Cockroaches - Any Old Style tips?

D&DD

The only thing with squashing the bleeders is they take some heavy hitting..ours did anyway:eek:
The pest controller said that even when you do that the flippin' things still 'release' their offspring hence the need for sticky traps

I've got the heebie jeebies now just thinking about them...I can do spiders,mice even rats but any sort of beetle just freaks me out

BrandNewDay

Roaches are much more common in America, and I've been in your situation.

If you don't have pets and small children, then I really do recommend boric acid - although even if you do, you can use it with care. It's a powder. You put it in the cracks and corners and then sweep up the excess/sweep it deep into the cracks. This gets under their carapaces and messes them up. I believe they take it back to their nests and it kills other roaches.

But, it doesn't repel them or kill them instantly. As long as the restaurant has them, you're going to see them passing through. You can do things to avoid them settling in - don't store any papers or old magazines or plastic carrier bags, especially under your kitchen sink. Keep your food sealed up in tupperware-like containers and ziplock bags. However, you won't be able to prevent them from finding food to eat. They can live a long time on the glue on a postage stamp. You can just keep them from getting their filthy feet into your food. And, if you don't provide them dark, cozy places to hide (like newspapers and such) they will probably just keep moving and head on back to the restaurant.

Roach traps - the boxes with sticky stuff inside - in high-traffic areas (bottoms cupboards and under your sink) will make a difference and probably catch a good number of those who wander in.

wisbech_lad

I grew up in India, and have lived in Indonesia. The "good" thing about roaches is that they are pretty clean pests, as pests go.

In Indonesia, we encouraged geckoes to live inside (basically, by letting them be) They are effective insect killers, but probably not an option in UK! We had a particularly big gecko (about five inches) living behind the sofa... s/he was a noisy !!!!!! at times!

bishbash55

ok, first you need to trap one of these or collect and place in a specimen bottle.
next contact your local EHO - its their responsibility to protect public health so you are at risk as well as the customers who frequent the restaurant.
you need to tell them you know cockroaches are a danger to your health as they are mechanical vectors for disease and the restaurant bellow needs investigating.
get some pictures of poor hygiene standards even if its their bin area. force the EHO into taking action with the evidence you present. there busy people and would quite hapily difusse a situation rather than spend considerable time acting.
present your evidence and ask for copies of reports to be left with yourself.
ask them to identify the type of cockroach.
the EHO should investigate the restaurant. they will want to know the restaurant has a pest elimination programme in place and ask to see written reports with recent and regular dates of inspections and treatments.
the restaurant can be prosecuted £20k for every individual infringement the EHO prosecute with.
if you need to threaten to go to the papers. force them to act.
now type of roach - if its german cockroach small light coloured -they can climb very well and are tough to get rid of permanently. i would seriously look at moving house
oriental cockroach - larger redy black body. not as good at climbing but will climb from time to time - readily infests cellars and basement levels. more visible due to size. can be eliminated like the germans
like i said i would consider moving out, as a restaurant its possible they are bringing them in from their suppliers in food bags. if this is the case after elimination, the building can be re-infested quite quickly.

good luck

melli_2

hello,

long term lurker and sometime poster here...

I spied a cockroach in my general kitchen junk cupboard earlier. I tried to catch it but failed and half an hour later it was still there but again ran off.

I've cleared out the cupboard (oh the junk ) and thrown half it away, cleaned it with bleach and liberally sprayed the cupboard with legged insect spray.
All open packets of food are now in tubs and all F&V in the fridge.

Now the thing is, I live in the top floor of a converted house. There was no poop that I could see when I cleared out. No dead cockroaches and none jumped out at me when I moved everything out. I'm thinking one just got lost and ended up in that cupboard. If there was more, I'd notice wouldn't I? What are the chances of me being infested?
I'm just concerned as I'm going away for 20 days next week and I don't want to come home to an infestation :eek:

TIA
Melli

carolinejane_2

I'm not sure I could sleep until I found it :eek:

flipperOSN

I was warned never to crush a cockroach - apparently that can release eggs and you get more of the blighters. It may be an old wives tale but I wouldn't want to take the risk. Perhaps trap it and kill it in something? I would normally release insects but cockroaches....yuck.

annie123

ant powder is the answer, http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=9426450&ecamp=trf-005&CAWELAID=266992038

sprinkle it around the edges of walls, cupboards, electrical items (they like to next inside them cause its warm I've been told) anywhere you can sprinkle the stuff.
They get it on their feet, walk it back to the nest which is important.
They are cannibals so when they eat each other, or something that the powder has touched they die within a few hours.
Need to keep powder down for 3 weeks after last one seen to make sure no more eggs hatched.

Friends dad is a retired bug exterminator, shame I didn't meet her before the moths eat my carpet:mad:

CupOfChai

OhGodohGodohGod why did I click on this thread?! :eek::eek::eek:

I'm all itchy and twitchy now! Poor you!

The_Thrilla

melli wrote: »

What are the chances of me being infested?

Melli

Hi, Melli.

100% The saying goes: "There is never only one cockroach." They are curious creatures. They look like beetles but are not. The male is the one that looks as though it has folded wings, and the female is the one with the pincers at her tail end. The pincers are to hold an egg case which looks like a small adzuki bean. And did you know that the female doesn't need the male to reproduce?

My wife and I lived in a house with an army of them. That's how I know all about them.

What can you do about them? The answer is simple. You do what we did: you move out. When you do, check all your goods and chattels carefully, just in case you are bringing some with you.