# Household cockroaches



## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

When I lived in Hawaii, everyone had roaches. Huge ones that fly to you. There are caves of roaches. 

My cats loved playing with these toys. I'd get up in the morning & the huge roaches would be bundled up in the throw rugs with no arms & legs, or wings still alive.

I felt bad but it made for happy cats.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Although it is not a poison and will not kill the roaches, sprinkling Borax behind refrigerators, cabinet bases, etc. will deter them. It won't kill them, just make them move to your neighbor's house.


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

4-5 times a year, I spray around the outside of my house with Ortho Home Defense. A one gallon container can last 12-18 months depending on the size of the home 

I pay particular attention to any areas that open to the inside, windows, doors and vents. I have been doing this for years and rarely find any bugs or insects inside the house. 

If I do spot a bug inside, I immediately do an application.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Nik333 said:


> When I lived in Hawaii, everyone had roaches. Huge ones that fly to you. There are caves of roaches.
> 
> My cats loved playing with these toys. I'd get up in the morning & the huge roaches would be bundled up in the throw rugs with no arms & legs, or wings still alive.
> 
> I felt bad but it made for happy cats.


When I moved the Corpus Christi Texas, I lived for a while in a duplex shotgun shack, with my kitty cat, The Panintheass, the kitty LOVED to eat the giant woodroaches in our space. 

You'd hear, pat-pat-pat-pat, LEAP! pounce scuffle-scuffle-scuffle crunch crunch crunch crunch . . . :devil3::vs_cool:


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

And, in a similar slightly sadistic bent like @*Nik333* 's post, I sometimes use brake cleaner spray on the giant woodroaches that get in my kitchen once in a while, and they sometimes move a lot like Russian Cossack dancers, I swear to dieties: 






And this makes no sense whatsoever, but I don't even care, snarfed all over the keyboard.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

I just read that Larry was burned as a child. The Dr suggested the violin. He became a talented violinist then developed a show with violin & Russian dance. Then he became part of Three Stooges. Smart Dr!:wink2:


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## Domo (Nov 9, 2018)

chandler48 said:


> Although it is not a poison and will not kill the roaches, sprinkling Borax behind refrigerators, cabinet bases, etc. will deter them. It won't kill them, just make them move to your neighbor's house.


If you mean Boric Acid - yes it will kill them. They get it on themselves and then ingest some while cleaning. The Boric Acid acts as asbestos does in our lungs and penetrates their exoskeletons causing them to dehydrate and die.

I alway "puff" roach powder (boric acid in a squeeze bottle, behind and under cabinets during installation, into stud cavities before installing insulation and buttoning up the wall, etc. etc. Boric Acid is also used as a treatment for pressure treating wood...


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Not so much Boric Acid, as it can have adverse effects on pets, etc. Just 20 Mule Team Borax, as in laundry detergent. I suppose it has just enough boric acid to keep them at bay.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Boric acid powder, e..g., "Roach Prufe" is a _fiendish_ thing. Work it into cracks and crevices and roaches get it on them, and it rubs off their out layer of wax and they _die!_. It turns their very effective mechanism for survival against them! 

Yeah! :devil3::vs_mad::vs_cool::glasses::vs_laugh:

And, I've used it. Back in ancient times, this brand-new lady veterinarian took over an old goat's practice and there were roaches _EVERYWHERE_. 

After I explained the process (work into all the cracks) she offers me $500 to apply it. So I do.

Filth, everywhere. But I work it in.

She calls me the following day: "Can you get on over here?"

I get there and there's dead and dying roaches half an inch deep all over. I filled up a couple of five gallon buckets with dead roaches. The white tile floor was black and brown with them.

But it did work!

She even gave me a bunch of advice on my doggies and kitties on top of all that.

But

Therein lies the rub. You have to get that stuff into all the cracks and crevices. If you miss any, that's a haven, from which they may sally forth again.

Growth inhibitor is MUCH better, and it will control fleas, too! :vs_cool:


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Sandra James said:


> Great, Thanks! I will try this. As my house has cockroaches in almost every corner.


Be super thorough in the application, as it depends on exposure for effectiveness.

In particular, pull out the fridge, the stove, etc., if you can, and try to spray the entire area behind them. Clean out closets and cupboards and spray the entire interiors.

Note that growth inhibitor is effective for about 6 months.

Also, use it along with poison baits, etc., to put a dent in the adults.

You'll know it's working when you see roaches with gimpy wings; they will be unable to mature and will die without reproducing. 

Here's a link to one company that sells stuff, there's others, too. Don't be afraid to shop around. 
https://www.peststrategies.com/reviews/cockroach-products/#igrs

If you have a really bad infestation be prepared for a long battle.


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## Mystriss (Dec 26, 2018)

I've been in Alaska my entire life and I've never once seen a cockroach up here. Maybe the shrews eat them too fast heh

(One of the coolest things I've seen in the insect world was watching a cricket kick a shrew's butt though)


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Sandra James said:


> Great, Thanks! I will try this. As my house has cockroaches in almost every corner.


Buy some roach motel/glue traps. They're not a solution, but they help.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Mystriss said:


> I've been in Alaska my entire life and I've never once seen a cockroach up here. Maybe the shrews eat them too fast heh
> 
> (One of the coolest things I've seen in the insect world was watching a cricket kick a shrew's butt though)


Bet you'd love a lizard eating a whole, live Black Widow spider . . . .


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## Mystriss (Dec 26, 2018)

DoomsDave said:


> Bet you'd love a lizard eating a whole, live Black Widow spider . . . .


EEEWWWW!! 

Yes, yes I would. :vs_laugh:


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Mystriss said:


> EEEWWWW!!
> 
> Yes, yes I would. :vs_laugh:


EEEEEWWWW!

I know I did!

The spider wiggled in the lizard's belly. Hope it was immune to the venom . . . . :vs_cool:


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## Domo (Nov 9, 2018)

chandler48 said:


> Not so much Boric Acid, as it can have adverse effects on pets, etc. Just 20 Mule Team Borax, as in laundry detergent. I suppose it has just enough boric acid to keep them at bay.


Boric Acid is safe - UNLESS you are allowing your pets to ingest or inhale large quantities of it which they shouldn't be doing unless your sprinkling the house rather than inside/under cabinets and inside wall, as suggested.

Thanks for bringing up the caution.


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## Mystriss (Dec 26, 2018)

DoomsDave said:


> EEEEEWWWW!
> 
> I know I did!
> 
> The spider wiggled in the lizard's belly. Hope it was immune to the venom . . . . :vs_cool:


That's so gross hahaha My bio dad had a 25' python that ate rabbits. Was fascinating to watch the jaw unhinge, the rabbit would continue twitching for a long time inside the snakes.... throat? You could legitimately watch the rabbit get digested over the next few days too. 

Snakes, spiders, and insects are... ~holds hands out on either side of head~ Aliens! :vs_laugh:


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## YerDugliness (Jun 2, 2008)

chandler48 said:


> Although it is not a poison and will not kill the roaches, sprinkling Borax behind refrigerators, cabinet bases, etc. will deter them. It won't kill them, just make them move to your neighbor's house.


If you want to kill the roaches with something that is not a poison, try a product called "Roach-Proof". I think it's spelled "Roach Pruf", but it's been quite a while since I lived in TX so that might not be correct). It is similar to Borax in one manner...it is a very finely pulverized powder that you sprinkle on horizontal surfaces. When the roaches walk over the powder, they "inhale" some of the Roach-Pruf as they walk over it (roaches breathe through "stomas" on the bottom of their thorax so it's quite easy for them to inhale the powder as they are walking over it). The "sharp" nature of the crystals kill the roach by cutting up the lungs of the roach and it drowns in its own respiratory juices. It has no poison in it, so it's safe to be around in that respect...but I would watch young kids to make sure they don't ingest it in any manner.

I managed a 20 unit apartment complex in the area of Houston, TX and we had roaches galore. Roach-Pruf was the only thing that would control the roaches (the small "German" roaches, not the larger palmetto-bug size ones). It works best if it's replaced every week with fresh, as the moisture in the air causes it to develop clumps on the counter-top if it is too heavily sprinkled on the surfaces. I found that the easiest way to "dust" the counter-tops was to put the Roach Pruf into an old sock and then just tap the sock on the counter-top to enable a light coating of the Roach Pruf to escape the sock and coat the counter-top.

Cheers from Dugly...:vs_cool: and best of luck to you in this endeavor!


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

YerDugliness said:


> If you want to kill the roaches with something that is not a poison, try a product called "Roach-Proof". It is similar to Borax in one manner...it is a very finely pulverized powder that you sprinkle on horizontal surfaces. When the roaches walk over the powder, they "inhale" some of the Roach-Proof as they walk over it (roaches breathe through "stomas" on the bottom of their thorax so it's not hard for them to inhale the powder as they are walking over it). The "sharp" nature of the crystals kill the roach by cutting up the lungs of the roach. It has no poison in it, so it's safe to be around in that respect...but I would watch young kids to make sure they don't ingest it in any manner.
> 
> I managed a 20 unit apartment complex in the area of Houston, TX and we had roaches galore. Roach-Proof was the only thing that would control the roaches (the small "German" roaches, not the larger palmetto-bug size ones). It works best if it's replaced every week with fresh, as the moisture in the air causes it to develop clumps on the countertop if it is too heavily sprinkled on the surfaces.
> 
> Cheers from Dugly...:vs_cool: and best of luck to you in this endeavor!


Yeah, I used to sell it in the infamous garden shop all those decades ago, and it did work.

Trouble was, it was a lot of work. It wasn't really enough to just spread it around; you needed to work it into cracks where the roaches hid, or put it under things, like the fridge. So if you had a lot of roaches, you had to stuff a lot of cracks with the powder. (That's the stuff I used for the vet lady's practice in my first post.) 

Here it California, it lasts a month or so, longer if it's really dry.

But, the growth inhibitor is still the best. It's just so diabolical, and it works for six months. (And kills fleas! If that's not to love, what is?) :vs_cool:


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

DoomsDave said:


> EEEEEWWWW!
> 
> I know I did!
> 
> The spider wiggled in the lizard's belly. Hope it was immune to the venom . . . . :vs_cool:


I think it was. 

I think I had a dream about people doing that type of thing, where all of us are in this eatery be dared to eat live lobsters whole . . . . :devil3:


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## woodco (Jun 11, 2017)

Food grade Diatomaceous Earth. Just like the borax, puff it in corners and hiding places. safe for people and pets, unless you breathe quantities of it. I bought a baby snot sucker. Suck some up from the bag, and puff it everywhere. I drop handfuls of it on fire ant colonies too.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

woodco said:


> Food grade Diatomaceous Earth. Just like the borax, puff it in corners and hiding places. safe for people and pets, unless you breathe quantities of it. I bought a baby snot sucker. Suck some up from the bag, and puff it everywhere. I drop handfuls of it on fire ant colonies too.


Oh yes, that works too. Especially against fleas in the rug. Sprinkle it on, let it sit, vacuum, repeat and repeat DON'T CHANGE THE BAG unless you have to. Diatomacious earth is a grand weapon against evil. Or, just in the struggle to survive.:vs_cool:


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