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How to Kill Cockroaches Without Harming Pets

Cockroaches are one of the most common household pests. They can find their way inside your house through tiny cracks and holes in your home's foundation. Once inside, roaches can transmit germs and bacteria onto everything they touch. They can reproduce rapidly and cause an infestation quickly. Boric acid is a safe and nontoxic way to kill roaches without harming pets or people. If you discover roaches in your home, treat them immediately, before an infestation occurs.

Things You'll Need

Boric acid
Caulk
Weather stripping
Tape
Playing card
Plastic bag

Instructions

- 1
  Apply boric acid behind appliances and along baseboards inside your home to kill cockroaches indoors. The cockroaches will walk over the powder, ingest it, and die.
- 2
  Sprinkle some boric acid around the perimeter of your home to prevent roaches from coming indoors. Reapply the powder after it rains, because it will become ineffective when wet.
- 3
  Place some sticky traps inside your home where roaches frequent. Put a double-sided piece of tape on a playing card and place traps where you have seen roach activity. Check the roach traps often and discard them in a plastic trash bag in an outside garbage container when full.
- 4
  Fill any cracks or crevices in your home's foundation with caulk. Use weather stripping to eliminate any openings around doorways and windows.
- 5
  Remove food and water sources. Store food in tight-fitting containers and wipe up spills and crumbs immediately, to eliminate food sources for roaches.

Insects & Science