Say goodbye to cockroaches and flies at home thanks to an ingenious trick

If there’s one thing we all agree on, it’s that we hate having pests in our homes, especially flies and cockroaches. Disease vectors, they are usually found in warm, humid places like the kitchen, bathroom or cupboards. While we often wonder how they got into our house, the question that arises above all is how to get rid of them as soon as possible. If this is your case, don’t panic! We’re going to give you natural and foolproof tips to get rid of them in less than 10 minutes.

Flies and cockroaches are insects that can quickly invade your home thanks to their dizzying ability to reproduce. If you are looking for solutions to eradicate them, without using chemicals, this article is for you! You can finally say goodbye to these unwanted “guests” that can sometimes seem immortal!

How to get rid of cockroaches and flies at home?

Finding a cockroach in your home, whether alive or dead, is never good news. In fact, these pests are known to live in the darkest and tightest places in the house, such as cracks in walls, pipes, skirting boards and closed spaces, where the female takes the opportunity to lay hundreds of eggs.  The presence of just one cockroach can therefore hide a real army  . The same goes for flies whose female can lay up to 600 eggs! Worrying, right?

Read also: How to make an insect repellent to repel gnats and cockroaches?

Where do cockroaches and flies come from and what attracts them to your home? Is the condition of your home in doubt, clean or dirty?

Cockroaches, also known as roaches or cockroaches, as well as flies, are commonly associated with dirt and decay. However,   it is not uncommon to find them in a well-maintained home  . In fact, several factors can be the cause of the presence of these pests   in your home, namely:

• The comings and goings of suitcases or supplies

Cockroaches are very agile insects that can stick to surfaces or crawl inside luggage. They can also hide in clothes, shoes, coats, etc. or slip into your purchases at the supermarket and be transported from one place to another.  So you can bring them in from outside without realizing it  . In addition, a visitor who comes to your home can also be behind the appearance of this “illegal guest”.

• The space under half-open doors and windows

Cockroaches are constantly attracted to environments favorable to their survival and are constantly exploring new horizons.  If an apartment near yours contains them, you should know that you are not immune to an invasion  . And in case you are wondering how they manage to get inside, keep in mind that open windows at night, under doors or cracks in walls are all ways they can sneak into your home.

• Proximity to a farm.

Living near a farm can justify the presence of flies in your home. The coolness and shade offered by a house are enough on their own to scare away the flies that gravitate around the perimeter to enter it, mainly through open doors and windows or through ventilation ducts.

But more generally, in addition to the dark, moist, warm places they like, these insects are attracted to water and food. Crumbs in the kitchen, dishes piled in the sink, or an open trash can are all invitations for cockroaches and flies.

How to recognize the presence of cockroaches in your home?

If it is easy to spot the presence of flies in a house, when it comes to cockroaches, it is a different story. Able to sneak in everywhere, they usually come out at night and circulate mainly in hard-to-reach places. But rest assured that   they leave traces of their passage   and if you are attentive enough, you will be able to detect their presence. Here are some unmistakable signs:

• Translucent skins left behind (cockroaches molt 5 to 8 times during their life before reaching adulthood);
• Droppings on the walls like coffee grounds;
• A bad smell given off by their pheromones;
• Brown, tan, or black egg sacs that look like a small capsule;
• Damaged food packaging or suspicious markings on soft foods.

Germanic, Oriental, American… These are the different types of cockroaches that you can find in your home

To date,  around 6,000 different species of cockroaches have been identified worldwide, but few of them (less than 1%) interact with humans. In France, you are more lucky, or rather unlucky, if you come across one of the four species commonly found in France. Among them:

• The German cockroach (Blattella germanica):  This is the most widespread species in Europe and the one you are probably familiar with. It accounts for no less than 90% of domestic infestations. Light brown in colour, the German cockroach is about 1.5 cm long and is particularly prolific. It can lay 30 to 40 eggs at a time.
• Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis):  This species measures between 1.8 and 2.9 cm in length. It is recognizable by its dark brown color and short wings that do not completely cover its abdomen. It prefers warm and humid places and is usually present in basements and sewers.
• The American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) is  a giant domestic cockroach from France, which can reach up to 4 cm in length. Dark reddish brown with a pale yellow band on the edge of the wings, this cockroach likes damp places, such as bathrooms and kitchens.
• The striped cockroach (Supella longipalpa)   is a smaller species, measuring only 1 to 1.5 cm long. It is light brown in colour and has a dark stripe running down its thorax. It prefers warm, dry places and is often found in kitchen cupboards and cupboards.

In addition to these common species, there are also other species of cockroaches in France, such as the amberwood cockroach (Ectobius Vittiventris), a native species that you can more easily find in your garden than inside your home.

Insecticide, eggs, baby cockroaches… 5 important things you should know

Before we talk about the natural tricks   that will allow you to kick these pests that bother you so much out of your walls, here are the most frequently asked questions about cockroaches.

Why shouldn’t you kill cockroaches?

One of the first things you might think of when you see a cockroach is squashing it. Except that it’s not a very good idea, especially when it’s a female. In fact, you risk spreading her eggs that could hatch all over your habitat, and squashing them could also spread her scent made up of pheromones. Which could attract other cockroaches to your home. The best thing to do in this case is to capture the cockroach on absorbent paper and throw it down the toilet, or even put it in a plastic bag and throw it in the trash.

Why do insecticides work less and less? 

You may not know it, but cockroaches are becoming more and more resistant to insecticides, and it’s scientifically proven. Worrying, isn’t it? In an American study published in the   Journal of Economic Entomology  and picked up by National Geographic, a research team from the University of California demonstrated the ability of German cockroaches to survive several types of commonly used insecticides. But there’s something worse! Another study, this time conducted by researchers at Purdue University in the United States, shed light on the ability of female cockroaches to pass on their immunity to insecticides to their offspring. This further complicates the fight against these pests. However, there are effective natural solutions to get rid of cockroaches, but also flies in no time!

How to get rid of cockroaches and flies quickly and effectively? Here are three tips to get rid of these pests permanently.

The presence of cockroaches and flies in your home can quickly become a real problem  . If you want to get rid of them quickly and effectively, it is important to adopt the right methods.  Here are three natural recipes that you can try today:

the coffee method

For this trick you will need coffee grounds, cloves and a candle. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Put two tablespoons of coffee powder in a bowl;
2. Add three teeth;
3. Cover the nails with another three tablespoons of coffee powder;
4. Split a candle in half to collect the wick; using the handle of a steel spoon, create a slot in the container and insert the wick, then cover the base with coffee and place the cloves around it;
5. Finally, light the wick and let the smoke spread.

The particular smell it gives off will keep  cockroaches, flies and other insects away.

The baking soda and sugar trick

All you need is a bowl, baking soda and white sugar.

1. Mix the two ingredients equally in the bowl;
2. Place the resulting mixture in small piles in the infested areas.

This trick, one of the easiest to perform, will allow you to create an irresistible bait for cockroaches and flies that will be attracted by the smell and sweet taste. By ingesting this mixture, the insects will be killed safely and effectively. If you want to replace the baking soda with another ingredient, you can use sodium borate which is also toxic to these insects. However, this is not the preferred solution if you have children or pets. It could be harmful if ingested.

Read also: Put a plastic bag with coins on the balcony: solve one of the biggest problems in the house

The diatomaceous earth trick

Like baking soda, diatomaceous earth is very effective against pests. It is a fine, light powder that is used as a natural insecticide due to its abrasive and drying properties, which kill insects by destroying their protective wax coating. You can get it in supermarkets and place it subtly in the corners of your home.

We’re not teaching you anything by saying that having cockroaches and flies in your home is not a pleasant thing! And although getting rid of them can often be an impossible mission, several economical, ecological and easy-to-prepare tips allow you to come  to  terms with it. Before you think about calling a pest control professional to the rescue, don’t hesitate to put them into practice. You might be surprised by their effectiveness.

Read also: Why is it good to leave lemon peels on the windowsill?