Oh, gag - cockroaches!

[Claire]

This hasn't been a problem since I moved to IL, but in FL, HI, and DC is was a constant battle. I found the little black roach traps to be the best solution to the problem. As I once told an old lady customer when I worked for a vet: You want a natural solution to fleas? Guess what? Fleas ARE natural. As are roaches. Wanting to live without fleas, roaches, termites, etc is un-natural, and sometimes requires un-natural solutions.

 

[Claire]

Oh, one day in Hawaii I mentioned to my husband, "Is it me or are the d*&*^#$%^ things flying at me? Yup, not my imagination. A new strain of cockroach had found its way to Hawaii, and were attracted to ... blond hair.

 

[expatgirl]

Oh, one day in Hawaii I mentioned to my husband, "Is it me or are the d*&*^#$%^ things flying at me? Yup, not my imagination. A new strain of cockroach had found its way to Hawaii, and were attracted to ... blond hair.

............the ones in TX and LA didn't discriminate on hair color........you had to be an air traffic controller no matter what..... though blonde hair probably assisted them easier in the landings.........

 

[Claire]

Oh, by the way (one of those 3 a.m. brain farts), the brand name of the roach traps I found effective is Combat. Do they still make them? They came in two sizes, small for what I used to call German cockroaches (simply for the obvious reason, the little light brown ones I was introduced to at Landstuhl and Wiesbaden!) and were the bane of my existence in the DC area, and huge ones for those monsters in Hawaii and Florida. I used to have one in every single cupboard, medicine chest, and a few other odd corners.

 

[sparrowgrass]

I don't know what brand the roach traps I bought were--they came in a package of 12 and were black.

I thought the problem was licked, but I saw one in the bathroom this morning. I knew I should have bought that bottle of boric acid powder I saw yesterday in the feed store.

 

[JGDean]

I'm with DQ - I keep my kitchen counters absolutely clean because of all the bugs we have here. Having said that, I have two HUGE cockroaches living on my kitchen counter, that hide behind the appliances and only come out at night. I see them occasionally first thing in the morning - about two inches long each. Maybe I'll try that banana in the jar trick!

They call the really big ones here Palmetto Bugs because they have an affinity for Palmetto plants. I had a cardboard container of oats on the top shelf of my kitchen cabinets once and was pulling everything down to wipe the shelves off. As I pulled the oats out, all "h e double toothpick" broke loose! I saw there was a hole in the back and the simultaneously the lid came off. Two large ones and what seemed like a million babies came flying out. Most of the babies went down the front of my shirt. I yelled so loud my husband ran in from the back yard thinking I was being murdered. The neighbor across the street later commented on the strip show he viewed through the front window

 

[buckytom]

lol, jg.


hmmm, that gives me an idea.....

 

[JGDean]

BTW, there is a spray that is fairly human and pet friendly. It is contains pyrethrins from an african flower. One brand is Camicide.

 

[sugarx2]

Easy no-spray cockroach killer. and for ants

Before I moved, an exterminator told me to put boric acid powder..(sold in large bottles in the supermarkets, usually) in the bottom of each box, and leave boxes in the garage for up to 90 days. I found some carcasses, but no live ones.

The San Fernando Valley in California was infested, and they were not allowed to use any major bug killers, due to environmental issues.

Get some boric acid powder, and sprinkle some along the edges inside your cabinets, and wherever you think they may be hiding. If they walk across it, it gets into their feet, and it kills them. Fairly non-toxic, and it works.


Also, for ants, you can mix a small amount of cheap wet cat food, some jelly and the boric acid in little balls, and put it also in the cabinets, or whereever you see ants. In about four days, they grab the goodie, and bring it back to the Queen, and BYE BYE ants. But you must be patient.

Good luck.

Candy