Q: I need a recipe for roach bait. I have tried the boric acid, bacon grease, onion, dough recipe but wondered if there isn’t a better one. I’ve tried bait stations but they didn’t work.

A: The bait stations from pesticide companies (Combat, MaxForce, etc) do work very well…but in my experience the results are not immediate.

It is critical to use enough of them and to avoid contaminating the bait. If you spray an area with insecticide, then place the baits in that spot, roaches are repelled by the insecticide. The bait stations will fail because no subsequent roach ever visits it.

It is also logical to place them in spots where the roaches congregate, not just where you happen to see the insects.

I do not have a recipe to recommend. You can control roaches by spraying or dusting insecticide into cracks behind cabinets and along baseboards to flush them out. Place bait stations in a clean spot nearby so they can find the poisoned food easily. You’ll have control in two weeks.