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How To Get Rid of Cockroaches in Kitchen Cabinets

How To Get Rid of Cockroaches in Kitchen Cabinets

Do you ever find that you have cockroaches getting inside your kitchen? Well, you can find out how to get rid of cockroaches in kitchen cabinets here so you don’t have to deal with them anymore. 

Cockroaches can be removed from kitchen cabinets using a variety of methods including sprays, roach motels, other at-home solutions, or exterminators. All of these ways will cost different amounts, and the exterminator can be a last resort if the other options don’t do the trick for good. 

Cockroaches can be tough to get rid of and you clearly don’t want them in your kitchen! Keep reading to find out how to use them correctly to rid your home of roaches once and for all.

Where Do Cockroaches Come From? 

You might think that because you keep your house clean that you will not have to deal with these sneaky little critters, but that is a myth.

Roaches come into ANY space that they can get into, so if your home has food and water, they can find a way in!

Even with the use of many chemical cleaners, you will often find more cockroaches than you would believe could survive. However, these insects are tough to get rid of.

So, where do they come from? 

Well, many cockroaches can get into small areas that are not easy to find. This means that they can find small holes in the exterior of the home that can lead to the interior. 

Because they are often looking for food, they will gravitate to the kitchen to find out what’s available to eat! This is why you tend to see them in cabinets and under appliances. 

However, that is not the only way that they can get into the house. They might come from other homes around you and make their way through the neighborhood. 

Also, if you live in an area where you are near a large piece of unused land, then the cockroaches can also come from the open land. They will find their way to the residential areas in search of food, which will entice them to come inside your home. 

They can find their way in through drains, plumbing systems, or crawl spaces under the house. There is no way to stop them in these cases, so it may be something that you need to deal with once they have entered the home.

Ways to Get Rid of Cockroaches

When you start seeing cockroaches in your home, the most popular area that they will stick to is the kitchen cabinets. Here, they will find multiple food sources from the stored food, and they can find access to water through the sink. 

So, if you need to learn how to get rid of these insects from your kitchen cabinets, then you can choose from these options below. 

Borax Powders 

This type of powder is lethal to cockroaches, which is why this is a top choice for getting rid of them. Borax is found in many cleaning agents, but having a mixture of sugar and borax powder will allow you to sprinkle some along with the cabinets.

This will let the cockroaches walk onto the powder, which will kill them almost instantly. This will work for those who have a large kitchen and don’t want to use more expensive options for the entire space. 

This is available at many stores and is an easy powder to find, so this is a great first step to take if you keep finding cockroaches in your kitchen. 

Egg Shells 

This option might sound a strange thing to do, but it does work. Keeping eggshells inside of your kitchen cabinets will stop cockroaches from getting into it.

It’s not a well-known fact that cockroaches will be stopped by this, but it is a cheap and easy option that will work. However, make sure that you wash the eggshell before you put it out.

If not, then you could end up with sticky cabinets. 

Powdered Sugar 

Another cheap and simple way to keep cockroaches from coming inside your cabinets is to keep small bowls of powdered sugar inside of them.

By keeping sugar inside of the shelves, you can help stop cockroaches from going inside. 

If you want to add some borax powder for any that come in anyways, then this will act as a roach motel, since the borax will kill them. 

Bay Leaves 

For those who only have a few, and just want to get rid of them without needing to kill them and remove them from your kitchen cabinets.

Bay leaves have a smell that cockroaches don’t like, so they won’t go close to them. 

If you put a few leaves inside of your cabinets, then you can keep them away from your kitchen and make them look for somewhere else to go. This will not kill them, so you won’t have to pick them up afterward.

Red Wine 

Another option that will help you keep cockroaches out of your fresh foods that are left out on the counter is to keep a bowl of red wine out.

This will keep the roaches at a safe distance because they do not like the smell of the wine.

This is ideal for those who bake or cook items for the next day, which often are left out on the counter. This will keep the roaches away from the food and keep them from ruining it for you. 

Roach Motels 

This is a brand name, but it is a popular option that can be placed in the cabinet to catch and kill a cockroach.

These are small boxes that allow the cockroach to step inside it, then it kills them.

You can think of this option much like a mousetrap. This is also a great choice for those who want the roaches killed, but don’t want to see their bodies in the cabinets.

Not only are these convenient, but they’re also effective! Here’s a great option to consider (link to Amazon).

Fix Leaks 

Cockroaches tend to stay where there are food and water for them to have, so staying in the kitchen where is an abundance of both is ideal for them.

If you have any leaks by your water sources, then even when they are off, the cockroaches can get water.

This will only keep them around longer if they are getting what they want. So, finding and fixing any small leaks will stop any unwanted flow from happening when the water is off and will keep the cockroaches away.

Immediate Options 

If you have roaches in your home and need to get rid of them right away, then some of these options won’t work that well for you. Some of them don’t work immediately and will take time to see results. 

So, if you need immediate results, try these options instead. 

Roach Sprays 

If you want to get rid of cockroaches right away, then spraying a roach killer will do the trick. These sprays are made just for cockroaches and will target them specifically. 

However, you need to be careful of where you spray them, and you need to be sure that you don’t inhale any of the fumes from it.

It is recommended to wear a mask when spraying and keep others from entering the area for some time afterward. 

DIY Spray 

If you need something that you can use from home to kill the roaches, then making your spray is a great option. You don’t need any special chemicals or ingredients to do this either.

You will just need to mix water and soap into a spray bottle to put on the inside of the kitchen cabinets, and anywhere else you have seen them. This will kill them instantly when they come close, so be prepared to sweep them out when you find them. 

Exterminator 

This is going to be, by far, the most expensive option available. So, this is often the last resort when other tactics don’t work. 

This is how it should be since you don’t want to spend the money on this issue if there are only a few small cockroaches that you could’ve taken care of on your own.

But, if you have exhausted all the other options, then it is time to call in the professionals. You will have to leave the house for a few days to do this, so it can be disruptive, but it will take care of the problem for good. 

Then, after the roaches are gone, you can use some of the other tactics mentioned above to keep them from coming back again. 

Final Thoughts 

Getting rid of cockroaches can seem like a disgusting task, but when they have found their way into your home, it is necessary.

So, use any of these tactics to kill or remove the cockroaches in your home and see how big of a difference they can make for you and your family!

Lindsay Reed

Hi, I'm the founder of ProjectPerfectHome.com! I created this website to be a resource for everyone who wants to make the best home possible.