How to Get Rid of Roaches in Bed: A Complete Guide

In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about roaches in bed, including the causes, the effects, and the solutions.

How To Get Rid Of Cockroaches In Bedroom?

Cockroaches are tough bugs. If you have a lot of roaches in your bedroom, you might need to call a professional pest control service. Trying to fumigate your bedroom by yourself can be very risky. 

But if you have a small roach problem, you can try some DIY methods to get rid of them. Here are some steps you can take: 

Using Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is a natural powder that is harmless to humans. But it is fatal for insects with hard shells, like cockroaches. It scratches their shells and makes them lose water. 

If you put diatomaceous earth where cockroaches like to go, you can kill many of them. 

Using Boric Acid

Boric acid is one of the best ways to kill cockroaches and other pests at home. It has powerful chemicals that harm the cockroach’s shell. 

You can make boric acid more attractive by mixing it with flour, sugar, peanut butter, or egg yolks. When cockroaches eat it, they will bring it back to their nest and kill other roaches. 

Silicone tape around the Bedpost

Cockroaches can climb walls and other smooth surfaces. To stop them from getting on your bed, you can use silicone tape around the legs of your bed. This will make it hard for them to grip. 

Using Peppermint, Cypress and Citrus Oil 

Some essential oils can repel cockroaches because they don’t like their smell. Peppermint, citrus, and cypress are some examples of these oils. 

You can make your own spray by mixing essential oils with water. You can use a spray bottle to apply it near doors, windows, and other items that you want to protect from cockroaches. 

Be careful not to spray it on fabrics, as it might stain them. You should only spray it around your closets and not on your bed, carpet, or clothes. 

Do not snack in the bedroom 

To prevent cockroaches from surviving in your bedroom, you should avoid eating and drinking there.

This way, you can reduce the amount of food and water sources for them.

You should also vacuum your bedroom frequently to remove any crumbs, spills, or dead skin cells that cockroaches might feed on. 

What Attracts Roaches To Your Bedroom? 

Bedrooms are not the ideal habitat for cockroaches, but they can still infest them under certain circumstances. These are some of the possible reasons why you might find cockroaches in your bedroom: 

• Lack of space and resources: If the cockroach population grows too large, some of them might look for new places to live and feed. They might end up in your bedroom, especially if it has hiding spots like closets, wardrobes, or under the bed.  
• Escape from danger: If you have used baits or insecticides in other areas of your house, such as the kitchen or bathroom, some cockroaches might run away from them. They might seek refuge in your bedroom, where they feel safer.  
• Search for food and water: If you keep your kitchen and bathroom clean and dry, cockroaches might have a hard time finding enough food and water. They might explore your bedroom, where they can find crumbs, spills, or dead skin cells to eat.  
• Access from outside: Cockroaches might also enter your bedroom from the outside. If you have gaps or holes in your window, baseboards, or walls, cockroaches might use them as entry points. They might then spread to other parts of your house. 

Your bedroom might not be the most appealing place for cockroaches, but they can still be drawn to it for various reasons. These are some of the factors that can attract cockroaches to your bedroom: 

Good Nesting Conditions 

Bedrooms are often dark, quiet, and moist places, which are ideal for cockroaches to hide and breed. 

Cockroaches are nocturnal insects, so they prefer to stay in places that are dark most of the time. Bedrooms usually have less light than other rooms, especially at night when people turn off the lights and close the curtains.

This makes bedrooms more attractive for cockroaches than other parts of the house that might have some light from appliances or windows. 

Cockroaches also like to avoid disturbance and noise, so they choose places that are not frequently used or visited. Bedrooms are usually less active than other rooms, especially during the day when people are at work or school.

This gives cockroaches more opportunity to roam around and find food and water sources without being noticed or disturbed. At night, when people are sleeping, cockroaches might even crawl over them without waking them up. 

>> Read more: Roaches in Fridge: How To Get Rid of Roaches in A Refrigerator Effectively.

Messy room 

Your bedroom can become a breeding ground for cockroaches and other bugs if you do not keep it clean and tidy.

The more stuff you have in your room, the more places cockroaches can find to hide and lay their eggs. You might even discover their egg sacks (ootheca) that look like brown capsules in your closet or wardrobe.

One of the most disturbing questions you might ask yourself is: can roaches get in mattresses? The answer is yes, they can. Your mattress provides a warm and dark environment for them to burrow and breed. If your mattress has cracks or holes, they can easily get inside and lay eggs.

Your boxes, storage containers, clothes, and items on the floor are perfect spots for cockroaches to nest and multiply.

Dead skin and hair loss 

Imperial College London says that we lose dead skin cells and hair every day. 

Cockroaches are not picky eaters. They will eat anything they can find, including dandruff, skin flakes, and loose hair. These things can be found in bedrooms, especially on your bed or in your laundry basket. 

Food scraps 

Snacking in your room can attract cockroaches, because they will feed on any food you leave behind. This includes crumbs on the floor and traces of food on wrappers. 

>> Read more: Cockroaches in Dishwasher? Here’s What You Need to Know

Where Do Cockroaches Hide In A Bedroom? 

Some of the places where cockroaches can hide in bedrooms are: 

• Closets, where they can find clothes, boxes, and bags to nest in 
• Dressers, where they can crawl under or behind them
• Beds, where they can hide under the mattress, the frame, or the headboard.
• Wall molding, where they can use cracks or gaps to enter and exit 
• Ceiling fan outlets, where they can access the wiring and the motor 
• Wall outlets, where they can also access the wiring and the heat 
• Drawers, where they can hide in the back or under the contents
• Clothes piles, where they can find warmth and moisture
• Appliances, such as AC units or gaming systems, where they can find heat and electricity.
• Dark cabinets, where they can find food or other items to feed on.

>> Read more: How to get Roaches out of Microwave

Why are roaches in bed? 

You might wonder how cockroaches got into your bedroom if you keep it and your house very clean. However, cockroaches have many ways of getting into a bedroom, even if there is nothing to attract them. 

Some of the reasons why cockroaches might be in your bedroom are:

• Windows or walls that have gaps, which let cockroaches in from outside. 
• Floors that have crevices or cracks, which allow cockroaches to come up from the ground. 
• Neighbors that have cockroaches, which can enter your house through a shared wall. 
• Boxes or moving gear that you stored in the bedroom, which had cockroaches inside them. 
• Clothes that you bought from a thrift store, which were infested with cockroaches and now are in your closet. According to Animal Behaviour, water is more important for cockroaches than food. Cockroaches can live for a month without food, but only for a week without water. 

Found baby cockroach in my bedroom 

Finding cockroach nymphs in your bedroom is a serious problem. It means the cockroaches have made a nest and are multiplying. In a short time, the cockroach population can explode. 

A female cockroach can reproduce by herself, without a male. She can produce only female offspring (not male) by a process called parthenogenesis. This is a type of asexual reproduction. When a male cockroach is available, cockroaches will reproduce sexually. Depending on the species, a female cockroach will make ootheca (egg sacks) that have up to 50 eggs. In 3-4 months, these new cockroaches will be ready to breed and continue the cycle. 

Does turning on the light make cockroaches stay away from my bedroom? 

Cockroaches are nocturnal insects, so they like to stay away from light to avoid being seen and hunted by predators. 

However, cockroaches can get used to light if they learn that it is not a threat. They can do this in a few nights or less. They will soon figure out that your bedside lamp being on does not mean that you are awake or dangerous. 

So, leaving the lights on all night will not keep cockroaches out of your bedroom. 

Conclusion 

We have discussed some of the reasons why cockroaches might infest your bedroom, and some of the ways to get rid of them. 

If you want to learn more about how to get rid of roaches in bed, or other pest-related topics, please check out our other blogs at Pestweek. 

Calina Mabel

Calina Mabel has over 15 years of experience in the field of journalism and communications. Currently, Calina Mabel is the Content Writer for categories such as Cockroach, Ants, Bed Bugs, Mosquito, Rodent, Termite, and Flies on Pestweek.com. She aims to build content for these categories with a focus on providing valuable and accessible information to readers, in order to create the world’s largest knowledge community about Pests.

All content written by Calina Mabel has been reviewed by Emily Carter.