Q. You’ve had questions on how to get rid of cockroaches. A simple way to get rid of them and other insects is to place a few fabric softener sheets around your home in the corners, on the floors and on the kitchen counters behind appliances.
I guarantee that soon there will be NO insects. Some chemical in these dryer sheets really irritates and kills bugs. The cockroaches are big enough to saddle up here in Texas, but they will soon disappear. While they are slowly dying, they walk out to the center of the room so that even a very slow moving person can kill them.
This is easy and cheap. I use off-brand fabric softener sheets.
A. Several years ago, an email circulated on the Internet claiming that fabric softener sheets could repel ants, yellow jackets and other insects. Skeptics scoffed.
Now, scientists at Kansas State University have determined that Bounce fabric softener dryer sheets actually do repel adult fungus gnats (HortScience, online Dec. 1, 2010).
The scientists also analyzed the dryer sheets and found that they contain linalool, a pleasant-smelling compound naturally found in basil, lavender and marjoram. This compound is known to be toxic to certain mites and other insects.
We were not able to find any data on cockroaches, but we appreciate your suggestion. We welcome comments and research reports from other readers.
