After 75+ hours of research & testing, we’re comfortable recommending Trapper’s Glue Boards as the best roach killer currently on the market (as of summer 2019) due to its’ suitability in all environments (pet safe, kid-friendly, and odorless), affordability & overall effectiveness. We maintain this recommendation even after accounting for newer options on the market that have been released in late 2018 & early 2019. Read further to find out what we found.
These Trapper Max Mouse & Insect Glue Boards offer a quick and easy setup and super fast results. The surfaces of these traps are very sticky and work wonders; after a couple of weeks, the glue boards should be absolutely covered with all kinds of pests. In fact, these traps may just work too well — you may end up attracting critters that you didn’t even know where present. The good thing is, you get 72 boards for about $25, so you can really go all out and place them in all parts of the unit. Once you know where the roaches are primarily coming from, you can use these boards as a maintenance measure and keep them in secluded places like behind appliances and in kitchen cupboards and replace them as necessary. Remember, these are extremely sticky, so it’s not unlikely that your or a pet’s foot will get stuck on one — make sure to place them carefully in corners and secure them to the wall with tacks if need be. It may be difficult to keep them in place if they aren’t out of your way. Regardless, these traps are excellent; they work great, they don’t smell bad (just a bit like peanut butter), and they’re kid- and pet- friendly.
For the most part, these Roach Motel traps really work and can be a relatively inexpensive solution to your rental property’s pest problem. They are very convenient and easy-to-use. If you order from Amazon, you can receive the traps within days and deal with the roaches in no time. Just make sure that you deploy the traps in places that you know roaches will be attracted to. While these traps are highly effective, they aren’t quite potent enough to attract roaches from far away. Placing them in corners and other secluded spots should help you gauge where the most roaches are coming from. Depending on the size of the infestation in your property, these traps might be all that you need. However, for the most part, traps are just indicators of present roach populations and help you pinpoint their favorite hangouts. Remember that you will probably need to use another kind of product, like a spray or IGR to prevent the roaches from coming back.
The Trapper Max Insect Traps are highly effective cardboard traps that capture countless roaches (and all kinds of other creepy-crawlies) in no time. These do require a bit more effort on your part as far as assembly goes, just because you may need to cut the traps up into smaller pieces, peeling off the film can be tedious and sticky, and you will probably need to use your own kind of bait. They’re also a bit of an eyesore, especially when they get completely covered with bugs. However, these traps are odorless and safe for kids and pets, so your tenants won’t have to worry about that. They’re also easy to dispose of and are great for monitoring roaches around your property — just make sure you place them strategically throughout the home.
Advion Cockroach Gel Bait can really work some magic on your rental property. After finding out where the roaches are coming from with an effective trap, using this gel bait will garner practically instant results. Be careful when using this product in places that are accessible to children or pets — they should be kept away from the strong, harmful chemicals. The little syringes make the gel super easy to apply, although you will need to keep using the same plunger rod for each new tube. It may also be a pain to clean up the residue that the gel leaves, but you can use tape to avoid extra messes. For almost $30, the bait is a little pricey, but it’s totally worth it considering its awesome roach annihilation abilities.
If your rental property has a German cockroach problem, then Invict Gold is an essential product for you. This liquid gel bait attracts the roaches over a short period of time and helps to wipe them out. It doesn’t work immediately, but it is definitely helpful if used in conjunction with a good roach trap. This way, you’ll be able to treat your target area more effectively. For a reasonable price, you can expect to see a significant reduction in the German roach (and population in your rental.
The Hot Shot Ultra Liquid Roach Bait stations are markedly unique and effective. These stylish, pod-like bait stations look more like air fresheners than they do roach killers. However, the special combination of food and water sources make this product irresistible to roaches. This allows for the poison to enter the pests’ systems quickly and eliminate them indefinitely. Depending on the size of your rental’s roach infestation, you may need to purchase more than one box of these bait stations. If you use them in conjunction with other roach-killing products, you’ll be able to generate long-lasting results.
These are some of the most common, basic types of roach bait stations. While they are very affordable and super simple to use, they don’t really make that much of an impact on the roach population. It takes a while for them to work and some roaches may develop a tolerance to the poison. Although tenants will notice that fewer roaches will be coming into the rental, you may need to employ other products to get rid of a large infestation.
At $33.60 for two spray bottles, this product is a bit on the pricier end. However, the chemicals usually work better than a professional exterminator, and you’ll be saving yourself over a 100 bucks. Bengal Roach Spray is widely revered as one of the best roach-killers on the market. It is extremely potent and can wipe out a ton of roaches in just one widespread application. You’ll still have to use a roach bait to get a clear idea of where exactly the roaches are coming from, but you can spray this in any crack or crevice you find to defend your rental against potential intrusions. What’s great about this spray is that it contains an IGR, meaning it will attach the roaches’ reproductive cycles as well, working to keep new roaches from being born and infesting your property.
This plant-based roach spray by EcoSMART Technologies is kid- and pet-friendly and doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals that are harmful to one’s health or the environment. It works to kill roaches and ants on contact but doesn’t do much in terms of preventing roaches from coming back in. You’ll have to spray it a lot if you want to use the spray as a defensive measure. The spray also has a really strong lemon scent that makes some people question if the spray really is as safe as it claims to be. However, for the most part, it works, and it’s supposed to be an alternative solution to other harsh sprays on the market.
Raid is probably the most well-known roach-killing brand out there, and with good reason. The products are both reasonably priced and effective. This purchase comes with a pack of two insecticide sprays that work perfectly to kill roaches on contact. It also has a surprisingly nice lemon scent that isn’t overwhelming or nauseating. Because these sprays are so affordable, sometimes the cans will be defective or the nozzle will become flimsy or clogged. The spray also comes out in a stream rather than a mist, so you have to be careful when using it. All in all, this spray is cheap and convenient and it gets the job done. Just remember to arm yourself with other kinds of roach-killing products.
The Syngenta Demon WP insecticide is a heavy-duty product that will make a significant impact on the roach population in your rental. You can get 4 envelopes of packets for just under $9, making this product a bargain when you consider it’s what the pros use. It does require some extra effort on your end, though. You may want to consider purchasing a gallon pump sprayer to apply the insecticide with. Just mix the packets with the appropriate amount of water and pour the solution into the sprayer. It provides long-lasting results without any lingering odors. Make sure to follow the directions very carefully so that you mitigate messes.
Although this product may seem small and simple — looks can be deceiving. The bottle can last you a very long time — you only need to mix a little bit with water to make a powerful spray that stops roaches from reproducing. It’s so effective, some professional exterminators even use this IGR in their work. You’ll have to reapply it every once in a while to make sure to roaches don’t keep reproducing, but if you use it with other products, you may be able to get rid of them for good.
This is a great IGR spray for getting to hard-to-reach places. It’s also odorless and easy-to-use. However, it’s not that strong and it’s a bit pricey. Even though it works for smaller infestations, it often doesn’t make much of a difference in people’s roach problems. If used in conjunction with a good bait, this will help stop roaches from reproducing, but there are other IGRs that are more potent and effective.
Vendetta Plus is an all-in-one product, offering customers with an awesome gel bait and potent IGR in little syringe tubes. With Vendetta, you won’t have to worry about buying a supplemental IGR for your roach-killing strategy. This gel is easy to apply and produces results within a week. It also doesn’t have to be reapplied often as other baits do. Depending on how big your infestation is, you may need some other products in the mix. Some roaches may develop a tolerance and avoid the bait too, so develop a good plan of attack and arm yourself wisely.
When choosing the best roach killer, consider the size of the infestation and where it is primarily located. There are a variety of strategies for approaching these nasty pests, so you need to identify what stage of roach-killing you’re currently in. Roach sprays are generally the quickest and easiest method for killing roaches on sight, but they do not wipe out entire colonies.
If there are only a few roaches in the kitchen because some food was left out, for instance, then a spray may do the trick. However, if you don’t know where the roach infestation is coming from, or the roaches have begun to lay eggs, then spraying your property randomly isn’t going to do much. You’ll need to find the source of the problem with bait and traps or use an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) to stop the roaches from reproducing and eliminate baby roaches and eggs.
Most of the time, you’ll probably have to start from the beginning to completely get rid of the roaches in your rental. Ideally, you will be using two or more kinds of roach killers in conjunction to most effectively target the problem area.
After identifying the severity of the roach infestation, you should have an idea of what you need to do. Here are the different types of roach killers you can purchase and the order you should use them in:
