Does Lemon Juice Kill Roaches? – Deter Cockroaches With Lemon Juice

If you search for “kill cockroaches” online, you will find many natural remedies for cockroach infestations.

These natural ways spare people from exposure to the toxic chemical that comes with professional fumigation.

This is why people use natural repellents like lemon juice or peels to drive bugs away. However, does lemon juice kill roaches, or is this online advice a bit of a ruse?

Continue reading to learn more about chemical use in pesticides and the benefits of using lemon oil to kill cockroaches.

What Are The Chemicals in Pesticides?

The chemicals in pesticides that get rid of cockroaches are health hazards: Cyfluthrin, Permethrin, and Pyrethrin.

Exposure to these carcinogens causes cancer, eye irritation, asthma, and hives. Permethrin is lethal to both fish and cats.

Some natural pest control methods, such as diatomaceous earth, raise dust that affects the lungs.

These health concerns have people turning to such pest control measures as spreading crumpled bay leaves near cockroach nests, stuffing entry points with crushed cucumber, or spraying individual roaches with a mixture of vinegar and peppermint oil.

A non-toxic remedy is lemon juice, but its effectiveness is greatly exaggerated. Lemon peels or lemon oil might be more effective, but not much; lemon in all forms is more useful for repelling cockroaches.

Does Lemon Juice Kill Cockroaches?

No, lemon juice does not kill roaches. It can be a deterrent, but it is not due to the smell of lemon juice itself.

There is no scientific evidence to back up the rumor that cockroaches hate lemon juice. Cockroach populations can be kept at bay by sanitizing counters and shelves with lemon juice.

Simply add 1 part lemon juice to 4 parts hot water and use it to wipe down your kitchen, bathroom, and other places where cockroaches lurk. I like to use lemon juice in my bathroom since roaches love to live in your bathroom!

The fact is that lemon oil works much better to repel cockroaches.

Using Lemon Oil to Repel Cockroaches

Lemon juice does not repel cockroaches and may actually attract them because it contains sugar.

Lemon oil could kill a cockroach if you drench the bug’s entire exoskeleton. However, this is impractical as lemon essential oil is expensive.

The best thing to do is mix lemon oil with water and use it as an antiseptic on your surfaces to wipe away food sources that roaches love.

How to Make Lemon Oil Spray

Here are simple steps to making lemon oil spray.

1. Fill a spray bottle 3/4 of the way full with tap water.

2. Add 20 drops of lemon oil into the water.

3. Use the narrow setting of the spray bottle to squirt the lemon oil into cracks, seams, and other places where cockroaches lurk.

4. Use the wide nozzle setting to mist the mixture over a wider area.

If the oil leaves a slippery film, wipe it down with a dry towel until it shines.

Using Lemon Peels to Repel Cockroaches

The natural oil in lemon peels may also eliminate cockroaches as they hate a strong lemon smell. Place lemon peels in a small open plastic container where roaches congregate.

Other Household Products For Roaches:

• Ammonia and Cockroaches
• Bay Leaves And Cockroaches
• Borax and Cockroaches
• Lysol and Cockroaches
• Vinegar and Cockroaches
• Salt and Cockroaches

Final Thoughts On Using Lemon Juice For Cockroaches

Lemon juice, like many other natural or green insect repellents, is never going to get rid of pests as well as a pesticide.

However, it is important to remember that a cockroach infestation is toxic. Cockroaches spread dirt and disease and trigger allergic reactions and asthma in pets and people.

Sanitizing your counters with lemon juice helps keep your home cleaner. The cleaner your home is, the less likely you will need a pest control expert.

It also helps to block entry points for cockroaches with steel wool and to remember that sugar attracts pest problems, as does standing water and dirty dishes.

Lemon oil does not kill cockroaches, but it does have repellent properties. Add boric acid and baking soda to the mix, which can affect a cockroach’s neural system and breathing mechanisms to temporarily eliminate pest problems.