How to Use Cockroach Gel Bait

But where cockroach gel really shines is in homes and businesses. You can use these products to deal with your cockroach problem just like the professionals.

Using a gel bait comes down to 3 simple steps:

Choose your gel bait.

Apply on surfaces and in cracks and crevices.

Monitor and reapply

1. Choose your gel bait.

Good gel bait isn’t designed to kill on contact like a bug killer spray. Instead, baits have delayed effects to allow one roach to spread the insecticide to others.

Common active ingredients in gel baits include hydramethylnon, fipronil and imidacloprid. Most products work against all of the usual roach suspects. Research has shown imidacloprid to be especially effective against German cockroaches.

Gel bait comes in two forms: liquid gel and bait stations. Bait stations are small plastic cartridges that hold the gel inside them. Both forms are useful—bait stations avoid any mess but gel bait can be dropped into tiny spaces.

How do you know if your bait is going to work? Well, one exterminator has a good test but… you’re not going to want to try it:

“If you can hand-feed the cockroaches your bait, you are going to gain control.”

Talk about getting your hands dirty! A better test is keeping a close eye on the amount of bait left after each night. The more bait that’s eaten, the better it’s working. On the other hand, if the bugs don’t seem to be eating the bait, it’s time to either try a different product, or take another look at where they’re coming from and try baiting a different space.

Additionally, the active ingredient, indoxacarb, was the first insecticide to remain toxic after being passed on to not one but two more cockroaches. For every one roach that dies from the bait, several more could ingest the insecticide by feeding on the excretions the poisoned roach leaves behind. That’s exponential pest control!

2. Apply the gel on surfaces and in cracks and crevices.

To pack the hardest punch, apply gel bait close to areas roaches frequent (such as the crevices where roaches hide). Each day, only some of the bugs will emerge to search for food, so the closer the bait is to them, the better.

When using roach killer gel, place small, pea-sized drops of the gel. That lets the roaches eat the bait without feeling threatened or confused by lots of strange goo.

If you’re facing a large infestation, place drops about 3 inches apart in several locations. For smaller colonies, drops can be 2 to 3 feet apart. 5 to 10 drops spread throughout a home should be enough to kill small to moderate roach infestations.

As long as the evidence is there, focus on the kitchen and bathroom—they’re the most likely cockroach hiding spots.

3. Monitor and reapply

Once you’ve applied the bait, the waiting game begins. During this time, it’s tricky to know if the bait is working. You shouldn’t see dead roaches lying around the bait; that’s a sign that the insecticide is killing them too quickly—not what you want.

Gel will have to be reapplied regularly (especially if it’s working well—i.e., being eaten). On the other hand, bait stations are fine to leave in place for months, as long as there’s still bait left inside.

One of the most common (and highly regarded) bait brands is Topone.Topone gel bait products,Topone cockroach gel bait is the most popular for a few reasons. It uses a non-repellent formula so it strongly attracts roaches with no hint of chemicals.