How to Get Rid of Cockroaches in Your Apartment

Eliminate cockroaches by removing food and water sources, sealing entry points, using bait stations and gel baits, then maintaining cleanliness to prevent return.

  1. Starve Them Out First. Clean up all crumbs, store food in airtight containers, and fix leaky pipes or faucets. Cockroaches need water daily, so eliminating moisture is crucial. Wipe down counters nightly, sweep floors, and keep pet food sealed. Even tiny amounts of grease or food particles will sustain them.
  2. Block Every Escape Route. Use caulk to seal cracks around baseboards, cabinets, and pipes. Focus on areas where walls meet countertops and around plumbing fixtures. Cockroaches can squeeze through incredibly small spaces, so seal even hairline cracks. Pay special attention to areas behind appliances and under sinks.
  3. Deploy the Poison Pipeline. Apply small dots of cockroach gel bait along baseboards, under appliances, inside cabinets, and near plumbing areas. Place baits every 12 inches in infested areas. The roaches will eat the bait, return to their nests, and poison other roaches. Replace baits monthly or when they dry out.
  4. Position Your Defense Line. Position bait stations along walls where you've seen roaches, particularly in kitchens and bathrooms. These enclosed stations are safer around pets and children than loose baits. Place them behind appliances, under sinks, and in corners where roaches travel at night.
  5. Dust the Hidden Zones. Dust a thin layer of boric acid powder in cracks, behind appliances, and in areas where pets and children cannot reach. The powder sticks to roaches and kills them when they groom themselves. Avoid thick applications as roaches will simply walk around heavy dust.
  6. Stay Vigilant Until Victory. Check bait stations weekly and replace when empty. Continue cleaning religiously and maintain sealed food storage. You should see dead roaches within a few days, with significant reduction in two weeks. Keep treatments active for at least one month after seeing the last roach to catch any remaining eggs that hatch.