Living in an apartment, you are bound to see a cockroach at some point. This is because apartments are closely packed together and usually at 90% capacity. With so many people close together, roaches know to visit these areas. In addition, pet food, human food, and pipelines are attractive to the common cockroach. When this happens, landlords may step in and do routine treatments. However, if it gets bad enough, you may want to opt for roach bombing.
What Is A Roach Bomb?
A roach bomb is also known as a roach fogger. These cans shoot pesticides in the air to land everywhere in a given room. The pesticides will kill cockroaches in the area. Unfortunately, they can also carry the pesticides to other roaches that are not close by.
What to Consider When Going For Roach Bombing?
Before using a roach fogger, there are things to consider. These include:
- Effectiveness
- Safety
- Precautions
- Time & Money
Using a roach bomb sounds easy, but it can come with situations you hadn’t thought of before.
Effectiveness
The effectiveness of a roach bomb is primarily dependant on the brand and where it is used. A cockroach bomb can only reach immediate areas. Hard to reach areas, the ones that cockroaches love, are not places the pesticides will go. However, the roaches do carry the pesticides with them to infect others. Other factors come into play, and the cockroaches may not spread the pesticide far enough.
Safety
The first thing to think about is that aerosol cans are flammable. So if you have a lot of electronics plugged in, it is possible to start a fire. It sounds strange to many, but it does happen.
The other thing is that the pesticides land on everything you, your family, and your pets come into contact with. These pesticides are not safe for human or pet consumption.
Precautions
Before using a roach fogger, you will need to remove everything from the kitchen and living spaces. Anything left out needs to be covered carefully.
When you use it, you have to leave. Everyone must go somewhere for the specified amount of time, usually 2-4 hours.
Once you return home, the windows will need to be opened to allow clean and fresh air to come through. Carpets and upholstery have to be vacuumed, and linens must be washed. Countertops and tables will also need to be cleaned.
Time and Money
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends only one can per room. Not following the instructions on the can and guidelines from the EPA can result in costly health issues.
Aside from the health concerns, most roach bombs aren’t effective. People spot new cockroaches in no time at all and require more treatment. Household pests and cockroaches are famous for surviving pest control. This is why they have been around for a long time.
How To Roach Bomb In Your Apartment?
So you have come this far and decided to use a cockroach bomb in your apartment. Here is a complete list of everything you need to do, aside from the directions with your fogger.
Cover Whatever You Don’t Want The Fog To Touch
This includes toasters, waxed furniture, and bedding. In addition, you can use plastic dust covers to protect them from the pesticides.
Close All Entrances And Exits
For the pesticides to get to every surface in the room, every door must be shut. This also includes windows. If anything is left open, the pesticides will go out windows or into other rooms.
Open The Cupboards, Drawers, Etc.
Opening all of your cabinets, cupboards, and drawers allows the pesticide into places that cockroaches love to hide. Please make sure they are empty of utensils and food products.
Turn Off The Appliances
The aerosol is highly flammable, so you want to ensure zero chance of something catching afire. In addition, you can turn off or unplug your appliances to keep things safe. Ovens, fans, toasters, air conditioning units, and refrigerators are essential to turning off or unplugging.
Remove Pets And Kids From The Rooms
Removing children and pets is vital before starting. As you remove them, recheck the doors and windows. Children and pets should not return to the apartment for three or more hours after the bomb has been used. This protects them from possibly breathing in contaminated air.
Position The Fogger At The Center Of The Room
The bug bomb should be positioned in the center of the room and on a chair or table. The surface needs to be covered with a plastic dust cover or old newspapers. Be sure that it is sitting upright in the middle of the chair or table so that nothing can knock it over and fall to the floor.
Activate The Fogger
Activate the fogger according to the directions on the can. It would be best if you used a mask to protect your mouth and nose from the aerosol. Breathing it in is dangerous for your health.
Leave the apartment and come back after the specified time on the can. When you come back, do not bring the children and pets right away. You want to do the aftercare before they return, so they do not touch anything contaminated or breathe anything in.
Pros and Cons of Roach Bombing
As with most things in our lives, there are pros and cons to using a roach bomb to control a roach infestation. This comprehensive list will be the perfect way to make a clear-cut decision on whether or not to use bug bombs.
Pros
Easy to use
Using an aerosol can is easy to use. The directions are easy to understand as well, making roach foggers an attractive option.
They Kill Lots Of Bugs
The truth is, the roach bombs are good for more than roach infestations. The fog sits at the top and slowly rains poison down. Any flying insects, roaches, and even bed bugs will be killed. Targeting a highly infested room, such as a garage, will target and eradicate all pests.
Good For Quick Results
If you want to eliminate roaches quickly and inexpensively, then a cockroach bomb is a good bet. It won’t solve your problem entirely but will give you some relief from household pests.
Cons
Foggers Can Make The Problem Worse
While roaches are predictable, they are also really good at escaping a situation. The mist from the can comes down slowly and has a potent odor. The roaches are very likely to run to different areas that are not being bombed. Living in an apartment means your neighbor could end up with a roach infestation. Or worse, they could run to another room and hide there.
Indiscriminate Application
Since the pesticides cover everything, you are left with toxic materials on all your surfaces. It will require a deep clean of the room to be safe. Any utensils and appliances in the kitchen will need to be scrubbed before use.
No Residual Protection
The reality of using a bug bomb is that it is a short-lived treatment. It often takes 2-4 hours for the aerosol to do its job. After you clean the room, there are no residual chemicals to kill roaches. This is mainly for your safety as you don’t need toxins lingering around to treat pests. It also means that the fogger cannot reach more roaches that have fled to another part of the apartment or building. The best roach control is hiring a professional to come and do the dirty work.
1: Do Roach Bombs Actually Work?
Yes. Cockroach bombs can help control a large infestation of cockroaches in your home. However, it is often thought that they only really affect cockroaches outside the holes and crevices they’ve created in your home. It is essential to find a way to get them out of those crevices before using the roach bombs to ensure that you’re getting the cockroaches better.
2: How Long Do Bombs For Roaches Last?
Although the specifics of each bug bomb differ slightly depending on the species of insects that are being exterminated, all of them require the target area to be sealed off for at least a few hours. Then it takes another hour or so to properly ventilate the area after the bug bomb has been detonated. You should generally expect to remain absent from the region for three to four hours.
3: Can I Roach Bomb One Room And Stay In The House?
Staying indoors isn’t a good idea because you could be exposed to potentially harmful substances that could harm you, your family, your pets, and the environment. You should not stay inside your house even if you decide to fog a single room with insect bombs to avoid the risks and dangers they pose.
4: How Much Does It Cost To Bomb A House For Roaches?
It costs between $1200 and $2000 to fumigate a house. A pesticide that has been vaporized is distributed throughout the building to destroy insects and other vermin, including those hiding inside the walls, ceiling, floors, and furniture. The expense of fumigating a home is significant, and the process can be disruptive. For the treatment to be effective, the house must be adequately prepared and vacated for between 24 and 72 hours.
5: What Do You Do After A Cockroach Bomb?
As soon as you enter your home following the treatment, immediately open all the doors and windows to allow fresh air to circulate and clear the air of any lingering fumes. You can also help eliminate any lingering fumes by positioning your houseplants in areas more exposed to air.
6: How Many Roach Bombs Do I Need?
When it comes to cockroaches, you will need to use more foggers than you would if you were targeting gnats, fleas, or flies. This is because the foggers require the capability of penetrating cracks and crevices. As a general guideline, there should be one fogger in each room, or at the very least, one fogger for every 500 sq ft.
