How To Get Roaches Out Of Computer (5 Ways)

 

Even the thought of having roaches inside your computer can be horrifying, but unfortunately, it’s not uncommon.

If you live in an area where roaches can be found in houses and apartments, chances are they’ll appear inside your electronic devices, including your PC case or even your laptop!

Here are 5 methods you can use to get the roaches out of your computer.

 

How To Get Roaches Out Of Computer (5 Ways)

 

First Method—Bait Placement

The best method for catching the roaches is to place baits around your computer.

There are generally two types of baits: sticky baits and poisoned baits.

Sticky traps attract cockroaches using insect pheromones and trap them inside their sticky interior parts.

The Victor M330 Roach Pheromone Glue Trap is a good product example.

Victor M330 Roach Pheromone Glue Trap 

 

You can place a couple of these baits around your computer to lure the roaches out of the case and trap them.

Using poisoned baits can be more effective because they are slow-killing pesticides that allow the roaches to ingest them and get back to their nest.

They’ll then spread the poison to the rest of the population, and you’ll get rid of the population more quickly.

These baits usually come in gel form in a syringe.

You should apply a pea-sized amount of gel on a plastic paper, foil, or index card and place the card near your computer.

Place some traps around your house, as well, especially in the kitchen and bathroom.

You can apply the gel directly to the corners of the rooms, around cracks and crevices in cupboards, cabinets, shelves, behind the toilet, and so on.

You need to wait around a week until the roach activity stops.

Syngenta Advion Cockroach Gel Bait, Combat Max Roach Killing Gel, and Apex Cockroach Gel Bait are three of the best products.

Combat Max Roach Killing Gel for Indoor and Outdoor Use, 1 Syringe, 2.1 Ounces and Combat Roach Killing Bait, Large Roach Bait Station, 8 Count (780059/41913) 

Syngenta 383920 Advion Cockroach Gel Bait 4 X 30 Gram Tubes Roach Control, 4 30, Brown 

 

You can also make your own gel bait by mixing the same amount of boric acid or baking soda and flour.

Add a little water to turn the combination into a paste.

Roll it into small balls, and place them on a piece of paper.

Put the paper near your computer and sprinkle some sugar on it to increase the appeal.

The poisonous bait method has the downside of the roaches dying inside the computer, and you’ll have to clean them out.

However, it’s not such a big deal because you’ll have to clean the computer anyway to get rid of the droppings and bacteria they left behind.

 

Second Method—Bug Spray

Using bug spray around a computer is generally not a good idea.

Firstly, most bug sprays are flammable, and your computer has electricity stored inside it even when it’s unplugged.

Any kind of discharge can ignite the spray causing explosions or fire.

Secondly, the bug sprays turn sticky after they dry and corrode the computer boards.

The sticky substance can also catch a lot of dust, resulting in higher heat retention and possible short circuits.

The only acceptable way to use bug sprays for getting rid of roaches inside your PC is to take the PC outside and open up one side.

Place a couple of newspapers on a flat surface and spray the bug spray on the newspapers.

Wait for the mist to settle down, and put the open side of your computer on the newspapers.

Wait a couple of hours for the spray to do its job.

 

Third Method—Freezing

Since roaches love the warmth, it’s expected that they hate the cold and can’t withstand freezing conditions.

Because the cold is a great enemy for the bugs, you can use the freezing treatment to eliminate them without using any chemicals.

You need to seal the infested device in a plastic bag so the roaches can’t escape and put it inside the freezer.

Let it stay there for three to five days, so all of them die.

This method needs your PC to fit inside the freezer, and also, you should check if it can withstand the freezing temperatures for such a long time.

Electronics with LCD screens will usually be damaged if exposed to this condition.

Therefore, this method won’t work for your laptop.

If you live in an area where the temperature falls below zero, you can just wrap the computer in a plastic bag and put it out on the balcony or in the garage.

 

Fourth Method—Blowing Them Out

Another non-destructive and non-poisonous way to get roaches out of your computer is to use a blower or a can of compressed air to get them out.

Take your PC outside to a garden.

Once you open the PC, some roaches might escape without you doing anything.

Get a blower and blow inside the PC case to get rid of the remaining ones.

If you’re dealing with a laptop, get compressed air in cans with thin spray tips, so air comes out of it with as much pressure as possible.

If your laptop is old, you can just open it up and run the roaches out by blowing air into the laptop.

If your laptop is new and can’t be opened, you’ll have to force the air through the vents.

 

Fifth Method—Using A Vacuum Cleaner

The last method for removing roaches from your PC case is by using a vacuum that has a small hose.

You need to open up your PC and run the hose inside the case to catch and remove the insects with the suction.

Be careful not to damage any components along the way.

Spray the vacuum bag with bug spray to kill the roaches and dump the bag in the outside garbage can.

 

Clean The Computer

 

Once you’ve made sure that there are no more live roaches left on your computer, you’ll have to start cleaning it.

No matter what method you’ve used for getting the roaches out of there, there will be dead bodies, feces, eggs, and body parts left inside the device.

It’s best to unplug the computer, take it outside, open it up, and blow all its corners, nooks, and crannies with canned air.

Afterward, get a soft fabric, brush, or Q-tip, and gently clean the inside parts with alcohol.

Don’t use water or liquid cleaners.

You can also use a PCB cleaner spray.

 

How To Keep Roaches Away From Your Computer

 

Now that you’ve thoroughly cleaned your computer, you need to keep the roaches away from it until you can run all of them out of your house.

Firstly, don’t put your PC or laptop on the ground because it’ll be more accessible to roaches.

Place it high above the ground.

Secondly, keep your computer and the area around it clean.

Don’t leave any food or drinks lying around your room.

Lastly, you can use roach repellents, so roaches avoid coming near your setup.

Here are five of the best roach repellents you can use:

• Pepper Spray: Since roaches don’t like red pepper, you can spray the areas around your computer with a solution containing red pepper.

You can also make a red pepper spray by mixing a couple of tablespoons of Tabasco sauce with water and then pouring it into a pump spray.

Wear a mask and spray the area around your computer.

• Moth Balls: Roaches avoid the smell of mothballs like moths. Drop a couple of mothballs around your computer.
• Cedar Products: The oil inside cedarwood is an effective deterrent for bugs and roaches.

Place thin cedar veneers around your computer.

• Mint Oil: Roaches avoid coming into contact with mint oil, the primary ingredient in non-toxic roach sprays.

Use a solution containing mint oil and spray around your computer.

• Bay Leaves: Roaches don’t like the smell of bay leaves.

You can scatter a couple of whole or crushed leaves around your PC.

 

Inspect Other Parts Of Your Property For Signs Of Roaches

 

The fact that cockroaches exist in your computer indicates they have infested your house.

All you’ve done to kill the roaches inside your computer and clean it afterward will have been for naught if you don’t address the infestation in your house and get rid of the other roaches, too.

Applying Novacide Aerosol, a spray that you can apply to the floor to kill the remaining roaches is one of the best ways to address the issue.

This spray contains an insect growth regulator substance that interferes with the roaches’ life cycle and reproductive system.

Not only does it kill the adult roaches, but it also prevents them from laying eggs before they die.

It also prevents the existing eggs from hatching.

Therefore, roaches won’t get a chance to grow another generation and multiply.

You need to spray the Novacide in a downward sweeping motion on your house’s floor and especially around your computer and electronics.

Let it dry up and create a deadly barrier that can last up to seven months.

Don’t spray Novacide directly on the electronics.

 

Why Are Roaches Attracted To Your Computer?

 

When you talk about roaches in the house, most people picture them in the bathroom or the kitchen hiding behind the fridge or cabinets.

However, they sometimes seek refuge inside the electronics, including the TV, game consoles, router, PC, laptop, radios, clocks, and any other frequently used electronic appliance.

It doesn’t matter if the device is new or old.

Roaches like warmth, and they prefer moist places.

The inside of electronics like your computer is not only warm but also private and secluded, creating the perfect nesting place for roaches to thrive in.

They’ll end up anywhere they can fit, finding their way into the case or laptop through the ports.

They seem to like moving into the computer’s main power box or power supply.

Although some roach species like staying in the dark, some get attracted to the computer’s light, luring them into the equipment.

 

How To Know If Your Computer Is Infested With Roaches

 

If you’ve already spotted one or more roaches around or inside your computer, you can skip this part.

However, if you only suspect that your home and computer are infested with roaches, there are some signs to look out for.

Firstly, you should check on the outside of your electronics and around your home for roach droppings.

The size and shape of the droppings vary depending on the species and age of the roaches.

They’re always dark in color and scattered around the computer or in the corners of the house.

Bigger roaches can have droppings the size of a grain of rice.

Some roach droppings resemble coffee grains or black pepper grains.

The next thing you must keep an eye out for is their egg casing.

The casings can hold up to 50 eggs, and once they hatch, all that remains is the casing.

They’re light to dark brown and look like capsules or hollow shells.

You might find these around your computer, behind the fridge, or in the food cabinet.

They might also be in damp places like around leaky pipes.

The last sign of a roach infestation is their unpleasant odor.

You won’t notice any smell if you only have one roach roaming around in the house.

However, if there is more than one or a colony, their odor will be hard to miss.

Also, when they die, their bodies will start to decompose, giving off a bad aroma.

 

Can Roaches Damage Computers?

 

Firstly, we all know that roaches can carry diseases.

If you unknowingly touch with the PC parts that roaches have crawled through, you’ll come into contact with the germs and bacteria they leave behind.

Also, if you allow roaches to stay for long inside your computer, they’ll settle and begin laying eggs.

As their number grows, they’ll drop feces everywhere, and their dead bodies will spread through the PC case.

This buildup of detritus can affect your computer’s performance.

If roaches get inside your laptop and leave droppings on your motherboard, they can corrode it and eventually damage it beyond repair.

A more serious problem begins when the roaches come into contact with the high-voltage areas inside your computer.

They can’t withstand the current, so they end up dying, which can cause short-circuits, damaging your PC components.