A roach infestation is never a pleasant thing. Besides, eliminating them can be pretty hard.
These insect pests are a health risk as they carry disease-causing germs. In addition, they travel through all kinds of dirt and pick up the traces on their legs and body. For that reason, a simple scratch from their leg spines can quickly become infected.
On the other hand, roaches are a significant threat to people with respiratory issues like asthma. This is because their feces and corpses can pollute the air and trigger asthma.
Roaches can also cause diseases like cholera, dysentery, and more.
That said, getting rid of them is the best way to protect the health of everyone. Depending on the size of the infestation, you can call a roach exterminator or use a chemical-free and natural cockroach repellent like lavender.
Keep reading this article to learn more about using lavender to repel cockroaches.
Does Lavender Repel Roaches?
Yes, lavender does repel roaches.
Cockroaches hate the lavender smell so much that they cannot go near it.
Like all essential oils, lavender keeps roaches away by masking any scent that might attract them to your house in the first place.
Lavender is available in many forms, but regardless of the form, it is very effective at pest control due to its strong scent.
Benefits of Using Lavender Against Roaches
Lavender is well known for its aromatic, decorative, and medicinal uses. However, the benefits go beyond relaxation and its soothing aromas.
This plant can be an excellent addition to your garden and has insecticidal and antiseptic properties.
You can easily buy lavender from your local store, making it an easy home remedy for roaches. In addition, lavender is safe to use around kids and pets compared to most roach-killing or repelling products.
Moreover, lavender does not leave a harmful residue after use and is very eco-friendly. Besides, you can always reapply lavender when you want long-term protection from roaches.
Not all insects are a bother to you. For instance, bees and butterflies are helpful when it comes to pollination or decomposition in the environment. It’s important not to harm them while trying to get rid of pests. So, as long as you are not spraying on these insects, they will remain safe while you use lavender against roaches in your home.
Different Forms Of Lavender
Roaches find lavender repulsive and will not go anywhere near it. While lavender can be found in various forms, its effectiveness can be attributed to its strong scent.
Therefore, it doesn’t matter whether you use lavender essential oil, dried lavender, or fresh lavender. Roaches hate the scent either way.
How to Repel Roaches Using Lavender
There are various ways to use lavender against roaches. You can plant them around your house, use lavender-scented Epsom salt, dried or fresh lavender, or lavender essential oil.
Planting Lavender to Repel Cockroaches
Planting certain cockroach-repellent plants is an effective method to keep roaches away from your home and garden. Lavender is relatively easy to grow, and there are many places you can grow this scented plant. The first thing to do is choose an area with enough sunshine. In addition, this plant prefers well-drained, alkaline soils.
You can plant lavender plants in gardens, near seating areas, and around your house to deter cockroaches.
When choosing the areas to grow lavender, it is vital to note that this herb is perennial and can grow up to 3 feet tall.
Suppose you have a flowerbed surrounding your home; plant lavender on it. This will create a natural barricade to keep roaches away from your home. As a bonus, other pests like chipmunks, rats, fleas, mosquitoes, ticks, wasps, bedbugs, and ants will be deterred too.
Using Fresh Lavender to Keep Roaches Away
Apart from growing lavender in your garden, you can place fresh lavender flowers in vases and place them in various rooms in your home to deter roaches.
For example, place the vases on your kitchen counter, bedroom, and dining table for better results.
Fresh lavender might be cheap but is as almost as effective as lavender essential oil and dried lavender.
Using Lavender Essential Oil to Deter Roaches
This is the most effective form of lavender to help keep roaches away.
First, you will need to make a lavender-based spray by diluting the lavender essential oil with water. Then, spray the mixture on areas where roaches frequent.
Making a Lavender-Based Spray
For this, you will need:
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- 14-19 drops of lavender essential oil
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- Spray bottle filled ¾ full with water
Mix the two in the spray bottle and spray around areas you may have seen roaches. Also, spray under your bed, door frames, and window sills.
Use Cotton Balls Soaked in Lavender Essential Oil
Roaches despise lavender and will not go near areas saturated with the scent.
While sprays are best used for saturating specific areas with lavender, you can also use cotton balls to achieve the same results.
Soak cotton balls in the spray mixture and place them in holes, cracks, openings, and other areas you suspect roaches are hiding.
Read More: What Does a Roach Nest Look Like? How to Find and Get Rid of One
Dried Lavender for Roaches
The best part about using dried lavender is that you can scatter the pieces into tiny spaces. Therefore, if you don’t know where the roaches are coming from, you can just sprinkle the dried lavender near sources of water or near places where food particles are mostly dropped. This will include under your kitchen sink, near drains, and under large appliances like refrigerators and stoves.
Read More: Can Roaches and Their Nest Survive in the Fridge?
Lavender-Scented Epsom Salt to Get Rid of Cockroaches
There are many lavender-based products you can use to repel roaches. However, most of them are best used indoors.
So, how can you repel cockroaches even before they enter your home?
Lavender-scented Epsom salt can help keep these pesky insects at bay before they step into your house. To use this salt, you will need to sprinkle it outdoors in openings and cracks outside your house.
How to Increase the Effectiveness of Lavender Oil Against Roaches
You can enhance the strength of lavender oil by combining it with other essential oils like peppermint and eucalyptus oil for repelling roaches. For example, mixing lavender oil with water and peppermint oil to make a spray for roaches will go a long way in deterring these insects.
However, make sure that the essential oil you use is pure.
Other essential oils that roaches despise are catnip oil, citronella, rosemary, tea tree oil, and citrus oil . All these oils can be mixed with lavender essential oil to get better results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Do Roaches Despise Lavender?
Roaches despise lavender because of its scent.
Lavender contains a chemical called linalool, which gives this plant its unique aroma and insecticidal property.
What Essential Oils Do Roaches Hate?
Roaches hate the smells of most essential oils, including mint oil, citrus, citronella, and eucalyptus oil.
Roaches have an incredible sense of smell. So take advantage of that and use these essential oils to keep them away from your home.
Can Lavender Kill or Repel Cockroaches?
Lavender cannot kill cockroaches, but lavender can repel cockroaches. Roaches will stay away from your home whether you use lavender-based Epsom salt, dried or fresh lavender, or lavender essential oil.
You will need a multi-prong tactic to get rid of roaches and other insects.
However, you can increase the strength of lavender by mixing it with other potent essential oils to repel roaches, like eucalyptus and peppermint oils.
