Banish Roaches For Good With A Little Help From This Pantry Ingredient

Nobody likes killing roaches, but many see it as a better option than letting them run rampant around the home. Although there are roach-killing products that you can buy from the store to squash a cockroach infestation, harsh chemicals are sometimes better left alone. Chemical killers such as boric acid and other pesticides can pose a serious risk and are dangerous if touched and ingested. Boric acid can even go airborne, making it more dangerous to kids and pets. If you're uncomfortable using pesticides close to where you live and eat, it's understandable. Fortunately, there are many unconventional uses for cornstarch around the house, and tackling a roach infestation is one of them. When used with some plaster of Paris, also known as calcium sulfate hemihydrate, this mixture can do a great job of ridding your home of roaches.

To kill roaches with this DIY combo, create a powder by mixing an equal amount of cornstarch and plaster of Paris together. Then, sprinkle it anywhere you suspect the pests may be hiding, ensuring it doesn't get wet. Cracks and crevices, dark cabinets, areas behind appliances, and other parts of the bathroom and kitchen are some of the places where you're likely to find them. Roaches will be drawn to this mixture because of the cornstarch, and after they eat the powder, they'll become thirsty and seek out water. Once the plaster of Paris mixes with the water, it will harden in their stomachs and kill them.

Although cornstarch poses some danger, it's not nearly as problematic as pesticides when trying to make your house more pet-friendly and safe for kids. A small amount is non-toxic and reasonably safe. Cornstarch is safe to consume in small quantities, although it shouldn't be consumed raw. It's even used in some baby powders. However, pets may experience minor digestive and respiratory problems if they ingest too much cornstarch. Plaster of Paris is considered non-toxic and is also relatively safe when compared to harsh pest control chemicals. However, it can irritate the skin and eyes and is not meant for consumption. Ingesting it can lead to nausea, vomiting, and gastrointestinal problems.

When using a mixture of cornstarch and plaster or Paris to kill roaches, always supervise your kids and pets when they're close to areas where you've sprinkled it, ensuring that they don't consume it. Once you find that your roach problem is under control, remove or vacuum any of the powder that remains to rid your home of the potential danger. Further, while this is typically an effective hack, it's not the most humane, so you might want to try your hand at some other ways to get rid of unwanted roaches. Additionally, if you try out these hacks but find that your pest problem persists, you may need the help of a professional exterminator.