When attempting to get rid of roaches, cleaning products are one of the main things you might be looking for.
Still, you might be looking into if something may actually attract cockroaches or not. Still, what about Pine Sol? Does that attract roaches or not?
Pine Sol repels roaches instead of attracting them. This is because Pine Sol contains numerous chemicals like isopropyl alcohol and benzoic acid, the primary cleaning ingredients. However, Pine Sol also has oil distilled from pine needles, giving it its fresh smell.
Cockroaches communicate with others by detecting and secreting pheromones as they skitter across the ground. But not only that, the pheromone receptors on cockroach antennae are used to locate food.
However, the strong smell of Pine Sol works to “blind” the cockroach’s ability to smell pheromones produced by other cockroaches. This is why Pine Sol is excellent at repelling rather than attracting roaches.
This article dives into how Pine Sol can repel roaches and if more pests get attracted to
Are Roaches Attracted to Pine Sol?
No, roaches are not attracted to Pine Sol. Pine Sol contains a rich natural oil made from pine needles which we attribute to a pleasant and refreshing smell.
However, cockroaches hate the smell of Pine Sol, as do many other small insects and pests. Pine trees and their natural oils work as a natural roach repellent.
Fresh Pine Sol can give off its distinctive smell for a long time. Roaches can smell Pine Sol for a few days after you last used it to clean. Because of the long-lasting effects of Pine Sol, it is excellent at repelling roaches.
Aside from the pine oil, other chemicals in Pine Sol repel roaches. For example, sulfonic and benzoic acid are in Pine Sol and are common chemicals used by pest control to sanitize an area and are great at repelling roaches.
Read More: What Smells Do Roaches Hate? Use These Scents to Keep Them Away
Does Lemon Pine Sol Deter Roaches?
Yes, lemon Pine Sol deters roaches. Lemon Pine Sol is roughly the same as regular Pine Sol. However, the main difference is that it provides a different scent that cockroaches despise: lemon.
Anything with citrus in it, a cockroach will run in the opposite direction. So not only are you disinfecting your home with Pine Sol but also eliminating these pests.
How to Use Pine Sol to Repel Roaches
There are many ways you can use Pine Sol to repel cockroaches. First, you can pour two or three caps of Pine Sol into a spray bottle and fill up the bottle with water to dilute the solution.
From there, spray Pine Sol around where you have seen cockroaches, and they will vacate the immediate area soon after.
However, the best way to use Pine Sol to repel roaches is by using pure Pine Sol to clean your home after you’ve used insecticides to kill the cockroach infestation in your home.
Read More: What to Do If You See Signs of a Roach Infestation in Your House
Can You Use Expired Pine Sol to Deter Roaches?
No, you cannot use expired Pine Sol to deter roaches. Expired Pine Sol attracts roaches and other bugs because it is dirty and unusable, so it is essential to use it beforehand.
Pine Sol lasts one year after its manufacturer date, so if unsure, we advise you to look at the expiration date.
What Happens If You Do Not Properly Use Pine Sol?
If you do not use Pine Sol properly, it can attract cockroaches. For example, using Pine Sol without properly diluting it can lead to a sticky situation.
In that case, roaches will be drawn to wherever you cleaned instead of running in the opposite direction. Please read the instructions below to use the solution properly.
Storing Pine Sol Properly
Over time, dirt, grease, and stickiness appear on the Pine Sol bottle. In that case, you want to ensure you correctly store the container. After using the solution, wipe down the bottle so cockroaches are not attracted to your storage area.
Deep Cleaning Your Home With Pine Sol
Doing a deep clean on your home with Pine Sol is a fantastic way to clean and sanitize your home, which works to repel roaches in two different ways.
First, the smell of pure Pine Sol will repel all cockroach species. Cockroaches thrive in dirty and unclean areas where it is easy to find food sources. With a clean and sanitized home, cockroaches will be hard-pressed to find food and sustain themselves. Though just note sometimes, roaches will come into clean homes.
Second, the smell of Pine Sol will linger for many hours after cleaning. Even after you can’t smell the Pine Sol anymore, the lingering residue of Pine Sol will continue to work as a repellent.
After cleaning your home and ridding it of the cockroach invasion, you can take your roach repellent spray made of Pine Sol and water to spray window frames, door frames, and the baseboards of your home.
Doing this will help create a barrier that will continue to repel roaches long after you’ve kicked them out of your home. Using Pine Sol properly can be an effective way of keeping roaches out of your home.
What Other Insects Does Pine Sol Repel?
Pine Sol repels other insects like ants, flies, and wasps. However, some insects, like wasps, are more resistant to the strong smell of Pine Sol. Mixing 80% Pine Sol and 20% water with a splash of white vinegar is the best mixture to repel most insects.
Use the Original Scent Pine Sol when making an insect-repellent spray. Original Scent Pine Sol contains the most pungent smell, which is needed to repel roaches, flies, wasps, and fire ants.
A Brief History of Pine Sol
Pine Sol was invented in 1929 by a chemist names Harry Cole. Harry lived near a pine forest in Mississippi, where he could observe the lack of insects in and around the forest despite the sweet and pleasing smell. Harry concluded that the scent of the pine trees was the primary cause of the lack of insects in the area.
From there, Harry Cole decided to add pine oil to a cleaning mixture he was working on to give it a pleasing smell. After many years of developing and perfecting the recipe, Harry approached his soon-to-be partners Howard Cohoon and Robert Earnest with his product.
He advertised it to be an excellent cleaning and sanitizing solution that leaves a pleasing aroma that works as an insect repellent. In 1948, these men started manufacturing and mass producing their cleaning product, Pine Sol.
In 1990, the partners sold the Pine Sol brand to Clorox, which still owns the brand. The exact measurements used to create Pine Sol have been a secret for many years. However, it is believed that the Pine Sol mixture contains 7 to 10% Pinus Palustris oil and 5 to 8% alcohol.
Read More: Does Clorox Bleach Kill or Repel Roaches?
Do Essential Oils Repel Roaches?
Yes, certain essential oils can repel cockroaches from the premises of your home, just like Pine Sol can. Essential oils are obtained through distillation or mechanical cold pressing and are concentrated oils extracted from plants.
These essential oils contain the natural flavors and smell of the plant they are extracted from. However, since the oils are concentrated, their smells and flavors are greatly enhanced. The strong scent can repel roaches, flies, wasps, mice, rats, and other pests.
Essential oils like , tea tree, rosemary, eucalyptus oil, cinnamon, and peppermint oil can disrupt a roach’s senses. Therefore, these oils can act as effective cockroach repellent when used.
However, only a few roach-repellent essential oils are toxic enough to kill roaches. For example, rosemary, peppermint, and citronella essential oils are the most harmful to cockroaches, but some are not strong enough to kill cockroaches instantly.
Essential oils are not made for repelling roaches, so results may vary. However, if you are to use essential oils to keep roaches out of your home, peppermint, and citronella are recommended. These two are said to work on the most stubborn cockroach breeds, like German and wood cockroaches.
Read More: Using Home Remedies To Remove Roaches
Are There Other Natural Repellents?
Yes, there are many other natural repellents you can use. Here are some below:
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is a fantastic example of a natural roach repellent. Cockroaches and many other insects hate the aroma produced by lemon juice.
You can pour lemon juice into a spray bottle to create a barrier around your windows and doors.
Bay Leaves
Bay leaves give off a solid and long-lasting bitter smell that roaches hate. The best part of utilizing bay leaves to keep roaches away is that you do not need them to be fresh to work.
Garlic Cloves
Use garlic as an insect repellent by chopping a garlic bulb in half and cutting through all the garlic cloves.
Take both halves of the garlic bulb and place them in a bottle filled with mineral oil. Let the garlic soak in the mineral oil for five to seven days. Afterward, separate the garlic cloves from the mineral oil through a strainer.
Make sure you keep the oil and throw the garlic away. Then you will need to pour the oil into a spray bottle and mix in 5 tablespoons of lemon juice. Shake well and spray the mixture around your home to keep the insects out.
What Attracts Roaches to Your Home?
Many things attract roaches to your home. For example, an unclean home will attract roaches.
Cockroaches love living in an environment like this, where they can easily find food and shelter. Furthermore, roaches tend to live in dark and moist places. However, the main thing that attracts cockroaches indoors is food.
Roaches are experts at finding a food source, and there are many things roaches will eat that you wouldn’t expect. For example, cockroaches eat decaying plants and other odd things like cardboard boxes, animal feces, and dead insects.
With that said, there are some things you can do to help keep roaches out of your home. First and foremost, keep everything clean by wiping down countertops and appliances after you use them.
Furthermore, after cleaning the leftover food off your dishes, wipe everything dry and wash the excess food out of the drain screen in your sink. Finally, ensure your cabinets and pantry have no open containers or spilled food in them, as this will attract roaches.
Pet food is another prevalent food source attracting cockroaches into your home. If you have pets, put their leftover food back in its container and clean their food bowl.
How to Get Rid of Roaches in Your Home
You can get rid of cockroaches by doing many different things. However, calling pest control is the easiest and most effective method of getting rid of cockroaches.
However, if you think pest control is too expensive, a great way of getting rid of roaches overnight is by using baking soda.
Baking soda is toxic to roaches and does not have a smell, so roaches can’t avoid it. Mix sugar and baking soda to make a deadly trap for cockroaches.
Another excellent method is boric acid. Boric acid is toxic to roaches, so mix boric acid with cocoa powder or sugar or create a bait with peanut butter. Afterward, place it in heavy roach areas in your home. While boric acid does not kill on contact, it will stick to a cockroach.
So, if you place the substance on a countertop or near the opening of a suspected nesting site, any roach that runs through the boric acid solution will get some of the boric acids stuck to them. Eventually, the cockroach will attempt to clean itself, consume the boric acid, and die a few minutes later.
If you don’t wake up to some dead cockroaches near your traps in the morning, try doing it in other areas in your home where you frequently see roaches.
Use Pine Sol to Deter Roaches
Pine Sol is an excellent way to keep roaches away from your home. Please make sure to properly use the solution by diluting it properly.
Afterward, enjoy a fresh, clean-smelling home while being insect-free! If you need more ways to eliminate roaches from your home, check out our other articles.
