Bait stations are small plastic cartridges that hold the gel inside them. Both forms are useful—bait stations avoid any mess but gel bait can be dropped into tiny spaces. How do you know if your bait is going to work? Talk about getting your hands dirty! A better test is keeping a close eye on the amount of bait left after each night.
One of the most common and highly regarded bait brands is Advion. Among gel bait products, Advion cockroach gel bait is the most popular for a few reasons. It uses a non-repellent formula so it strongly attracts roaches with no hint of chemicals. Additionally, the active ingredient, indoxacarb , was the first insecticide to remain toxic after being passed on to not one but two more cockroaches. For every one roach that dies from the bait, several more could ingest the insecticide by feeding on the excretions the poisoned roach leaves behind.
To pack the hardest punch, apply gel bait close to areas roaches frequent such as the crevices where roaches hide. Each day, only some of the bugs will emerge to search for food, so the closer the bait is to them, the better. When using roach killer gel, place small, pea-sized drops of the gel.
That lets the roaches eat the bait without feeling threatened or confused by lots of strange goo. For smaller colonies, drops can be 2 to 3 feet apart. You could start seeing dead roaches within a matter of hours, and should start to see significant results within a week.
Still, you should continue to apply tiny drops of gel bait until you stop seeing roach activity. The number one sign is fewer cockroaches out in the open. Remember to keep an eye on the bait.
Although roach bait gel is extremely effective and fairly easy to use, there are a few ways you might step on your own toes. Plus, roaches are sensitive to perceived danger. Too much bait might scare them away and spread the infestation further. This avoids spooking the roaches or causing them to move to avoid the bait altogether. Until they hatch, eggs are perfectly safe from your secret weapon.
There could be eggs lying in wait, ready to restart the whole roach problem. Remember, the roaches have to want it. The negative reviews of Combat bait stations for both ants and roaches mentioned that the pests seemed to simply ignore the bait stations and thus avoid contact with the chemical pesticide that could kill them off.
Trying to kill ants individually can seem like an impossible chore. When killing ants with a standard aerosol spray, ten more always seem to appear magically from nowhere. Combat bait stations offer an innovative approach to controlling unwanted pests in your home. Instead of simply trying to kill the visible ants and roaches, these products seek to get to the root of the problem by targeting the colonies of ants and nests of cockroaches.
Combat bait stations for ants, however, are specifically designed to infect ants with a pesticide that they then take back with them to the colony. Ant bait stations are small plastic capsules that can be safely placed on your kitchen countertop, underneath your sink, or anywhere that you have observed ants in your home. The bait contains a mixture of an undetectable pesticide Hydramethylnon , along with a food matrix that attracts the ants.
The ants enter into the Combat bait stations in hopes of securing a food source, gather the bait, and then return to the colony usually outdoors where they share the supposed food with other ants and with the queen of the colony.
Most aerosol sprays and other ant repellents tend to only get rid of ants in the home. Combat bait stations, however, have the ability to poison the source of the ants, which is the outdoor colony where the queen resides. Since ants also share the pesticide with the ant larvae in the colony, Combat bait stations can effectively kill off entire colonies.
Combat bait stations designed for cockroaches are slightly larger than ant bait stations. However, they work in almost the exact same manner. A mixture of a food matrix and a pesticide that is lethal to cockroaches is placed in the bait station. We also particularly like how nondescript these bait stations are. Toss them under the fridge or in the back of the kitchen cabinet, and guests will never see them.
Chemicals that affect the central nervous system of insects work best, especially because they're so effective with roaches but don't tend to affect mammals specifically pets and humans to the same degree. Cypermethrin, Imiprothrin, Fipronil, and Indoxacarb are the more common EPA-approved ones and the active ingredients found in the products we recommend above. Depending on the degree of your infestation and the amount of effort you are willing to do on your own before you call an expert extermination service , any of our recommendations are applicable.
But here's the basic run-down of application and effectiveness of each type of trap and poison:. Bait stations: Bait stations lure roaches in for poisonous bait, which they'll then take back to the nest. Dead roaches will be scattered about, but application is as easy as dropping the little plastic discs here and there and replacing them every 12 months. This is about as easy as it gets, but there will be cleanup.
Gel baits: Gel baits are second only to preventative sprays because while they're thoroughly effective, they leave behind a trail of dead bugs. Still, this is a great way to stop roaches from developing regular trails through kitchen cabinets, cracks in the wall, and other tight crevices.
Preventative sprays: Preventative sprays are somewhat labor-intensive. You have to thoroughly and carefully spray them around your house's inner and outer perimeters and let it dry for about four hours before going near the sprayed areas.
In our experience and based on our experts' recommendations, this is the most effective option. Spot-killing sprays: If you're coming face to face with roaches in your home, a spray will get the job done on the spot. You'll have to clean up afterward, though. Plus, depending on how much you spray, you can really foul the air in your house for a while. Sticky traps: Sticky traps can be effective. While they're pesticide-free, they're a little cruel because whatever gets stuck in there will die of exhaustion or starvation.
These traps also tend to be on the larger side, so they're harder to hide. No matter what type of poison you use, effectiveness is going to be relative to cleanliness. If your house is a sty, you'll just keep inviting in roaches and other pests. Keep counters and floors clean; keep your sink free of dishes; store food in airtight containers; vacuum weekly; ventilate crawl spaces; and prevent moisture from building up, especially due to leaky pipes and faucets.
Roach killers are toxic by nature, but plenty of chemicals will exterminate without being toxic to pets and humans. Here's more about the toxicity in the active ingredients found within the products we recommend:.
Cypermethrin : A fast-acting neurotoxin in insects, Cypermethrin is generally only a mild irritant to humans and mammals, as it's 1, times more potent to insects. Still, it's best to avoid skin contact when handling it. Note, Ortho's Home Defense Insect Killer includes Cypermethrin but also features a small concentration of Bifenthrin, which is harmful to aquatic insects and finfish, and it's best to avoid letting it leak into bodies of water.
Fipronil: Also used for killing fleas and ticks on dogs, Fipronil affects the central nervous system of insects. While studies show that it's heavily toxic to rodents, it will only cause mild skin irritation in humans. If consumed, health effects become much more serious, though not necessarily life-threatening. Imiprothrin: Categorized by the EPA as having a "low order of toxicity" in humans and mammals , Imiprothrin exposure manifests as a mild skin and eye irritant and is considered suitable for indoor applications.
Indoxacarb: Classified by the United States EPA as a "not likely" human carcinogen, Indoxacarb is a pyrethroid also used to prevent the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms from insects to humans and other animals. Still, it has caused neurotoxicity in several studies of both mice and rats, and you'll want to seek medical attention if ingested.
Read more about pesticide toxicity assessment at the EPA. Sign up for Insider Reviews' weekly newsletter for more buying advice and great deals. You can purchase syndication rights to this story here. Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners.
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