The Best Roach Killers - The New York Times

Roaches are tenacious, so you may need to expand your approach to include bait gels and powders. We have recommendations for those, as well as advice on stuff that does not work, including kill-on-contact sprays, bombs, and foggers.

Our pick

Terro T500 Multi-Surface Roach Baits

Terro's traps are easier to monitor than those of competitors. And they stay put on vertical surfaces, so you can place them close to where roaches live.

Buying Options

*At the time of publishing, the price was $10.

The Terro T500 Multi-Surface Roach Baits are little cartridges filled with an insect bait—a mixture of food and a slow-acting poison. The delayed action of the poison increases its overall effectiveness, since it allows a roach to pass the poison to other roaches before the roach dies (and even afterward; if you want to go straight to the disgusting details on how that works, be our guest). The Terro bait stations have a number of features most roach baits lack. The top of the bait station is clear, so it's easy to monitor how much bait is left and whether the roaches are even entering in the first place. The Terro stations are one of the few that come with adhesive strips, so they can be mounted on a vertical surface. This way you can place the bait station close to where roaches are living.

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Runner-up

Advion 68663 Cockroach Bait Arena

The Advion stations are very similar to those of our top pick. But the Advions are a little harder to monitor and typically aren't sold in brick-and-mortar stores.

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If the Terro bait stations are not available, we also like the Advion 68663 Cockroach Bait Arena. These have the same great features as the Terro stations: a see-through top (for monitoring) and the adhesive strips (allowing for versatile placement). On the Advion baits, the plastic top is very tinted, so it's not as easy to see inside. Advion is a brand geared toward pest professionals, so these baits are not as easy to find in brick-and-mortar stores. Additionally, they're sold in larger amounts—the smallest bag available has 12 baits (Terro stations come in six-packs). So you may end up with a giant surplus.

Also great

Combat Max Roach Killing Gel

Combat gel can be placed right where roaches are living. The downsides: It's messier, and it's not as safe for use around kids and pets.

Buying Options

*At the time of publishing, the price was $7.

If you try baits for a couple of weeks with little success, experts recommend that you step up to a powder or gel, and we'd begin with Combat Max Roach Killing Gel. Any powder or gel gives you more applications per purchase and more-versatile placement options. But powders and gels are messier than bait stations and less protected from interference by pets and kids. (Combat's specific Safety Data Sheet (PDF) lists mild possible reactions from skin or eye exposure.) The active ingredients here are not better than those in the Terro or Advion baits, but simply switching products may help resolve your infestation. The gel's main advantage over a bait (or powder) is there's flexibility as to where you can place it. Roaches like to live in little cracks and crevices. So applying the gel there in a thin bead is the kind of targeted approach often taken by pest-control operators.

Also great

Terro T530 Roach Bait Powder

Not as neat as a bait station but less goopy than a gel, this powder works well in floor crevices. And with 150 applications per bottle, it's affordable for tackling a big infestation.

Buying Options

The Terro T530 Roach Bait Powder is another option. And though it's not quite as neat as a bait station and isn't able to stick to a vertical surface, it's effective if you can apply it right where roaches are living. This powder bait comes in a pump dispenser with a 2-inch-long applicator, and each pump dispenses less than 1/16th of a teaspoon of bait powder. The applicator nozzle is very precise and good for getting into hard-to-reach areas, like under the fridge. Other powders we tried come in larger squeeze bottles and are much harder to portion out in small amounts. One thing we appreciated in testing is that a powder won't get all goopy if you accidentally put your hand in it or rub up against it. The Terro bait powder is also a very economical choice if you're dealing with a larger infestation or if you might be dealing with roaches in the long term. Each little canister has roughly 150 bait applications in it, so you can bait in a lot of different places, increasing your chances of success.

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