Last night I saw my first cockroach in our master bathroom. Now I'm paranoid. I'm calling some places tomorrow to get a few estimates. Is there anything specific I should look for in a company or questions I should ask? Any advice is really appreciated....I'm going anon because I'm so embarrassed (although I really do keep a clean house).

By Shellyg on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 - 01:56 am:

Well, I can tell you I FREAKED out a few years ago when I had a cockroach in my house... Eww. I called an exterminator and found out that the BLACK roach that was in my house was some sort of water roach. In fact they are EVERYWHERE because I live close to the beach. Its the brown ones you have to worry about. I still sprayed!

By Ginny~moderator on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 - 06:43 am:

It's quite possible that you accidently brought something into the house that had either some roaches or roach eggs on it - a box or bag from the supermarket, for example. A friend once got a bunch of wooden fruit boxes from the supermarket to use for storage in her children's playroom, only to learn after the fact that the boxes were loaded with roach eggs.

You do want to be careful with any spray that is used, as most are toxic to people and animals. You may have to cover your kitchen cabinets with taped-on plastic or wash every cabinet and everything in them after an exterminator sprays. Do ask about things like that. There are non-toxic powder sprays (can't remember what they are) that you can spray behind baseboards, under cabinets, etc. that are supposed to work very well. Do a little googling for non-toxic roach killers and deterrents.

By Pamt on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 - 07:57 am:

You obviously don't live in the south because if you did you would know that it doesn't matter HOW clean your house is, you would have huge brown flying cockroaches (also called palmetto bugs) on occasion. They are at least 2 inches long, really nasty, and I have a total phobia of them. They love to eat paper so any boxes, paperbags, etc. will attract them.

Just call the exterminator and make sure that they have experience with roaches. They'll spray, but you really shouldn't have to cover your cabinets or anything. They're generally pretty careful with that. Personally, I prefer to go with a national chain like Orkin or Terminix.

By Kaye on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 - 09:29 am:

Gotta loves those big roaches, huh pam?? I bet you miss them already!

So what to do about roaches? Personally I treat them myself. I have a sprayer i bought at home depot and bought spray, I spray the outside of my house. If I have a bug issue after that, then I use boric acid and put it inside the outlets (remove cover). Also those small disk things made for ants work really well, I think they have cockroach ones too. I don't like to do poison inside my house, but I have had very good luck with just doing the outside.

By Kay on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 - 10:33 am:

The best thing that ever worked for us was the fogger - we'd arrange to go out for the day, we'd cover everything with newspaper that we felt needed to be covered, and let it go.

Over the next few days, you might be coming across dead/dying ones, but that's a good sign that it worked.

My mother had a recipe for 'roach bait balls'. She'd mix it up, roll it into little balls and place them either in lids from soda bottles, or she'd make her own 'cups' from aluminum foil These are great to place in the garage, too. One thing you want to make sure is that you don't have a pet or child who is going to be poking around it.

The recipe is:
12 oz. boric acid (powdered)
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 chopped onion or equivalent amount of onion powder
1/2 cup shortening (like Crisco)

Add enough water to form a dough. Shape into balls the size of walnuts and place in small containers of choice (milk jug caps, soda lids)

By Annie2 on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 - 11:03 am:

I had just finished reading this post and went out to my backyard...a "palmetto bug" aka black roach was upside down in my dog's food bowl. Yuck!!! The bowl was empty so I sprayed the sucker and washed out his bowl.

I really don't see too many here (knock on wood) but they do gross me out when I see one. And they run soooo fast.

I also hate silver fish but that's a whole other topic. LOL

We have Terminix for termites but dropped the pest protection. I really do not see a difference. What drives me nuts are the teeny tiny little ants around my sink. They don't gross me out but are annoying.

By Yjja123 on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 - 11:31 am:

In the South roaches are common. I dust boric acid around the perimeter of the house. I have also put some in the outlets and behind the stove, fridge, etc.
We occasionaly get a couple that come in through the pet door. Generally the cats find them before we do.
They have nothing to do with a clean house.