3 Ways To Trap Cockroaches - WikiHow

Skip to ContentQuizzes

• PRO Courses Hot Guides Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade
• QUIZZES All Quizzes Hot Love Quizzes Personality Quizzes Trivia Quizzes Taylor Swift Quizzes
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help ProAbout UsRandom ArticleQuizzes Request a New ArticleCommunity DashboardTrendingForums Arts and EntertainmentArtworkBooksMoviesComputers and ElectronicsComputersPhone SkillsTechnology HacksHealthMen's HealthMental HealthWomen's HealthRelationshipsDatingLoveRelationship Issues Hobbies and CraftsCraftsDrawingGamesEducation & CommunicationCommunication SkillsPersonal DevelopmentStudyingPersonal Care and StyleFashionHair CarePersonal Hygiene Quizzes Love Quizzes Personality Quizzes Fun Games Arts and EntertainmentFinance and BusinessHome and GardenRelationship Quizzes Cars & Other VehiclesFood and EntertainingPersonal Care and StyleSports and Fitness Computers and ElectronicsHealthPets and AnimalsTravel Education & CommunicationHobbies and CraftsPhilosophy and ReligionWork World Family LifeHolidays and TraditionsRelationshipsYouth
• LOG IN

  Log in

  Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. Facebook Google wikiHow Account No account yet? Create an account
• RANDOM

• Home
• Random
• Browse Articles
• TrendingNew
• Quizzes & Games
• All QuizzesHot
• Love Quizzes
• Personality Quizzes
• Fun Games
• Dating Simulator
• Learn Something New
• Forums
• Courses
• Happiness Hub
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow

• Log in / Sign up

Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow

• Categories
• Home and Garden
• Housekeeping
• Pest Control

How to Trap Cockroaches Download Article Co-authored by Kevin Carrillo

Last Updated: February 19, 2026 Approved

Download Article

• Trapping Roaches with Duct Tape
|
• Catching Cockroaches in a Jar
|
• Trapping Roaches in a Bottle
|
• FAQ
|
• Video
|
• Tips
|
• Warnings
|
• Things You'll Need

|Show more |Show less X

This article was co-authored by Kevin Carrillo. Kevin Carrillo is a Pest Control Specialist and the Senior Project Manager for MMPC, a pest control service and certified Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) based in the New York City area. MMPC is certified by the industry’s leading codes and practices, including the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), QualityPro, GreenPro, and The New York Pest Management Association (NYPMA). MMPC's work has been featured in CNN, NPR, and ABC News. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 18 testimonials and 100% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 793,855 times.

It can be very hard to get rid of a cockroach infestation. Smashing each individual roach seems like an insurmountable task—or an inhumane one—and you may want a way to tackle the problem without getting your hands dirty. A trap can be a great alternative to insect spray, and it's cheaper than paying pest control to do all the hard work for you.[1] In this article, we'll explore three different methods for trapping roaches. We also talked to pest experts for their advice on eliminating cockroaches.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 3:

Trapping Roaches with Duct Tape

Download Article

1. 1 Try making a duct tape trap. The premise of this strategy is simple: you'll need bait to attract the cockroaches, and adhesive to hold them there. This trap can be difficult to move once you have set it, but it's simple to make, and you may yield a high reward for relatively little effort.
   • You can also find adhesive-based traps, if you prefer to buy them. Look online or in a home-and-garden store, or ask your local exterminators for advice.

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Chris Parker is the founder of Parker Eco Pest Control, a sustainable and humane pest control service in Seattle, Washington.

   Kevin Carrillo is a pest control specialist and the Senior Project Manager for MMPC, a pest control service and certified Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) based in the New York City area.

   Samuel Ramsey, PhD is an entomologist and a researcher with the United States Department of Agriculture.

2. 2 Get a roll of duct tape. Make sure that the tape is fresh and sticky – otherwise the cockroaches can easily struggle free and escape. You can use alternatives to duct tape, but make sure that they are powerfully adhesive. Scotch tape will not work, nor masking tape; your trap must be able to hold the roaches until you are able to remove them from your home. Advertisement
3. 3 Choose your bait. Anything with a powerfully sweet or oily smell will work. Onion is a common choice, although you can use anything fragrant. Try using a small strip of fresh banana peel or sweet, overripe fruit. You can also use a small piece of bread.[2] If you have noticed the cockroaches in your house being attracted to a specific food, try using that as bait.
   • If you must outright kill the cockroaches, you can buy gel baits spiked with active ingredients that poison the insects. Bear in mind, however, that these are not always attractive to roaches, and that they may not be as effective as advertised.[3] Contact a home-and-garden store or pest-control center.
   • Make sure to only use a small portion of your chosen bait. If the bait spills over the edge of the tape, there will be little motivation for the roaches to get themselves stuck. Slice the onion, fruit, or other food into a small but substantial chunk.
4. 4 Set the bait. Place the onion, fruit, etc. in the center of your sticky tape. Make sure that it is stable, and that it will not fall over.
5. 5 Set your trap. Leave the tape in an area where you've been finding a lot of cockroaches: a kitchen, perhaps, or a dark corner, or near a hole in a wall. Bear in mind that you will need to do something with these roaches afterwards – they will be stuck to the tape, helpless, and you will need to find a way to remove them or dispose of them without setting them free.
   • Try putting the trap in a high place – like the top of your kitchen cabinets, or the top of your refrigerator. Roaches like to scurry in high places.[4]
6. 6 Wait. Cockroaches love the dark, and they tend to do most of their foraging at night. Leave the trap where it is overnight, and do not disturb it until the morning. When you check the trap in the morning, you should find a lot of roaches on it. To get rid of the cockroaches, you can either kill them or release them humanely.
   • To release the cockroaches humanely, pick up the duct tape and take it outside. Bring it at least 100 feet from your home, then shake off the roaches and dispose of the tape. If you don't want to handle the trap with your bare hands, wear gloves or use a dustpan. Alternatively, place a box over the tape to enclose the trap, then slide a piece of paper underneath to hold the roaches in place while you bring them outside.
   • If you're going to kill the cockroaches, you can simply dispose of the duct tape with the roaches attached. Make sure to close up the bag or bin properly as soon as the insects are inside – otherwise they may crawl out and escape, rendering your efforts useless!
Advertisement

Method 2 Method 2 of 3:

Catching Cockroaches in a Jar

Download Article

1. 1 Try trapping cockroaches inside a jar. This method is safe for children and pets, and it is easier to move than a strip of duct tape. Find a quart-size mason jar that has a very slight bottleneck, like a mayonnaise or spaghetti sauce jar.
2. 2 Give the cockroaches a way to climb into the jar. Wrap masking or duct tape (sticky-side facing the jar) all around the outer walls so the roaches have enough traction to climb up the sides. Alternatively, place the jar near a small ramp or rim so that cockroaches can easily find their way inside.
3. 3 Make the inside of the jar slippery. Coat the inside with petroleum jelly, at least four inches down from the top. This way, the roaches won't be able to get any traction when they try to climb back out of the jar. Consider mixing the petroleum jelly with gel bait to kill the cockroaches on contact – but bear in mind that gel bait is prone to drying out. A healthy increment of petroleum jelly with retain its oily moisture for as long as you need to catch your roaches.
4. 4 Bait the trap. Put something smelly in the bottom of the jar to attract the cockroaches. A piece of banana peel or fragrant, overripe fruit works well, and some people advocate the use of onion slices. Just make sure that the bait is not too large that the cockroaches could use it to climb out of the jar!
   • Try pouring some beer or red wine into the jar – just enough to drown the roaches. Fruit juices, sweet sodas, and sugar water work well. These sweetly-scented beverages will attract the cockroaches, then trap them forever.
5. 5 Set the trap. Place the jar anywhere that you have a roach problem, and make sure that there is room on the sides for the roaches to crawl into the jar. The idea here is that the roaches will climb up and fall into the jar, where they won't be able to get out.
   • Try leaving the jar in an enclosed space, like a closet, a garage, or a stuffy corner. The cloying smell of the bait will fill the air and attract hungry cockroaches into your trap.
6. 6 Empty the trap. Leave the jar out overnight—or even for a few days—until it has collected a good amount of roaches. Eventually, pour some boiling water into the jar to kill any surviving roaches. Flush them down the toilet or put them into a compost bin.
   • Set the trap again to make sure that you've solved your roach problem. Replace the petroleum jelly and add a new piece of bait. Repeat as needed.
Advertisement

Method 3 Method 3 of 3:

Trapping Roaches in a Bottle

Download Article

1. 1 Try catching cockroaches with a red wine bottle. First, find a near-empty bottle. The glass or container design is essential, however (tall, cylindrical containers, narrow-mouthed bottles, etc), as it should stop the roaches from climbing out of it. Any tall bottle with a narrow neck will do. It will need to have at least a few teaspoons of wine left in it.[5]
   • If it is a dry red wine, add a quarter teaspoon of sugar and swish it around.
   • If you don't want to use alcohol, try some sugar and water with a bit of fruit, or just experiment. Boil the water first and let it cool to stop the concoction from going moldy before it has done its work on the cockroaches.
2. 2 Smear some cooking oil all around the inside of the top of the bottle. This will make a slippery slide to the bottom of the bottle.
   • Alternatively, use a pipe cleaner or another long-handled brushing tool to spread petroleum jelly inside the bottle, just below the neck. This will make it hard for fallen roaches to gain traction when climbing back up.
3. 3 Set the trap. Place the wine bottle in a spot where you have noticed some cockroaches, such as near the compost heap, for instance, or in a dark corner of your kitchen. Leave it out for at least one night. Bear in mind that it may take a few nights to ferment to the right composition to attract the critters.
   • The roaches are attracted to the sweet smell of wine or beer. They climb to the top of the bottle, then slip on the oil and fall into the bottom, where they won't be able to get out.
   • Consider making a "trail" of spilled wine up the side of the bottle. This may help lead the cockroaches into your trap with the promise of sweeter things to come.
4. 4 Dispose of the roaches. When you check your trap in the morning and find cockroaches in the bottom of the bottle, carefully pour some boiling water into the bottle to kill them. Leave the hot water in the bottle for a minute or two to make sure that it's worked – cockroaches are resilient creatures. Dispose of the dead roaches by pouring the hot water from the bottle into a garden, a compost heap, or into a toilet.
   • If one bottle doesn't solve your roach infestation, keep trying. You can set the trap with a new bottle every few days. Over time, the number of caught roaches should decrease as there are less insects around to fall into your trap.
   • Try pairing the wine-bottle method with the jar and duct-tape methods. Set different traps in different areas of your home, then observe which one works best. Consider that one trap may be catching more cockroaches due to its location or its bait type – not necessarily because of its trapping mechanism.
Advertisement

Common Questions: Tips for Trapping Cockroaches

Where should I place my cockroach trap?

Place your cockroach trap in an area where cockroaches are likely to gather—generally speaking, that's any warm, damp, and dark location. According to pest control specialist Chris Parker, "You're going to find [cockroaches] around any force…that puts out heat. So, that typically means your dishwashers, your ovens, your grease traps in the ovens, behind mixers, in the engines of refrigerators."[6] "Also," he adds, "any place that looks like it hasn't been cleaned in a while, you're probably going to find them…. [You'll also] find them tucked away in cracks and crevices like peeling drywall, or underneath a tight, tight area."[7]

What attracts cockroaches to a trap?

Cockroaches are attracted to heat and damp, isolated areas, Parker confirms.[8] They're also attracted to food. Leave your roach trap in an area where there's likely to be crumbs dropped or food left unattended, "if you want to try to lure them and poison them at the same time," adds rodent control specialist Kevin Carrillo.[9]

How can I deal with cockroaches humanely?

Prevention is the most humane way to deal with cockroaches: entomologist Samuel Ramsey, PhD recommends, "Seal [any] cracks and crevices using caulk or copper wool…[to] stop them from being able to get inside easily."[10] But if that ship has sailed, tidy up as much as possible; the roaches may still leave: "If you can...clean the place up, if you can get rid of those cardboard boxes, sweep up all the little dust bunnies in the corner, you typically have gotten rid of the environment that they like," Ramsey says.[11] You can also trap them and release them outside far from your house (however, keep in mind that this isn't a guarantee they won't return to your home).

Video

Tips

• Consider making your enviroment less attractive to cockroaches. If you don't make your home less hospitable to them, killing the insects will only create a void that other pests will soon fill.[12] Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• You don't have to use onion; you can also use peanut butter, or anything sweet. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1
• Once you trap the roaches, you can vacuum them off the tape. Alternatively, simply dispose of the tape. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 3

Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

• I buy mouse and insect traps with adhesive paste on them, then I use an old knife to spread the paste onto long pieces of cardboard so I don't have to keep buying new traps. You can lay them on the floor, dangle them in front of windows, and even tape them to a wall or inside cupboard doors.
• If you have small European roaches, cut the top off of a pet feeder bottle and put it back in the bottle backwards. Put bait in the bottle, like a protein shake, to attract cockroaches.

Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Warnings

• Although the duct tape will last a while, it will eventually dry out. Use this method in combination with other pest control techniques. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 1
• Keep your traps away from pets or children. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 3
• Vacuuming the roaches doesn't usually kill them - the survivors will just lay eggs inside and soon you'll have an even bigger infestation. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 2

Advertisement

Things You'll Need

• Extremely sticky tape
• Strong scented food (like an onion) or wine
• Dark spot where cockroaches are bound to be found

You Might Also Like

How toKill Household Bugs The Best Ways to Get Rid of Cockroaches in Your Home How to Make a Homemade Fly Trap (with Expert Tips) An Expert-Backed Guide to Getting Rid of Cockroaches in Your Apartment 4 Simple Ways to Capture Flies How to Kill a Cricket that's Loose in Your House How toCatch Crickets 10 DIY Methods to Get Rid of Roaches Overnight (Plus Prevention Tips) How to Kill Cockroaches or Ants Naturally How toGet Rid of Roaches by Caulking How to Trap Wasps: Easy DIY Tips for Indoors & Outdoors How toCatch a Mosquito Effective Ways to Get Rid of Cockroaches in Your Home How toMake a Cheap Homemade Mouse Trap Advertisement

References

1. ↑ https://www.orkin.com/pests/cockroaches
2. ↑ https://dhss.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/dph/pdf/CockroachControl_FS_PUB_ENG_0323.pdf
3. ↑ http://www.orkin.com/cockroaches/gel-for-cockroaches/
4. ↑ http://eartheasy.com/live_natpest_control.htm
5. ↑ https://inhabitat.com/diy-5-all-natural-insect-traps-and-deterrents-for-those-pests-that-just-wont-bugger-off/
6. ↑ Chris Parker. Founder, Parker Eco Pest Control. Expert Interview
7. ↑ Chris Parker. Founder, Parker Eco Pest Control. Expert Interview
8. ↑ Chris Parker. Founder, Parker Eco Pest Control. Expert Interview
9. ↑ Kevin Carrillo. Pest Control Specialist, MMPC. Expert Interview

More References (3)

10. ↑ Samuel Ramsey, PhD. Entomologist. Expert Interview
11. ↑ Samuel Ramsey, PhD. Entomologist. Expert Interview
12. ↑ https://www.peta.org/issues/wildlife/dealing-household-guests/cockroaches/

About This Article

Co-authored by: Kevin Carrillo Pest Control Specialist, MMPC This article was co-authored by Kevin Carrillo. Kevin Carrillo is a Pest Control Specialist and the Senior Project Manager for MMPC, a pest control service and certified Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) based in the New York City area. MMPC is certified by the industry’s leading codes and practices, including the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), QualityPro, GreenPro, and The New York Pest Management Association (NYPMA). MMPC's work has been featured in CNN, NPR, and ABC News. This article has been viewed 793,855 times. 9 votes - 100% Co-authors: 34 Updated: February 19, 2026 Views: 793,855 Categories: Pest Control Article SummaryX

To trap cockroaches, put a fragrant food, such as an onion wedge, in the middle of a long piece of duct tape. Place the tape in an area where you have seen roaches, let it sit overnight, and in the morning you should have roaches stuck to the strip. Alternatively, wrap a mason jar in duct tape to give the roaches traction to climb it and coat the inside of the jar with Vaseline. Put a pungent food in the bottom of the jar and leave it overnight. To learn how to trap roaches in a bottle, keep reading! Did this summary help you?YesNo

In other languages Spanish Italian Russian German French Indonesian Dutch Arabic Vietnamese Chinese Japanese

• Print
• Send fan mail to authors

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 793,855 times.

Reader Success Stories

• 

  Prince R.

  Nov 5, 2023

  "My home is infested with cockroaches and me and my parents have been arguing about the best ways of killing..." more

More reader stories Hide reader stories Share your story

Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Kevin Carrillo Pest Control Specialist, MMPC Co-authors: 34 Updated: February 19, 2026 Views: 793,855 100% of readers found this article helpful. 9 votes - 100% Click a star to add your vote

Prince R.

Nov 5, 2023

"My home is infested with cockroaches and me and my parents have been arguing about the best ways of killing..." more

Katara Preek

Jul 14, 2016

"I am planning to get some chickens, so I would like to trap some cockroaches for them (they should be live). I..." more

Randall Funderburk

May 30, 2016

"Very smart, simple, and probably efficient solutions to roach problems. I am looking forward to killing a lot of..." more

Anonymous

Aug 30, 2016

"Useful for feeding my tarantulas. I used very little wine because I don't want to accidentally poison my..." more

Anonymous

Mar 2, 2018

"This article was very helpful for me, since it will help me to catch cockroaches for my experiments." Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

Quizzes & Games

The Paperclip Challenge: Can You Outsmart the Detective?PlayHow Disgusting Am I QuizTake QuizThe Potion Game: Brew The Perfect PotionPlayGhost Hunting GamePlay

You Might Also Like

How toKill Household BugsThe Best Ways to Get Rid of Cockroaches in Your HomeHow to Make a Homemade Fly Trap (with Expert Tips)An Expert-Backed Guide to Getting Rid of Cockroaches in Your Apartment

Trending Articles

What Every Domain Expansion Hand Sign Means In Jujutsu KaisenSigns a Woman is Sexually Attracted to YouWhat Female Body Shape Are You? How to Identify YoursWhat Fruit Am I Quiz

Trending Articles

Do You Agree with These "Hear Me Out" Character Hot Takes?Do I Have Main Character Energy?Finish the Lyrics QuizCan Your Finger Length Tell Your Personality?

Take the Quiz Everyone Is Talking About

160+ Good Roasts to Burn Your Friends & Family MembersHow to Play the Snaps Guessing Game140+ Wavelength Game Categories & Questions to Extend Your PlayThe Ultimate Collection of Funny, Cheesy, & Romantic Rizz Lines

You've Seen These All Over Your Feed

What Animal Am I QuizAm I Gay QuizHow Well Do I Know My Best Friend QuizAm I an Alpha, Beta, or Omega Quiz

Featured Videos

How toPlay Dice (2 Dice Gambling Games)How toPersuade a Girl over TextHow toGive Someone the Silent TreatmentHow toMake Hibiscus Tea

Hot Takes 🔥 🔥 🔥

Do You Agree with These Food Hot Takes?Do You Agree With These Fashion Hot Takes?Do You Agree with These Pop Culture Hot Takes?Do You Agree With These Board Game Hot Takes?

Your Daily Dose of Fun!

Am I a Bruh Girl?Which My Little Pony Am I QuizWhen Will I Get My First Period QuizWhat Type of Girl Am I Quiz

• Categories
• Home and Garden
• Housekeeping
• Pest Control

wikiHow Newsletter You're all set! Helpful how-tos delivered toyour inbox every week! Sign me up! By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy.

• Home
• About wikiHow
• Experts
• Jobs
• Contact Us
• Site Map
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info
• Contribute

Follow Us

×

wikiHow Tech Help Pro:

Develop the tech skills you need for work and life

Let's do this! X --739