Cheap Roach Bait
I got tired of paying for roach baits that did not appear to work, and I could see little evidence of them being eaten on, or find dead roaches. I had previously used boric acid powder, which had limited success in killing roaches. Since spraying in my house would also expose me to the pesticides, I came up with a bait that works for roaches. The bait will save one a lot of money over commercial roach baits/sprays, and help save one's health because pesticides are not sprayed in the house. The bait is placed in old plastic roach bait containers or on small pieces of plastic or foam (from foam plates) with a knife and put on/under things out of the walking areas, usually in rooms that also have water (kitchen, bathrooms).
Roach Bait (by volume)
--Smooth peanut butter ------ 2 parts
--Boric acid powder ------------1-2 parts
--Soybean oil --------------------1-2 parts ( enough oil to get a thinner product than peanut butter, and a smooth, moist spread) (can also use peanut oil, canola oil, corn oil, etc.)
Mix well to incorporate boric acid powder fairly evenly into peanut butter and oil. Put bait in old roach bait containers that are cut and opened up for easy roach access, or on pieces of plastic or foam. Place baits near areas where roaches have been seen or suspected, and especially in the kitchen and bathrooms. Try to decrease previous roach food sources (clean house well) so they choose the bait.
The roaches ate a lot of the bait the first night the bait was put out in the house and shop. After the initial introduction of the bait the consumption of the bait was variable, depending on the number of roaches alive in the house, location of baits, number of baits put out, etc.
After eating the bait slower-moving roaches were encountered (they were easier to swat at night). Then a few were found on the floor that were lying on their side or back with legs extended, and quivering. They appeared to be in tetany. Later on, while cleaning in the house I found dead roaches inside boxes, under things, and in various other hiding places where they had died.
Keep bait out at all times to be available to recently hatched young, and to new roaches entering house (down chimney, under doors, via windows, through vents, etc.). Bait will be needed after egg cases hatch and the new young get more active.
One can poison roaches for years with this bait with what it costs for one commercial home spraying job, and you can save yourself and family from exposure to pesticide spray.
Adrian R. Lawler. Ph.D., (C) 2012 --
