Cock-a-roaches

[thetreble 19]

Hey guys! Now I'm a little embarrassed about starting this thread as I do not want you to think my home is unclean or we are dirty pigs! In the last week or so, we have seen a few little black bugs crawling from our closet into other areas of our downstairs basement where I currently live with my husband. We live with my father in law. The house is very old and I have no doubt the bugs are coming in from outside. My husband said he has seen a few outside by the garage, where we keep our doggie during the day if it is too hot. We don't use it for our cars so it is one, big space for her.

My husband was sure last night, after we saw another one, that it might be cockroaches. I read that they live on human and pet food. We often feed our dog downstairs because she will not eat if we aren't around. (very frustrating!)

I've never dealt with these kinda bugs before. My husband is very pissed off about it and it is very gross obviously. We know we obviously have to do something about it.

Have any of you ever dealt with these little bastards or another kind of infestation that drove you nuts? This is really the first we are dealing with.

[MissStacey 1]

Yes. I live in New Orleans- the city of cockroaches. We have an exterminator that comes once a month and it helps but I think it is impossible to ever get rid of them 100%.

Last one I saw in the house was last week- it was in the hall right outside the computer room I am in now. Instead of running to find the Raid, I called Cooper. He likes to play and stomp on bugs and frogs,etc. He killed it for me

[thetreble 19]

(note to self: have a child so it can stomp on bugs)

Our dog Bella keeps on wanting to eat them. I've managed to stop her twice. Also, my husband said he thinks they are roaches because when you try to kill them it is VERY hard to. I guess their exoskeletons are super hard or something?

I guess, in my Canadian mind, I always imagined roaches to be quite large. These ones are the length of my thumbnail really so at first I was unsure.

I also smell a weird smell in our living space that I haven't smelled before. The internet told me (haha great line right?) that they often produce a smell. Have you noticed this Stace?

[*JG* 2]

First of all, are you sure they are cockroaches and not waterbugs?

We have had more then enough of our share of waterbugs this year. They seem to be everwhere. Damn wet weather. Too much rain this entire year.

Roaches are a whole different story. They are a little easier to get rid of with sprays, bombs, exterminators, etc. But, like someone said, they will never be completely gone. They will actually out-survive everything else on the earth.

[MissStacey 1]

Hmm- the ones we have here are HUGE! Unless they are babies. They are a light brown, orange copper colour. I haven't really noticed any smell though.

I have heard- and this scary- that if you see one roach, chances are there are a thousand you don't see. I have also heard a cockroach can live for a month off a single fingerprint ( off the oil from our skin)on a wall. #######?

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

Treble...

I had never even seen a cockroach till I came to Jersey.

We had (have) two kinds in our apartment. Smaller, almost baby ones and ones that were a little bigger. Nothing scarily huge though, I would vomit.

We weren't infested by any means, I think I've seen maybe 8 total since I moved in over 2 months ago. A couple in the kitchen and like 2 in the bathroom and they only come out at night.

We put those roach trap thingy's out and I cleaned, cleaned, CLEANED, sprayed all the baseboards and every crevice I could see with Raid. We also had the place fumigated. Our landlord has a dude coming pretty much monthly at no cost to us so that helps. I haven't seen one in a few weeks so I'm feeling pretty good. I think it also helped that we got our landlord to fix the leaky faucet in the tub, that was attracting them I think.

We have a cat as well and at night I put his water and food away so that it won't attract any of them. He ate one once...ew! It was by the garbage that I left by the front door to put out the next morning so it must have gotten in and was attracted by that....Mojo ate it...*gag*

I felt soooo humiliated and disgusted when I saw them and Nick was beside himself..the first night we saw one he was like "That's IT, pack up and move" LOL

That's what apartment living is like I guess, cause you never know how clean your neighbours are. I know you live in a house but you never know I guess. I would get your place fumigated and make sure that the dog food is securely sealed up and what not.

Don't worry hon

[thetreble 19]

Thanks

It's good to know that people who keep a clean and tidy household get them too. I seriously only though dirty places get them! I never saw one either until I moved here Laura so at least I know they are around.

Stace-the bugs I am getting are all black and they are little. Do yours look like this Laura? The reason I didn't think they were cockroaches at first because from the pics I've seen of roaches, these were not large or brown or those big black hissing ones you see on tv.

Jomo-I looked up pictures of waterbugs. Sort of a resemblance but does look more like a roach to me.

We haven't had a lot of rain in Jersey this summer, however, the last rain we had we flooded out a little bit in the basement. It doesn't take much rain for that to happen to our house. I know that they like damp and warm temps.

[MissStacey 1]

Talk to your FIL about calling in an exterminator. They will know what you are dealing with and know the best solution to take care of the problem.

[*JG* 2]

Waterbugs are usually pretty darn big and scary. The roaches we have in our area are small and brown and very quick little suckers.

I have also heard that if you see one, you have thousands running around somewhere nearby. I try not to focus on that part.

[thetreble 19]

I was pretty grossed out last night at the thought of them everywhere! The ones I have seen were VERY fast little guys. Lunging towards them to kill them and off they went!

[jedinite 0]

You can hire an exterminator to get rid of them but it sounds like you want to try to get it done on your own.

Most exterminators will use a combination of things, one of the best safe insecticides is boric acid, it is known commonly in powdered form as Borax. Borax is used in a lot of things from laundry detergent to food preservatives. It's safe for your dog and kids if you have any.

If you read this wiki you can create a simple "trap" to kill the buggers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boric_acid

Boric acid is abrasive to the exoskeletons of insects and it disrupts their digestion system, therefore you starve them to death. You can probably make a solution of Borax and water and put it into a spray bottle and spray it around the areas where you have seen the bugs, and perhaps around where you store your pet food. Spraying around base boards, cracks and cupboards is probably a good idea too because they will be hiding in places like behind cupboards, pictures, in the walls and anywhere else they can squeeze into.

You'll probably want to purchase an airtight dry food container to store your dog's food. That way bugs are just getting in there and having a buffet. Also, vacuum and clean the areas where you store food or have food lying out, including places like toaster or toaster ovens. Good luck on the battle and maybe watch Startroopers while you're cleaning, it will make you feel like you're doing something for the galaxy too.

[Emancipation 2]

Good luck on the battle and maybe watch Startroopers while you're cleaning, it will make you feel like you're doing something for the galaxy too.

I should really clean more around my house..

Edited September 15, 2008 by Emancipation

[thetreble 19]

Thank you Jed! That is some great advice. We actually do keep our dog's food in a sealed container. However, when we feed her sometimes her bowl sits out in different places. We have decided to nix that idea and no dog food or treats are allowed in our basement dwelling anymore.

Thanks for the suggestions about borax. My husband and I will have to go over which remedies we will try to use tonight.

[Ontarkie 14,222]

We have the big roaches here they drive me nuts they even freak out my dog, but the cats do like to play them so i have to watch what type of stuff we use to kill em.

I go this recipy for the roaches for outside.

1 cup of Borax

1/4 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of chop onion

1 tbls cornstarch

1 tbls of water

the onion attracts them to the bait.

Make a paste roll into balls. Place 2-3 into a sandwich -bag leave the top open. Put the bags Where ever the roaches eat em go home and die other roaches eat them adn die too.

Just be sure to place them where pets and kids can't get to it, I us a simple baking soda and sugar mix in the house since its not toxic to kids and pets but deadly to roaches. baking soda makes a gas in the roaches and they cant get rid of it so they die from gas hahaha

[trailmix 77]

Thank you Jed! That is some great advice. We actually do keep our dog's food in a sealed container. However, when we feed her sometimes her bowl sits out in different places. We have decided to nix that idea and no dog food or treats are allowed in our basement dwelling anymore.

Thanks for the suggestions about borax. My husband and I will have to go over which remedies we will try to use tonight.

I don't really have anything to add except you shouldn't be embarrassed! I lived in Singapore for many years and cockroaches would come up from the drains.

I think they get the 'dirty' thing from where they come from, ie they live in dirty places like sewers - which does not mean when they visit your house that it is dirty - they just wander in for a visit!!

We eventually ended up having exterminators come every month - that pretty much solved it.

Good luck getting rid of the pests thetreble

Edited September 15, 2008 by trailmix