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Through ongoing research and tests, we’re standing by our picks, and have added a section on what to look forward to.
Battling cockroaches can make you feel like you’re on the losing end of a full-scale invasion. After all, these insects didn’t survive for hundreds of millions of years because they’re easy to get rid of. But armed with a little know-how and the right products, you can at least keep them out of your kitchen. We spoke with two roach experts, each with more than 40 years of experience. After combining their input with our own firsthand testing, we recommend that you start with some no-cost remedies, and then step up to Terro T500 Multi-Surface Roach Baits as needed.
Brandish those flip-flops, folks: It’s okay (and encouraged) for you to kill any roaches you see.
Our experts share the free steps you can take to make your home less appealing to roaches.
Bait stations may work. You may also need to switch to gels or powders. We have picks for all.
Skip the sprays, too. We discovered roach remedies that do not work—and some of them carry their own risks.
Roaches are tenacious, so you may need to expand your approach to include bait gels and powders. We have recommendations for those, as well as advice on stuff that does not work, including kill-on-contact sprays, bombs, and foggers.
Terro’s traps are easier to monitor than those of competitors. And they stay put on vertical surfaces, so you can place them close to where roaches live.
The Terro T500 Multi-Surface Roach Baits are little cartridges filled with an insect bait—a mixture of food and a slow-acting poison. The delayed action of the poison increases its overall effectiveness, since it allows a roach to pass the poison to other roaches before the roach dies (and even afterward; if you want to go straight to the disgusting details on how that works, be our guest). The Terro bait stations have a number of features most roach baits lack, which make them the most convenient and easy-to-use option we’ve found. The top of the bait station is clear, so it’s easy to monitor how much bait is left and whether the roaches are even entering in the first place. The Terro stations are also one of the few that come with adhesive strips, so they can be mounted on a vertical surface. This way you can place the bait station close to where roaches are living. Gels are effective too, but the enclosed Terro station has far less potential to be messy or accidentally consumed by a pet or child.
The Advion stations are very similar to those of our top pick. But the Advions are a little harder to monitor and typically aren’t sold in brick-and-mortar stores.
If the Terro bait stations are not available, we also like the Advion 68663 Cockroach Bait Arena. These have the same great features as the Terro stations: a see-through top (for monitoring) and the adhesive strips (allowing for versatile placement). On the Advion baits, the plastic top is very tinted, so it’s not as easy to see inside. Advion is a brand geared toward pest professionals, so these baits are not as easy to find in brick-and-mortar stores. Additionally, they’re sold in larger amounts—the smallest bag available has 12 baits (Terro stations come in six-packs). So you may end up with a giant surplus.
Combat gel can be placed right where roaches are living. The downsides: It’s messier, and it’s not as safe for use around kids and pets.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $7.
If you try baits for a couple of weeks with little success, experts recommend that you step up to a powder or gel, and we’d begin with Combat Max Roach Killing Gel. Any powder or gel gives you more applications per purchase and more-versatile placement options. But powders and gels are messier than bait stations and less protected from interference by pets and kids. (Combat’s specific Safety Data Sheet (PDF) lists mild possible reactions from skin or eye exposure.) The active ingredients here are not better than those in the Terro or Advion baits, but simply switching products may help resolve your infestation. The gel’s main advantage over a bait (or powder) is there’s flexibility as to where you can place it. Roaches like to live in little cracks and crevices. So applying the gel there in a thin bead is the kind of targeted approach often taken by pest-control operators.
Not as neat as a bait station but less goopy than a gel, this powder works well in floor crevices. And with 150 applications per bottle, it’s affordable for tackling a big infestation.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $10.
The Terro T530 Roach Bait Powder is another option. And though it’s not quite as neat as a bait station and isn’t able to stick to a vertical surface, it’s effective if you can apply it right where roaches are living. This powder bait comes in a pump dispenser with a 2-inch-long applicator, and each pump dispenses less than 1/16th of a teaspoon of bait powder. The applicator nozzle is very precise and good for getting into hard-to-reach areas, like under the fridge. Other powders we tried come in larger squeeze bottles and are much harder to portion out in small amounts. One thing we appreciated in testing is that a powder won’t get all goopy if you accidentally put your hand in it or rub up against it. The Terro bait powder is also a very economical choice if you’re dealing with a larger infestation or if you might be dealing with roaches in the long term. Each little canister has roughly 150 bait applications in it, so you can bait in a lot of different places, increasing your chances of success.
Terro’s traps are easier to monitor than those of competitors. And they stay put on vertical surfaces, so you can place them close to where roaches live.
The Advion stations are very similar to those of our top pick. But the Advions are a little harder to monitor and typically aren’t sold in brick-and-mortar stores.
Combat gel can be placed right where roaches are living. The downsides: It’s messier, and it’s not as safe for use around kids and pets.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $7.
Not as neat as a bait station but less goopy than a gel, this powder works well in floor crevices. And with 150 applications per bottle, it’s affordable for tackling a big infestation.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $10.
For this guide we spoke with Philip Koehler, PhD, endowed professor of urban entomology at the University of Florida. Koehler has been studying cockroaches for more than 40 years. His entomological accolades are too numerous to list, but suffice to say he was inducted into the Pest Management Professional Hall of Fame in 2015.
We also spoke with Stewart Clark, Terro’s director of research. Clark has been in the pest-control industry since the late 1970s, beginning his career by developing new roach-control strategies for Whitmire Research Laboratories, an organization that helped develop targeted baits. He now works with Terro and Woodstream (Terro’s parent company) on new pest-control solutions. In our conversation, he discussed Terro’s specific products as well as general background information on roaches and the pest control industry. Although Clark is employed by a manufacturer, we’ve found him to be a reliable and honest voice on all things pest control.
As for me, I’ve covered bug-related topics for Wirecutter for years and have written about ants, mosquitoes, flies, bug zappers, wasp and hornet sprays, and bug repellents (and also why essential oils are not good bug repellents). Through this research, I’ve spoken to a wide variety of specialists, have read hundreds of pages of bug-related studies, and tested dozens of products. I also live in a rural area and raise a variety of livestock, so effective bug and pest control is a personal thing for me.
This guide is for anyone who can stomach the idea of dealing with a cockroach problem on their own. Pest-control professionals are knowledgeable and generally efficient, but their services can easily cost hundreds of dollars. So we think it makes sense to first try a few things yourself. Not only are you likely to save some money in the process (most of the products we recommend cost less than $15), but you’ll also gain a swelling sense of pride for having protected your living space from the gross, six-legged invaders.
And you definitely don’t want roaches around. Besides being generally creepy, roaches can carry diseases, cause allergies, destroy food, and (brace yourself) crawl into your ears while you sleep. They can multiply quickly, too, so you’re going to want to spring into action at the first sighting.
Before embarking on your cockroach eradication efforts, there are a few simple measures to take that might even solve your problem entirely. Like ants, cockroaches are in your home for a reason, and it’s up to you to get rid of those reasons. “First of all, make it hard for them to obtain food, water, and harborage,” said Koehler. “Those are the three things cockroaches need to live,” he added.
This means it’s time to tidy up. “Generally where you have poor sanitation, you’re going to see cockroach problems,” Clark said. Put food in sealed containers, vacuum up all the crumbs on the kitchen floor, and keep the counters clean. Clark also recommends that you secure all pet food. “They love dog food. When [researchers] raise cockroaches, they feed them dog food.” It’s true—scientists at Oklahoma State University have kept a colony of Madagascar hissing cockroaches going for more than 16 years “on a steady diet of dry dog food and water.”
As you’re cleaning up, kill any roaches that you see. Shoes, rolled-up newspapers, and flip-flops are all adequate for roach hunting. A wet/dry vacuum cleaner (which you may already own) is one tool you can use to get rid of roaches—living, dead, or parts shed. Koehler recommends using one “with a little bit of soapy water at the bottom so the cockroaches that are sucked in are drowned in the water.” The water also prevents all of the roach detritus—the shed skins, feces, and roach parts—from being blown around the room. For that reason, some regular-duty vacuums might not be as strong a choice as a broom, dustpan, and sanitizing wipes for spot cleanups. We’d also be concerned about larger roach parts causing issues on some light-duty vacs’ functions, but we didn’t hear experts saying not to use one.
Keep in mind that you’re going up against hundreds of millions of years of a species’ survival abilities. There is a chance you’ll be unsuccessful.
If the problem persists, the next step is to find out where they’re living. Cockroaches like to spend time in cracks and crevices. “A happy cockroach is one that’s squeezed into a crack with its back against one side of the crack and its feet against the other side of the crack,” said Koehler. They’re commonly found behind stoves, in the spaces where pipes come up under the kitchen sink, and in and around corrugated boxes. Roaches love corrugated cardboard. “When [researchers] build enclosures to raise cockroaches, they’ll put pieces of cardboard in it,” Clark told us. The area around the fridge is a favorite too “because the heat from the compressor rises and goes into the cracks of the cabinetry above the refrigerator,” Koehler explained. He added that refrigerators are also good water sources “because you have the defrost cycle where water is produced and also condensation around the seals.”
After those things are done, we recommend getting into baits. But keep in mind that you’re going up against hundreds of millions of years of a species’ survival abilities. There is a chance you’ll be unsuccessful. “If there were a true solution to all the cockroach problems, it wouldn’t be that hard to get rid of them, right? They wouldn’t have been around for 350 million years,” said Koehler. Clark added a similar sentiment, saying, “At this point I don’t think there is a silver bullet in any of these products.” That said, Koehler noted that “it’s good to have several different kinds of tools in the toolbox.”
The new Ridgid 12-Gal. NXT Wet Dry Vac HD1200 is the best wet dry vac. It’s powerful and easily available, and has all of the basic accessories.
Cockroaches are scavengers. “They’re like the vultures of the insect world,” said Koehler. The best way to take advantage of this natural tendency is to use a bait, which is food laced with a slow-acting poison. Because the poison doesn’t kill instantly, there is time for the roach to spread it to other roaches. We’d like to note that all of the ways they transmit the poison are absolutely disgusting. For one, “Adult females will take care of their young by pooping and letting them eat it,” said Koehler. So once the toxin is digested and, ahem, expelled, it still can kill. Additionally, roaches often regurgitate—and that too can be eaten by other roaches. Finally, let’s not forget straight-up cannibalism, in which living roaches will eat the deceased, toxin-infused body of another roach. The beauty of nature is on full display with cockroaches.
The experts we spoke with recommended not getting too caught up in the active ingredients of the specific products. After hearing a list of common poisons used in roach baits—including abamectin, hydramethylnon, fipronil, and indoxacarb—Koehler told us that “virtually all of those products should work, if the bait is good.” But, he said, “there is such a thing as bait aversion. Which means that the cockroaches refuse to eat the bait because they detect something in the bait that they find unpalatable.” Understanding this means being ready to switch things up if you’re not having success. Professional pest-control operators rotate to a new bait every few months for exactly this reason. Many pest-control experts (and entomologists at Utah State University) endorse this approach.
The specific type of cockroach you’re targeting isn’t that important, either. American cockroaches, German cockroaches, and Brown-Banded cockroaches are among the most likely to be found indoors. And each of them have their preferences (American cockroaches like sewers and can enter your home through a poorly sealed toilet, according to Koehler). But as long as you’re placing the bait where you’re seeing the roaches, they should be effective.
Switch things up if you’re not having success. Professional pest-control operators rotate to a new bait every few months for exactly this reason.
Baits are available in a variety of formats—gels, powders, or in a partially enclosed bait station (which typically contains a liquid or a peanut butter–like substance mixed with the poison). Each method has its pluses and minuses, but bait stations are the easiest to use and offer the most security against curious children and pets. Using a bait station is as simple as opening it up and placing it where you have seen roaches. The best ones have translucent tops that let you monitor the status of the bait.
Bait stations have downsides, too. Because they take up a lot more space than a small squirt of gel or a light dusting of powder, there are only so many that can be reasonably put out in an area. Bait stations obviously can’t be placed directly in a cockroach crack, either, like gels and powders can. Texas A&M recommends (PDF) using “at least one bait station within 1 to 2 feet of every suspected cockroach harborage.” If you have a lot of roaches, this could lead to a floor that looks more like a bait-station minefield.
Gels and powders are similar in that they’re a food mixed with a slow-acting toxin, but they can be placed in a more-targeted and discreet way, making them standard methods in the professional pest-control industry. Gels and powders can be applied directly into the crack or crevice that the roach is living in, thus taking advantage of roach behavior. “Cockroaches are lazy, they’ll eat the first thing they come across,” said Koehler. Bait stations are much easier to use, but we have recommendations for gels and powders too.
Knowing we wanted to recommend a bait, we researched all of the commonly available bait stations, gels, and dusts. We made an initial assessment of each one based on company reputation, user feedback, cost, availability, and a general sense of the features. We then tested the most promising candidates, inspecting each for general ease of use. For this testing, we drew on our experience with other bug-killing products, particularly ant baits.
We did not test the efficacy of the baits. Based on what our experts told us, all of the most common active ingredients should work (with very few exceptions). If a bait doesn’t work (which is a possibility in each specific situation), another one should be tried. Also, a true controlled study of poison toxicity is best left to the academics, since they are much more versed in those types of procedures.
However, by going hands-on with a wide range of the roach remedies available, we were able to gain the experience necessary to really advise folks on how we’d handle a roach issue in our own homes. In the course of testing, we didn’t collect heaps of dead roaches using these products. And even if we had, it may have been hard to draw comparative conclusions among the products. But we’ll update the guide with any real-world roach-killing notes that we think prove anything meaningful. As always we invite readers to share any valuable advice or personal experiences with us.
Terro’s traps are easier to monitor than those of competitors. And they stay put on vertical surfaces, so you can place them close to where roaches live.
If you’ve cleaned up and are still seeing roaches, we think the easiest, most secure way to tackle the problem is with the Terro T500 Multi-Surface Roach Baits. Like many similar baits, these combine a mixture of food with a tiny amount of poison (Abamectin), and they should attract and kill roaches. We found Terro’s version easier to use and more versatile than the other roach baits we tried, and it’s often found in brick-and-mortar stores for a quick purchase.
We like that the top of the Terro bait station is see-through. This provides a clear view into the enclosure so roach activity and the amount of remaining bait can be monitored. Without this, it’s impossible to see whether the bait station is even effective. The viewing window also lets you easily see when the bait is all gone and it’s time to replace the station. It’s important that the entire top of the bait station is see-through, so this monitoring can be done at a glance, even if the bait station is on the floor. Other models have the viewing window on the side, which means the station needs to be picked up in order to be monitored. Most bait stations we’ve tried don’t even have a way for you to look inside.
An equally important feature is that the Terro bait stations come with small adhesive pads, so the stations can be placed vertically on a wall or under a cabinet. This allows the baits to be placed much closer to where the roaches are living, like underneath toe kicks or even on the ceiling. This method is not as targeted as a powder or a gel—which can be applied directly into the crack or crevice where the roaches reside. But the Terro is far more versatile than other bait stations, which can be placed only on flat surfaces, such as floors, counters, or inside cabinets.
And even though they’re not exactly pieces of art, the Terro stations also don’t look half-bad. They have rounded edges and are compact (about the size of a fat book of matches), so they’re more discreet than the competition, especially compared with the Combat Roach Killing Baits.
Finally, we like that the Terro bait stations can be found in some brick-and-mortar stores. Roach infestations usually can’t wait for a UPS delivery. So the Terro baits are often an option for an immediate purchase, if you want to stop the problem before a small infestation turns into a big one.
The primary downside to the Terro stations is the same as with all enclosed bait stations: There are only so many you can put out. For larger infestations, a gel or a powder is going to offer more versatility with placement, which increases the amount of bait that can be used. Start with the bait stations for one or two weeks, and if you’re not seeing any reduction in roach activity, Clark suggested it’s time to switch to a gel or powder.
Second, there are not any alarm-raising concerns on the T500 traps’ Safety Data Sheets (in a PDF via the T500 page on Woodstream; Terro is a Woodstream brand). These are not classified as hazardous by OSHA. But if you’re concerned about pets or kids potentially handling these baits without supervision, there are some precautions you should be aware of related to ingestion or skin contact.
The Advion stations are very similar to those of our top pick. But the Advions are a little harder to monitor and typically aren’t sold in brick-and-mortar stores.
If the Terro baits are not available, or if you tried them without much success, we also like the Advion 68663 Cockroach Bait Arena. These baits share the best characteristics of the Terro stations. They’re roughly the same size and have a see-through top, so monitoring is not difficult (although the top on the Advion baits is only semi-translucent, so it’s not as easy to see into as the top on the Terro stations). The Advion baits also come with adhesive pads. So it’s simple to place the baits close to where the roaches live, even if the area is located in a high-up spot.
The biggest downside of the Advion baits is that they’re more difficult to access at a moment’s notice. These baits are from a company whose products typically cater to those in the professional pest-control industry, so they are not often found in brick-and-mortar stores. Also, because this is a pro brand, these baits are available only in larger quantities. The smallest bag contains 12 baits, versus Terro’s six. The price per bait is roughly the same between Advion and Terro (Advion might be a shade more expensive on average). As for safety, Advion 68663’s Safety Data Sheet (PDF) contains language that’s similar to that in other roach killers we evaluated, with “first aid measures are not normally required” frequently appearing in instructions on treating exposure to skin and eyes.
Combat gel can be placed right where roaches are living. The downsides: It’s messier, and it’s not as safe for use around kids and pets.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $7.
If you’ve tried bait stations for a couple of weeks and they’re not doing the trick, we recommend trying a gel or powder. Gels can be dispensed directly into the crack or crevice where roaches are living, a targeted approach that makes gels one of the preferred methods of a professional contractor. The gel is sticky enough to be stuck to a vertical surface, an advantage it has over powders. Many gels are equally effective, and one is usually available and less expensive: Combat Max Roach Killing Gel.
The Combat gel comes in a big plastic syringe that dispenses a ⅛-inch-thick bead the color of applesauce. So it “can be placed right where the cockroaches are, which is directly into the cracks and crevices, somewhat like caulk,” Koehler said. He continued, “But you won’t caulk the whole crack to try to keep them out or keep them in the crack. Just a little bit next to the crack or into the crack.” The tube comes with a little cap, so whatever you don’t use can be saved for later.
The downsides of Combat’s gel are common to most gels: Unlike with a bait station, gel remains exposed after application, so it can be goopy if you brush up against it. And having it out in the open might not be best for folks with pets or small kids. But to our eye, the Combat gel’s Safety Data Sheet (PDF) doesn’t raise any terribly alarming concerns about toxicological exposure to skin or eyes.
Not as neat as a bait station but less goopy than a gel, this powder works well in floor crevices. And with 150 applications per bottle, it’s affordable for tackling a big infestation.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $10.
Neither powders nor gels are as neat as bait stations. But in certain situations, a powder may be less messy than a gel. Powders may be the better option in high-traffic areas, where there’s a possibility of accidentally smearing the gel. A powder is also a good option if you’re not having success with the other products. The Terro T530 Roach Bait Powder is a good powder to start with. Although the container is very small, it holds roughly 150 bait applications, so it’s easy to bait in a lot of places at once. The Terro powder comes in a little pump bottle with a 2-inch adjustable nozzle that can dispense a minuscule, 1/16-teaspoon amount of powder into a pile, down a crack, or right up against a surface like a baseboard.
In our testing we preferred this powder over others because the Terro powder proved to be easier to use. Many others came in larger squeeze bottles that were more difficult to dispense. Powder dusters are available, but that’s a separate purchase and an added expense.
The downsides of the Terro powder are similar to those of the gels. Because there is no bait station, pets and kids may come in contact with the powder. In our opinion, the Safety Data Sheet (PDF) for Terro’s T530 doesn’t raise any major alarms. There are mildly worded warnings about using soap and water to wash away powder if skin or eyes are exposed to it (similar to the toxicity warnings we’ve seen on other roach killers).
The products above, and even the ones in the Competition section, will all work. But there are other widely available products that can make your roach problem worse—or even blow up your home.
If you blow up your house, the cockroaches are still going to be there.
Instant-kill aerosol sprays are available in brick-and-mortar stores and even drug stores. But the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program says they “may also repel and disperse cockroaches to other areas of the building from which they may return later.” The same article notes that, “Sprays should not be necessary if a [pest-management] program is followed that uses sanitation, exclusion, and appropriate baits and dusts.”
Total release foggers (aka bug bombs), such as the Harris Indoor Fogger, are another category we dismissed without testing. This is a blanket treatment that is set off in an unoccupied room on the theory that the space fills with insecticide and kills off the roaches. The reality is that they don’t work. Koehler explained that because there is little to no air circulation in the small spaces where roaches reside, the insecticide won’t reach them. Even worse, as Koehler explained, is that there have been cases where people haven’t properly sized the amount to the room size. Coupled with the effectiveness of the product, this has caused people to set off repeated bug bombs. The downside is that butane is often used as a propellant in the aerosol cans. “If you put off enough butane in a room, for instance if you do that in your kitchen and the refrigerator cycles on and you have a spark, you can blow the place up.” The destruction of your home would be bad enough. But, as Koehler also pointed out, “if you blow up your house, the cockroaches are still going to be there.”
We’re currently researching and testing Terro’s T502 Indoor Roach Bait Gel. It’s typically more expensive than the Combat gel we recommend, but it may offer a more convenient application. Instead of the typical syringe design of the gel bait applicator, the Terro T520 is more reminiscent of a whipped cream canister (or Easy Cheese!), with a side lever that needs to be pressed in order to dispense the bait. The adjustable flow nozzle controls the speed that the bait comes out, so it may be easier to apply in both wide and narrow cracks and crevases. It also contains a stronger dose of fipronil, compared to the Combat gel, which might increase its effectiveness.
We’ve already covered things that don’t work. But the products in this section, based on their active ingredients, have the potential to be effective. They’re just not our first choice for a variety of features, including user-friendliness, ease of application, availability, and other factors. If you find one of these products and are okay with the caveats noted, any would be fine to try—especially if you are rotating through multiple bait types and one listed below sounds more suitable for your needs.
The Hot Shot Ultra Liquid Roach Bait has a viewing window, but it’s on the side of the bait station, so it’s harder to check. This bait station doesn’t come with any kind of adhesive pad, so it can be placed on a flat surface only, making it much more limiting than our picks. Still, it is often sold in brick-and-mortar stores and is a viable option if our picks are out of stock.
Terro T360 Ant and Roach Baits is a single-unit combination of Terro’s roach bait with its extremely successful ant bait. It’s really two separate bait stations melded into one unit, with the ant bait on the upper half of the enclosure and the roach bait on the lower half. It uses the same abamectin-based roach bait as our top pick. If you’re dealing with both types of insects simultaneously, this may be a good all-in-one option. But unfortunately the roach part of the container is opaque, which prevents monitoring. This one is also larger than the stand-alone units and doesn’t come with an adhesive pad. Our recommendations would be to treat each insect separately, giving you more ability to place the bait stations in the best locations.
Other bait stations were dismissed due to their fully opaque enclosures, which prohibit any monitoring of the bait. Combat Roach Killing Bait, Combat Max Roach Killing Bait, and Hot Shot Maxattrax Roach Bait all fall under this category. None of them come with adhesive strips either.
The MaxForce FC Roach Bait Stations may be excellent and effective baits, but they are geared toward professionals, so they’re available only in larger amounts and are thus a much more expensive purchase.
The Hot Shot MaxAttrax Roach Killing Powder is like many other powders in that it has boric acid as the active ingredient. This is a highly effective toxin for ant control and likely works fine for roaches. The products we found come in large bottles that are much more difficult to use than the Terro powder, with its precise applicator.
Harris Roach Gel uses indoxacarb as the active ingredient, so it should be similar to our recommended Combat gel and is a fine alternative, if it’s easier to get. Our experience is that it’s more difficult to find in brick-and-mortar stores, which is why we went with the more-available Combat gel.
Advion Cockroach Gel Bait Insecticide is marketed to pros, so it’s available only in large amounts and is therefore more expensive. Wirecutter Editor Marguerite Preston used it to fend off a huge infestation and said that it was very successful. She agreed that the amount she had to buy was larger than she needed, but she’s given the extra tubes to neighbors to use.
Roach traps, like the iconic Black Flag Roach Motel and the Terro T256 Roach Magnet, are another option, but our experts both recommended using them only as a monitoring tool. “Put them around where you think you have a problem. See if you trap more in one area than another area,” Clark said. And then put out your baits. For smaller infestations, this may not be necessary, but with larger infestations traps can be a useful tool. Just don’t expect them to solve your problem. “You usually don’t catch enough within those sticky traps to control an infestation,” Koehler told us.
Insect growth regulators, like the Control Solutions Tekko Pro Insect Growth Regulator, are products that sterilize cockroaches, thus preventing them from reproducing. Though effective, this process takes much more time than using baits. Koehler told us that “for German cockroaches, which is the fastest-reproducing cockroach, it would take about six months for the population to be reduced. It’s a long-term process.”
Doug Mahoney is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter covering home improvement. He spent 10 years in high-end construction as a carpenter, foreman, and supervisor. He lives in a very demanding 250-year-old farmhouse and spent four years gutting and rebuilding his previous home. He also raises sheep and has a dairy cow that he milks every morning.
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