Cockroaches walked with the dinosaurs. In fact, they were around long before the carnivorous and herbivorous giants. As you can guess, cockroaches are tough creatures.
Killing roaches is no easy task and is usually better left to the professionals. However, you can use a few safe methods to eliminate a small pest problem. Killing roaches with baking soda is a relatively straightforward process, and you probably already have the necessary ingredients in your pantry. Let’s take a look at how to do it.
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Does Baking Soda Kill Roaches?
Yes, baking soda does kill roaches.
Baking soda isn’t just used for cooking. It is one of the most extensively used items in DIY. With roots dating back to the times of the ancient Egyptians in 3500 BC, you can find baking soda everywhere, from skincare to cleaning products. It can even be used as a mixture in place of powdered yeast in baking.
With so many modern uses for the ancient powder, it is no wonder baking soda can help you eliminate your cockroach infestation. Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a tested and proven homemade cockroach killer that works by expanding the cockroach’s digestive tract.
How Does Baking Soda Kill Roaches?
Baking soda kills roaches by causing them to explode, in a sense. The word explosion can invoke visions of a Tom Cruise movie. When you think of exploding cockroaches, you probably want to run for the hills.
Let’s take a look at how this explosion works when killing cockroaches.
It Expands Quickly
Luckily, exploding cockroaches won’t spew their guts all over your kitchen sink or inside cupboards. Baking soda kills roaches through a chemical reaction. Sodium bicarbonate reacts with water to create carbonic acid.
Like many chemical reactions, water and baking soda react almost instantaneously when mixed, creating an exothermic reaction. Exothermic reactions release heat. The sodium bicarbonate rapidly turns to gas, generating immense heat, for cockroaches and other bugs anyway.
The Cockroach Explosion
If roaches eat baking soda, the same instantaneous, exothermic reaction happens within their bodies. Unlike humans, who have flesh encasing their skeleton, cockroaches are composed of an exoskeleton that doesn’t allow expansion.
This tough outer shell makes them impervious to many outside forces, including high radiation levels. Still, it doesn’t save them from internal damage.
Consuming baking soda will cause the roaches to expand beyond their exoskeleton’s ability to contain it, essentially causing the bugs to explode from the increased pressure.
How to Kill Roaches with Baking Soda
Cockroaches will eat anything and everything, but they love sweet, carb-heavy foods. Plain baking soda is odorless and tastes very bitter. It is easier to get roaches or other insects to ingest the white powder when it smells sweet.
How to Kill Roaches with Sugar and Baking Soda
Roaches have strong olfactory senses and a sweet tooth. You can eliminate your infestation with items you already have in your pantry. Baking soda and sugar are one of the easiest ways to eliminate the pest. Mixing baking soda with sugar attracts and eliminates your roach problem with the sweet smell.
- Start with a new container of baking soda and regular, granulated sugar.
- Mix equal parts of baking soda to sugar in a container or bowl until well combined.
- Sprinkle the harmful mixture in areas you have seen roach activity. Cover any cracks or crevices, under furniture, near garbage bins, and inside cabinets.
- You should notice reduced roach activity over several days. Be sure to clean up any dead roaches you may see.
How to Kill Roaches with Flour
Baking soda reacts inside cockroaches and other pests no matter what delivery system you choose. Flour works the same way as sugar. Mix equal parts in a bowl and sprinkle around kitchen counters and wherever you suspect roaches.
How to Kill Roaches with Onion and Baking Soda
Onions might seem like an odd choice for cockroach bait, but the pests love them. Cut an onion up into small, bite-sized pieces. Rub the slices with baking soda and place them in areas of roach activity.
Within two to three days, you should see noticeable results as the roaches consume the baking soda, creating gas inside their exoskeletons.
How to Kill Roaches with Candy and Baking Soda
We have already discussed how cockroaches love the sweet smell of sugar, so it is no surprise to find out you can eliminate your infestation by rubbing different candies with baking soda. Place the covered candies in areas you have noticed the pests and wait for that carbonic acid reaction to occur. Roaches eat the mixture, and the baking soda reacts inside their digestive system, eliminating the arthropods.
How to Kill Roaches with Vinegar and Baking Soda
Vinegar and baking soda are fun. We all remember the days of making paper mache volcanoes for home science projects. However, vinegar and baking soda are ineffective at killing roaches. The vinegar activates the baking soda before the roaches can consume it, and the strong odors deter roaches.
How Fast Does Baking Soda Kill Cockroaches?
It can take up to 15 hours before baking soda kills a cockroach that consumed it. It can take two to four days for you to see noticeable results.
The treatment’s efficacy depends on how much baking soda the roaches consume and how fresh your baking soda is. Other factors, like humidity levels, can also affect efficacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Killing Roaches With Baking Soda Safe if I Have Pets?
Yes, killing roaches with baking soda is generally safe if you have pets. Baking soda is harmful when consumed in large quantities.
However, it is always best to keep your pets and children away from homemade pest control. While the quantities you are likely using to control roaches won’t harm your pets, it is always best to err on the side of caution and keep them away from active infestations.
Can Baking Powder Kill Roaches?
No, baking powder cannot kill roaches. Baking powder is often mistaken for baking soda. Baking powder is a blend of acid and baking soda. The additional acid does not make it more effective on bugs. The chemical reaction created by the baking soda is doing all the killing.
Save yourself time and money; use baking soda, not baking powder.
Killing Roaches with Baking Soda
If you aren’t keen on spraying pesticides, baking soda sprinkled around your home is a viable option for cockroach elimination. While the chemical reaction will kill roaches and other pests, it is not the quickest or most effective method on the market. An integrated approach focused on long-term prevention is always the best option.