Diameticious earth works pretty well and most importantly it is natural. The way it works is the insects ingest it and it dehydrates them killing them in a short time.

Was the only solution to stopping a flea problem this spring for us. It's great. And safe.

In the late '80s I dealt with a roach problem. A neighbor brought them into the building and when he moved they were everywhere (a real nightmare, like Willard the movie with rates, but roaches instead) -- the entire bldg was infested with them! I got boric acid and put it along every wall, every corner and even a line was at my front door, and every night I plugged up my sink and tub. Very quickly I didn't have a problem. Weeks and months later, I had other neighbors tell me that they were still having problems.

I found this website on the Least Toxic Cockroach Control. Here's what they had to say:
Dusts. Silica (including silica dioxide, silica gel and silica aerogel) and diatomaceous earth damage the waxy coating of the roach's body, causing it to shrivel and die. Boric acid is a readily available dust that roaches ingest when they groom themselves. It acts as a stomach poison, but is one of the safest control products to use around people and pets. Look for these dusts in hardware stores, drug stores, discount stores, home centers, supermarkets and even web sites that sell pest control products (see Table 2). Apply dusts in very thin layers underneath appliances and inside void areas (such as wall voids and voids around cabinets). Only apply dusts in areas inaccessible to children and pets.

They also mention very inexpensive homemade traps. Go to their site:
http://lancaster.unl.edu/enviro/pest/factsheets/120-94.htm

Good luck!

I've lived in mobile home parks in both NC and TX. Both were absolute havens for roaches. (Here in CA they are plentiful as well. They have huge nests in the ground, but for some reason won't come in the house...)

I've used Boric Acid to no avail. I think it really depends on how bad your infestation is, and how resistant the roaches are. Back when I wasn't natural in any way, we used a major brand's gel with very good results. (I can't remember what brand, but it's a black gel in a large syringe that you spread along cracks and such.)

I think the worst thing about roaches is the social stigma; the assumption that you're dirty if you have them, as though it's not gross enough having these nasty bugs tromping around no matter what you do?!?! And they really don't care what you do to prevent them, there they are.

Good luck to you. That is one pest that is quite difficult to exterminate.

-Raine

My major pest indoors is ants. They act as though they own my kitchen, no matter the amount of citrus I spray...