How to Get Rid of Roaches In Your Garage

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How to Get Rid of Roaches In Your Garage

Roaches are one type of pest that you want to be sure to deal with right the first time around! They are social creatures that can reproduce very quickly, and they are also notorious for being tough and difficult to kill.

Many people say that cockroaches will survive even an apocalypse! Luckily, they are not impossible to get rid of, and there are some easy ways to do so.

Read on for not only some of the ways that you can deal with a cockroach infestation in your garage but also preventative measures that you can take to be sure they do not take up residence in the first place. 

Get Rid of Clutter

You may not use your garage for much other than storage, which is fairly common. However, it is usually in these cases that you end up with a lot of clutter on your hands, which can lead to pest infestations in the space.

This is because many different kinds of animals are attracted to the clutter. It may provide them with what seems to be a safe haven or shelter, and in some cases, might even be used as a food source or as material for nests. Paper bags and cardboard boxes, for instance, can be breeding grounds for insects like cockroaches– and the last thing you want is for the roaches to begin to breed inside your garage! 

Did you Know – Fleas could be Living in your Garage!!

Clean Recyclables

If you keep your trash or recycling in the garage, this could be something that is attracting roaches, too. Lots of people fail to rinse out their recyclables properly before putting them in storage or bringing them to the dump. This can be problematic because the leftover food and residue can be a food source for roaches or other insects.

Even if you do bag up your recyclables, it is fairly easy for the roaches to get inside and eat the food waste that remains. If you provide a food source, even unwittingly, this will attract pests because it makes the garage a more hospitable space. An easy way to combat this is to thoroughly rinse and dry any recyclables before you put them in your garage.

Use Smells

Scents are a big way that you can deter pests from your home or your garage. Cockroaches are no exception, though you may assume that insects do not have a good sense of smell. Roaches actually do have a very good sense of smell, which also makes them more sensitive to smells that they do not like. Some of these smells include citrus, citronella, thyme, mint, and basil. Most of these can be found in your garden or your kitchen cabinet.

An easy way to use them is to mix them with water and spray the space, especially concentrating on areas where you have noticed roach activity. You can also get essential oils in some of these scents and soak cotton balls in the oils. Then, place the soaked cotton balls in dark corners and around the perimeter of the garage.

Use Roach Traps

Roach traps are one of the most common methods that people use to deal with cockroaches in their living spaces. They are fairly easy to find at your local hardware or home improvement store. You can either opt for traps that lure the roaches in and then trap them so that you can dispose of them yourself, or you can opt for traps that lure them in with an ingredient laced with poison, which interferes with their reproductive cycle. Another option is to use commercial sprays to spray the garage and kill the insects instead. 

Also Read – How to get rid of Moths in your Garage

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you do if you see a cockroach in your garage?

While just one cockroach does not necessarily mean that you have an infestation on your hands, these are social pests and they can reproduce quickly! It is wise for you to deal with them as soon as possible by utilizing different tactics to get rid of roaches.

Some of the ways you can do this are with commercial sprays or traps, as well as by cleaning up to get rid of some of the features that are attracting the pests in the first place.

What kills roaches instantly?

Baited traps or commercial insecticide spray are some of the easiest and quickest ways to kill roaches if you are dealing with these pests! Another option is to make a concoction of white table sugar and Borax.

Combine equal parts of these ingredients, and then apply the mixture to any spot in the garage where you have seen roaches congregating. The sugar entices the cockroaches to eat the mixture, but the Borax dehydrates them, which kills them very quickly. 

How do you keep roaches away permanently?

Of course, when you are dealing with a roach infestation, you want to make sure that you get rid of them and that they will not return in the future. Some of the preventative measures that you can take are to clean up your garage space and to store food properly, which helps to eliminate potential food sources or shelters that could be seen as attractive to the roaches.

You want to be sure that you make your space as inhospitable as possible for pests. Also be sure to check for any potential entry points, like cracks in the walls or damaged weatherstripping, so that you can fix them and keep the roaches from re-entering. 

What smell will drive roaches away?

Smell is something that many species of animals are very sensitive to– humans included! You may not think so, but cockroaches actually have a very strong sense of smell.

This can be taken advantage of to drive them away and out of your garage. Some of the smells that roaches dislike include thyme, citronella, citrus, basil, and mint. Many of these can even be found in your kitchen, so they do not require you to go out and make another purchase.

James from the Privateers Garage
About the author

Lucas is one of the core writers and researchers for the Privateers Garage. He lives in Canada and Arizona and has two Garages. He loves writing about garage living, tech and getting stuff done. He is also a professional musician and sound guy.