Roaches

:snivel: I dunno if it’s the weather or what, but after living cockroach free for almost 2 years (and i’m not exaggerating) due to my OCD habits with cleaning and having sealed off any possible opening for one of those f*ckers to squeeze through, I’m now currently in the midst of what seems like an invasion. It’s so strange cause I don’t even have mosquitos or ants and I live in the mountains. I have great screens and weather stripping at the bottom of all doors that go outside. Bathroom floor drain is covered and sink drains as well when not in use. There is no way to get into my house if you are an insect.

And I’m not talking about wee itty bitty baby ones. I have had 4 huge bastards just this week. Found another huge one belly-up in the kitchen this morning. What is the deal?! How the hell do they get in? There were 2 the other night scaling the wall on my porch and one that came running out from under my bed only to give my visiting mom the fright of her life this morning.

I’ve only ever bug-bombed when an apartment has been completely empty before moving in. Can one bug-bomb and not worry about the chemicals ruining clothes, sofa fabric etc.? What must one get out of the house before setting one of those cannisters off?

The RAID-type spray stuff works well; use the attached tube to apply it only along baseboards, and under the bottom of the counters (floor level) and refrigerator, drains, and along the cracks of doors and so on; the selective application works quite well. It will still stink to high heaven, though. I hold my breath as I apply it, and then leave the house. Haven’t used it since we started taking in stray cats, though. They say it’s safe, but I’m conservative about chemicals like this.

I guess it’s the time of year they are looking to get laid, last week I’ve seen an increase of the big roaches on the street and found several inside, but they didn’t live long. I guess it’s not the huge ones you need to be afraid of, it’s the small lightbrown ‘german’ roaches that are infesting indoors … and they don’t need food only but are looking for water, serious.

Puny Mortal I laugh at your feeble attempts to block out our entrance into your domicile. Ha HA ahhaaahaha!

We have mastered time and space, we can eat lead and survive radioactivity far beyond your comprehension.

When will you learn all your efforts are in vain?
Bow down before our majesty!

Signed hugs AND kisses
PAPA roach

p.s. Don’t get a cat

joy of joys the ants have decided not to make their unstoppable highway through our bathroom this year.

It’s not only you man. These fuckers have been showing up at my place this week as well.

I notice that the big ugly ones show up when I see other places getting fumigated. I’ve been seeing a lot of fumigations recently. They have to go somewhere…

Although I’m a lot more desensitized to roaches now than I was 5 years ago when I got here, I’m still freaked. I mean, they aren’t even a pleasant color… so there goes trying to tell myself it’s just a beetle or something less creepy.

I think you’re spot on with your theory of them migrating after a fumigation. The rooftop apartment next door to mine was bug-bombed and cockroach hotels were erected… so now they are coming my way. What I don’t understand is
HOW
the hell they get into my house. There are no holes, gaps, cracks, etc… ANYWHERE. I have sealed this place off!!

[quote=“bushibanned”]Although I’m a lot more desensitized to roaches now than I was 5 years ago when I got here, I’m still freaked. I mean, they aren’t even a pleasant color… so there goes trying to tell myself it’s just a beetle or something less creepy.
[/quote]

If they can substain radioactivity, maybe you can airbrush them in a diffrent color.

[quote]
I think you’re spot on with your theory of them migrating after a fumigation. The rooftop apartment next door to mine was bug-bombed and cockroach hotels were erected… so now they are coming my way. What I don’t understand is
HOW
the hell they get into my house. There are no holes, gaps, cracks, etc… ANYWHERE. I have sealed this place off!![/quote]

They can swim and fly. Make sure to secure your airspace (air condition), and sinks/water pipes.

Good hunt!

I think I’d probably be just as much disturbed by Hello Kitty cockroaches as I am by the standard type.

I think I’d probably be just as much disturbed by Hello Kitty cockroaches as I am by the standard type.[/quote]

Those would be far more fun to squash though.

Maybe people would start collecting them. Lord knows I’ve seen plenty of cockroaches running around convenient stores… :unamused:

So if a cat catches a cockroach for you and helps you deal with its disposal…if you know what I mean…do you give it a treat or would that defeat the purpose of it catching the bugs? :smiling_imp:

I think I’d probably be just as much disturbed by Hello Kitty cockroaches as I am by the standard type.[/quote]

Those would be far more fun to squash though.[/quote]

Be warned…Don’t squish them by hand. Their guts are like superglue.

Don’t ask how I know this…Eeewww.

My cat, who came to the US from Taiwan a few years ago, is a deadly mouser and general hunter, probably because he honed his skills from kittenhood on a variety of roaches in Taiwan. I guess there used to be a certain tone in my voice if I’d see a really big one and call his name because he always used to come running in to deal with it for me. For this alone, IMHO, he has earned as much canned fish as he likes for the remainder of his natural life.

(No treats after roach catch, just fulsome praise so that cat continues to believe it is superior to you because, among other things, it does not work, still gets fed regularly, sleeps most of the day and can handle roaches.)

Hell, my cat is superior to me for the roach thing. I’ve gone to stay in a hotel when I’ve spotted one and left the cat to fend for himself.