9 Natural Ways to Get Rid of Wood Roaches? [Homemade Spray]

Wood Cockroaches or Wood roaches are mainly found in wooded areas, as they usually feed on decaying wood and leaves. They are infamous for infesting firewood and wooden houses, and they are usually found in moist and warm areas.

They are a bit different from other types of cockroaches in their characteristics, but they are just as dangerous to have around your house. They can spread a number of bacteria and other disease-spreading microbes.

Thankfully, it is not difficult to get rid of them and you can do so by using natural methods. We will be discussing some of the effective ways to kill wood roached naturally.

How To Get Rid of Wood Roaches Naturally?

Below are 9 effective natural ways to get rid of wood roaches.

These methods include the usage of household products to kill wood roaches naturally, ways that repels wood roaches naturally, homemade repellent to get rid of wood roaches several other natural remedies to keep wood roaches away.

1. Diatomaceous Earth Powder

Diatomaceous earth is a fine powder that is excellent at killing crawling insects such as wood cockroaches. This is also a great method for this type of cockroaches because you can get this powder into small spaces and into cracks of your house.

The tiny particles look like sharp shards, which easily pierces through the body of a cockroach. The insects then dry out and die soon after. 

Materials Required:

• Diatomaceous Earth Powder
• Applicator 

Step by Step Process:

• First you must identify the areas where the wood roaches are coming from. They may be infesting firewood, or a pile of dead leaves or a tree in your garden. 
• Use a Diatomaceous earth applicator to apply the powder in those areas. Spray a generous amount inside and outside the areas that have the cockroaches. 
• You can also put a line of Diatomaceous earth powder along any potential entry point, such as your windows. 
• When the cockroaches come in contact with the powder, it will immediately pierce their body and start to dry them out. The cockroaches will die after a few days. 
• Repeat the application if needed. 

Precautions:

Make sure that the powder does not get wet and if it does then you must re-apply it. 

2. How to kill wood roaches naturally with household products (Baking Soda)?

Baking Soda is a commonly used material to kill cockroaches. When you combine baking soda with bait, you can lure the cockroaches to eat the concoction.

The baking soda reacts with the stomach acid which creates carbon dioxide in the stomach of the cockroach which eventually kills them. This is a great method for wood cockroaches because you can put the mixture anywhere and lure them out. 

Materials Required:

• Baking Soda
• Powdered Sugar 
• Paper plates

Step by Step Process:

• Make a mixture of ½ cup of baking soda with ½ cup of powdered sugar. Make sure not to add any water to this mixture. 
• Put small amounts of this mixture on paper plates and place them around the areas where you have noticed a lot of wood cockroaches. 
• The smell of the sugar will attract the wood roaches towards the mixture. As they consume the mixture, the baking soda will create CO2 in the stomach of the cockroaches, which will kill them. 
• Within a few days, you’ll find the dead cockroaches. Discard them carefully. 

Precautions:

Make sure that the sugar and baking soda mixture do not get wet, otherwise, it will start reacting and become ineffective. 

3. Boric Acid

Boric Acid is a well-known cockroach poison. It is a relatively safe yet very effective method for getting rid of wood cockroaches.

You can put this wood roaches repellent anywhere, including cracks, and firewood. After a few days of application, most roaches will die. 

Materials Required:

• Boric Acid Powder
• Applicator 

Step by Step Process:

• First, you must locate the areas that have the most wood cockroaches. Usually, this would be outside in a pile of leaves or in the bark of a tree. It could also be inside the house, on rotting wood, or inside your dustbin. 
• Using an applicator, apply a generous amount of boric acid powder in these areas. If you find a nest, you can target it specifically. 
• Within a few days, the cockroaches will start to die. Discard them immediately. 
• Repeat the process if you continue seeing the wood cockroaches. 

Precautions:

Keep boric acid away from pets and children, because ingesting it can cause poisoning. 

4. Plaster of Paris Bait

Plaster of Paris is a fine powder, which when combined with water creates a solid. When plaster of Paris is mixed with sugar, it creates a bait that attracts wood cockroaches towards it.

When they consume the mixture, the plaster of Paris starts solidifying in their stomach, which will kill them. It is a safe method and you can use this method for any area whether it is inside or outside of the home. 

Materials Required:

• Plaster of Paris
• Powdered Sugar 

Step by Step Process:

• Make a mixture of ½ cup of powdered sugar with ½ cup of plaster of Paris. Do not add water to it. 
• Use this mixture to seal up any gaps in your wooden walls, which may be used by these cockroaches as an entry point. 
• Also, put small piles of this mixture around the areas where you commonly see wood roaches roaming around. Just make sure not to place it in an area that may become wet.
• Once the cockroaches eat this mixture, the plaster of Paris will dry them out and kill them. Discard any dead cockroaches that you find. 
• Repeat the process if necessary. 

Precautions:

This method may not be effective if you do not place the bait in the correct place. The sugar alone may not attract these cockroaches towards the bait. 

5. Homemade Alcohol spray to get keep wood roaches away

Alcohol is a strong yet volatile substance, so you can easily use it to kill cockroaches but avoid any residue. You can make an alcohol spray at home to kill wood cockroaches.

The alcohol needs to be sprayed directly onto the cockroaches to kill them. You can lure the cockroaches out first to be able to kill a large number of them at once. 

Materials Required:

• Isopropyl alcohol (90% or above)
• Spray Bottle 
• Breadcrumbs 

Step by Step Process:

• Pour isopropyl alcohol into a spray bottle to make an easy-to-use alcohol spray for killing kill wood roaches. 
• Lure the cockroaches out by placing a few breadcrumbs around the areas where you commonly see them. 
• Once you see a few cockroaches, spray them vigorously with the alcohol spray directly, and within a few minutes, the cockroaches should die. 
• You must do this for a few days to eliminate all cockroaches. 

Precautions:

This method takes time to work as you will have to individually seek out each cockroach before killing it. 

6. Cedarwood oil

Cedarwood oil is commonly used to keep insects away from wood as well as your closet. It is a great oil to keep wood roaches away as well.

The best way to use this oil is to make a spray out of it, and you can do so by yourself at home. You simply have to spray it around affected areas and the wood cockroaches will be gone soon. 

Materials Required:

• Cedarwood Oil
• Isopropyl alcohol 
• Water 
• Spray Bottle 

Step by Step Process:

• Fill up a spray bottle with ½ cup of water and ½ cup of isopropyl alcohol. 
• Add 15 to 20 drops of cedarwood oil into the mixture. You can add more drops if you want it to be stronger. 
• Shake up the bottle to mix everything, and the spray is ready to use. 
• Spray the cedarwood scent in all the areas that may have wood cockroaches. This may be on your furniture, in your firewood, or in your attic. 
• The cockroaches will start running away immediately. Regular application of the spray will make sure that the cockroaches do not return. 

Precautions:

You must keep re-applying this spray every few days to make sure that it keeps working. 

7.  Peppermint oil

Peppermint oil is commonly used for repelling different types of pests from homes as well as gardens. You can make a homemade spray using peppermint oil and store it to use whenever you need it.

It is great for repelling wood cockroaches as they dislike the smell of peppermint and do not usually return to the area with that smell. It is also quite safe to be used around pets and children. 

Materials Required:

• Peppermint Oil
• Isopropyl alcohol 
• Spray Bottle 

Step by Step Process:

• In a spray bottle add ½ cup of isopropyl alcohol along with ½ cup of water. 
• Add 12 to 15 drops of peppermint oil into the mixture. 
• Shake the bottle before using the spray. Spray the mixture in the areas where you have noticed wood roaches. This may be in your kitchen, near your firewood, or even outside in your garden. 
• When you spray it in the areas with these cockroaches, they will run away from the area. You will have to re-apply the spray every 3 to 4 days to make sure that the smell does not disappear. 

Precautions:

You have to keep reapplying the mixture every week, otherwise, the smell will fade away and the wood cockroaches will return. 

8. Homemade Wood Roaches Repellent Using Neem oil

Neem oil is a natural and effective pesticide. It is commonly used to kill pests from gardens and agricultural land, but it can also be used indoors to kill wood roaches.

You can easily make a homemade spray out of this oil to use in areas that are infested with wood cockroaches. It is also quite safe and does not leave any nasty residue. 

Materials Required:

• Neem oil
• Dish soap 
• Water  
• Spray bottle

Step by Step Process:

• In a spray bottle, add 1 cup of water, 1 teaspoon of dish soap, and 2 teaspoons of neem oil. 
• Close the bottle and shake the bottle vigorously until it becomes foamy. 
• Spray this mixture on and around the areas that are infested by wood cockroaches. You can spray it on firewood, and any area of your house that may have rotted. 
• You can start to see cockroaches running away immediately, but you’ll find that the cockroaches have died within a day or two. 
• You can re-apply this spray after a week or so to eliminate more cockroaches. 

Precautions:

Keep the oil away from children and pets as ingesting it can be harmful. 

9. Glue traps

Glue traps are a great way of capturing any type of cockroaches, but it is especially good for wood cockroaches since they are smaller in size and crawl around more often.

You can use any glue trap, or even use rat glue on a sheet of cardboard. This is a safe yet effective method and it is also very cheap. 

Materials Required:

• Glue traps 
• Peanuts/bread crumbs 

Step by Step Process:

• Identify the areas that are usually affected by wood roaches. This could be your attic, near your pile of firewood, or even under your furniture. 
• Open the glue traps and lay them out in those areas. You can slide them under furniture, or around logs of wood. 
• Place a few breadcrumbs or peanuts as bait for the cockroaches. 
• Check back after 12 to 24 hours, once you find that cockroaches are stuck on to the traps, close the traps and discard them immediately. 

Precautions:

Avoid getting the glue on your hands or clothes as it can be quite difficult to remove. 

How To Keep Wood Roaches Out of The House Naturally?

Below are 5 natural ways to keep wood roaches away. These simple natural techniques are proved very effective to prevent wood roaches.

1. Seal any gaps and cracks

Wood Cockroaches feed on rotting organic matter, which is why wooden houses are very attractive to them. These insects enter wooden houses through small cracks and gaps, and often they eat through them, especially if the wood has any rot on it.

To stop them from entering your house, you should seal the gaps and cracks in your floor and walls using caulk or any other solid substance. Glue is not a good choice as these wood roaches will be able to eat through it. 

2. Do not store wood inside the house

Firewood is affected by cockroaches very commonly. Sometimes they infest the wood and even lay eggs in it. If you store these firewood logs inside the house, these cockroaches can easily start infesting your home as well.

This is why it is very important to keep firewood outside of your house as much as possible. If you bring the firewood inside, use it as soon as possible. 

3. Remove leaves from around your garden

Wood cockroaches feed on dead and decaying organic matter. Leaves and tree branches are often a food source for these insects so it is important to remove these leaves and other organic matter away from your home.

Simply make sure to sweep away the leaves and twigs around your house every day or so. 

4. Cut back any tree branches

Tree branches that hang over your house can often be used by wood cockroaches as a bridge to land on and attack your rooftop.

They can enter the attic and start damaging your house. To prevent this, you can cut back any branches hanging over your house, and clean up your rooftop. 

5. Beware of moisture in your home

Moisture is very important for wood cockroaches to thrive. They usually live in areas that have a lot of moisture. Moreover, moisture on wood can cause it to rot, which becomes food for the cockroaches.

It is very important to protect your house from moisture, to keep wood roaches away from it. You can do so by applying moisture-resistant paint or varnish on the wood. Also regularly check for leaks in your plumbing to make sure that there is no rot in your house. 

Top 5 Natural Repellents to Get rid of Wood Roaches

If you are looking for readily available natural repellents to get rid of wood roaches, check below listed best Natural and Organic wood roaches Repellents.

Final Words:

Wood roaches are a big problem if you live near the woods, or if you frequently need to store firewood. These roaches can not only infest the wood outside, but they can also lay eggs inside your home, and cause a big mess.

It is very important to get rid of these insects before they become a huge problem because if they start attacking your floors or walls, the problem will become quite serious.

They are also carriers of many different diseases, so quick action is crucial. We hope that you found the article helpful and that you can get rid of wood roaches from your house as well.