Did you know cockroaches have survived for millions of years, and the most common of these is the German Cockroach?
So, what chance do you have when faced with these ultimate survivors in your home?
Tough, resilient, and versatile, german cockroaches can be found even in the cleanest houses – all they seek is warmth, a place to hide, and nourishment. But the good news is that there are effective, easy to use insecticides and we can tell you the best way to get rid of german roaches.
Here is a line up of our top choices for the best insecticides for german roaches:
- Advion 383920 4 Tubes and 4 Plungers Cockroach German Roach Pest Control Inse
- Combat Max 12 Month Roach Killing Bait
- Bengal Chemical Gold Roach Spray
- Raid Max Ant & Roach Killer
- Harris Boric Acid Roach and Silverfish Killer Powder
How to Get Rid of German Roaches
German roaches are small insects about half an inch long. Dark brown with two light streaks on their backs. And one roach can lay 400 eggs in her lifetime.
German roaches can squeeze through the tiniest cracks and joints, seeking shelter and food. They like the dark, so it can be hard to know if they are present, and you may not be aware of them until they are numerous. German roaches hide inside walls, under furniture, and in the darkest recesses of your cupboards.
They have wings however rarely fly, and while they can bite, they seldom do, and the bites are not dangerous. They breathe through minute holes in their exoskeletons.
Why getting rid of the German cockroach is important for your health
The German cockroach is a pest worldwide where human beings make their homes. They can produce allergens that affect people living with asthma, spreading antibiotic-resistant microbes on their travels – and generally look pretty unpleasant.
And the bad news is that since the 1950s they have been evolving resistance to many insecticides.
How safe are german roach insecticides for humans and pets?
German roaches are small – so they only need a small amount of insecticide for it to be deadly.
German roaches absorb the insecticide quickly through their breathing holes, which enables tiny amounts to be effective. However, the insecticides are toxic, so when sprays are used, you must avoid skin contact or breathing in the spray yourself.
Best way to kill german roaches
The insecticides can be applied in different ways and are generally effective in reducing the number of german roaches.
There are many fast and effective ways to kill the german roaches:
- Natural remedies – mostly less effective than insecticides, and may even attract the roaches. But maybe an idea for a first-line defense in houses with children.
- Traps – ineffective to eliminate severe German roach infestations.
- Bait – an effective german roach killer.
- Bombs – release aerosols with insecticide. Quickly fills a room, including those hard to reach corners.
- Foggers – create a fog of insecticide – not very effective, and you need protective equipment for yourself.
- Sprays – residual and contact sprays. Contact spray directly onto the german cockroach for very rapid death and residual sprays to be reapplied every three months.
How insecticides work
You might like to watch this 2 ½ minute video that explains how insecticides kill german cockroaches. In brief, the insecticide interferes with the nerve impulses within the german cockroach so that he becomes paralyzed and cannot feed.
The most effective german cockroach killer
The best german roach killer is an insecticide. It can be delivered most effectively by spray or bait. You may need repeated applications, and you should keep children and pets away from the treated areas.
Getting rid of a german cockroach infestation takes a little time and care. Still, with modern insecticides, you can get rid of german roaches fast.
What to look for in a german cockroach killer
There are many things to consider when you choose the best way to kill german roaches. Our research pinpoints these factors to narrow down your choice and help you to decide on the best insecticide for your home.
- Is it safe – what about pets and children?
- Is it effective?
- How easy is it to apply?
- Will it leave a mess?
- Does it get into dark corners and under furniture?
- How many times must I apply it?
- What about the german cockroach eggs?
- Does it affect the baby german cockroach?
- Do I need protective gear?
- Will it stop german roaches coming into my home from outside?
- Does it smell horrible?
- How ecological is it?
The risk of resistance.
This is very real, and if the german cockroach does succeed in becoming ever more resistant, then we will have great difficulty in eradicating them. A piece of research highlights this problem and you can see a detailed report here.
Even rotating the insecticides was not completely effective – and the research also found there was a repellant effect- which made the german roaches migrate to neighboring apartments!
The eggs are resistant anyway. That is one of the reasons why you will need to apply the insecticide more than once to catch the baby german cockroach when it has hatched.
Best choice
We think the sprays, gels, and bait are the most effective ways to kill the german cockroach. The sprays get into the hard to reach corners and the baits and gels are concentrated killers.
The german roaches walk over them and contact other roaches to spread the killer effects of the insecticide.
You need repeated applications and possible protective gear – and take great care to prevent your children or pets from straying into treated areas. You also have to avoid the powerful insecticides running off into drains and sewers or blowing onto plants that need pollinating. These are lethal to aquatic life and they also kill bees.
German Cockroach Insecticide Reviews
Advion 383920 4 Tubes and 4 Plungers Cockroach German Roach Pest Control Inse,
Fast-acting and effective. The roaches spread it to each other.

This insecticide contains 0.6% indoxacarb, which was a breakthrough in german roach killers.
You can use it just about anywhere where there are german roaches – including your home, hospitals, aircraft, and warehouses. And you can vary the dose according to how heavy the infestation is.
The syringes mean you can apply the gel to hard-to-reach corners that the german roach likes. A little insecticide every 10 feet is enough since the german roaches pass it on to each other – they may even eat the infected pests. One german roach can spread this insecticide to as many as 30 others.
However, to get rid of the german cockroaches forever, you need to reapply the bait before it is used up. Otherwise, this gives time for the german roaches to repopulate your house.
One tip is to apply the bait on waxed paper to prevent the sticky stuff messing up your surfaces.
Pros
- Highly effective
- Works fast
- Easy to use
- Syringes mean you can reach many hidden places
Cons
- May be difficult to clean if left on surfaces too long
Combat Max 12 Month Roach Killing Bait
This insecticide prevents the german roaches from returning within 12 months

This option is easy to use; you just place the gel containers where the german roaches are. (like under sinks, behind toilets and appliances.)
The active ingredient is Fipronil, a potent insecticide. The formula includes food that german roaches love, and the kill is quick. It kills the baby german cockroaches in the nest as well as the ones you can see.
Place the boxes against the walls and about 1 ½ foot from the next bait station. There is no mess with these baits, plus you don’t need to activate them – making them an ideal choice to use.
You may need more than one box of Combat – but there is a larger size for the more infested places.
The bait stations claim to be childproof, but the insecticide is toxic. Keep it away from children and pets.
Pros
- Keeps roaches away for long periods
- Prevents roaches from re-emerging
- Works quickly
- Childproof bait stations
Cons
- Highly toxic – keep away from children or pets
- May need several boxes
BENGAL CHEMICAL Gold Roach Spray
Bengal Gold stops german roach eggs from hatching – long term protection.

This stuff works – but be ready for it. It drives the roaches out of hiding, which might freak you out! But this german roach killer spray contains Nylar, which controls the growth of insects.
And once you have sprayed an area, this effective german roach killer gets to work on any german roach exploring that territory. Since it is not as fast-acting as some other insecticides it could perhaps be conjoined with a fast-acting spray.
It has an attached straw so you can spray it into odd corners and crevices – the favorite hiding places of the german roach.
This spray does not smell, and it does not leave a mess or stains and it dries fast, which makes it a perfect choice for some. Remember you do need to ventilate the area and keep children and pets away.
Pros
- Prevents roaches from laying eggs
- Sticky residue tops new roach infestations for half a year
- No mess or stains
- The straw helps you apply the spray to crevices
Cons
- Not all roaches are killed
- Can’t protect against re-infestation longer than six months
- Sometimes only slows roaches down (doesn’t kill them)
- Unsafe for children and pets
Raid Max Ant & Roach Killer
Very powerful spray, for indoor and outdoor use

This choice kills on contact and needs reapplying every four weeks to get rid of the german roaches. It also gets rid of many other insects and spiders.
You need to spray this highly toxic insecticide until the surface becomes wet – and you need to spray in the cracks, under furniture, and all the places where the german cockroach hides.
This insecticide is highly toxic to humans and other animals, especially aquatic animals. You should be careful not to let it drain into any water drains ditches or gutters.
If you use this outdoors note that bees, already threatened, are susceptible to this poison, so take care not to allow it to blow onto flowers or crops.
Pros
- Kills many other pests
- Very powerful
- Very fast action
Cons
- Needs reapplying after 6 months
- Harmful to humans and pets
- Highly toxic to aquatic life
- Dangerous to bees
HARRIS Boric Acid Roach and Silverfish Killer Powder
EPA registered as safe to use in homes with people and pets.

We have included this because the product is only toxic to roaches and not to humans or their pets.
There are more potent insecticides for a heavy german cockroach infestation, but this might be the best choice if you have concerns about safety and a smaller infestation. However, make no mistake, it is still a strong german roach killer.
It goes on working for weeks but does not kill as quickly as other alternatives. The roaches are attracted to it, as the formula contains a food-grade lure. After 72 hours the german cockroaches which have been in contact with the powder will be dead.
HarrisBoric Acid is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA), and has been used in government buildings. It comes with a puffer bottle and a straw so you can reach into corners and cracks.
Pros
- Safe to use when children and pets are around
- Kills roaches within 72 hours
- Lures from hiding places
- Strong enough to kill many other pests
- Straw makes it easy to reach most areas
Cons
- Does not work well on wet surfaces.
- Not suitable for heavy infestations of German cockroach
Our Winner
Getting rid of german roaches can be difficult. The heavy infestations require powerful insecticides and you may need to take precautions when you use them.
- COCKROACH CONTROL: Advion Cockroach gel bait from Syngenta is a high-performing bait product targeting many pest species of cockroaches including German, American and gel bait-averse cockroaches. It’s formulated with 0.6% indoxacarb, which is a potent, non-repellent active ingredient used for trusted pest control.
- VERSATILE USAGE: Advion Cockroach Gel Bait is suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Thanks to its targeted MetaActive effect that differentiates between target insects and non-target organisms, it’s highly unlikely to negatively affect people or pets.
- HIGHLY ATTRACTIVE FORMULATION: Advion Cockroach has a high-consumption bait matrix with ingredients that attract roaches to feed. Once consumed, treated cockroaches transfer the bait to as many as 40 other cockroaches, aiding in control of the infestation in as little as 24 hours.
- EFFORTLESS APPLICATION: With a plunger and user-friendly tips included, this non-repellent roach gel killer is designed for effortless placement in cracks, crevices and other hard-to-reach areas where cockroaches commonly hide. Clean areas and apply roach killer gel in cracks and crevices.
- CONVENIENT PACKAGE: This package includes four 30-gram syringes of Advion roach gel, which remain effective for three years.
Our best insecticide choice is Advion Roach Killer. It will clear your house quickly and one drop can kill over 30 insects. You do not need much and the packaging makes it easy to apply.
For a light infestation in a house where young children or pets abound, we recommend the use of Harris Boric acid. A natural, non-toxic roach killer makes it many a household’s favorite choice; however, it lacks the potent strength of Advion.
References
Science review about resistance to insecticide