How to Trap Cockroaches

Getting rid of cockroaches is not an easy task once they are infested. Smashing cockroaches one by one may not seem like a good way – or inhumane – and you probably want to solve the problem without getting your hands dirty. Cockroach traps can be a great alternative to insecticidal sprays and are less expensive than hiring a cockroach extermination service. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Table of Contents

Cockroach trap with cloth tape

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Try making a tape trap. The materials used in this method are quite simple: you only need bait to attract cockroaches and tape to keep them in the trap. This type of trap is hard to move once set, but it’s a simple trick, and you can get great results with little effort.

Buy sticky traps if you want. You can find traps at garden supply stores or ask a pest control service. ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Buy a roll of fabric tape. Make sure the tape is new and tacky; Otherwise, the cockroaches may struggle to escape. You can use other types of tape instead of cloth tape, but remember that they should have good adhesion. Scotch tape or paper tape is not suitable; Cockroach traps need to be able to hold cockroaches until you can handle them.

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Choose bait. Anything that smells sweet or greasy will work. People usually use onions as bait, but you can use anything that smells good. A small piece of freshly peeled banana peel, a piece of overripe fruit or a piece of bread can all be used. ^{[3] X Research Source} If you notice that cockroaches in your home are particularly fond of a certain food, use that food as bait.

If you want to kill cockroaches on the spot, you can buy a gel bait that contains active ingredients that are toxic to insects. However, this bait is not always attractive to cockroaches, so may not be as effective as a tape trap. ^{[4] X Research Resources} Contact your garden store or pest control center to find baits.
Use only a small amount of bait. If you let the bait stick out over the edge of the tape, the cockroaches won’t have any incentive to get inside and get stuck. You should cut onions, fruits or other foods into small pieces that are still enough to attract cockroaches.

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Set bait. Place fruit, onions, bread, etc. in the center of the tape. Be sure to place the bait firmly so it doesn’t tip over.

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Trapping. Place the tape in an area where you see a lot of cockroaches: in the kitchen, in a dark corner, or near a hole in the wall. You should determine in advance what to do with the cockroaches after you trap them; The cockroaches will be trapped in the tape, and you will have to find a way to prevent them from escaping.

Try placing cockroach traps on high places, such as the top of a kitchen cabinet or the top of a refrigerator. Cockroaches like to crawl up high. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

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Wait for the cockroach to get caught in the trap. Cockroaches like the dark and often forage for food at night. Leave the cockroach trap in place overnight and do not disturb until morning. When you check the trap in the morning, you will find many cockroaches stuck in the trap. You can deal with cockroaches by humanely killing or releasing them.

If you want to release the cockroaches, pick up the tape and bring it outside. You need to take it away from home at least 35 m, then shake the tape to make the cockroaches fall off and throw the tape away. Do not handle the tape with your bare hands, you should wear gloves or use a trash can. Another way to handle it is to use the box face down on the tape, then thread a piece of paper under the box to trap the cockroaches inside when you take them out.
If you want to kill cockroaches, simply throw away the tape containing the cockroaches. Remember to cover the trash or tie the garbage bag tightly when putting cockroaches inside; Otherwise, the cockroaches may crawl out and all your efforts will be in vain!

Trap cockroaches with jars

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Try a cockroach trap in a jar. This method is safe for children and pets, and is easier to move than duct tape. Look for a 1-quart jar with a very short neck, such as a jar of mayonnaise or spaghetti sauce.

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Make a path for the cockroaches to crawl into the jar. Wrap paper tape over the entire outside of the jar (adhesive side sticks to the jar), to create friction for the cockroaches to climb up the wall of the jar. You can also place the jar next to a slope to make it easier for cockroaches to get inside.

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Lubricate the inside of the vial. Apply a layer of Vaseline cream on the inner wall of the vial, at least a 10 cm length from the mouth of the bottle. Thus, the cockroaches will not be able to climb out of the jar because there is no friction to cling. You can mix Vaseline cream with bait to kill cockroaches when they eat the bait. Remember that gel bait dries out easily, so a little Vaseline cream will help keep the bait moist while the cockroaches get caught in the trap.

Cockroach trap in a bottle

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Try a cockroach trap with a bottle of red wine. First, find an almost empty bottle of wine. The shape of the bottle is very important (the bottle should be tall, cylindrical, narrow neck, etc.), as this will prevent cockroaches from crawling out of the jar. Any bottle that is tall and has a narrow neck will work. There should still be some wine left in the bottle, about a few spoons. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

If the wine is not sweet, you should put in the bottle ¼ teaspoon of sugar and shake well.
If you don’t want to drink alcohol, you can try sugar water with a piece of fruit. Use boiling water to cool to prevent mold before the solution takes effect.

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Brush a little cooking oil inside the mouth of the bottle. The cooking oil will flow down and lubricate the bottle wall until the bottom of the bottle.

You can also use a bottle brush or a long-handled brush to brush the Vaseline inside the bottle, just below the neck of the bottle. So the cockroaches when falling into the bottle will not have the adhesion to climb up.

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Trapping. Place the bottle where you’ve seen cockroaches: near a compost pile or a dark corner of the kitchen, for example. Set traps for at least one night. It can take several days for the solution to ferment enough to attract cockroaches.

Cockroaches will be attracted to the sweet smell of wine or beer. They will crawl up the top of the bottle, slip on the oil, fall to the bottom of the bottle and be unable to climb back up.
Consider creating a “path” with wine on the side of the bottle from the bottom of the bottle up to the top of the bottle. Cockroaches will be lured into the trap in the hope that there is something more attractive inside.

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Throw away cockroaches. In the morning, when you check the trap and find cockroaches in the bottom of the bottle, carefully pour hot water into the bottle to kill the cockroaches. Leave hot water in the bottle for about 1-2 minutes for the cockroaches to die completely, because cockroaches are known for their longevity. Dispose of dead cockroaches by dumping in the garden, compost pile or toilet bowl.

If a one-time trap is not enough to solve the problem, continue to order a new bottle to trap the cockroaches every few days. Gradually, the number of cockroaches will decrease and fewer cockroaches will fall into the trap.
Try the simultaneous use of cockroach traps with wine bottles, jars or tape. Place different types of traps in different areas of your home and see what works best. Note that a trap can catch many cockroaches because it is placed in the right place, not because of the mechanism of the trap.

Advice

If you don’t have onions, you can use peanut butter or anything sweet.
Once the cockroaches are trapped, you can use a vacuum cleaner to suck the cockroaches off the tape or throw the tape away.
Consider making your home less attractive to cockroaches. If the indoor environment is still favorable for cockroaches, then killing cockroaches will only create space for new cockroaches to quickly take their place. ^{[9] X Research Source}
Cockroaches do not necessarily die when sucked in by a vacuum cleaner – they will lay eggs in it and your house will have more cockroaches.

Warning

The tape may dry out.
Keep the tape away from children and pets.

Things you need

Super sticky tape
Foods with strong odors (like onions) or wine
Dark location where cockroaches often congregate

Steps