For this report, our experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute scoured the market for cockroaches to identify the products you’re most likely to find in stores and online. We also consulted with outside experts at the Department of Entomology at Rutgers University and the Building Performance Institute, which develops standards for managing pest-free homes. Although we didn’t test cockroaches in our lab, we based our brand selection in part on home tests conducted by Good Housekeeping staff. We also reviewed the safety data of all selected products and reviewed online reviews for red flags related to performance, safety or usability.

To find out which cockroach is the best fit for your home, weigh the pros and cons of the three main types. As mentioned earlier, our experts do not recommend sprays and nebulizers, as they are both ineffective and potentially dangerous. Keep in mind that cockroaches can become resistant to killers, so it’s a good idea to try a variety of products, especially if one proves ineffective.

✔️ Yellow: If you’re dealing with a serious cockroach infestation, reach for the gel. This is the most direct treatment, as gels are filled with a tasty food source that attracts cockroaches. They then bring the slow-release poison back to the nest, where it kills the entire colony. If cockroaches are still present after a few weeks, apply a second application. The main disadvantage of gels is that they are more difficult to apply than baits and the exposed substance is a potential hazard if ingested by humans or pets.

✔️ Bait/traps: With this option, a slow-release poison gel is housed in a plastic station, which is placed wherever cockroaches are present. Baits are much easier to install, but they are not as effective as raw gels, and tend to be the most expensive option. The relatively bulky enclosures mean they can’t be shoved into tight spaces where cockroaches like to hang out. As with gels, follow-up treatments should be repeated every few weeks until roaches are eliminated — meaning no roaches are found over a four-week period, according to the Rutgers University Cooperative Extension.

✔️ Powders: This treatment is affordable and easy to apply. Powders often contain boric acid, which is less toxic to mammals than most synthetic insecticides. It kills cockroaches after ingesting it, so it’s good to spread the dust thoroughly under and behind appliances, in cracks and crevices along walls or behind baseboards.

Based on our expert review of the safety data sheets, the products included in this summary pose minimal safety risks when used properly. That said, it is important to avoid ingestion, as well as contact with skin and eyes. This is possible with gels, baits and powders, but less so with sprays and foggers, which is why we do not recommend them. “Fertilizers can kill those pests that come into direct contact with the chemical residue, but they do not penetrate the crevices where cockroaches are known to hide and nest,” says the Building Performance Institute. “Foggers can also be dangerous to human health, and the chemicals are a fire risk that when exposed to an open flame such as a pilot light can ignite and cause the fogger to explode.”

The pest specialists we consulted also say to stay away from essential oil-based sprays, which are often marketed as “all natural.” Most of them only work when applied directly to the roach and offer little to no after-effect, making them much less effective for long-term control.

Integrated pest management, or IPM for short, is based on the idea that there is no single cure-all solution to pest control. “Several things must be done to prevent pests from entering the home and to make the home a less desirable habitat if they do enter,” reports the Building Performance Institute. The strategy follows a pyramid approach. In the case of cockroaches, involves the bottom of the pyramid make the structure cockroach-proof, for example by sealing openings with caulk and foam sealant. The second phase includes elimination of sources of food and moisture, by, for example, fixing leaking pipes and storing food properly. Only then does IPM come in chemical treatments, start with the least toxic options, such as boric oxygen, then move on to bait stations and gels. Sprays and nebulizers are at the top of the pyramid and are rarely used in IPM except for emergency applications.

The Good Housekeeping Institute Home Improvement & outdoor Lab offers expert reviews and advice on all things home, including pest management. In his role as Director of the Home Improvement and Outdoor Laboratory, Dan DiClerico brings more than 20 years of experience to the Institute, having reviewed thousands of Good Housekeeping products, as well as brands such as This Old House and Consumer Reports. He has also written extensively on the topic of healthy homes, including the negative impact of pests and other allergens on indoor air quality. And he used all the different cockroaches covered in this report.

For this report, Dan worked closely with Rachel Rothman, chief technologist and director of engineering at the Institute. For more than 15 years, Rachel has put her training in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics to work researching, testing, and writing about products across the home improvement space.

Health, Beauty and Sustainability Lab Director Birnur Aral, Ph.D. shared her expertise on insecticide safety. In addition to holding M.Ing. and Ph.D. degrees in chemical engineering, Birnur recently added a professional certificate in sustainability management from Columbia University to her credentials. She has been an active leader in conceptualizing many of our green initiatives, including the GH Sustainable Innovation Awards and our annual Raise the Green Bar Summit.