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Anyone know of a humane and eco-friendly way to get rid of cockroaches?
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Re: Cockroaches
Mon, November 3, 2008 - 1:59 PMWell, according to "The Secret Life Of Bees" you can lure them out of your house by making a trail of marshmallow and graham crackers. But I wouldnt reccomend it.
Here are some more feasible solutions
Bring in a Hired Gun
Natural roach control is more often than not a case of thinking outside the box. And when it comes to members of the natural world, why not fight fire with fire? Purchase a gecko or two and give them free reign of your home while your infestation persists. They are natural predators of cockroaches of all varieties and will tirelessly hunt down and eventually eradicate your problem. At first you won't even know they are there, but when food sources become scarce, you'll notice your gecko making more frequent appearances out in the open. Some people swear by this method. Although you should go into it knowing you're not only investing in organic roach control, you're acquiring a pet, or two, as well. Once the geckos have cleaned your house of the problem, you'll need to put them up in an aquarium or other suitable enclosure and make sure their needs are being met, including cleaning their tank and providing daily feedings.
Lizards a No Go?
Of course, not everybody is comfortable bringing free ranging reptiles into their home. Luckily there are a number of other natural cockroach control solutions out there to try if you've got cockroaches in house. Here's a few of the more common ones:
Set Out a Mixture of Baking Soda and Sugar. Cockroaches have a very high acid content in their stomachs. When they ingest the sugar, and the baking soda along with it, the subsequent reaction between the soda and their natural make-up results in death.
Mix Up a Non-Toxic Bait. Also taking advantage of the adverse effects of baking soda, mix up a dough made of baking soda, bacon grease, minced onions, sugar and flour. The bait is easier to distribute and cleaner than the above mentioned strategy, with the same deadly results.
Try Boric Acid. Boric acid isn't non-toxic, but it isn't as volatile as most insecticides, either. You can purchase it as a powder that you sprinkle in areas where you suspect roaches are congregating. It's not exactly organic roach control, but your roaches in house will get the boric acid on their exoskeletons through contact, after which the acid eats away at them until they die. You can also make Boric Acid-based bait, similar to the baking soda bait listed above, though be sure to keep pets and children away from any area where boric acid is used. See our post on Borax.
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Re: Cockroaches
Tue, November 11, 2008 - 9:00 AMdiatomeceous earth spread it around the outside of your house in areas where it is not easily washed away. WILL NOT harm pets and humans.
When the bugs cross it they get cuts the earth then causes them to dry up and die.
And can bebought online and at most garden stores. -
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Re: Cockroaches
Tue, November 11, 2008 - 9:05 PMDiatomaceous earth is awesome, but it actually is somewhat dangerous. If you don't have pets in your yard and won't step on it barefoot, I think it's worthwhile outside the house.
From wikipedia:
"The absorbent qualities of diatomite can result in a significant drying of the hands, if handled without gloves. The saltwater (industrial) form contains a highly crystalline form of silica, resulting in sharp edges. The sharpness of this version of the material makes it dangerous to breathe and a dust mask is recommended when working with it.
The type of hazard posed by inhalation depends on the form of the silica. Crystalline silica poses a serious inhalation hazard because it can cause silicosis. Amorphous silica can cause dusty lungs, but does not carry the same degree of risk as crystalline silica. Food-grade diatomite generally contains very low percentages of crystalline silica. Diatomite produced for pool filters is treated with heat, causing the formerly amorphous silicon dioxide to assume its crystalline form.
In the United States, the crystalline silica content in the dusts is regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and there are guidelines for the maximum amounts allowable in the product and in the air near the breathing zone of workers."
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