Does Ammonia Kill Roaches?

Roaches are difficult to take on, especially since finding products that kill them effectively isn’t easy. It doesn’t help that unfactual removal methods have circulated, so it can be difficult to know what works and what doesn’t. You may have heard that ammonia kills roaches, but is this true? 

Does Ammonia Keep Roaches Away?

Ammonia can keep roaches away. For one, this particular substance can kill them on contact. The chemical will break down their exoskeleton, which will kill the roach since they need that shell to protect their insides. 

The ammonia, however, won’t affect cockroach eggs. The eggs have a coating that the ammonia can’t break down. 

Additionally, if you don’t have roaches yet, you can deter them with ammonia. The odor of it is repulsive to the cockroaches. 

How Do You Use Ammonia to Keep Roaches Away?

Fill a bucket of water with about two cups of ammonia. Wash down your counters, sink, and other hard surfaces in your bathroom and kitchen with it. Ideally, you should do this once a month or so to continuously have protection against these pests. This is especially the case if you’ve had roaches in the past. 

How Do You Use Ammonia to Kill Roaches?

To kill roaches effectively with ammonia, you must create a solution with a high enough concentration of ammonia. If not, it won’t kill the roaches. 

Use a solution with a two-to-one ratio of ammonia to water as a general rule. Therefore, if you mix eight ounces of water, you’ll need a minimum of 16 ounces of ammonia. 

Then, you fill a spray bottle with the solution and must quickly act when you see a roach. That means you’ll need to spray them as soon as you see one. You can imagine that this can sometimes be wasteful, or you might not kill as many as you like if you’re not fast enough. 

If you know their hiding spots, you can target these areas, specifically, so you have the most success with this method. 

Remember that ammonia won’t harm your colored clothing like bleach, but it can damage certain materials. Therefore, don’t use it when you’re wearing these materials. Additionally, you should be careful where you spray it because it’s a caustic chemical that can damage certain materials like stainless steel. 

Can Ammonia Kill Roaches in Your Drain?

Roaches are notorious for hiding in drains. They like dark places where they can hide. The moisture and potential food sources also make it a prime location for them. 

Fortunately, you can combat the problem by using ammonia in your drains. You have to use the proper ratio of ammonia to water, or you could damage the pipes. Additionally, if you water it down too much, you could risk the solution not being potent enough to combat the problem. 

You should create a mixture of eight liters of hot water with four cups of ammonia. Once mixed, dump the solution down the affected drain, and it will kill the roaches. 

What Smells Keep Roaches Away?

Besides ammonia, other scents can help keep roaches away, such as lavender, which can help prevent you from having a major infestation. For instance, lavender is known to ward off roaches. You may plant lavender plants outside or have an indoor plant. You could also use lavender essential oils. 

You might enjoy the aroma of a freshly cut lemon, but a roach doesn’t. Therefore, you could clean your home with fresh lemon juice to keep these pests out of your home. Particularly, focus on cleaning your bathroom and kitchen with lemon.

Cinnamon is another odor that cockroaches can’t handle because it’s overpowering since they have a keen sense of smell. While they aren’t fond of the scent, they don’t like walking through it either. 

You could also try peppermint essential oils. The aroma of peppermint will ward off these unwelcome visitors, not just because of the odor. Peppermint is also poisonous to cockroaches. 

In addition, tea tree oil can prevent a roach infestation because it has a toxic smell. 

You could also use bay leaves. This seasoning has a potent aroma. They contain the chemical eucalyptol, which acts as a cockroach repellent.

Roaches are a cumbersome problem to address. Therefore, it’s best to implement practices to avoid them, such as ammonia. You can even use ammonia to get rid of cockroaches if you have them in your home.