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Rid your home of roaches with a top-rated gel, powder or bait station.
The best defense against roaches is to keep them out of your home in the first place, for example by sealing potential entry points, eliminating food and water sources and reducing clutter where they can hide. But roaches are resourceful critters, having survived this world for hundreds of millions of years, so the occasional infestation is inevitable. In fact, 63% of homes in the U.S. contain cockroach allergens, according to the National Pest Management Association.
The experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute work closely with entomologists and pest control professionals to come up with best practices for controlling all kinds of pests, including ants, mice, silverfish and more. For this report, we zeroed in on the best types of roach killer: gels, powders and bait stations. We did not look at sprays and bombs because, as Dr. Changlu Wang with the Department of Entomology at Rutgers University puts it: “Insect bombs are completely ineffective. Sprays can kill some cockroaches, but they are not very effective and can easily contaminate surfaces.”
Once you’ve read through the roundup of winners, stick around for more information on how we select the best roach killers, what you should keep in mind when shopping and answers to common questions around cockroach infestations.
Gel bait is the most effective killer “because it can be applied in numerous locations and closer to cockroach harborages,” says Rutgers University entomologist Dr. Changlu Wang. In extreme outbreaks, you might need to drop dozens of pea-sized dots everywhere roaches are hiding to fully squash the infestation. Our experts like this version from Combat because the syringe allows for easy application, including in cracks and crevices where roaches are nesting. A single tube should be sufficient for a one-bedroom apartment; multiple tubes might be needed for larger homes. Keep in mind that the exposed gel contains the insecticide Fipronil which is hazardous if it comes in contact with the skin or eyes, so you might want to opt for another type of roach killer if kids and pets are present. Be sure to closely follow the manufacturer’s instructions
Powders are the most affordable roach killer, and the longest-lasting too, provided they stay dry. Our experts note that this version from Terro claims to do the job not only with roaches, but also ants, silverfish and other pesky insects. The active ingredient is abamectin, which is proven in outside studies to reduce cockroach populations when properly applied. However, it is also a known toxin, so it’s important to avoid contact with skin and eyes. A single tube contains enough powder for 150 placements, which can be easily applied with the 360-degree nozzle, 0ur pros say. “Powder is a great option for getting behind appliances and cabinets, two common hangouts for roaches,” explains Rachel Rothman, Executive Technical Director at the Good Housekeeping Institute.
The concept of “integrated pest management” (explained in greater detail below) says to start with the least toxic option to see if it eliminates the problem before moving onto stronger pesticides. Our experts like that this powder is 99% boric acid, an inexpensive material that is less toxic to mammals than most synthetic insecticides, according to the Rutgers University Cooperative Extension. The puffer bottle with a nozzle applicator makes it easy to apply the powder into cracks and crevices. Boric acid can slowly lose its efficacy after exposure to environmental moisture, so you might need to reapply the powder every one to two months until roaches are eliminated. For best results, you may need to combine the treatment with another type of roach killer, like a gel or bait trap.
Bait stations are the easiest kind of roach killer to use. “Just place individual stations in the desired place,” says Dr. Wang. “They’re easily discarded after cockroaches are eliminated.” These fast-acting baits from Hot Shot use a liquid gel that our experts say should do a good job of attracting roaches because it contains attractive food sources. It contains the active ingredient dinotefuran, an insecticide, but the plastic container should limit exposure to skin and eyes, provided you follow the manufacturer’s instructions. The drawback with these and other bait stations is the high cost, plus the fact that even the best of the best won’t be as effective as pure gel at vanquishing roaches.
For this report, our experts Good Housekeeping Institute started by shopping the market for roach killers to identify the products you’re most likely to find in stores and online. We also consulted with outside experts at the Department of Entomology at Rutgers University and the Building Performance Institute, which develops standards for the management of pest-free homes. Though we didn’t test roach killers in our Lab, we based our brand selection, in part, on at-home tests performed by Good Housekeeping staffers. We also reviewed the safety data of all selected products and checked online reviews for red flags related to performance, safety or usability.
To figure out which roach killer is the best fit for your home, weigh the pros and cons of the three main types. As noted earlier, our experts don’t recommend sprays and foggers, since they’re both ineffective and potentially hazardous. Keep in mind that roaches can become resistant to killers, so it’s a good idea to try a variety of products, especially if one is proving ineffective.
✔️ Gels: If you’re dealing with a serious roach infestation, reach for the gel. It’s the most direct treatment since gels are laced with a tasty food source that attracts roaches. They then bring the slow-release poison back to the nest, where it takes out the whole colony. If roaches are still present after a couple of weeks, put down a second application. The major downside to gels is they’re harder to apply than baits and the exposed substance is a potential hazard if ingested by humans or pets.
✔️ Baits/Traps: With this option, a slow-release poison gel is housed inside a plastic station, which gets placed anywhere roaches are present. Baits are much easier to install, but they’re not as effective as raw gels, and they tend to be the most expensive option. The relatively bulky housings mean they can’t be slipped into tight spaces where roaches like to hang out. As with gels, follow-up treatments should be repeated every couple of weeks until cockroaches are eliminated — that means no cockroaches are found over a four-week period, according to the Rutgers University Cooperative Extension.
✔️ Powders: This treatment is affordable and easy to apply. Powders often contain boric acid dust which is less toxic to mammals than most synthetic insecticides. It kills roaches after they ingest it, so it’s good to spread the dust thoroughly under and behind appliances, in cracks and crevices along walls, or behind base cabinets.
Based on our expert review of the safety data sheets, the products included in this roundup pose minimal safety risks when used properly. That said, it’s important to avoid ingestion, as well as contact with skin and eyes. This is possible with gels, baits and powder, but less so with sprays and foggers, which is why we don’t recommend them. “Foggers may kill those pests that come in direct contact with the chemical residue, but they do not penetrate into the crevices where cockroaches are known to hide and have a nest,” says the Building Performance Institute. “Foggers can also be hazardous to human health, and the chemicals are a fire risk that when exposed to an open flame like a pilot light, can ignite and cause the fogger container to explode.”
The pest professionals we consulted also say to stay away from essential oil-based sprays, which are often marketed as “all natural.” Most of them only work when applied directly to the roach and offer little to no residual effect, making them much less effective for long-term control.
Integrated pest management, or IPM for short, is based on the notion that there’s not a single cure-all solution to pest control. “Multiple things must be done to prevent pests from entering the home and to make the home a less desirable habitat if they do enter,” reports the Building Performance Institute. The strategy follows a pyramid approach. In the case of roaches, the bottom of the pyramid involves making the structure roach-proof, for example by sealing openings with caulk and foam sealant. The second stage includes eliminating sources of food and moisture, for example by fixing leaky pipes and storing food properly. Only then does IPM get into chemical treatments, starting with the least toxic options, like boric acid dust, then moving on to bait stations and gels. Sprays and foggers are at the top of the pyramid and are rarely used in IPM, except for emergency applications.
The Good Housekeeping Institute Home Improvement & outdoor Lab provides expert reviews and advice on all things home-related, including pest management. In his role as Director of the Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab, Dan DiClerico brings more than 20 years of experience to the Institute, having reviewed thousands of products for Good Housekeeping, as well as brands like This Old House and Consumer Reports. He has also written extensively on the topic of healthy homes, including the negative impacts of pests and other allergens on indoor air quality. And he has used all the various roach killers covered in this report.
For this report, Dan worked closely with Rachel Rothman, Chief Technologist & Director of Engineering at the Institute. For more than 15 years, Rachel has put her training in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics to work by researching, testing and writing about products across the home improvement space.
Health, Beauty and Sustainability Lab Director Birnur Aral, Ph.D. shared her expertise around the safety of insecticides. In addition to holding M.Eng. and Ph.D. degrees in chemical engineering, Birnur recently added a professional certificate in sustainability management from Columbia University to her credentials. She has been an active leader in conceptualizing many of our green initiatives, including the GH Sustainable Innovation Awards and our annual Raise the Green Bar Summit.
