If you notice cockroaches at home, it is essential to know the best spray for roaches to deal with these pests. Acquiring the most reliable product goes a long way towards ensuring that your home is free from cockroaches and any other bothersome pests.
Even though roaches are small insects that seem harmless to humans since they don’t bite human beings, they are riskier than you would imagine. Their legs are heavily spined and can easily scratch your skin. Cockroaches are potential carriers of bacteria so that a mere scratch made by these species can provide an entry point for microbes and viruses into your body.
Cockroaches are a confirmed asthma trigger and an allergen source that affects human health significantly. They are also carriers of certain bacteria that poison your food and may trigger diseases, such as salmonella and streptococcus, among other infections.
Besides, roaches are a WHO-confirmed potential source of intestinal infections, for example, typhoid, diarrhea, and dysentery, among others. Thus, regardless of how insignificant they may look if found in a human settlement, these insects are unhygienic scavengers that can put your life at risk.
However, you can get rid of such insects in your home pretty quickly. Unlike other insects, such as fleas, roaches don’t multiply rapidly. So, it is relatively easy to eliminate them. The only challenge is that they hide deep in small spaces that you can’t access easily, and that is why sprays are the best solution for dealing with cockroaches.
Unlike powder insecticides or baits, sprays penetrate tiny areas, such as cracks, and hence result in the effective elimination of the roaches. The challenge, however, is getting the best spray, considering that there are numerous brands on the market, and some are not effective. In this article, therefore, I have evaluated the six best roach sprays and highlighted the key aspects to consider when purchasing roach sprays.
Top Six Roach Sprays to Purchase
- Bengal Roach Killer
- mdxconcepts Organic Home Pest Control Spray
- Tempo Ultra SC
- Ortho 0220910 Home Defense Insect Killer for Indoor & Perimeter
- Harris Home Insect Killer, Liquid Gallon Spray
- Combat Max Quick Kill Foam
As mentioned earlier, there are many roach spray brands on the market. Some are genuine and deliver remarkable results, while some don’t work effectively, or you may require spraying large quantities to see a meaningful outcome. I researched and tried many brands, and I found the following ones to be the best.
1. Bengal Roach Killer – The Best Roach Spray Overall
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Only one application of this product, and you will ensure a cockroach-free environment. It is a dry penetrating formula that kills roaches, even in the hidden cracks of your house. What’s more, the spray is made from a chemical substance Nylar that regulates insects, for instance, cockroaches growth. The Bengal spray deals effectively with roach eggs by preventing them from hatching, controlling roaches population, and wiping them off of your house.
The product has no odor and is not harmful to animals or humans when in use. Therefore, you are not exposed to any risk when spraying the chemical, whether indoors or outdoors. I want to highlight that it is a perfect roach spray for indoors since you need to apply it only once, and the product will mess with the life cycle of cockroaches, thus, preventing potential reproduction.
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2. Mdxconcepts Organic Home Pest Control Spray – Best Natural, Non Toxic Roach Spray
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This spray contains only the natural ingredients to repel roaches from your surroundings. It is a non toxic roach spray that will drive all the cockroaches away.
The natural ingredients used won’t pose a threat to you, your close ones, or pets, unlike the synthetic sprays that may pose a health risk to pets or kids at home. This product delivers fast results and can help you to deal with the roach infestation once and for good. Besides, it has a long-lasting effect that will keep these insects off of your house for quite a while.
It is the safest way to eradicate cockroaches from your premises. As I have mentioned, the spray is made from non-toxic ingredients, so you shouldn’t worry about poisonous gases, harmful fumes, or lethal chemicals that may intoxicate you in the process of eradicating the roaches from your home.
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3. Tempo Ultra SC – The Best Professional Roach Insecticide
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This insecticide provides the powder power in a liquid formulation. Only 8 oz of this product can make approximately thirty gallons of strong roach spray. Therefore, this insecticide can be used to spray a larger area since, if mixed, produces a considerable quantity of solution that can be used over large territories or for many times.
The insecticide poses no health risk to humans when inhaled and, thus, can be used both outside and indoors. The formula contains 11.8 % Beta cyfluthrin that proved to be effective against cockroaches, and the insecticide is available in bottles of 240 and 900 ml.
It is the best professional roach spray for applying at home because it is simple to use, doesn’t leave stains on walls and floor, and, most importantly, gets evenly dispersed over the treated areas for the quickest results. It is non-toxic to humans and animals, has a quick knockdown and a long-lasting effect. Its fast-acting potential makes the product extremely effective in exterminating roaches from your home.
Therefore, if you acquire this product to spray and free your home from cockroaches, the pests will be wiped off the areas you spray quickly, and your home will remain roach-free for a long time. This spray creates a barrier for preventing cockroaches from entering your house again.
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4. Ortho Home Defense Insect Killer – The Best Roach Barrier Spray per Contact
Specifications:
- Item Form: Spray
- Item Weight: 11.7 ounces
- Batteries: 2 AA batteries required
- Item Dimensions LxWxH: 8.95 x 12 x 4.88 inches
- Target Species: Ants, cockroaches, spiders, fleas, ticks
Ortho Home Defense is another remarkable spray that provides a reliable service against roach infestation. It is suitable for eliminating these insects from your surroundings, either inside your house or within the home perimeter.
The spray has a comfortable bottle design, and its formula kills cockroaches on contact. Besides, it is stain-free and has no odor. Thus, you’ll be comfortable to use the product to kick pests off your home. The spray is effective both inside and outside the house.
It will eliminate roaches in your house, and its effect will last within the perimeter of your home, thus, preventing the reinfestation. The spray kills bugs present within the area of treatment and creates a barrier that prevents new roaches from getting inside your yard. Once sprayed on the edge of the house, the product will protect you from cockroaches for the next twelve months.
The spray leaves no residue, an element that makes it usable both inside and outside the house. Its odorless aspect poses no health threat to humans or animals. You can freely walk around in the places that have already been sprayed once the product dries out.
Moreover, this insecticide is designed with comfortable wands, causing no fatigue while spraying the product. So, you won’t need much energy to operate the sprayer. It is possible to cover a large area with this product, including perimeters inside and outside the house, shortly.
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5. Harris Home Pest Control – Roach Killer Spray That Offers Great Value for Money
Specifications:
- Item Form: Spray
- Item Volume: 1 Gallon
- Item Weight: 9 pounds
- Item Dimensions LxWxH: 14.94 x 9.44 x 13.69 inches
- Target Species: Ants, Aphids, Asian Lady Beetles, Bed Bugs, Beetles, Boxelder Bugs, Caterpillars, Cockroaches, Earwigs, Fleas, Flies , Hornets, Loppers, Mites, Mosquitoes, Moths, Pantry Pests, Plant Pests, Silverfish, Spiders, Spotted Cucumbers, Stink Bugs, Ticks
This pest control solution is of great value to its user. One can spray it repeatedly to eradicate bugs from their surroundings. One gallon of this spray will be enough to destroy all the roaches in your home since it works effectively in eliminating nagging roaches and other insects.
Also, this spray has a long-lasting effect. For instance, if you use it today in your home or around the house perimeter, its killing effect will remain active for a week or even more. Thus, it will not only eliminate roaches in your place but also create a barrier, preventing these species from entering your home again in the future.
Its container comes fixed with an extended trigger sprayer. Therefore, you can use the trigger sprayer to reach even the hidden spaces that the whole bottle can’t fit in so that you will be able to destroy even the roach nests.
Additionally, using the extended trigger to spray on infested areas is effortless because you won’t need to carry the whole gallon. Thus, you can treat a large area within the shortest time without getting fatigued.
The product has an odorless formula that makes it usable both inside and outside homes. Once the sprayed solution dries out, the home inhabitants can freely enter and walk in the treated areas without worrying about any health complications. What’s more, this spray has a stainless formula so that it won’t damage your fabrics.
This Harris Home Pest Control spray is EPA-approved. Therefore, it can be considered an eco-friendly roach prevention spray. Moreover, the insecticide poses no threat to humans, pets, and wild animals.
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6. Combat Max Quick Kill Foam – Roach Exterminator Spray That Eliminates Ants Too
Specifications:
- Item Form: Foam Spray
- Item Volume: 17.5 fl.oz.
- Item Weight: 1.34 pounds
- Item Dimensions LxWxH: 2.6 x 2.6 x 9.8 inches
- Target Species: Ants, Roaches
Combat Max uses a micro-foam technology to kill roaches, reaching even to their nests. So, you only need to spray the product on the surfaces and the possible hiding places of these species, and the solution will convert into a foam that will spread all over the place, covering a wide area and reaching roach nests. The product will kill any cockroach that comes into contact with the foam.
However, this spray leaves no residue on the treated areas because the foam dries out. The only thing you’ll see are dead roaches on your home surfaces. This product consists of two powerful ingredients. One has the potential of instant killing pests, whereas the other can keep your house protected for up to ten months since the first application.
Therefore, if you want an insecticide with a wider coverage when it comes to killing roaches, Combat Max will do you a great job. It uses foam technology to kill cockroaches even in hard-to-reach spaces, for example, the cracks and crevices of your house.
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A Guide to Help You Acquire the Best Spray for Roaches
Roaches can develop a strong resistance to insecticides and repellents and also can hide deep in cracks, crevices, and areas that you can hardly access. However, all these survival techniques don’t mean that you can’t eradicate these stubborn insects from your home.
It is possible to wipe roaches off entirely from your premises for good. But to do it, you first need to understand what insect eliminating product will work best for your home. Here are some of the things to consider when purchasing a roach killing spray:
Roach Type
It is vital to evaluate what type of roaches you are trying to eradicate from your place. Cockroaches have distinct features in terms of size and behavior. The smaller ones tend to hide deeper in crevices and cracks where the ordinary spray can’t reach. The larger ones hide in spaces large enough to accommodate their bodies, so they can easily be wiped out by any insecticide spray.
Therefore, before buying a roach killing spray, you need to evaluate the type of roaches infesting your home. Note that these species are highly immune to many insecticides and develop a strong resistance to some types of insect-killing sprays, so you need to buy a special cockroach terminating solution.
Outdoor/Indoor Infestation
When purchasing an outdoor spray, check if its effectiveness can be affected by environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity. For instance, the efficiency of chlorpyrifos-based products is reduced by high humidity and temperatures.
When choosing a spray for indoor use, select one that is recommended for sensitive areas, such as food establishments. It will help to avoid potential hazards. Also, choose one that has no odor or an insignificant one.
Insecticide smell can be irritating for our lungs and is especially dangerous for pets, such as dogs and cats, because they have a strong sense of smell. Moreover, a selected product should have a low vapor pressure. High vapor can cause contamination of the air.
Lastly, check if the formulation will perform well on the surfaces to be applied. A good spray should work on both porous and nonporous surfaces. Porous surfaces include concrete and unfinished wood, while nonporous include ceramic tile and glass. Active ingredients can be absorbed into porous surfaces, making the application ineffective.
Toxic Level
Some sprays contain toxic chemical elements that can cause harm to pets and people when used indoors. Therefore, before purchasing an indoor roach spray, consider checking whether it is harmless to humans and animals if you have pets at home.
Different Types of Sprays
Commonly, roach sprays are differentiated based on the ingredients they contain. Currently, there are two main spray types that either contain chemical compounds or organic ingredients.
Chemical Ingredients
One of the most common active ingredients in roach sprays is fipronil. This compound is a slow-acting poison, and its effect is that the poisoned insect would spread the poison to others when it returns to the colony.
Permethrin is another common ingredient. It knocks down and kills the insects upon contact or ingestion.
Another common compound is Nylar. It prevents roach reproduction and ensures the environment will be free from these insects for long. Therefore, before purchasing a roach killing spray, consider whether the chemical element in the solution you are about to spray will accomplish your purpose.
Organic Ingredients
Some sprays are made from eco-friendly natural ingredients. They ensure that there’s no harm to the users, and the inhabitants of the treated area are safe, too. Thus, decide on the desired effect of the needed solution and consider whether using organic spray will go a long way towards accomplishing your mission.
How Does Roach Spray Work?
Roach sprays work when an insect ingests it, or a cockroach comes into contact with it. These products kill the roaches’ nerve cells, causing paralysis and preventing them from feeding and grooming. When these activities don’t occur, the insect dies either instantly or gradually.
Homemade Remedies to Keep Roaches at Bay
There are also some homemade remedies one can use to keep the insect out of the homes. Even though these home methods can also be applied in the war against cockroach infestation, they are not as effective as industrial sprays. However, below are some homemade remedies you can try out.
Bay Leaves
Bay leaves have a strong repelling effect on cockroaches. They find the smell of this plant’s leaves too irritating to withstand. Thus, roaches will flee away to seek a conducive environment elsewhere.
Coffee Jar Trap
Coffee is something that cockroaches like. They are easily attracted to the smell of coffee. Thus, trapping them using a jar full of water and coffee grounds can play a small role in eliminating them from your surroundings. These insects will be attracted to the container with the sweet smell of the coffee grounds, fall in the jar, and drown in the water.
Related Article: Best Roach Traps to Eliminate Cockroaches
Keeping Your Environment Clean is Essential
Food is the number one aspect that compels roaches to stay in your home. Thus, if you don’t throw away food remains into the appropriate place, for example, sealed trash bags, cockroaches will be getting their daily food, shelter, and moisture from your home. Your home will turn into a conducive breeding ground for them, resulting in a roach infestation within a short time. So, it is vital to keep your home clean and tidy if you want to avoid the spread of these pests at your place.
FAQ on Getting Rid of Cockroaches
Some manufacturers’ guidelines might not provide all the information that you would need when using a roach spray. Since your goal is to exterminate the roaches not only for a short duration but for an extended period, here are some commonly asked questions and answers on this matter:
How long does roach spray last?
A roach spray longevity depends on the quantity of insecticide needed to spray and the size of the area you need to treat. For example, you may purchase a five-gallon spray and use it all at once if you want to apply it outdoors. On the other hand, a one-gallon can also be enough for spraying the product indoors only.
How long does roach spray take to work?
A good spray should have an instant killing effect and, at the same time, create an anti-roach barrier to keep your home free from cockroaches for the most prolonged period. For example, the effect of some solutions can last for six to ten months after the first application.
Where to spray for roaches?
Identify the possible source that harbors the roaches in your home. These species tend to hide in dark narrow spaces, such as deep inside cracks, behind the fridge, under the floor drains, sinks, closets, cabinets, and stoves. These areas are a must to spray.
How often should you spray for roaches?
It is recommendable to spray your home after every three weeks to ensure that the roach nests are destroyed and these species eradicated from your environment. However, some products guarantee roach eradication on the first use.
Related Post: How to Get Rid of German Roaches
Closing Remarks
Acquiring the most reliable insecticide goes a long way towards ensuring your home is free from roaches for now on. When buying a roach spray, choose one that will deliver the quickest and most reliable results. From my evaluation, I found the Bengal roach killer to be the best solution. It kills cockroaches quickly and has a long-lasting effect. Also, it is simple to use and leaves no sticky residue.
Remember, the best insecticides do not only guarantee successful roach elimination from one’s home but also keep the user and their family safe. Thus, when shopping for a roach spray, opt for a non-toxic for humans and animals one.
What strategies do you use for effective roach elimination? Have you tried any of the roach sprays mentioned here? Leave a comment below.
References:
- Fipronil (Oregon State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency):
http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/fipronil.html - Rapid cross-resistance bringing cockroaches closer to invincibility (Purdue University):
https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2019/Q2/rapid-cross-resistance-bringing-cockroaches-closer-to-invincibility.html
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