Banish the Bugs With a Top-Rated Roach Killer

The best defense against roaches is to keep them out of your home in the first place, for example by sealing potential entry points, eliminating food and water sources and reducing clutter where they can hide. But roaches are resourceful critters, having survived this world for hundreds of millions of years, so the occasional infestation is inevitable. In fact, 63% of homes in the U.S. contain cockroach allergens, according to the National Pest Management Association.

The experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute work closely with entomologists and pest control professionals to come up with best practices for controlling all kinds of pests, including ants, mice, silverfish and more. For this report, we zeroed in on the best types of roach killer: gels, powders and bait stations. We did not look at sprays and bombs because, as Dr. Changlu Wang with the Department of Entomology at Rutgers University puts it: “Insect bombs are completely ineffective. Sprays can kill some cockroaches, but they are not very effective and can easily contaminate surfaces.”

Our top picks:

Once you’ve read through the roundup of winners, stick around for more information on how we select the best roach killers, what you should keep in mind when shopping and answers to common questions around cockroach infestations.