The egg case of a cockroach has a hard leathery substance for protection. The tough cover ensures that the egg contents are protected from predators. The casing can also resist the effects of unfavorable conditions and pesticides. It is a common belief that even radiation poisoning cannot affect the eggs of roaches.
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How to kill cockroach eggs at home
Note that a single roach egg case may contain between 14 to 48 eggs. If you consider that an egg can hatch within 24-37 days, then you will have a lot of roach larvae and adult roaches within a short time.
So that you can kill cockroach eggs after locating them, there are different approaches to take. The only way to kill roach eggs is to break them open so that you can completely destroy the contents.
You can burn the eggs with hot water after breaking them open. Soaking roach eggs in hot water can kill them fast. The water will make them soft and this will eventually destroy the roach babies inside the casing.
1. Squish the eggs
Squishing the eggs can be a satisfying experience, especially if you have been trying very hard to eliminate them via other methods. This roach egg-killing solution is not only simple but also quite productive.
Implementing the method requires a bulky pair of boots or shoes. Once you have worn your boots, stamp on the eggs until they are destroyed. Alternatively, crush the egg sacs using a heavy object or tool such as a stone or hammer.
2. Spray the eggs
Raid can kill roach eggs after they are crushed. The chemicals in Raid insect spray will ensure that the egg contents are not hatched whatsoever. Because crushing eggs will create a mess, carry out the activity outside the house, following it up with a clean-up.
Some people opt for burning the eggs after collecting them. However, burning roach eggs should be far away from your home so that you do not burn anything else by accident.
Another benefit is that you will inhale less odor from the burning of cockroach eggs since air circulation is sufficient outside. however, it is best to crush them open and use insecticides like Raid or Demon Max to kill roach egg contents.
3. Boric acid bathing
Boric acid is a powerful chemical solution many homeowners have used for years to kill eggs, larvae, and roaches. Its application demands that you put the roach eggs in a container resistant to acid damage. Then, pour the boric acid on the egg sacs to kill them.
For the approach to be satisfactory, the boric acid should be enough to drown the egg sacs of roaches.
4. Insect growth regulators
The special liquids are usually used to control and prevent pest infestations, including the ones for cockroaches. Insect growth regulators can make adult cockroaches infertile and thus limit the spread of an infestation.
The chemical can also block the normal development of roaches’ eggs, eventually leading to their death.
5. Baking soda and sugar
Mix equal amounts of sugar and baking soda in a bottle or a container. The sugar charms these pesky insects, and the baking soda kills them and the eggs laid. Apply the mixture you have made where you notice cockroach eggs, such as under sinks, around pipes, and in cabinets.
5. Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is a powder made using the remains of water plants. Spray the non-chemical method over roach egg sacs to dehydrate and destroy them.
Does vinegar kill cockroach eggs?
Vinegar does not kill cockroach eggs or even cockroaches. Vinegar is much suitable for its use as a cleaning agent. The solution will deter roaches from invading your space and kill germs in the kitchen. Cleaning your kitchen with the natural solution means cockroaches do not have any or have less food to eat and infest your home.
However, providing less or no food for cockroaches to snack on is not a sure way of discouraging an attack. The insects can eat almost anything inside or outside your house to survive. At worse, roaches may live without water and food for a week and a month, respectively.
What spray kills roach eggs?
The spray that kills roach eggs is the Insect Growth Regulator. A spray you may buy and use is the ZOECON Gentrol Insect Growth Regulator. The chemical spray causes roaches’ eggs to abort, not capable of hatching and producing larvae.
Even with your best attempt to kill roach eggs with a spray, you may not succeed. A spray works best in the elimination of cockroaches and not eggs. It does that by utilizing the pores in the outer covering of roaches to deliver poison inside their bodies and stop the normal working of their nervous systems.
Bleach for roach eggs
Bleach can destroy roach eggs. Place the egg sacs in a container with bleach to soak. Before soaking the egg case, break them open to enable direct exposure of eggs to the effect of bleach. The hard shell covering eggs can prevent the bleach from reaching and killing them.
Wear gloves while breaking the egg cases of roaches and applying bleach. Washing your clothes with bleach will also kill any hidden roach eggs.
Using bleach may be a problem if you cannot locate the eggs of cockroaches. It is better to use a mixture of bleach and water or soapy water to clean your rooms instead of trying to use it to kill roach eggs directly. The irritating smell will deter attack by cockroaches and avoid the laying of eggs inside your house.
Also, because bleach has a strong smell, it should only be used in an area with proper air supply and circulation.
Will washing clothes kill cockroach eggs?
Washing clothes will kill cockroach eggs if done in a washer with the hottest possible setting. Cockroaches love infesting clothes to get warmth and hide.
Roaches eggs can also be destroyed when you wash your clothes with bleach.
A cockroach can breathe or hold its breath for up to 45 minutes when submerged and close its external breathing openings called spiracles. Therefore, your washer’s rinse cycle should last longer than 45 minutes. Using soapy water for washing can interfere with the normal closing of spiracles, leading to water exposure, drowning, and suffocation.
Do bug bombs kill roach eggs?
Bug bombs do not kill roach eggs. Also called bug foggers, the name bug bombs may sound appealing and effective, but that is not the case with killing roach eggs. Foggers are ineffective since the eggs of roaches have capsules or shells that protect them from contact with the insecticide. In addition, appreciate that most bugs lay their eggs in hard-to-reach places where the effects of bug bombs may not be felt.
The application of bug bombs comes with its dangers. The solution can be toxic and can cause an explosion if an ignition source is nearby. Additionally, after fogging, you have to subject every surface of your home to a soapy water cleaning.
Do roaches lay eggs when killed?
Roaches do not lay eggs when killed. Many people seem to wrongly think that crushing a pregnant cockroach can lead to it laying eggs so that its young ones can take its place to continue the legacy of giving your problems.
Roaches cannot release their eggs immediately before they die. When a bug dies, its eggs also die. Crushing a cockroach with a strong shoe will also crush its egg sacs.
The eggs will fail to hatch if a pregnant roach is poisoned or dehydrated and die since they are not protected against harsh weather, disturbances, and predators.
In conclusion, eliminating a cockroach infestation requires utilizing a combination of treatment methods. If the results are not as expected, hire someone who understands what needs to be done.
References:
- University of Kentucky: Cockroach elimination methods
- University of Nebraska: Cockroach control manual
