Roach Trap...Reusable trap to catch and kill cockroaches

thingiverse

It's safe to say most people have a strong aversion to cockroaches. If you're among those who dislike these pests and often deal with roach problems, this solution might be exactly what you need. We frequently found cockroaches taking shelter in our letterbox, which was often accompanied by carrying them inside the house hidden amongst the mail - especially the junk mail. Sprays and baits placed inside the letterbox never seemed to make a difference (...although that's not to say they didn't wander off to die elsewhere?). Baits aren't cheap, and the idea of spraying mail didn't exactly appeal either, so I came up with a small reusable 'Roach Trap' that has proven effective at catching cockroaches. However you choose to deal with them after trapping is up to you - spray insect spray into the entry point, drop it all into water until they drown... or just open the end sliding door, knock them out and squash them. Whatever method you decide on at least you'll know there's one less roach to annoy you. This is a simple print that requires no support and doesn't use a lot of filament. Print with translucent filament so you can see through the thin walls and determine if there's a roach inside (...you can shake it, and they often start scuttling around). Use two shells but high infill (50%) to ensure the walls are almost solid and strong... after all this is a Roach prison. In operation, attracted 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 fall in only to discover there's no way out. The ramp is a tunnel / tube with no walls / surfaces leading to the entrance that a cockroach can climb to escape. On the other end of the trap is a small sliding door. This is used to insert 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. After searching 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 require any expensive baits or sprays so can save you money and the concern about poisons on surfaces around your home. Give it a try... print one... catch a few and you'll print more! To my knowledge, there's no similar commercial solution remotely like this.... at standard size, the '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. Print Settings 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 inside 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 don't give it a big contact area with the build plate (it builds up on its end due to the internal shaping). Post-Printing Just add your bait to attract 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 underwater for a long time?) or just open the sliding door, knock them down/out and squash them.