How Do Roach Motels Work?

Nobody enjoys seeing roaches in their homes. They drive people crazy, especially when they invade various rooms and cause serious damage.

If you have been thinking of ways to get rid of roaches and have always been unsuccessful, trust me, you’re not alone. Most homeowners have constantly sought efficient ways to stop roach infestations.

What exactly is a roach motel, and how does it work? Let’s find out all about the secrets of this death trap in this guide.

Roach Motels Explained

Roach motels are traps you can use to lure roaches and capture them.

Because cockroaches are resilient pests that can fit in even the tiniest corners of your home, it’s normal to find it challenging to stop them from invading your house.

This is why roach motels have become the preferred way for most homeowners to capture these roaches.

Roaches multiply fast when you don’t try to stop their infestation right away. And if practical ways like keeping your rooms clean or using natural repellents won’t work, maybe it’s time to switch to roach motels.

Roach motels generally come in two types: glue traps and bait motels. Let’s differentiate the two below.

1. Glue Traps

Glue roach motels are pesticide-free. This means you don’t need to use any repellent to lure roaches.

These traps are also easy to assemble and complimented with sensitive scents that attract the roaches. Aside from the scent, the traps have a single layer of glue that will stick the roaches down on the trap.

One thing to know about glue traps is that they don’t work well for major and severe infestations. But this is a great idea if you’re only experiencing a bunch of roaches invading certain rooms at home.

Another fascinating thing to know about these sticky motels is that they allow you to examine the type of roach that gets stuck down the trap.

It may sound disgusting, but knowing how many and the type of roaches sticks to your trap can help reveal the severity of your house’s roach problem. Plus, it also reveals the roaches’ hiding spots at home.

Exterminators would often call these roach motels a kind of insect monitoring.

2. Bait Motels

If glue traps use glue to attract and kill roaches, bait motels use a toxic insecticide that looks like bait. When roaches see the bait, they will eat it and try to escape, but only for a short while before they get killed.

However, don’t expect bait motels to work right away. They would normally have a delayed effect because you must wait for the potent insecticide to work through the roach’s body. Sometimes, roaches can even return to their nests before dying.

Normally, it’s better to wait than to kill the roach immediately. The slow process allows the toxins from the bait to spread through the roaches’ feces and even in what they spit out.

When there are other roaches around, they are likely to eat the feces or the spit material, leading to their death. This is also why bait motels work better in larger and more severe infestations.

How Roach Motels Work and Where To Place Them

The main advantage of roach motels is that they are very easy to set, regardless of the type. You only need a minute or two to set up sticky traps, while you only need to unseal bait traps to start working.

Monitoring or record-keeping might take more time, such as labeling your traps or writing your roach observations in your notebook.

Aside from learning how to use them, it would be best if you also thought of the most strategic area to place these traps that could capture the most roaches.

When considering the most strategic place, you should consider big infestations and where individual roaches love to explore.

Start placing roach motels in your bathrooms, kitchens, or basements. These are areas where roaches love to lure in and hang the most.

Moreover, examine areas where you’ll commonly see the following:

• Egg cases
• Roach droppings
• Stains and smears
• Discarded shells

It would be best to reach tiny corners and gaps unreachable to humans. Use knee pads or step tools to make your jobs easier.

Factors To Consider When Buying Roach Motels

You will often see a wide range of brands selling all kinds of roach motels.

With this, it can get challenging to know the best one that will suit your home.

Don’t worry because we’re here to help.

Application Method

You can all agree that knowing your preferred application method should be the first on the list.

Choosing the best method involves knowing whether your current roach infestation is minor or severe. Setting glue traps might be good if you are only after eradicating individual to several tiny roaches.

However, if you want to eradicate bigger invasions, aside from bait motels, you might also need to purchase products you can apply on various roach routes at home.

These products come in various application methods, including gels, powders, and aerosol sprays.

Active Ingredients

When choosing roach traps, you also need to consider the other members living in your house.

Check each option’s list of active ingredients before choosing one because other substances are harmful to your kids.

When in doubt, always get the roach motel with natural ingredients to prevent serious damage to your child’s health.

Trust in the Magic of Roach Motels

Generally, the best roach motel is one that works well in your home.

This means you must also consider the kind of infestation you’re trying to stop.

Whether it’s a glue trap or a bait motel, always consider the areas where you intend to place them and the product ingredients to ensure safety.