Spotting a cockroach scuttling around your kitchen is a heart-dropping moment. You know that it probably isn't alone. These pests are also hard to find and kill. They breed quickly and hide in inaccessible places.

So, you need to move quickly and think smart. There are some home treatments you can use to try to get rid of cockroaches. For example, if you have some baking soda in the house, this may do the job for you.

How does baking soda kill cockroaches? What's the best way to use it? Will it work for you?

How Does Baking Soda Affect Cockroaches?

If you can entice a cockroach to ingest baking soda, then the soda sits in its stomach. Cockroaches have a lot of stomach acid; this acid will start to react with the soda.

As this happens, gas builds up in the insect's stomach. Cockroaches don't have any way to release this gas — they can't belch and let it go — so, eventually, their stomachs explode and they die.

As a knock-on effect, other cockroaches might eat dead cockroaches. They then ingest some of the soda themselves and the cycle continues.

How Can You Get Cockroaches to Eat Baking Soda?

You can't just sprinkle some baking soda in places where you've seen cockroaches and hope for the best. It won't be attractive enough to eat.

You have to make the baking soda smell and taste better. The easiest way to do this is to make up a 50/50 mix with sugar, honey or syrup. Cockroaches will come for the sweet stuff and eat some of the baking soda as well.

Will Baking Soda Get Rid of All Your Cockroaches?

If you're lucky, some of your cockroaches will eat your mix and die. Their corpses may work for you too if they are cannibalised.

However, you won't know if you catch all the pests that might have come into your home this way. You might kill some, but if others don't die, they'll stay and continue to breed. If you leave their access points open, more could come inside.

While it may give you some peace of mind to put down a baking soda bait now, you should also call out a pest control company. They can help you assess the depth of the problem.

They can lay down effective baits and poisons if you need them. You'll also get advice on where the cockroaches may be coming from which can help you shut down access points.