Spotted a cockroach last night

[Swift101]

Hey Everyone,

Last night around 10:30 I spotted a cockroach scurrying from my kitchen into my living room. Since I've moved into my apartment over a year ago I haven't seen any roaches, only occasional spiders.

I quickly killed it but I have to say those things can move pretty fast. I did some research and determined it might be an American cockroach considering it's size. I think my girlfriend might have brought it in when she went shopping yesterday. I know roaches can sometimes hitch a ride in a shopping bag especially one from a grocery store. We keep all the shopping bags under the sink, the cabinet door was ajar when it escaped. The strange thing is that it actually ran towards the light in the living room, the kitchen was completely dark.

I live in a garden apartment style community built in the 1940s, it's possible all the gaps and poor workmanship allow these critters to easily move around. My plan is to get a few Combat roach traps since I won't be around this weekend. If I catch nothing then I know it's an isolated incident. If I do then I know I need to bring out the big guns.

Any suggestions?

-Thanks

 

[SteveSRT8]

old fashioned pesticides work well if applied correctly. But they can take years to decompose, thus building up with repeated applications.

I like baits like you discussed. Roaches eat it then other roaches eat their poo. Nasty but it works.

If the area is dry the pure boric acid powders work very well. Put it where they live and they will ingest it during grooming behavior.

lots of ways to skin this cat...

 

[Olas]

I'd put glue paper down EVERYWHERE. All the floors, round all Windows and doors, ventilation holes for a/c, round any pipes or wires going through walls, inside and underneath the cupboards you saw it come from, and then you can go away safe in the knowledge they'll all be trapped when you get back.
Not only will they be dead but you'll see dispersion and population density which will alolow you to treat relevant areas accordingly.

 

[Leo99]

If you live in an apartment, you're at the mercy of your neighbor's hygiene habits. If you treat your apartment, they will move to your neighbor's. If your neighbor treats.... they will come back to visit you. You need to coordinate with your neighbors/landlord.

I put down boric acid in my garage to treat crickets. It took a few weeks to kill them all. You need to put the boric acid down where the bugs travel.

We had an infestation in college. Still gives me the willies.

 

[Kuato]

I go by: "Where there's one, there's more than one."

ISince you're renting, report it to the management. They should be responsible for pest control....and be vigilant to check for more and maybe the area you see them most often. I like the poison traps also.

Do you have new neighbors? If so, they could have brought them in.


You said "American" cockroach...do you mean the big one, 5-6cm long? That could have been a waterbug, in which case it probably came in with the groceries.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Aw, we in Da Swamp just consider those to be small pets.

Seriously, the boric acid powder, or the tablets (Harris Roach Tablets, if they're sold where you are), or both, works nicely. So does diatomaceous earth, which you can buy at Home Depot. Apparently the crystalline formations in the boric acid or the diatomaceous earth cut the little beasties up.

Having a cat or two can help as well. They consider the roaches, at least the big ones, fun to play with, and appetizers when playtime is over.

 

[Swift101]

Thanks for all the suggestions, here's a picture. Is it a waterbug?

 

[Dave Hess]

Luck, That's a roach.

Boric acid works very good and is low cost.

 

[wemay]

Also known as a Palmetto Bug. We get those often in S.Florida, especially after a rain. I spray all our corners and door/window jams with any popular roach spray and leave it for 30 days. Although big and scary, i would much rather have a few of those to the German Roach which can be insidious in its spreading and taking over a dwelling.

This is the German Roach (much smaller than the palmetto bug):

 

[Benzadmiral]

I was afraid somebody would post a picture.

My late Maine Coon mix Arizona used to play with the big ones until they were staggering, then chomp chomp chomp. The first time he had one, I tried to take it away from him -- I'd always heard roaches gave cats worms. He, the cat I mean, growled at me, so I told him, "Go on then, get sick." He didn't; he lived to be 16 years old.

 

[Swift101]

Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
I was afraid somebody would post a picture.

My late Maine Coon mix Arizona used to play with the big ones until they were staggering, then chomp chomp chomp. The first time he had one, I tried to take it away from him -- I'd always heard roaches gave cats worms. He, the cat I mean, growled at me, so I told him, "Go on then, get sick." He didn't; he lived to be 16 years old.


It's funny because my chocolate lab tried to attack it right before I killed it. She won't be living at my place for the next week so I can put the traps down. Going forward I might use food grade diatomaceous earth.

 

[CT8]

Like illegal aliens Cockroaches are everywhere.

 

[Delta]

When I lived in Mississippi the palmetto bugs were so big they had their own zip code. I would bug bomb my house several times during the summer. Still had a couple that would fly by your head in the middle of the night landing on the curtains. I found a shoe by itself killed them quick (after screaming like a little girl) Didn't help I had a 30K gal inground swimming pool in the backyard. My dog made the mistake of eating one one time, after throwing up all over the garage he didn't do that again. The cats had smarter judgement and just played with them.

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted By: Delta
(after screaming like a little girl)



LOL... That's funny because i am a Herpetoculturist and Arachnoculturist as well as a Bitoger. I will hold any, and have cared for all types of reptiles, tarantulas and scorpions. THE ONE animal on earth that terrifies me is a flying palmetto bug. YIKES!

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: wemay
Originally Posted By: Delta
(after screaming like a little girl)



LOL... That's funny because i am a Herpetoculturist and Arachnoculturist as well as a Bitoger. I will hold any, and have cared for all types of reptiles, tarantulas and scorpions. THE ONE animal on earth that terrifies me is a flying palmetto bug. YIKES!

And you two are not alone. Remind me sometime to tell the story of the night I thought my cat was sniffing at my ear in bed, but it turned out she was in another room. . . .

(Come to think of it, that pretty much IS the story.)

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: Delta
When I lived in Mississippi the palmetto bugs were so big they had their own zip code. . . . The cats had smarter judgement and just played with them.

My two feline thugs pay no attention to the tiny tiny ones. Not worth the energy to chase and play with, I guess is their notion.

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
Originally Posted By: wemay
Originally Posted By: Delta
(after screaming like a little girl)



LOL... That's funny because i am a Herpetoculturist and Arachnoculturist as well as a Bitoger. I will hold any, and have cared for all types of reptiles, tarantulas and scorpions. THE ONE animal on earth that terrifies me is a flying palmetto bug. YIKES!

And you two are not alone. Remind me sometime to tell the story of the night I thought my cat was sniffing at my ear in bed, but it turned out she was in another room. . . .

(Come to think of it, that pretty much IS the story.)


That just gave me the chills. LOL