There are many ways to effectively kill cockroaches. You can use natural home remedies like baking soda. You can use baits and insecticides — if you must. And you can simply step on them. But many of the articles you find online fail to answer one important question — how do you dispose of dead cockroaches?
Dead cockroaches fast facts
- Seeing dead cockroaches around your home is a sign of a potential infestation. It’s likely that the cockroaches you see dead on the floor are not just passersby. There may be an active nest nearby, possibly inside your home. Dead cockroaches are common signs of active cockroach infestations. These signs are especially strong if you happen to see them during the daytime and not in the nighttime. The appearance of these critters in the daytime may mean that the infestation is severe.
- Dead cockroaches may attract other cockroaches. Many homeowners think that seeing dead cockroaches is a good sign because it may mean that the cockroach population is getting smaller. But this is not necessarily true. Cockroaches release pheromones when they find food and when they die. Other cockroaches may pick up these pheromones and think that there is food in the area. It doesn’t help that cockroaches are cannibals. There is, indeed, “food” in the area — the dead cockroaches themselves.
- Dead cockroaches can still make you sick. These pests like to live in garbage cans, sewers, and other unsanitary places. They end up carrying a lot of disease-causing bacteria that can lead to salmonella, staphylococcus, streptococcus, and many other complications. Unfortunately, dead cockroaches are just as dangerous as live ones. They are also just as physically dirty. When trying to dispose of dead cockroaches, make sure to avoid direct contact to protect yourself from allergens and disease-causing microorganisms.
How to prepare for dead cockroach disposal
- Make sure that the cockroaches are really dead. These pests like to play dead. This is part of the reason why dead cockroaches suddenly disappear. They pretend to be dead and scurry away when you are no longer looking. Make sure that the cockroaches are truly dead before getting the disposal materials ready. This way, you are sure the cockroaches will not just suddenly disappear while you fetch the materials. The surefire way to make sure that the cockroaches are dead is to release their guts. They can’t pretend anymore if their insides are splattered across the floor. But be careful if they have their guts out. They may attract other cockroaches even more effectively, not to mention that they make the area even more unsanitary.
- Cover yourself. Get rid of cockroaches without touching them directly. Remember that even dead ones contain allergens and disease-causing microorganisms. Protect yourself with face masks and gloves. But even if you are wearing these protections, you still don’t want to pick these pests up with your hands. Use a broom and collect them in a dustpan. Prepare a container as well, like a small plastic bag where you can dump the contents of the dustpan.
- Prepare to clean the area of death. There are a lot of safe ways to dispose of dead cockroaches. You can sweep them up and throw them in the trash. You can burn them. And you can flush them down the toilet. But don’t forget to clean the area where you have found the dead cockroaches. Pheromones and musky odors may linger, especially if the area is a closed space, like a kitchen cabinet. Prepare a disinfectant or soapy water and a cloth for wiping. You can also spray something with eucalyptus or lavender to remove nasty smells.
How to dispose of dead cockroaches
- Sweep the dead cockroaches away and throw them in a garbage can. The most basic way to dispose of dead cockroaches is to sweep them with a brush or broom and collect them in a dustpan. Put the contents of the dustpan in a container, like a garbage bag. And then throw them in a garbage can outside your home. You don’t want to throw them in a garbage can inside your home because they may end up attracting not just live cockroaches but also other pests like ants. Dead insects are actually a part of ant diets. Once garbage collectors clear your outside garbage cans, clean the garbage cans with bleach or hot water to kill off lingering bacteria.
- Burn them in a small bonfire. Burning cockroaches gets rid of a lot of the disadvantages of just sweeping them away. If you burn them, they are not going to attract other pests because there will be no carcasses or residues to feed on. You also don’t have to worry about lingering bacteria because the heat will surely kill them all. However, burning cockroaches is not completely safe. It puts you at risk of house fires, especially if you choose to do it in your garden, lawn, or yard, where there are a lot of flammable materials like grass. If you choose this method, keep a close eye on the bonfire to prevent the fire from spreading unnecessarily.
- Flush them down the toilet. The great thing about flushing cockroaches down the toilet is that it removes all the complications involved in the other methods. You simply flush the dead cockroaches down and completely forget about them. The only issue here is that you have to make sure that the cockroaches are truly dead. These pests can hold their breaths for up to 40 minutes. The act of flushing itself won’t kill them.
There are many ways to dispose of dead cockroaches
Dispose of dead cockroaches immediately because they are just as dangerous as live ones, not to mention that they release pheromones that attract other cockroaches to the area. You can get rid of dead cockroaches with brooms and dustpans, bonfires, or toilets — really. They have their own advantages and disadvantages.
Don’t forget to clean the area where you have found the dead cockroaches as well. You want to remove bits and pieces of the dead cockroaches there and get rid of the musky smells in the area, especially if the area of death is a closed space like a kitchen cabinet.