The single best way to get rid of waterbugs is the one that eliminates the whole colony as quickly as possible. The winner, unsurprisingly, is the product that’s specially designed to deal with water bug infestations: gel baits.

How To Prevent Water Bugs

Baits, sprays, and traps have their place, but how to keep water bugs away? Luckily, water bug prevention only takes a few simple changes.

How to Keep Water Bugs Out

Water bugs hate dry environments. Their ideal home is damp, dark and hidden, with lots of—you guessed it—water in the vicinity. Don’t give it to them! Chances are they’ll look for somewhere else to stay.

Just follow a few simple tips, targeting those areas, and you’ll start to see results in no time.

1. Prevent standing water under gutters and pipes. Fix leaks, eliminate damp areas, and repair any areas where water collects before water bugs find it.
2. Improve ventilation in storage rooms. Humidity and dampness are just what water bugs are looking for in a place to lay their eggs.
3. Clean the dishes and change the garbage frequently. You’re making it too easy for water bugs to eat if you leave dirty dishes out overnight.
4. Seal up entry points. Pay attention to ways waterbugs may be entering your home. Inspect exterior walls and your home’s foundation, looking for holes, cracks, and crevices that could be allowing waterbugs in. Inspect windows and doors for gaps that water bugs could crawl through.

Conclusion

Despite their less-threatening name, at the end of the day, water bugs are still cockroaches. The longer they’re in your house, the higher the risk that they’ll grow into a serious infestation—and when that happens, your best is to call in a pest control company as quickly as you can.

Now that you know how to get rid of waterbugs…

Let’s do this!

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. Pesticide Environmental Stewardship. NC State University Center for Integrated Pest Management. Retrieved from https://pesticidestewardship.org/homeowner/using-pesticides-safely-and-correctly/