# pests in new rental?



## calah (Nov 21, 2014)

I just moved into a newly acquired rental house and the previous owners were pretty disgusting. They left all their stuff, had an active mouse infestation, four different species of wasps living in their walls.... Etc. I even found utensils in the air vents. The new owners (my landlord) did their best to clean every thing but sometimes you don't find stuff until you live there. The wasps are gone and I've not seen any signs of mice since. 

However, recently, I've started hearing noises at night like something living in the walls. I thought maybe mice but now I think roaches? Can you physically hear roaches if you have a large enough infestation? I kept hearing them under the tub. So, I opened the access panel. The smell that came out of there was horrendous. There were a bunch of black speckles scattered around, smaller than mouse poop. Like pepper. Plus I saw insect legs disappear quickly as if i had startled something. Roaches?


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## calah (Nov 21, 2014)

Also- whatever is making the noise is REALLY loud. I have a video that captures the noise and a picture of the fecal matter but the website says I'm too new to post links.


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## calah (Nov 21, 2014)




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## calah (Nov 21, 2014)

http://imgur.com/FfGT1Ld


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## r0ckstarr (Jan 8, 2013)

Where are you located?


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## calah (Nov 21, 2014)

USA. South east


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## jmon (Nov 5, 2012)

I agree, could be roaches, mice or both. Definately an infestation of some sort. 

Check with your landlord, he or she should be responsible to hire a professional exterminating service like Orkin or something. If not, you can try to diy, and set-up some mouse traps and roach bait and see if it helps. A real bad infestation, may need a pro, they have all the good stuff.


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## Gustavas (Oct 4, 2014)

you could try to DYI, but I would try and get the landlord to do it first.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Sticky traps for roaches and mice are available---they are not the best thing for getting rid of pests--but would let you know what sort of critters are causing the trouble.


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## calah (Nov 21, 2014)

I've got a really great DIY Roach bait that has worked in apartments previously. Normally, I do it whenever we move. It is part boric acid ( I use Roach Prufe off Amazon) with flour and corn syrup. Mixed to make a peanut butter like consistency. You put it under sinks , in crswl spaces, etc. When we first moved into our old apartment it had roaches. We would see two or three each night in the kitchen/bathroom. After a week, they were gone. It worked great. We haven't seen any at all in our current place, unless what I saw earlier today was one. 

The problem here is I don't know what I'm dealing with. Plus, even though I do think it is the landlord's responsibility, I've already had her call people out for the plumbing twice, the wasps, gravel, and a broken window (all pre-existing.) She probably cries every time the phone rings.


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## r0ckstarr (Jan 8, 2013)

calah said:


> It is part boric acid ( I use Roach Prufe off Amazon) with flour and corn syrup. Mixed to make a peanut butter like consistency.


How does that mixture do for ants? I mix 20 Mule Team borax with sugar and a little boiling water for ant killer.


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## Gustavas (Oct 4, 2014)

I agree, start with a glue trap so you know for sure what you are up against.


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## calah (Nov 21, 2014)

r0ckstarr said:


> How does that mixture do for ants? I mix 20 Mule Team borax with sugar and a little boiling water for ant killer.


At first it attracts them....which is good since you want them to take it back to the nest....and then it kills them pretty effectively. It does take longer than the roaches..in my opinion...but that may just be because you see ants swarming while roaches are more elusive. 

But this mixture is NOT Borax. It is straight Boric Acid. A lot of people try to use Borax soap, but this is way more effective. 









Originally got a very large container off Amazon for $8.00. It is a blue power. 

Thanks everyone for the advice, I will pick up some glue boards today and go from there.


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## efreezee (Jan 22, 2015)

compare the poop to the poop on this diagram and it will tell you what you are dealing with http://www.abeepestpro.com/differences-types-of-pest-droppings-poop.htm


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