Leave it to Good Old Mother Nature: Controlling Roaches for Apartment Dwellers
Cockroaches live in dark spaces, they will eat anything, and they breed faster compared to other household pests. They are the worst domestic pests and the most difficult to control especially if you live in an apartment. The shared plumbing, wiring and thin walls create the perfect travel routes for roaches and a safe haven when the bug man sprays your apartment. They leave as soon as the 'bug man' comes in and within a week they are right back strong as ever.
The good news is roaches aren't fond of those lovely fragrances you love from plants. With a few of these plants and the occasional visits from the 'bug man,' you can keep the roaches at bay.
Catnip
Catnip can be the life saver you've been looking for. It is an aromatic plant from the mint family that is known to keep roaches, mosquitoes, fleas, beetles, and ants away. You can easily grow catnip indoors in a container or place a dried sachet in the roaches' favourite spot.
Alternatively, you can boil fresh catnip leaves and spray the tea on highly affected areas. Although this remedy does not kill roaches, it will help keep the roaches away. Use with caution if you have a cat as the plant is famous for attracting cats.
Bay leaves
Want to kill two birds with one stone? Growing bay leaves indoors allows you to keep the roaches away and at the same time, you can easily add flavour to your roasts and soups without relying on dried leaves from the store.
Bay leaves are excellent roach repellent. The mild smell you enjoy from bay leaves is abhorrent to roaches. You can place dried leaves in your food storage areas, shelves, cabinets and the pantry to keep away roaches as well as other insects. Keep in mind that fresh leaves work best since they have a higher amount of essential oil than their dried counterparts.
Lavender
Growing a pot of lavender on your kitchen window keeps your house rich with a refreshing fragrance that is not favoured by roaches, ticks, moths and other insects. The bushy purple flowers produced by this plant are the pleasant delight that will keep roaches running from your house.
Garlic
Garlic produces a pungent odour that repels roaches, mosquitoes and a whole bunch of other insects. However, the strong pungent odour of freshly minced cloves can be irritating to humans as well. You can use garlic powder as a milder roach repellent