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The Insider Pick:
Any cockroaches that stay outside in nature are OK in my book and should have nothing to fear from humans. Any roaches that break the trust and come into our homes, however, need to die.
Our top pick to render said bugs dead is the Combat Max 12-Month Roach Killing Bait because, as the name suggests, its lethality starts on day one and lasts for a year.
You've probably heard cockroaches described as the ultimate survivors. After all, can't they survive a nuclear explosion? Well, not exactly, as it turns out. Anything caught up in the actual blast wave, be it a roach or a rhino, is as good as dead. But when it comes to withstanding radiation exposure, roaches have a tolerance that far exceeds our own — 50% of one test group survived a 30-day exposure to radiation levels that would have killed most humans in a matter of minutes.
And speaking of survival, some variety of roach ancestor has been extant for about 320 million years, which means that cockroaches not only survived the extinction event that killed off the dinosaurs some 66 million years ago, but that roaches were scurrying around the planet about 70 million years before the first Eoraptors were running around what today is Argentina.
So if your goal is complete and total global eradication of the cockroach, you're probably choosing a losing battle. If you're trying to keep your home or business roach-free, then we can help. We've included roach-killing products that get the job done fast, killing on contact, and those that get the job done slowly, allowing a roach to transport poison back to the nest.
The best combination for your infestation will probably be a blend of two or even three of these products, as roaches are indeed a tenacious and resilient foe. But don't worry, even though they have a few hundred million years of history over us humans, we've developed much larger brains, so we can figure this thing out and get you a roach-free property. Quick pro tip: proper food storage and waste disposal is probably going to be the most effective technique of all.
Here are the best roach killer and traps you can buy:
Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.
SEE ALSO: The best ant traps, killers, and repellents you can buy
The best roach killer overall
Why you'll love it: You can place discrete Combat Max 12-Month Roach Killing Bait stations all around your home to create a virtual shield against roaches that will remain effective for up to a year.
If you're trying to deal with an infestation of common small roaches, you probably don't want to do so by keeping a can of insecticide at the ready at all times. Yet you do want your home to be a cockroach killing ground at all times. That's why so many people trust Combat Max 12-Month Roach Killing Bait stations.
These compact, discreet black discs can be placed in cabinets and drawers, under the fridge, behind the toilet, and just about anywhere else you want, and each of the 18 stations you get per box is loaded with enough roach poison to remain effective for up to a year in most circumstances.
The low cost and long lifespan (so to speak) of these bait stations are both certainly selling points, but so too is the ripple effect of their efficacy. For once an individual roach has ingested the Fipronil insecticide within the station, the insect will unwittingly transport lethal doses of the stuff back to its nest, potentially killing many more roaches and speeding the demise of the entire local population.
Most of the hundreds of reviews posted on Amazon come with five-star ratings, such as one posted by a buyer named Jeff who reported that "within a day" of setting out the stations he "no longer saw live roaches." Another reviewer named Mark added a bit of humor, saying his "only regret is that the roaches can't feel [his] hate."
In a write up from MorningChores, these Combat Max bait stations were hailed as a good way to "effectively eliminate roaches."
Pros: Long term efficacy, great low price, discreet and easy use
Cons: Not effective against larger roach species
The best roach killing spray
Why you'll love it: Sometimes, you get up close and personal with a cockroach. When you do, kill it fast with a can of Raid Ant & Roach Killer Insecticide Spray.
If your entire plan for dealing with a serious roach problem involves spraying every insect you see with insecticide, then you can count on having a roach problem for many years to come, friend. Treating the issue means killing off the bugs you can't see, which will vastly outnumber the individuals spotted scurrying to and fro. Sorry to tell you that, but it's the truth.
However, as part of a comprehensive roach eradication campaign, it's invaluable to have a kill-on-contact spray at your disposal, and Raid Ant & Roach Killer Insecticide Spray is certainly that. One quick spritz of this surprisingly inoffensive lemon-scented formula and that roach making a beeline for a crack in the wall is dead meat.
This spray can also be used to treat areas of known roach activity, making them temporarily lethal to insects passing through, though the spray lacks the ability to render an exposed insect lethal to others such as many baits do.
With several dozen reviews posted on Amazon, this legacy insecticide brand's roach killer spray has a fine 4.1-star rating. One buyer who reported "disgust" with roaches was quite satisfied with the "quality product" that "killed several roaches" immediately upon the first use and smelled "lemony and... almost pleasant."
A product writer from Ezvid noted that this ant and roach spray "makes short work of spiders too," though of course as spiders eat insects you might want to leave some of them around.
Pros: Kills almost instantly, pleasant scent, effective against myriad pests
Cons: Not a long-term pest solution
The best roach killing gel
Why you'll love it: You can apply Advion Cockroach Gel Bait exactly where you want it, even in the smallest cracks and crevices, and you can count on roaches bringing its lethal formula back to the nest.
The process of using Advion Cockroach Gel Bait isn't as simple as tossing a few bait stations or traps around the house, nor is it as easy as just spraying every insect you see to kill them on site. But while a more laborious initial undertaking, this stuff more than makes up for the effort required in its extreme lethality to roaches.
It is highly effective for two reasons, the first being the fact that the carboxylate insecticide is simply very deadly to insects. The second reason is that the brand has come up with a blend of ingredients that roaches find irresistible.
Using the included applicator tips, you can spread lines or dots of this gel wherever you have seen roaches in the past or where you suspect they may be lurking. It can be squeezed into cracks in the wall, corners of baseboards, behind trashcans, and anywhere else in your home you see fit for treatment. The gel is also rated for use on boats, planes, or on any other vehicle that might have developed a roach infestation, such as your own car.
With nearly 900 reviews posted at the time of this writing, Advion Cockroach Gel Bait scores a 4.1-star average rating among Amazon customers. One buyer hails it as the "best roach killer" he has ever used, while another reports her house's "bad infestation gone in just two weeks" of use.
A write up from The Pest Management says this gel can "easily get rid of heavy cockroach infestations" and is definitely "worth buying."
Pros: Long lasting killing action, irresistible to roaches, good for heavy infestations
Cons: Labor-intensive use
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