MEMAW BEING CARRIED AWAY BY ROACHES HELP!!

[cackleberries]

Roaches are like the nastiest things on earth and my poor memaw just moved into a rent house that is literally being carried away. Does anyone have any idea how to fight them? She has tried every over the counter product there is but most she can't use because of her puppy.

 

[MorelCabin]

http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/pest-control/how-to-get-rid-of-cockroaches/

 

[Beekissed]

It is her landlord's responsibility to deal with this and she should make sure he does something right away. Once they get in your furnishings and appliances, you will take them wherever you go.

 

[PamsPride]

I agree landlords responsibility!!

 

[cackleberries]

It is her landlord's responsibility to deal with this and she should make sure he does something right away. Once they get in your furnishings and appliances, you will take them wherever you go.

I totally agree with this however she lives in low income housing and its like pulling teeth to get them to DO ANYTING was hoping someone had an idea how to help slow down the infestation.

 

[Beekissed]

If her apartment is attached to anyone else's who also has roaches, the whole complex will need to be treated completely and often, as the egg casings can hatch later after the initial treatment. She can try to treat her place all she wants, but they are in the walls and throughout the building...they will just return to her place.

 

[Cassandra]

Being a property manager--man, we deal with this a lot. My boss (the property owner) will only pay for the service one time, when the tenant first moves in. It is his opinion that it is the tenants responsibility after that point.

I won't argue his moral responsibility. I'm sure he has his reasons which are none of my business. But, in MS at least, there is no law that says he has to spray for pests. So, I can't help you in that regard (except to suggest that you check your state landlord tenant law.)

I can maybe offer some more practical suggestions, though. Every once in a while we will have a long time tenant move out who has let the roaches get the better of them.

When I first moved into my apartment, when I lived there, we were trying to clean it out to get stuff moved in. There were roaches falling off the walls. It was so disgusting. I wouldn't move in for a long time. The landlord (who didn't become my boss until later) had the pest company come do their initial spray. Then we set off 3 roach bombs. And we sprayed and sprayed and sprayed. Still, roaches everywhere. I had gotten to the point where I was not going to move in because I couldn't get rid of the bugs.

Then, finally, I bought some of this Combat bait, it's brown ooze that is in a tube that looks like a syringe. I squirted that in the joints of the cabinets, where the walls met, etc. In every little crack. Then I started spraying with Bengal spray which costs about $15 a can, but it was worth it. Then for the next two years that I lived there, I sprayed the whole apartment with Bengal every couple of months. It didn't bother my dogs, either. Tada. No more roaches.

When my parents were living in another apartment, my dad sprayed around their place every month or so with professional strength Ortho. They never had any roaches, either. Even when our neighbors were being over run.

The thing to remember is it may take a couple of weeks before you can tell your treatment is working, and you will have to keep doing it every month or so as long as you are there.

Please note: I am not saying this is the only way or the best way. This is just the way that worked for me.

Cassandra

 

[Beekissed]

Cassandra, weren't you worried about all those chemicals in your environment? Breathing them every day, being on your surfaces where you touch and live?

 

[curly_kate]

Ugh! I HATE roaches! We were getting them for a while when the basement got wet, but the little traps that you can set out got them. Beekissed, I agree with being worried about the chemicals in your home, but man, there are some things that I'd rather just bomb! There were HORRIBLE termites in this house when we moved in, so we had to have the house pumped full of chemicals to get rid of them, or have the house crumble around us. In most situations, I prefer the path of less pollution, but sometimes I need to have them gone!

ETA: My husband insisted on calling them "water bugs." Don't care what you want to call them - they're NASTY!

 

[dacjohns]

Good luck.


Basically, and this is easier said than done:

--Don't feed them, remember they are usually nocturnal so no food left out and clean thoroughly.

--Don't give them a place to live and don't let them in. Seal all entrances. This is next to impossible.

--After you have done all that you can then kill the nasty little buggers. Roach traps and glue boards are non-toxic methods of control.

Sometimes treating just chases them next door (apartments and multi dwelling units like duplexes) and then they come back. If next door has a problem then you will too.