When it comes to dealing with household pests, two of the most notorious creatures that immediately come to mind are bed bugs and roaches.
These relentless invaders can turn any home into a battleground for homeowners seeking a pest-free environment.
While there are specific products designed to combat each of these pests individually, one question that often arises is whether bed bug spray can effectively eliminate roaches.
Perhaps you’ve wondered if the old bed bug spray you’ve got lying around will work for your roach problem.
In most cases, bed bug spray will kill roaches. Nevertheless, roaches will be less likely to be killed by a particular bed bug spray if the pesticide is formulated with certain chemicals.
In general, it is best to use cockroach-specific insecticides to kill them. Chemicals are used in most insect sprays that are known to be most effective against specific types of insects, but some of them overlap.
A spray designed for ants could be used on spiders as well. It’s important to remember that poison is poison, and most insects die if they’re exposed to sprays that are designed to kill them.
Can I Use Bed Bug Spray to Kill Roaches?
There is a difference between roach killers and bed bug sprays when it comes to how effective they are and how well they kill roaches.
Pyrethrins and pyrethroids are typically found in bed bug sprays, which kill roaches. However, when it comes to getting rid of cockroaches, these chemicals aren’t the best. Once pyrethrin or pyrethroids have dried, they won’t kill roaches.
As long as roaches walk directly over the wet insecticide during this time, you should be able to kill a good amount of them during the four to six hours it takes for bed bugs spray to dry. Cockroaches will be killed by bed bug spray, but their eggs may not be destroyed.
It is unlikely that a bed bug spray will prevent cockroach eggs from hatching because their shells are extremely hard. You probably won’t get any results from spraying bed bug spray into nooks and crannies.
Can I Kill Bed Bugs and Roaches at the Same Time?
You can save time and money by choosing a remedy that kills both bed bugs and roaches. You could also use bed bug spray to eliminate both insects in areas they frequent.
Heat, however, is the best treatment for bed bug and roach infestations. Temperatures above 100 degrees Celsius cannot be tolerated by either bed bugs or cockroaches.
It takes bed bugs 118°F (48°C) to die, while roaches need 115°F and 120°F (46°C and 49°C). Using powerful heaters, a professional can raise the temperature of your entire house with a heat treatment.
For five or six hours, an exterminator typically raises the temperature in your house from 140°F to 150°F (60°C to 66°C).
It is best to treat your home to these temperatures and lengths to get rid of all roaches and bed bugs.
What Is The Average Time It Takes To Eliminate A Roach Infestation?
A proper treatment of roaches usually takes about two weeks. The problem with cockroaches is that they aren’t as stupid as we think, so a trap or an insecticide powder or spray will have to be used several times before they fall for it.
As a result, you shouldn’t give up if you still see roaches after your first attempt to eliminate them. To eradicate an entire colony of cockroaches, you will need patience and diligence.
How Long Does it Take Insecticides to Kill Roaches?
The time it takes for an insecticide to kill roaches depends on the type and active ingredients you use.
The roach will usually die within a few minutes after being sprayed directly with roach or bed bug spray.
When boric acid is consumed, it kills roaches after about 24 hours, but other treatments are less direct.
What Is The Best Way To Use Boric Acid On Roaches?
Typically, boric acid is available in powder form, which should be spread on areas where roaches tend to congregate, such as countertops.
Cockroaches are generally most active at night, so boric acid is best used at this time. Vacuum up the remaining powder after leaving the acid out until morning. Once you have placed the powder, wipe it down thoroughly with a wet rag.
Be sure to follow all instructions on the container and never leave the insecticide near children or pets.
How Do You Kill Roaches The Most Effectively?
The best way to kill roaches is with boric acid. As it disrupts roaches’ nervous system and digestion, boric acid, or Borax, works quickly and effectively on them.
A boric acid layer is laid down and the roaches crawl over it and get covered in the chemical. When they attempt to clean it off themselves, they will consume boric acid.
As soon as the pesticide enters the roach, it starts destroying its insides until eventually the insect dies.
Roaches and Bed Bug Spray: How to Use It
Spritzing bed bug spray directly on roaches is the best way to kill them. There is no guarantee that a cockroach will die from wet bed bug insecticide if it walks through it.
Additionally, many roaches don’t crawl through spray because they are usually afraid of pesticides. In order to get rid of bed bugs, it is always best to spray directly on the roaches.
A roach can be difficult to catch, however, for anyone who has dealt with them. You should set out roach traps before using bed bug spray to kill roaches. Using a spray, you can kill the roaches faster once they are trapped in the trap.
It’s also possible to use roach spray to spray cracks, crevices, and floors where roaches tend to hide, if you don’t have roach traps.
Roaches and Bed Bug Spray: Staying Safe
Insecticides should always be used according to the instructions on the label.
For these products to kill insects, they need to be toxic, which means they might harm you, your family, or your pets.
To ensure the safety of everyone in your home, use insecticides carefully and follow these basic tips:
- To prevent children or pets from accidentally accessing leftover pesticide, store it properly.
- Before you spray, remove children’s or pets’ toys.
- Before spraying pesticides, remove or cover food.
- Until the pesticide has completely dried, keep children and pets out of the room.
- After using the pesticide, wash your hands immediately.
- Avoid breathing in pesticides.
- Avoid getting pesticide in your eyes or mouth.
- Keep your skin away from pesticides.
- The final step is to contact poison control immediately if you or a member of your family come into contact with the pesticide in an inappropriate way.
Is Hot Shot Bed Bug Spray Effective Against Roaches?
Hot Shot is an insecticide brand that offers different kinds of sprays for different types of bugs. The Hot Shot spray contains imiprothrin, a synthetic pyrethroid effective against fleas, bedbugs, and bedbug eggs.
Hot Shot spray, which is designed to kill bed bugs, won’t work on roaches. Cockroach spray made by this company is excellent.
Interestingly enough, the cockroach spray works pretty well against bed bugs, so if you have both bed bugs and roaches, you may want to try it.
Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids: How Do They Kill Roaches?
The same way that pyrethroids and pyrethrins kill bed bugs, they kill cockroaches. An insect’s nervous system is disrupted by both of these chemicals.
Nerve cells fire continuously when sodium channels are delayed. Paralysis and death are caused by an insect’s nervous system not stopping firing.
The Bottom Line
As a whole, bed bug sprays are totally effective at killing cockroaches. However, bed bug sprays aren’t as effective as roach sprays on roaches.