The 10 Best Roach Killers

For a real infestation, Syngenta Advion Gel is the bait many pest pros reach for. You squeeze small dabs into cracks, cabinet hinges and gaps behind appliances. Roaches eat the slow-acting bait, crawl back to hiding and pass it to others there. The maker allows it in kitchens and other food areas, indoors and out. The box holds four syringes, enough for several rooms, but the plunger takes practice and dabs need refilling as roaches clean them up.

If you'd rather not handle gel, Hot Shot Ultra Liquid works fast from sealed stations. Each one holds a sweet liquid bait that gives roaches food and water in the same sip. In a 2025 study reported by Entomology Today, it killed every lab roach within a day and held up well in real homes. You pull a tab and set it flat. Stations can't reach into cracks, and the maker says to swap them every three months.

Maxforce FC Magnum brings pro-grade gel in at a low cost. Its fipronil formula works slowly on purpose, so a roach has time to crawl home and spread the poison before it dies. The maker says dabs stay tempting for up to a year, though a dry skin forms on top. Keep cleaners and bug sprays away, since they put roaches off. One tube is small, so a bad case can take several.

Terro T500 stations are a simple start for a light problem or for keeping roaches from coming back. An adhesive strip on each one sticks it to a wall, the side of a cabinet or the back of a fridge, off the floor and out of the way. A clear window shows how much bait is left. They're for indoor use, and a heavy infestation needs gel in the cracks too.

Pick Bengal Gold when you want to spray rather than wait for bait. This dry aerosol leaves a powdery film along baseboards, under sinks and behind appliances. It pairs a contact killer with a growth regulator that keeps young roaches from growing up to breed, and the maker's label claims it keeps working for about six months indoors. It's meant for cracks and spots, not open floors, and people and pets must stay out until it dries.

Big American roaches and palmetto bugs are the target of Combat Max Large, which mixes its fipronil bait with foods larger roaches seek out. The maker says it starts working within hours and keeps each station active for up to three months. A child-resistant shell surrounds the bait, though it still belongs out of reach. Set them under sinks and behind the stove. Small German roaches in kitchens tend to do better with gel placed right in the cracks.

BASF Alpine Rotation 1 is for the stubborn case where roaches start ignoring a bait they once ate. Its poison and food mix are built to tempt bait-shy roaches, and BASF suggests trading it for its partner gel, Alpine Rotation 2, every six months so the colony never gets used to one. It's labeled for German, American and oriental roaches, including in food areas. Four syringes come in the box, but it's pricey, and the partner gel costs extra.

Keep a can of Raid Ant & Roach under the sink for the runner that dashes across the counter at night. It kills on contact within seconds and leaves a film on hard surfaces that keeps working for weeks. It has no growth regulator, so eggs and young roaches carry on. Spraying can also push a hidden colony deeper into the walls, so it's a backup to bait, and the room needs fresh air while you work.

Harris Boric Acid is a low-cost standby for spaces you can't see, like wall voids, under appliances and behind baseboards. A light puff from the squeeze bottle leaves a fine dust that roaches walk through and swallow while cleaning themselves, and a food lure draws them in. It keeps working as long as it stays dry. Deaths take up to three days, roaches steer around thick piles, and it's still a poison to keep from children and pets.

Ortho Home Defense Max suits homes that see roaches, ants and spiders together. The long wand lets you spray baseboards, doorways and the outside foundation without bending, and the maker claims protection for up to a year indoors on hard, sealed surfaces. It doesn't stain, and people and pets can come back once it dries. A barrier spray only catches roaches that cross it, so a nest behind a wall still calls for bait.