How to get rid of rats and cockroaches

Eliminating pests like rats and cockroaches doesn’t always require harsh chemicals or costly exterminators. Many natural, cost-effective solutions can be found right in your kitchen, and one surprising tool is plain rice. Combined with a few household ingredients, rice can serve as an effective, safer alternative to commercial pesticides, reducing the risk to family and pets.

Rice works in pest control due to its texture and digestibility. Cooked rice attracts pests like cockroaches, especially when mixed with other ingredients, while uncooked rice is harder for rats to digest, particularly when combined with substances that affect their internal systems. This versatility makes rice a dual-purpose tool: it acts as bait and as a medium to deliver pest-eliminating agents.

For cockroach control, a mixture of cooked rice, sugar, and boric acid is highly effective. The sugar lures the insects, the rice adds texture, and the boric acid disrupts their digestive and nervous systems, ultimately killing them. Form small pea-sized balls or place spoonfuls on wax paper or shallow lids, positioning them in high-activity areas like under sinks, behind appliances, and in cabinets. Refresh the bait every 3–5 days for best results.