Cockroaches are pretty challenging to deal with when they have colonized your home. Of course, you can’t seal all the openings of your home to prevent them from entering. But you can use a few natural ingredients such as lemons to repel and even kill cockroaches.
So does lemon juice kill roaches? Yes, it does. Lemons contain anti-pathogenic properties that work wonders in keeping cockroaches and many bugs at bay. Roaches don’t like the solid citrusy smell of lemons, so they stay away.
However, you may have to pour lemon juice directly on the roaches to eliminate them. Otherwise, it won’t work as effectively as you expect it to.
This guide will tell you some easy ways to use lemons to kill and repel roaches. So let’s get started!
Does Lemon Juice Repel Roaches?
Roaches hate the smell of citrus, whether lemons or oranges. To keep these pests away, you can use sliced or whole lemons, lemon peels, or lemon juice in high roach traffic areas.
Some of the most common roach places in your home include:
- Kitchen sinks
- Floors
- Food counters
- Bedrooms
- Bathrooms
- Attics
- Basement
- Cupboards
You can also spray lemon juice on your home’s entry points to prevent cockroaches from entering, and later having to get rid of them.
How Can You Use Lemon To Kill and Repel Roaches?
You can use lemon in multiple ways to kill and repel roaches. The four most effective and easy ones are:
Squeezing Out Lemon Juice
Take some lemons from your refrigerator and extract their juice. Then, transfer it to a bottle and spray it in places with roach infestations. To get effective results, sprinkle the lemon juice directly on the roaches.
If you have spotted roaches in your closet or nooks and crevices of windows, squeeze the lemon juice directly on them. It will eliminate the cockroaches and their eggs within a few minutes.
Drying Lemon Peels
After extracting the lemon juice, don’t throw its peels away. Instead, store and place them in the high roach infestation places. Lemon peels have a strong citrusy taste and smell that cockroaches hate.
You can also dry these peels and grind them into a fine powder. Then, sprinkle it on roach infestations to kill them or place it on your home’s entry points to prevent these bugs from entering.
Preparing Lemon Water
Preparing lemon water is super easy. First, buy ready-made lemon juice or extract fresh juice and add it to a big bowl or bucket. Then, pour some water. Ensure that it doesn’t get too diluted, and you can still smell the strong scent of lemon juice.
Take a cloth or towel and soak it in the lemon water. Now, wipe your kitchen countertops, floors, and every place where you see roaches crawling.
Using Whole or Sliced Lemons
Slice a lemon into small pieces or use it as a whole in high roach infestation places. It will be enough to deter roaches for a long time.
FAQs
Can Lemon Juice Kill Cockroaches?
Lemon juice can kill roaches due to its anti-pathogenic properties. It eliminates cockroaches and keeps them away from entering your home. Always apply lemon juice directly to these bugs to kill them.
Can Roaches Eat Lemons?
No, roaches can’t eat lemons as their robust and citrusy smell repels them from a distance. Thus, cockroaches stay away from lemons, let alone eat them.
Do Roaches Hate Citrus?
Yes, roaches hate citrus fruits because of their strong scent and anti-pathogenic properties.
Conclusion
Lemon juice is quite effective in killing and repelling roaches. Lemon is a citrus fruit with anti-pathogenic properties and a strong smell that cockroaches and many bugs hate.
Lemon juice is the safest yet effective way to keep your home safe from these disease-carrying pests. Plus, lemons are readily available, so you don’t have to run here and there to find them.
You can use lemons in various ways to kill and deter roaches, such as:
- Spraying lemon juice directly on roaches
- Preparing lemon water and wiping your home with it
- Putting lemon peels in roach infestations
- Placing whole or sliced lemons in entry points