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How to Keep Cockroaches Away at Night? [PROVEN method!]

Aren’t you fed up with seeing cockroaches all over your kitchen, room, and other places at night? It happened to me when these little critters infested my house, and I would begin to see so many of them crawling almost everywhere.

Especially at night, when the lights would go off and the roaches would find it as a perfect chance to gather up. Not long after, I began to try different ways to keep cockroaches away at night, and to my surprise, most of them worked like magic.

Here is how to keep cockroaches away at night:

  • Get rid of any trash before sleeping
  • Keep away all the food
  • Avoid dampness in your house
  • Use essential oils
  • Use ultraviolet light

Tired of cockroaches? Invest in only these products and follow the guide to eliminate roaches!

Use these products, and you will be roach free in less than a week.

1. Advion Cockroach Gel Bait (Review)
2. Gentrol IGR Point Source (Review)

Other Products to try:

1. Combat Roach Traps (Easy than gel baits)
2. Hot Shot Foggers (To kill in masses – 95%)
3. Pet Safe Killers (Uses Essential Oils)
4. Ortho Defence Outdoor Roach Killer (Prevent Roaches)

Are Roaches More Active at Night?

As they are nocturnal insects, the cockroaches are highly active at night, meaning they only get to work when you are fast asleep in times with minimal light available.

They tend to come out of their nests in search of food or to feed themselves, trying to consume any available food. Not only in the kitchen, but you would also often find them in your bedrooms, hiding under any closet or dresser.

Even inside of your closets is a perfect place for them to live. Having them in your bedroom can prove to be a concerning situation for you as they might bother you in your sleep, so I am here to help.

If you turn on your lights and find them wondering, that can be a sign of infestation. Learn more about how to conclude a cockroach infestation.

Can Roaches Crawl on You in Night?

Absolutely Yes, roaches wander all over the houses at night when people are asleep, which makes it most likely for them to crawl at you as well once they consider you as their victim. They can bite, but that is mostly unintentional. Learn more about does cockroaches bite here.

What is worse, they can even get inside of your ears and get stuck for a few days. These roaches can transfer diseases and can even produce allergic reactions to people who have asthma.

Methods to prevent cockroaches in bedroom!

There are plenty of methods to keep cockroaches away from your bed at night. These are simple and easy to follow. Remember, you will have to make some changes around your house, which will be beneficial in due course.

Here is how to get rid of roaches overnight.

Method 1: Keep Lights on, cockroaches hate light!

Although sleeping with lights on doesn’t make as much of a difference, it does help reduce the cockroach’s activities. These tiny creatures are primarily attracted to dark, damp, and moist areas where they would hope to find any food leftovers, and this is why you will often see fewer roaches crawling over your house with lights on. Cockroaches are more comfortable to see in the dark.

Similarly, keeping a night light would not affect the cockroaches or drive them away simply because it can’t hurt them. They would continue to hunt for their sustenance.

What truly makes a difference is using a particular type of light that repels the roaches away, known as ultraviolet light. It can prevent adult cockroaches from reaching towards you and decrease their rate of egg production as well.

However, you will need concentrated UV light to help prevent the roaches from entering your house. It is much easier to have the light near your bed, which will cover enough area to keep cockroaches away all the time. You will also be amazed to learn that a few species of roaches are attracted to light.

Method 2: Use Smell Based Repellents

One thing that works for sure is using certain kinds of smells to keep cockroaches away at night.

Did you know cockroaches have a strong sense of smell? They will almost instantly run away if they get a hint of a smell they hate nearby. What is more surprising is the fact that the roaches hate smells that humans love! Don’t believe me? Read along to know that it’s true and it works every time.

I am sure you must’ve heard about essential oils, right? These are full of essence, and their fragrance is strong enough to be smelt by the roaches from a distance and enough for them to turn their backs away. These oils include:

  • Rosemary
  • Papermint
  • Oregano
  • Eucapytus
  • Lavender
  • Citrus
how to keep away cockroaches at night

You can use one of the oils mentioned above by mixing it in a spray bottle with some water and start spraying it all around your bed and areas where you want no cockroaches near. You can spray it over the bedsheets and in any corners where you might find one.

Besides the essential oils, you can also use special herbs and spices to keep cockroaches away at night. For instance, bay leaves also consist of a strong smell that can help you get rid of the roaches at night. All you need to do is place some of the bay leaves in a bowl and keep it in areas where you don’t want any cockroaches. As for the spices, you can use cinnamon sticks with some fresh herbs to make sure no cockroach wanders around you at night.

I have written a complete article on Best Natural Repellents as well.

Method 3: Don’t Leave Food and Water Out at Night

Food hunt is one of the main reasons cockroaches get out of their nests, and keeping food and water out in the open will only double the chances of roaches finding you. Often, people like to eat or have snacks while being in their beds, not realizing that they invite roaches to join them.

Even if you are not messy, there are still chances that there might be some of the food leftovers on your bed, which is why an excellent clean is necessary after you’ve finished eating. Cleaning your mattress will ensure that there will be nothing that attracts the roaches.

Method 4: Clean Properly before your go to sleep in your bedroom

As I said already, cleaning is the key! You might already know this as it is so apparent, but let me tell you, regular cleaning, throwing away the trash, and not having clutter anywhere in your house can reduce the cockroach infestation in no time. Since cockroaches like to live in dirty and damp places, cleaning your room will force them to hate coming there.

You must also vacuum precisely and check any place, like under the beds, dressers, or behind any appliances, to make sure no litter is left. Even if you find any small pieces of paper lying around the room, get rid of that as well because the roaches will eventually want those too.

In addition to this, you can keep cockroaches away in your kitchen by using vinegar and water to wipe the slabs and counter. Later, you can drain it in the sink to disinfect the pipes to prevent any roaches from entering.

Method 5: Close all Openings in to your bedroom

Most of the time, cockroaches come from one cracked spot, either big or small, that you might never even notice. It was the same case with me until a few years later; I was able to find out the opening from where the roaches used to come and sealed it right away.

Know that sealing the opening can turn out to be the best solution as it can permanently keep cockroaches away, but what’s more important is that you need to find out exactly where they are originating. It might take some time, but after proper inspection, you can get there smoothly. Make sure to look for these on your doors, ceiling, or behind any furniture.

Once you’ve successfully found the crack, you can go ahead with the sealing process. Grab some caulk and sealant to cover the opening and let it dry for a while. You will soon notice fewer roaches in your room and will begin to sleep peacefully.

Can I Sleep with a Cockroach in My Room?

Well, it depends on how you would react when you see a cockroach sneaking around your bedroom. Some people usually get disgusted when they see a cockroach, and just thinking about it makes them feel uneasy.

The fact that these roaches can fly, climb up on the wall, or get on the bed is enough to terrify people. It simply ruins the peaceful sleep and might make you stay up for most of the night. Not to mention, the harmful diseases they carry are another reason you shouldn’t let one of these creep around freely in your room if you want to feel safe and sound all night long.

Check this article of mine to learn more if you can’t sleep with a Cockroach in my Room.

What to do if You See a Cockroach in Your Room?

When you see a cockroach in your room, the first thing you need to do is to grab a pesticide spray; mainly, a cockroach repellent could work best as it will instantly kill the cockroach and you will get rid of it in no time.

You must spray wherever you expect any roaches to be, like corners, moist, and dark areas of the room. Remember to close any windows before spraying, as the spray won’t stay for long due to the winds entering. Cockroaches normally hide in very predictable places which are fairly easy to find.

If you don’t have a cockroach repellent spray, you can check this one out, or you can try to set up a trap for the roaches to stay away from you. You can set up a trap with poisoned sugar to attract the cockroaches towards it, and once consumed by them. It will surely kill them or at least make them escape away.

A box trap and sticky trap also work best in setting up bait for these tiny monsters.

Related Read: Cockroach hiding in a bathroom