2-Ingredient Homemade Cockroach Bait
With only two ingredients, this Homemade Roach Killer is natural, easy and effective! This DIY cockroach bait is non-toxic and safe to use in a home with kids and pets.
Homemade Cockroach Bait
When I first moved to Texas, what truly shocked me were the roaches! They were everywhere at night and even got into our house, no matter how clean it was!
I quickly learned that American cockroaches are just a part of life in the south. Also known as “Palmetto bugs,” they thrive in warm humid areas. Though seeing a roach in your house doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve done anything wrong, it doesn’t mean you want them to stay there either!
Our homemade ant killer works so well that I started getting a lot of readers asking, “do you have a recipe for a homemade roach killer too?”
It got me thinking, why not try and make one?
While doing my research on homemade roach killer recipes, I discovered that there are two types: natural, non-toxic cockroach killers and the traditional poison-based formulas.
With a house full of kids, I definitely prefer natural options! And like I discovered with my own natural ant repellant, natural products often work just as well or even better than harsh chemicals!
Where Do Cockroaches Live?
Like I mentioned above, roaches thrive in warm, dark places. Certain types prefer humidity, while others like a drier climate.
It’s a common assumption that roaches look for “dirty” houses, but that is not necessarily the case. Roaches can sneak into a home through the tiniest of cracks or may hitch a ride in on a suitcase, etc.
Below are four common types of cockroach and their favorite hiding spots:
- German Cockroach — These little guys prefer warm, damp environments, close to food and water sources. You’ll often find them nesting in the kitchen or bathroom.
- Brown Banded Cockroach: This is the smallest type of cockroach and it enjoys cozy, warm, dry places. You might spot them in cabinets, the pantry, or around electronics like the refrigerator.
- Oriental Cockroach: Also known as “water bugs,” Oriental Cockroaches like wet environments. They make their way into homes through sewers and drains.
- American Cockroach: This is the type of roach that I see often in Texas and other parts of the south. Also known as “palmetto bugs,” they like hot, humid conditions. You’ll find them in kitchens, bathrooms, and even around pool areas outside the home.
What You Need to Make Cockroach Bait
What I love the most about our DIY roach killer is that it only requires two simple ingredients. You probably already have these at home! Just in case, we’ve included shop-able links to the products we used; disclosure policy here.
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup baking soda (we buy in bulk because we use baking soda for so many things around the house!)
TIP: You can easily make this natural roach killer in larger batches, just be sure to keep the 1 to 1 ratio!
How to Make a Natural Cockroach Killer
- Mix sugar and baking soda in a bowl. You could also add to a jar, put the lid on, and shake. That way you have it for easy storage.
- Pour homemade cockroach killer directly onto the floor wherever you’ve seen roaches, or pour some into a shallow pan and place on the floor.
Simple as that!
TIP: If you use this natural roach killer in conjunction with an Ultrasonic Pest Repeller (a simple, non-toxic plug-in device), you’ll see even better results. Or actually, you won’t see them because the roaches and other bugs will be gone!
How it Works
The sugar attracts the roaches to the bait.
The baking soda in this roach killer will kill any roaches that eat it. Plus, they will bring it back to their nest to kill more of their roach buddies!
TIP: Be sure to keep this roach killer out for a while even after you don’t see any more roaches. They’re very good at hiding, and you don’t want to let them get away!
Where to Put Roach Bait
Roaches like to hang out in warm, dark, damp places. Think: behind the refrigerator, under the sink, in cabinets, etc.
For best results, set up multiple bait stations at the same time.
Check back every couple days to see if the roach bait has been disturbed. If it looks like roaches have gotten into one of your roach killer stations, you’re on the right track! Refill your dish of homemade roach killer and leave it in the location.
However, if it looks like your roach killer hasn’t been touched, try moving it to another location in the house and checking again in a couple days.
Printable Copy of Our Homemade Roach Killer Recipe
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2-Ingredient Homemade Cockroach Bait
Ingredients
- 1 Cup White Sugar
- 1 Cup Baking Soda
Instructions
- Mix sugar and baking soda together in a bowl or container.
- Pour mixture directly onto the floor wherever you’ve seen roaches, or pour into a shallow pan and leave out on the floor.
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I’m eager to try this one as I have the ingredients in my kitchen. By the way, how long does this mixture last?
It should stay good as long as it doesn’t get wet or clump up too much.
Does the ants will comes in because it have sugar
You’d want to keep an eye on it to make sure! But we also have a homemade ant spray that takes care of those pests too! 🙂
Does this really work on roaches
Do the pets bother it? We have a cat. Would it harm them?
I would keep pets away until the spray dries. However, it doesn’t smell pleasant, so I don’t think cats would go near it anyway!
I am going to to try it
I’ve used the 1:1 baking soda to sugar mix in N. Florida.
I put a small bit of water & blue food coloring into it.
After it dries, I re-mash it into a powder, so everybody knows to leave it be. Oddly, bugs that eat it somehow end up on their backs dead.
Thank you Stacey!
Haven’t tried it yet but I like the ease of use. We are older ppl and never had ants- cockroaches or water bugs till we moved to CA. We are clean ppl and I am so grossed out with all the cooties here! Some of the overly greedy ppl we’ve met are as bad as the cooties too. We try to avoid the cootie-ppl but the bugs keep coming. So because we have pets we will be careful to put where the pets can’t go. I love the great info and recipes and admire your creativity and good directions. Thank you for everything you are doing to help others be cootie-less!
Night Hawk
Hi stacey. i live in india a warm humid plc… and i have never faced as much trouble with roaches as i am now … we shifted to a new appt. have tried the pest control sprays and gels and they dont seem to work beyond the first 12-20 hours.
i am very eager to try your method. however just to clarify, this is a powder mixture right ? no water / any liquid added. just a dry mix of sugar and soda.
Hi, yes..it is a powder. We live in a very warm and humid place too — the palmetto bugs or “tree roaches” are just a fact of life and don’t reflect the cleanliness of your home. We do also have our house professionally treated once a year, as we live out in the country and there are tons of bugs here! A combination of the spray and our own home remedies seems to do the trick!
Hi Stacey, Can I use brown sugar too
I haven’t tried that so I’m not sure if it’s the same effectiveness.
Can this powder be sprinkled outside?
I would think that it might get blown away by wind, washed away by rain, etc. and would not be as effective sprinkled outside.
How to get rid of mice
Question can distilled white vinegar help keep roaches away when cleaning kitchen and bathrooms
I don’t know if that would keep them away for good. I have an ant spray I make with vinegar, dish soap, and baking soda that kills bugs quickly. However, I’m not sure if it would keep roaches at bay because I haven’t tried it for that purpose.
He…It live in an older apartment building and I had not had any problems with roaches until my land lady sent the Terminex man to spray everybody’s unit. Since then I see about 4-5 everyday now.
With the baking soda and sugar mix….can you just sprinkle it wherever you see the roaches? Or, do you have to put it in a bowl on the floor? I live alone…so indo not have kids or animals to worry about.
Thanks for your great idea! I can’t wait to try it!!!
I would try the bowl idea first and see how that goes. We live in the south, so there are always a few that sneak in throughout the season. But hopefully this helps you!
Thanks iam going to try it. I live in Florida
Great recipes! I will be trying them out.
FWIW, roaches don’t like eucalyptus, whether its pure oil or a floor cleaning product so your recipe plus cleaning your floor with eucalyptus should not only kill, but stop them coming back. And the eucalyptus smells nice once the floors are washed!
Here in Australia we can get all sorts of eucalyptus products and you should be able to get them too. It doesn’t seem to matter which one you use. I use the oil on the hinges of my kitchen cabinets and renew it every so often once I see the tracks again, and a floor cleaner that has the oil in it – we can even get water-soluble eucalyptus oil – but it does nothing for ants, unfortunately.
I am off to wage war!
Thank you for the suggestion!
Does this really work? I live in an apartment and have not seen roaches til lately and it is very upsetting to me.
I have 2 dogs I’m worried will get into it. Will they get poisoned/sick? Also have mice what do I do? I’ve used glue traps + caught 5 mice! Told bird seed brings mice! Is this true? Hope not! I have no problem using mix but know girls will get into it!
I honestly don’t think the dogs will be too interested in the mixture — it’s not harmful anyway. If you simply want to avoid the mess of dogs investigating, hide the bowl of powder in the back of your under-the-sink cabinet or somewhere they can’t reach it. I’ve personally not dealt with mice in my house fortunately, but the first step would probably be identifying how they are getting inside and blocking the entrance or placing traps there. I find that having my dog patrolling our yard all day long keeps small vermin away.
How pets lick this stuff won’t they get sick and die? What then?
First, sugar and baking soda are not toxic. Second, the directions state to place this solution in a cabinet, behind a fridge, etc. where you have a problem with bugs. Those places are generally not accessible to pets.
What if you know they are living outside, what can I use that won’t harm my dog or cat and won’t attract other bugs?
They are always going to be outside…nothing you can really do about that!
Trying it now to b continued
All the recipes for roaches DIY DAWN soap and vinegar. I have found out that the laundry soap is the best I could find. The TIDE pods and I poked a hole in one and put it in my spray bottle with vinegar and not as much water than suggested abd about 10drops of tea tree oil and shook it up and sprayed and it killed the roaches immediately. The TIDE pods are not as watered down like the dawn dish soap is NOW and I wanted to share with anyone trying the recipes I have and don’t get successful results at all. I live in an RV so I have to be careful about what I use. Hope this helps you, it did for mee.
I’ve been fighting a bed bug problem for a few years. Used a professional twice plus BugMD, Black Flag, alcohol and other homemade solutions. Do you another idea. Desperate Apt Dweller
I’m so sorry I don’t have a home remedy for bed bugs! I would definitely contact your local pest control specialist.
Food grade diatomaceous earth for bedbugs, along the floorboards, door jams, even sprinkled behind electrical outlets, can also put down cracks in sofas, recliners, etc. Also wrap plastic around mattresses and seal with tape for a year, makes for noisy sleep but will kill them. It will take awhile to get them all but can be done ?
Hey, does the recipe attract cockroaches and how long does it take to kill the cockroach once it consumes the bait because I live in a rooming house and I’ve only seen 2 in the past 2-3 months
Hi Stacey
Great detailed article, thank you!
2 questions: can 10X baking sugar be used in place of sugar and what is your thoughts on boric acid? Thank you
Hi Susan, I haven’t tried powdered sugar (if that’s what you mean) but it might work. If you try let me know! I don’t use boric acid in my home for this because I have pets and small children.
In my experience, powdered sugar works far better in this recipe instead of regular sugar because they cannot separate the powdered sugar from the Baking soda because their textures and particles are almost identical. I’ve used this recipe of years and rarely use anything else.
Thanks for the tip!
will brown sugar work as good as white sugar because that’s all we have is brown sugar
I haven’t personally tried this so I can’t say for sure. If you do try it, let me know what you think!
Hi, will Arm & Hammer Baking Soda with Fragrance (made to be used for Carpet Deodorizing) be used as a substitute for the regular baking soda?
I haven’t tried this myself, so I don’t know if the fragrance will have an effect. If you do try it, lmk how it goes.