How to Exterminate Roaches using a Liquid Spray Insecticide

Roaches have been a pest for a very long time, some say they have been around since the dinosaurs. There are different breeds, such as the American and German, but in general, their habits are similar. The following treatment can be used against most any breed living in the home. Spraying with a liquid residual insecticide is just one of various methods to gain control and ultimately elimination. By using a residual insecticide, once the roach travels across it, they will eventually during normal grooming, yes grooming, lick it off their feet which is how they will ingest the poison.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• One gallon of ready to use insecticide. Many brands will work, you just want to be sure that the product provides a "residual" effect and is aimed at specifically killing roaches.
• Spray applicator that will offer a direct stream spray if one is not already attached to the gallon container of insecticide.
• Rubber Gloves
• Flashlight
• Safety Glasses (needed if you will be spraying overhead)

1. Please read through all the steps below before starting!
   Some basic preparation work first, keeping in mind that you will be working with poisonous chemicals, therefore, good prep and safety 1st!
2. It is a good time to mop all the floors since after the treatment is it suggested you not mop along the baseboard edges for at least a few days.
   Empty out all of your kitchen cabinets, at least the lower ones. You may decide to not empty the upper ones, but if roaches have been seen there, it is important to empty them out also. Empty everything out from under the bathroom sinks and medicine or storage cabinets as well.
   Put these items in another room, such as the living room. dining or bedroom where you won't be concentrating your spraying efforts as heavily.
   Clear everything away from the baseboards throughout the house. You want at least 6 inches of clearance, and put away any children or pet toys.
3. If you purchased an odorless insecticide, which would be first choice, you may remain in the house after the treatment. If you did not, then you may want to leave for a couple hours to avoid the smell of the insecticide. Be prepared to keep pets such as dogs and cats out of the way during the treatment and also for a few hours afterwards so they won't be inclined to lick the baseboards while the chemical is wet, and naturally keep small children off the floors and out of the way.
4. After everything is prepared per above, you should read and follow any additional safety requirements and directions from the insecticide container.
5. Put on your rubber gloves before working with the insecticide. Test the spray applicator out by spraying under the sink to be sure you know what type of stream and pressure to expect. You don't want too much pressure whereas the chemical will bounce back at you, a gentle stream is best.
   Starting in the kitchen, under the sink, use your flashlight and carefully spray into all cracks, crevices and where the water pipes go into rear wall. This is a common place for roaches to live and breed. The object here is that if a roach were to walk through this area it would have no choice but to pick up the insecticide. Under the floor board, if you can gain access, is another hot spot.
   Keep in mind, that just like all other living things, water is a main life source, so roaches will usually live and breed near water, whether it be under the sink, moisture from below the refrigerator, behind the dishwasher and of course in the bathroom. These should be your areas of concentration.
6. Use the same spraying procedure as you did under the kitchen sink throughout the rest of the emptied cabinets. (Safety Glasses on if spraying overhead). Remember, you only want to spray enough chemical along the edges so that it will settle no more than approx. 1 inch in width, no need to soak it up.
7. Follow your way along all the baseboards in the kitchen also getting under and behind the stove, refrigerator, dishwasher and any other appliances or possible water source areas. If you have openings where the counter tops meet the walls, you want to run some chemical behind there as well.
8. Concentrate in the bathroom now and spend some time spraying thoroughly under the sink, into all the cabinets you have emptied out and into any cracks or crevices you may find along woodwork in general. Remember the bathroom and kitchen are the main harborage and breeding areas.
9. Follow this same procedure along baseboards only in the other rooms being careful that you are not over spraying and hitting the wrong target, like that child's toy nearby. Your flashlight will come in handy again!
   At times for a heavier infestation you may find roaches living in cracks in door frames up above. If you choose to spray into these areas, it would be best to wear safety glasses so the chemical doesn't bounce back at your face. Be cautious here!
10. After the chemical has thoroughly dried, usually within an hour or two, you can put your items back into your cabinets.
    Regarding drinking glasses, I would suggest you store them with drinking side up, rather than down, or you can line the cabinet with paper towels. This is just a precaution in case your spray misted away from the edges of the cabinets. You really want the insecticide to do it's job and not wash down the cabinets for at least a week or so if possible.
11. These chemicals are generally meant to have a residual effect for anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks, depending on the strength of the active ingredient you are using along with humidity and heat levels. The first treatment is meant to kill off the adults that are now active and moving about. A second treatment is suggested within 2 weeks which will give you fresh insecticide to kill off the babies that will be hatching and moving about since they were not affected during the first treatment. Follow up again in 30 days after your initial 2 week follow up and repeat treatments as needed.

Tips & Warnings

• Sanitation is "key" and imperative to keeping roaches away. If they have no food to eat or water to drink they will go elsewhere. Roaches can live off that built up grease behind the stove for a long time and the juice they can derive from an old piece of orange peel will keep them going as well.
• When you emptied out your cabinets, if you discovered for instance, paper bags. cardboard or any item with roaches or egg capsules within, you should take them outside right away so they don't scatter.
• Watch what you bring home from the grocery stores, for many times this is how roaches are first introduced into the home.
• Whenever handling or working with pesticides, wear rubber gloves and safety glasses if spraying overhead.
• Always store the insecticides well away from children and pets.
• If the odor is bothering you or your family, open windows or leave for a while.
• Keep the phone number of your nearest poison control center handy.
• Before you spray an area, you should survey it first to be sure that you will not be spraying too close to the electric outlet or into the dog food tray or on your child's favorite toy!
• Always read and follow "all" instructions on the pesticide label.