Does Black Pepper Repel Cockroaches [Answered]

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Are you struggling with a cockroach infestation? Do you want to solve your problem? If so, just go into your kitchen and pick up the jar of black pepper to figure out your issue. Now, you might be wondering, does black pepper repel cockroaches?

Yes, black pepper is one of the widely available and highly effective spices against cockroaches. As it has a powerful and irritating odor, cockroaches don’t move in the areas where they notice the smell of black pepper. You can use black pepper either in the form of powder or oil to keep away cockroaches.

Do you want to know the method of black pepper application for roaches? Read the full article to get a sneak of essential information.

Are Cockroaches Attracted to Black Pepper?

No, cockroaches are not attracted to black pepper due to its overpowering smell. Thus, it is best to throw them away from your home. Moreover, it is the simplest method that you can use to get rid of cockroaches permanently.

Cockroaches can locate food using their keen sense of smell. So, you can take benefit of their ability by spreading pungent scents like black pepper to keep them at bay. To prevent the entry of cockroaches into your home, mix black pepper, clove, and onion powder, then sprinkle this mixture in your kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, gaps in walls, and entrance doors.

What Does Black Pepper Do to Cockroaches?

According to the Department of Medicinal Plants Research Center, black pepper contains limonene, a highly toxic component for cockroaches and other insects. Therefore, if you sprinkle black pepper in your bathrooms, kitchen, and lounge, they will stay away from such areas.

Additionally, cockroaches will finally perish if you combine black pepper, onion, and garlic paste. It is a natural way to get rid of roaches night long. To make this mixture, combine 1 tbsp each of pepper powder, onion, and garlic paste in a water bottle. After that, sprinkle this solution in cockroach-infested places at night to get your job done.

Does Black Pepper Kill Cockroaches?

Yes, black pepper can kill cockroaches if you use it regularly to deter them. Black pepper is a versatile cockroach repellent, and you can use it directly on cockroaches or by mixing it with other repellents to kill them. If you want to kill cockroaches, follow the below steps to get a potent deterrent:

  • First, take half onion and half a clove of garlic, and blend them in a blender until you get a smooth paste.
  • Next, add one tablespoon of black pepper powder and mix it well.
  • Now put this paste in a 1-liter bottle of water, and blend it well to get a combined solution.
  • You can now spray this solution around the exterior of your home at night to kill or prevent the entry of cockroaches.
  • Furthermore, repeat the procedure regularly to maintain its potency.

How Does Black Pepper Repel Cockroaches?

Black pepper contains highly powerful ingredients that keep cockroaches away from the area where it is scented. Moreover, cockroaches are terrified by the strong smell of black pepper and run away in panic. There are different methods of using black pepper, but below are the most suitable to deter roaches:

  • You can use black pepper oil to deter roaches. For this, add 10-15 drops of its essential oil in a half-litter bottle, mix it well, then spray it along the ways of cockroaches.
  • Mix some black pepper, cloves, and onion powder. After that, sprinkle this combination on your kitchen shelves and the entrance of your house to keep away roaches.
  • Furthermore, you can also make a DIY cockroach repellent by mixing black pepper oil and peppermint oil. Now, soak some cotton balls in the solution and spread them on the suspected areas of cockroach infestation to kill them.

How Do You Use Pepper Spray to Deter Cockroaches?

An excellent way to manage a cockroach infestation is to use pepper spray. No cockroach will be found walking on any surface that has pepper. To make black pepper spray, you need to follow the below steps:

  • Firstly, you should have a spray bottle, water, and peppermint oil.
  • Fill up the third half of a spray bottle with tap water.
  • Next, add 15-25 drops of black pepper oil and stir it well.
  • Now, you can sprinkle this solution on cockroaches directly or in their favorite places like kitchen cabinets, sinks, cracks in walls, and doors to prevent their entry.
  • Moreover, you can also put some soaked cotton balls in the suspected areas of cockroach presence to get them rid of your home.

What Other Things Work Best with Black Pepper to Repel Cockroaches?

Although black pepper is best for keeping away cockroaches, it works best when you combine it with other cockroach repellents. Below are some deterrents that work best when you combine them with black pepper against cockroaches.

Black pepper, Onion, and Garlic

Black pepper mixed with onion and garlic powder does an excellent job against cockroaches. All you have to do is powderize the onion and garlic and combine it with the black pepper. After that, scatter this powder in your kitchen cabinets to kill cockroaches.

Peppermint oil & Black pepper oil

It is another best combination to keep cockroaches at bay. For this, fill a half-litter bottle with water, then add 10-15 drops of peppermint oil and 20-30 drops of black pepper and mix it well. Now, spritz this solution in your favorite spots of cockroaches.

Black pepper oil and Lemon juice

As cockroaches hate the smell of lemon, you can mix it with black pepper oil to make it more potent. To make this combination, add 10-15 drops of lemon juice in 1 tbsp of black pepper oil, then spray this solution in the areas of cockroach infestation to deter them.

What Is the Best Repellent for Cockroaches?

Although black pepper is a good cockroach repellent, it works best with other repellents. However, peppermint oil is the best cockroach repellent so far. It works alone to kill or prevent the entry of cockroaches into your home and yards.

As peppermint oil has a very potent and pungent odor, cockroaches may die if you apply it constantly in your home. The best way of using peppermint oil is to make its dilute solution with water. For this, add 10-15 drops of peppermint oil in a third-half of a water bottle, then spritz this solution directly on cockroaches or along their tracks to kill or deter them.

What Other Smells Keep Cockroaches Away?

Even though the black pepper smell does an amazing job of keeping cockroaches away from your home and garden, you may also use some below-listed scents to repel cockroaches.

Thyme

Thyme is a form of herb having a potent fragrance that cockroaches hate. Although its flower, leaves, and oil are frequently used for health benefits, you can use them to prevent the entry of cockroaches into your home.

According to the Journal of Economic Entomology, thyme essential oil is very toxic for cockroaches, especially their nymphs. Thus, you can use it to throw them away. Thyme oil works best when you dilute it by adding 10-20 drops to the water. Sprinkle this mixture now around the base of your house to get your job done.

Citrus

Cockroaches hate citrus odor. Thus, you can use any citrus fruit like lemon or orange to keep them at bay. To use lemon juice, pour some drops of it into your dishes to ward off cockroaches. Aside from that, you can also use lemon spray.  Follow the below steps to make a citrus lemon spray:

  • Put some water in a spray bottle.
  • Add 10-20 drops of lemon oil in it.

Now sprinkle this citrus solution in your wall gaps, kitchen sinks, and bathrooms to deter cockroaches.

Basil

Basil affects the olfactory organs of cockroaches and causes them to flee from the area that has a basil smell. It has a similar scent to hand-made cockroach repellents. Therefore, when you put basil leaves in your home entrance, cockroaches don’t dare to move in such regions.

The best way to use basil is to crush basil leaves in a ground form, then spread this powder in the cockroach hotspots like kitchen cabinets, bins, cracks in walls, sink pipes, window spells, and doors of your home to control them.

Mint

Mint is a highly aromatic herb and is best for repelling cockroaches. You can either plant mint in your gardens or use mint oil to keep cockroaches at bay. To use mint essential oil, soak some cotton balls in it, then them in the way of cockroaches to repel them.

Additionally, to prevent the entry of cockroaches into your home, you can grow some in a vase, then place them on your home entrance so that cockroaches don’t dare to get into your house.

Citronella

Citronella oil is one of the best essential oils to keep away cockroaches from your home and property. You can use citronella directly or dilute it with water to ward off cockroaches. To dilute citronella oil, add 10-15 drops of it in some water, then spray it in your home to prevent the entry of roaches.

Moreover, you can also wipe your kitchen shelves with a paper towel soaked in citronella oil to prevent the attack of cockroaches.

Cedarwood

Cedarwood oil is another astounding way to deter cockroaches. It has a pungent odor that not only repels cockroaches but also other bugs and insects. You can use cedarwood spray to kick off cockroaches.

To get a  cedarwood spray, buy the cedarwood oil from your nearby market, then add 10-17 drops of it to some water. Now, you can scatter this potent solution around the exterior or base of your house to deter cockroaches.

Bottom Line

A cockroach infestation in your home, workplace, and stores is one of the worst things to happen. In addition to being an annoyance, they contaminate your food and spread dangerous infections. Despite the difficulty of the task, there are several strategies you can use to deal with a cockroach infestation.

As black pepper is widely available in every house, it is the best and most comfortable way to keep cockroaches away from your home and buildings. Hopefully, you can solve your cockroach problem by adhering to the above tips.

Above all, if the cockroach infestation becomes out of your control, call a professional pest control company to figure out your problem.

References

Sudip Gaire, Mary O’Connell, Francisco O. Holguin, Anup Amatya, Scott Bundy, Alvaro Romero, Insecticidal Properties of Essential Oils and Some of Their Constituents on the Turkestan Cockroach (Blattodea: Blattidae), Journal of Economic Entomology, Volume 110, Issue 2, April 2017, Pages 584–592