How to Kill Roaches in Empty Homes

Cockroaches can cause serious problems in a home, including an empty home that people are trying to sell. Cockroaches have been known to spread diseases, including causing food poisoning. What is often forgotten is that cockroaches commonly cause allergies in humans. The University of Kentucky ranks them as the second leading cause of allergies behind dust in homes. Killing cockroaches is easy if the right method is used.

Things You'll Need

  • Boric acid insecticide powder
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Instructions

    • 1

      Purchase a boric acid insecticide to place in your empty home. Boric acid can be purchased online or at hardware stores,. Boric acid is effective in small amounts and it retains its potency for long periods of time as long as it remains dry. The powder should come ready to use. Buy one in a plastic container with a narrow applicator tip for ease of use.

    • 2

      Apply the boric acid power in a very thin layer that can hardly be seen with the naked eye. It takes a very small amount of boric acid to kill a cockroach. Cockroaches will avoid large piles and heavy accumulations of the powder. The trick to applying a thin layer is to shake the container to get a puff of boric acid to come out of the container's top. Don't squeeze the bottle or too much will come out of the top.

    • 3

      Treat the empty home. Place powder in areas where cockroaches can gain entrance to a home, including any cracks or crevices you see. Put powder near any cabinets or appliances inside the home. Puff small amounts of the powder against walls and any area that will provide cockroaches with food and warmth. As soon as cockroaches crawl over the powder, the particles will enter their body and begin killing them.

    • 4

      Check back to your empty house every month to clean any dead cockroaches you find. Apply another layer of boric acid, if needed. You may need to apply another layer if moisture has gotten into the home or if lots of cockroaches have been killed.