Hahaha, I didn't think I'd write about this but if you'd like to try this method then I will share with you how getting rid of these house pests can be exciting sometimes.
If you need some excitement in your life while getting rid of the pests, do read on.
Warning though, this article is not for the squeamish.
(Photo credit via Pixabay)
♦ What you will need ♦
Sprayer
Water
Alcohol (any brand or kind)
Dishwashing liquid (any brand)
Sample and for illustration purposes only (Photo credit Bigbag Fresh via bigbag.com.ph)
♦ What to do ♦
- Put water in the sprayer, until at least 3/4 full.
- Dilute the dishwashing liquid in the water, the same way you usually do or maybe stronger. (Depending on the brand, a 40 or 45ml sachet can be enough for a 1 liter container almost filled with water.)
- Add the alcohol to the dishwashing liquid and water mix then shake a bit to combine everything.
- Use it to spray on any cockroach you see.
- Aim for the body or underside of the cockroaches for best results.
(Photo credit: ArtGirl via Bitlanders)
The formula I used seems to be 10% dishwashing liquid, 20% alcohol and 65% water. I don't really measure though and I didn't ask my brother, who discovered the formula online, if it's 50-50 or something. I just did a mix of it and so far it's always been effective. We've been using this for 3 to 4 years now. You can also choose how you like the mix to be and experiment to know which combination kills them faster.
♦ Solution Effectivity ♦
If you're wondering if this is effective to kill cockroaches, well I have proof in pictures for you!
Last night I went in the bathroom to pee when suddenly a cockroach was circling near my feet. Eeeew. Once I was done, I grabbed the sprayer (pictured above) and sprayed it like there was no tomorrow! And then I moved the trash can to spray it some more, lo and behold there was another one that tried to skitter away! I went after it then it turned and came running towards me, really fast.
The first roach was already twitching so I went head on with the new challenger. Omg it was running after me while I was spraying it over and over again. Imagine being chased around by a cockroach while you're spraying it, huhu. It was like being attacked by a flying roach. :(
I mostly spray them from the head down but I found out today that doing such is not a good idea. Read further below and find out why it is best to spray the body, butt and underside instead.
So anyway here's two of them in the bathroom, finally, after the "war" was over.
(Photo credit: ArtGirl via Bitlanders)
Those two are both stiff and dead thanks to the insect killing formula. Hah! After I killed the two and taken some pictures, I went out of the bathroom and another one showed up then ran away from me. Whoa no way, I wasn't going to let it run away, not when I have my effective roach insecticide. I went after it and sprayed away until it died. When I got them all in a dust pan and was throwing them in the trash can, lo and behold another roach jumped up in surprise! What?!? I don't know if it's roach mating season but my oh my they seemed to be all over the place and ready to "play" last night.
Of course I ran after it and sprayed it until its last twitch. A few sprays is enough but I want it soaked in the liquid to be sure it will die faster and it won't survive the ordeal. Below is the resulting spray trail outside the bathroom going to the dining area.
(Photo credit: ArtGirl via Bitlanders)
And here's the young adult roach that was running around so fast. Whew. It eventually got defeated by my spray gun! Lol.
(Photo credit: ArtGirl via Bitlanders)
All in all I got four of them plus a tiny tiny one, a baby roach that came out of nowhere too. Didn't take pictures of each of them together in the dust pan or trash can though. Some people might not like seeing that. Haha. Above pictures should be good enough.
If you don't believe it is effective then you can try it yourself too. :)
♦ The Science Behind It ♦
The reason this liquid mix is an effective way to kill these pests can be found in several online articles.
A biologist and experimental gardener says, soapy water causes them to suffocate by covering their breathing holes. It also strips away their protective grease coating which dehydrates and kills them. This is why combining alcohol, dishwashing liquid and water will do the trick! Using just soapy water is good enough but adding the alcohol can dehydrate them even more.
(Photo credit: Sharadpunita (Sharad Patel) via Wikipedia)
Cockroaches have several trachea (windpipe) which connects to the respiratory openings (spiracles) of their body segments. The only body part that has no spiracle or trachea is their head so spraying them on the head will NOT make them die quicker.
They don't have just two breathing holes like we humans and other animals do, they have a lot more than just two. Their breathing system brings Oxygen directly into their body which also becomes the same passageways for Carbon Dioxide to go out so when you spray them or soak them in the above mentioned liquid, everything gets covered and they die from lack of air + dehydration.
(Photo credit: ArtGirl via Bitlanders)
Due to the bubbly nature and liquid viscosity of soapy water, it makes it harder to shake off their body just by running around so most definitely the liquid will seep into those breathing holes and block them.
Roaches haven't developed any way to sneeze I think. How can a whole insect body sneeze or blow its holes I wonder? Hahaha. (Maybe it's more like how pores work on humans? Haven't really checked on that.)
Of course killing one or four of these creatures will not eradicate them from the household completely but at least it helps reduce their numbers.
♦ Why do these pests live in our houses? ♦
I finally found out the reasons why these pests keep coming into all of our homes! See below.
(Photo credit: ArtGirl via Bitlanders)
Cockroaches are scavengers that love moisture and prefers starchy food or decaying materials (organic matter) so if you have both, say hello to these pests every now and then.
No wonder I found two of these insects in the bathroom. That place gets wet almost everyday (due to bathing) and is the most moist area in the household! Oh and also the kitchen sink/s! Hmmm now we know eh?
They love bathrooms so much I think, that even a movie was made showing them enjoying (or cleaning?) a dirty bathroom. Huhu omg... Why they made such a comedy movie is beyond me. I mean, look at this video and tell me if it's not grossing you out while you watch it. (Go ahead and click it, I dare you. Hahaha)
(Video credit: PrinzValium79 via YouTube)
There are 30 different kinds of house roaches but the most common here in the Philippines is the American Cockroach. They are so common that some people think of them as "unofficial pets" sometimes.
Trivia: Other people breed roaches, they do it to feed their other animal pets or sell it to those who need food for their pets. Or they do it for medicinal or cosmetic purposes like in China! There are big cockroach farms in China!!!
Do you think you'd ever consider making pets out of cockroaches? I'd never. I'd rather save sea cucumbers and other extinct creatures than make pets of or breed cockroaches. I'm happy with having cats as pets thank you very much. (^_^) Some cats eat cockroaches too you know.
♦ How to minimize having cockroach house guests ♦
- Cover and seal all trash cans and take the trash out for collection regularly.
- Clean the sink/s and do not leave food traces anywhere and/or plates to wash in the morning
- Seal off possible entrances like sink holes, and hiding places like cabinets under the sink, etc.
- Find a way to keep your entire home dry all the time
- Get rid or properly store stocks or piles of papers like comics, magazines, books or other papery things.
If we do all of that, I believe there will be minimal incidence of cockroach appearance. In case they do appear, we have our easy to mix secret weapon ready for them.
However even if all of the above are done and we have a clean and sparkly house, they can still invade our homes because they need these three things: food, water and warm places. All of those are in our homes, right? Living in a tropical country automatically has warm everywhere too.
These creatures also like paper products so if we have a pile of big boxes, card boards, books or newspapers, etc., expect to attract these insects. Now I know why our old comics pile in a cardboard box kept getting eaten some years ago. Huhu.
Want to know more on why these cockroaches are hard to exterminate or completely eradicate? Here's a short video for you.
(Video credit: Science Insider via YouTube)
Of course you can always just step on any cockroach when you see one but I don't like to clean up a smelly squished cockroach. No sir. That's why I prefer to use this liquid mix instead. Once dead, I can sweep them away, throw them in the trash bin and wipe the liquid trail dry. 'Nuff said.
So, how about you? Are you ready to reduce the roach population in your house in the most exciting way? Tidy up, ready your sprayers and let's get it on! :D 
(Photo credit via Pixabay)
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