How to Get Rid of Palmetto Bugs

So you are seeing some palmetto bug or those American cockroaches roaming in your house. Those flying bugs are creepy and disgusting.

You want to throw them away right now. Then do not worry as here I will share ten ideas on how to get rid of palmetto bugs in the house and kitchen for life.

Killing them is the easiest solution as it will reduce the number in the house for a long time. But if they have an infestation in your home, then what?

You can not kill all of those bugs as a general. Then you must use some natural bug-repellent ideas so that they leave the palace and come back. 

How to Get Rid of Palmetto Bugs

Palmetto bug is a general name for big American cockroaches, or some people also call it Flying Waterbugs.

They live in dark and damp places and can grow to around 2 inches in length, are reddish brown in color, and have wings (yes, they can fly) that make them creepier even more than normal cockroaches. 

I do not want those creepy flying cockroaches in my house. So here are your ten best ideas on how to get rid of Palmetto bugs in the house for life. 

Also, read: How to get rid of sugar ants in the kitchen

1. Clean Up Your Kitchen Sink Regularly

Those palmetto bugs are attracted to your house or kitchen because you have a lot of food left on the floor or in the kitchen sink that they love to eat. You are giving those bugs a food source.

Most people do not worry about making homes and kitchens super clean and free of debris and waste food, but you should do it if you do not want those creepy bugs roaming in your house.

Clean your house and kitchen on a daily basis with washing liquid that is available in the market.

Also, remove all the garbage, damp places in the basement, and dirt in your house and yard, and take the trash out regularly.

Do everything you can to reduce their food source in the house so they are forced to leave the place and go somewhere where they can find some food and a damp place to live.

2. Seal All the Cracks in the House

Do not let them come through those cracks and holes in the door, the window, or the wall. Completely seal them and stop their entrance.

These cracks and holes are the most common path they follow when they search for food and when they come inside the house from the yard.

Trace those cracks and use sealant to seal those things permanently. It will not repel them but reduce their numbers significantly in the house.

Make those palmetto bugs leave by blocking the road.

3. Take Out the Garbage and Stop Bugs Infestation

I want to talk about the garbage especially, as these are the favorite places for those creepy palmetto bugs.

Take your garbage bag out regularly without delay as those foods there will start to rot and attract bugs.

If you found a few palmetto bugs know there are more. Do not let them build a nest there, repel them all and destroy their nest. 

4. Buy Some Glue Traps to Remove Them

Glue traps can also be beneficial for you to kill them in one night. Buy a few glue traps and lay them around where they pass by.

Then after a night, you will see most of them are attached to it, and a few died. On the next night, lay a few more taps and do so until they are all dead. 

You can buy these glue traps in a grocery store near you. But be careful as those glues are very sticky and can cause harm to your skin if you get stuck somehow. 

5. Use Palmetto Bug Killer

This is one of the best ideas on how to get rid of palmetto bugs. You can also use some bug-killer products like boric acid or diatomaceous earth.

These powders are available online. These powders are toxic for insects but not harmful to humans if you touch them mistakenly, but you should not inhale them or let your kids touch them.

Lay these powders in the road where they come and go. When they roll over it, their digestive system will fail, and they will die instantly there, giving you permanent relief.

But have you ever wondered why those palmetto bugs will ever walk on that powder and even eat it?

You have to attract them by mixing them with sugar or honey. They will think of it as a snack. Let those bugs eat it and die. 

6. Use Peppermint Oil Spray on the Bugs

Peppermint oil is another option on how to get rid of palmetto bugs with ease. There are many oil products that are used to repel insects, but peppermint oil will kill them.

Just spray the oil on them or their road, and they will die happily because the smells are too bad for them to inhale.

7. Train Your Pets to Catch and Kill Them

Do you have a cat in the house? If you have, then train it to catch those bugs. Cats are very efficient at catching bugs as they see it as entertainment.

Although they can not kill all of them they can help you reduce their number in the house. 

8. Get a Roach Killer Chalk

The roach killer chalk is very simple to use. Just draw lines around the corner of your home or yard and they will be dead when they come close to it.

The poison will attract their inner system and kill them slowly. After all, these palmetto bugs are cockroaches but big in size.

It works the same way as diatomaceous earth powder but in a simple way.

9. Spray Vinegar All Over Your House

Vinegar is very dangerous for bugs and insects. They will not come close to it as it gives them a burning sensation and sometimes death.

Just spray the vinegar in your house where they roam around and then just wait and watch.

10. Cover all the Air Vents and Drain Pipes

I have seen those bugs come to the house through the drain pipe and sometimes through the AC air vents.

So cover them up now with something that only allows air or water to pass not the bugs.

How to Prevent Palmetto Bugs from Infesting Your House

The best way to never have those palmetto bug problems in your house is by never letting them in and using some precautions beforehand.

The below bug precaution may help you out.

• Fix all cracks and holes in your house and wall, even in the basement.
• Use a strong net over your air vents or floor drains to prevent the palmetto bugs from coming to your home.
• Clean your bathroom and kitchen regularly.
• Never let any debris stand in your house, including the garbage.
• Dry your bathroom and toilet floors most of the time.
• Keep all the leftover foods covered until you eat them or throw them away.
• Use palmetto bug killer traps to get rid of them if you have any bugs in the house.

Yes, these tips may not help you as you already have this problem. But after you got rid of them, use these tips so they never come back. 

Palmetto Bug Removal FAQs

Last Words

So this is how to get rid of palmetto bugs in the house or kitchen. The best idea is to clean your house often so they can not find any food source there.

Use some traps to kill them if you are seeing too many bugs roaming your home or yard. So let’s get to work!

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