5 Effective Methods for Pet-Safe Roach Control in Your House

#5 Catnip

That’s right! Your kitty’s favorite toy filled with catnip could be the key to keeping cockroaches out of your home. It’s relatively cheap and easy to use!

The active ingredient in catnip that drives cats wild is nepetalactone. When tested in mice at a whopping dose of 680 mg/lb (milligrams per pound), the only noted effects were sleepiness, general depressed activity, and drunken walking (ataxia). Children who have ingested catnip may experience stomach upset and sleepiness.

Placing small, sheer bags of catnip around your home can prevent roaches from wanting to enter. You can even plant live catnip plants outside your home to drive them away. Catnip and other plants in the mint family also repel ants, aphids, and fleas. However, this method might not be very effective if you have a cat who will snag the catnip pouches and play with them!

#4 Glue Traps

Glue traps make the top of the list of the most common and pet-safe roach control methods. The reason for their lower rank on our list is that they tend to be less effective than other ways.

Because they require the roaches to walk across them and become stuck, they may not be efficient for severe infestations. Nevertheless, adding a bit of sugar (such as sprinkles) into the center can increase their usefulness by attracting more roaches to them.

If a pet or child becomes stuck in a glue trap, removal is simple. Gently peel the trap away from fur or skin and use cooking oil to soften up any remaining glue. Then, wash away with gentle soap and warm water. The traps do not contain any chemicals to worry about!

#3 Baking Soda — The Most Interesting Pet-Safe Roach Control

One of the easiest and readily available pet-safe roach control methods is baking soda. You probably have some just hanging out in your cabinet or freezer!

When roaches consume the powder, it causes gas to build up in their digestive system. Because cockroaches cannot burp to remove the gasses, it actually causes the digestive system to rupture. Yes, baking soda causes an explosion inside the roach!! Not only that, but roaches carry food back to their colonies and several more will consume the powder, as well!

Baking soda can easily be vacuumed or swept up when all the roaches die. The treatment can also be applied repeatedly at a very low cost. It may cause a bit of irritation if inhaled, so don’t leave huge piles around for your dog or cat to sniff!

#2 Indoxacarb

The most effective item on our list, indoxacarb, is a chemical that kills cockroaches. This substance is also toxic to humans and other mammals, but only in massive amounts. This chemical is the main ingredient in Syngenta’s Adivon Cockroach Gel Bait. Because the concentration of this substance within the gel is so small (0.6%), toxicity among humans and pets is nearly impossible.

In fact, indoxacarb is actually the main ingredient in the flea prevention product Activyl. This product gained approval for use in dogs and cats through the European Medicines Agency (EPA) in 2011. The EPA is similar to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States.

This approval and regular use in our most common household pets shows that indoxacarb is safe to use around animals. In fact, studies showed that dogs and cats treated with up to five times the recommended dose every four weeks for eight doses showed no toxic symptoms. It was also tested on puppies and kittens under eight weeks old at five times the recommended dose every two weeks for six doses. Still, no toxic effects were noted. It’s even been tested by oral route (eating it) in dogs at 2.2-8.1 mg/lb/day (milligrams per pound per day) without any problems observed. The chemical is also used in the U.S. as an insecticide, which is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA).

While indoxacarb is the most effective item on our list, it loses points for the very slight potential of side effects which can occur with a massive overdose in both children and pets.

#1 Diatomaceous Earth — The Overall Best Pet-Safe Roach Control

Diatomaceous Earth (d-earth) is a powder created by grinding up the fossilized remains of small, aquatic animals called diatoms. When the fossils are ground up, the result is a very fine, white powder with microscopic sharp edges. The grains are so small they cannot damage a human’s or pet’s skin.

When purchasing, be sure to get the food-grade variety, not the kind for swimming pools. Food-grade diatomaceous earth is safe to use around pets and children, even if they eat it. It can cause lung irritation if inhaled, so don’t put down large amounts. Spread the powder lightly around anywhere you’ve seen roaches along with your pantry, under/behind the stove and refrigerator, inside and on top of cabinets (if there’s a space), and around toilets and sinks. This powder even comes in specially-made dispensers to allow it to be spread properly.

D-earth works by desiccation. That means it causes severe dehydration of the roaches’ bodies. The tiny, sharp particles also slice and cut the roaches, which allows them to get into their body. By the time they die, they’ve spread it around to others, as well! That’s because it is very fine and coats their legs and bodies. Cockroaches also obsessively clean their antennae with their mouths. That means they will end up eating anything that touches them.

Diatomaceous earth is 100% natural — no chemicals. That’s why it takes our number one spot!