Pest Control. Cockroaches. Aarghh..How often have you switched on the kitchen lights in the middle of the night to find the creepy little dirty insects moving about freely? Do you tip-toe into your bathroom like a detective carefully inspecting the corners behind the door before stepping inside? I doubt I would be so scared of any other creature on Earth..cockroaches make me shriek loud enough for the whole building to hear. That makes me take a lot of preventive steps to keep the pest at bay.

If you share my fear for cockroaches, then read on to see how you can get rid of them.

1. One important thing I’ve observed is that dirt attracts cockroaches. The presence of roaches is directly proportional to how unclean your kitchen is.  Flowing waste basket, food particles littered on the counter, open grocery bags, smelly shelves, and a dirty under-the-sink area will act as magnets for roaches. So ensure you clean the counter top every night after dinner, empty the waste basket, seal half-open grocery bags, and clean/wipe the racks/shelves regularly (at least once a month).

2. Herbal pest control is one thing I recommend highly, if it is available in the city you live in. It is economical, odorless, non-poisonous and gives good results for at least 6 months at a stretch. It takes about 45 minutes to apply the gel all around the house and costs about Rs.550 - 600 for a 3 BHK house. I used to repeat it once every 5 months so it costs under Rs.1200 annually. The downside is not available in all cities. There were many vendors in Pune but non in Bangalore. Most are safe around children.

3. The other alternative is to go for a branded service like Godrej Hi Care or Pest Control of India. They are comparatively very expensive at Rs. 2700 for an annual maintenance package. I wouldn’t recommend PCIL as the spray’s smell is quite strong and they ask you to empty the kitchen before the treatment. I found it very cumbersome and time-consuming.

4. A stop-gap solution that has been effective in preventing cockroaches is a home-made paste.  Take one part of boric acid and two parts of maida. Knead it into a dough with a spoon of sugar and roll them into small balls (slightly bigger than that of a naphthalene ball). Let it dry until it turns hard. Place two to three balls in every rack of your kitchen shelf. This keeps roaches at bay. The process has to be repeated once in 2-3 months for it to be effective.

5. Some other preventive measures you can take are to secure the drain openings in the kitchen and bathrooms every night, keep the under-sink cabinet odor free and place naphthalene balls in the region.

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