by muzz64, published
It's safe to say most people have a dislike ( ...hate ... are scared) of cockroaches. If you're in this group and have the odd roach problem then this could be your solution.
We were regularly getting cockroaches sheltering in our letterbox. All too often this meant you carried them inside the house hidden amongst the mail... particularly the junk mail. Sprays and baits inside the letterbox never seemed to have any effect (...although that's not to say they didn't wander away to die elsewhere?)
Baits aren't cheap and the idea of spray coated mail didn't exactly appeal either so I developed a small reusable 'Roach Trap' that has proven to be effective at catching cockroaches. How you deal with them after they are trapped inside is up to you... spray insect spray up the entry, drop it all into water until they drown... or just open the end sliding door, knock them out and squash them. However you decide to deal with them at least you have a corpse so you know there's one less roach to annoy you.
This is a simple print with no support required and they don't use a lot of filament. Print with translucent filament so you can see through the thin walls and see if there's a roach inside ( ...you can shake it and they often start scuttling around). Use 2 shells but high infill (50%) to make sure the walls are almost solid and strong... after all this is a Roach prison.
In operation, attracted to the trap by a tempting smell, there is a ramp that is easy for a cockroach to climb. At the end of the ramp there is a drop into the trap... they drop in only to discover there is no way out. The ramp is a tunnel / tube that has no walls / surfaces leading to the entrance that a cockroach can climb to escape. At the other end of the trap is a small sliding door. This is used to insert the bait and... remove trapped Roaches.
To attract cockroaches to your trap use something like a small piece of banana and banana peel inside the trap through the sliding door. Having searched online for things that attract cockroaches sweet/fragrant things like this seem to work well... just don't put too much as a cockroach could potentially climb over and get out.
This is a really simple little solution to an annoying problem most people have to deal with at times. The 'Roach Trap' is reusable, doesn't need any expansive baits or sprays so can save you money and the concern about poisons on surfaces around your home.
Give it a go... print one... catch a few and you'll print more!
To the best of my knowledge there is no similar commercial solution remotely like this.... at standard size they 'Roach Trap' measures 32mm (W) x 57.5mm (L) x 22mm (H). This works well with the Roaches in our area up to about 25mm long. Got bigger Roaches... just scale it up uniformly and it should work just as well. Scaling down is not recommended.
Please refer to the images and print instructions for additional information. Your Roach Trap must be used the correct way up to trap Roaches!
Note: If you like this check out the rest of my practical and fun designs.
Printer Brand: MakerBot
Printer: MakerBot Replicator 2
Rafts: Yes
Supports: No
Resolution: 0.20mm / Standard in translucent PLA
Infill: 2 Shells / 50% infill to ensure the thin walls are strong
Notes:
Recommend 2 shells and 50% infill to make the 'Roach Trap' strong as it has thin walls. Although not essential, using translucent filament lets you see in side adequately to see if you've caught a Roach. Raft is recommended to ensure a good build from a solid base. This is due to the thin walls which do not give it a big contact area with the build plate (it builds up on it's end due to the internal shaping).
Just add you bait to attact Roaches!
Try and find what attracts your particular type of cockroach. We've found a small piece of banana and banana skin works very effectively. They can smell it from quite some distance. Place small pieces inside the trap through the sliding door... slide the door closed and put your trap in an area your Roaches regularly visit.
IMPORTANT: Your Roach Trap must be used the correct way up to trap Roaches!
Once you've trapped a Roach you can spray into the trap to kill it, submerge it in water to drown them (although maybe Roaches can live under water a long time?) or just open the sliding door, knock them down/out and squash them.
