I admit I have a bit of an embarrassing problem - the cockroach in the kitchen. We kept the kitchen clean, no food particles left after eating, and the floors thoroughly wiped. But on occasions, one or two cockroach would be proudly standing nearby the sink and I have to shoo it by the bug-spray or the newspaper roll. There's nothing to feast on the sink since it's empty and clean, but they made their way on it. Before I start to call the pest control - anything that to discourage the cockroaches more? Turning on the kitchen lights did the small trick, but it isn't a permenant solution.
It's a very old single-storey home, built back in the late 60s. I will pour bleach into the sink first because sometimes those food particles can get trapped inside.
Ok, here's what you have to do... Search the whole house for water leaks... Fix that and kill them on site for as long as it takes.
Napalm! LOL joking. It's kinda hard but the rule of thumb is, if you see one, there are probably hundreds nearby... Remember that you are dealing with the world's greatest survivor. Cutting off their access to water would typically work, but in the tropics where it can rain twice a day, it's a tall order haha! We had tons of em (and rats) growing up but that was because we lived beside a jungle (FRIM) and resistance was "futile" when it came to "visitors". As long as our food was always sealed up, it was just "part of life".
Yeah, I predicted that. Not just hundred, but I feel that they have a colony of probably thousands somewhere nearby. Plus, our old homes' drainage system behind are not really that clean. And they are very resistant to... radiation and strong chemicals!
You are SO right... If you see one, there are probably hundreds nearby! When we started to see 2-3 cockroaches around a few months ago, we started to place roach motels.. just one at first. Man, did it see "good business"! We had to "erect" MANY roach motels and they were clocking up clients like it was Vegas! I should post some photos up. Digusting... Big ones, small ones, mommas and papas and little babies.. the whole gang. The roach motel works but you have to keep replacing them when they get "overcrowded". You have to keep doing this until you get every one of their "colony"... and even after the "tourists" dry up, you have to keep placing the roach motels to catch the new breed that will surely hatch from the eggs they left behind. It's been a few months since we started and we are still getting some "guests" at our roach motel, but nothing quite like the crazy days when we first started to detect them. And guess what - we found out that they ate their way through our toilet door and the wooden wall skirtings so they can hide away. Arghhh....
I'll get the roach baits/motels as well. Are those "roach motels" the little colourful boxes with sticky bases?
Haha wait till you see albino ones. The swarm I uncovered once had 3 of em (but that was definitely over 1k roaches).
Well, there are many brands and designs but basically, it's a cardboard box with bait in the middle and glue or really sticky tape surrounding it. The roaches get in but they don't get out. I know some people who hate it so much they enjoy torching the full "motels" and watch them burn... burn... BURN!!!
Hmm. I think I need to buy those roach traps, but I'm a bit worried about the roach bait - I heard what if that the cockroach brings the poison with it, and exposed to floor/food, and then we might accidently touch or consume it? Are those roach baits (slow-acting poison) safe?
I don't think the cockroach will actually bring back the bait like ants. I think it's designed to slowly kill the cockroach so that it will die later, when it's back at "home base" with the other cockroaches so that they will eat its body (once it dies) and get killed by the same poison. If you are talking about the roach motel, well, the roaches will get trapped by the glue and won't be able to leave. They will die of starvation if nothing else. In fact, they will probably not even reach the bait itself.
Thanks for the info. I just bought some roach motel yesterday, and inside them also includes the bait, which is in a form of a dry tablet. I hope it works this time... but I don't see any victims by today...
Apart form spraying and the "motels", I have also heard of using Boric Acid to kill the little pests. I use a product here in the US called Ortho Home-Defense, have to apply every 2-3 months, but still have to sweep up bodies from time to time...
Well, I can't say I can recommend any brand per se. Roach motels are basically very simple - there's the bait in the middle and glue all around. As long as the bait attracts the roaches and they get glued (and STAY glued), then it's a good roach motel. I will just go with whatever you can find and try it out. It should work. Just remember to check the motel and replace it when it's like 50% full! Otherwise, the other roaches can just walk over their stuck brethren to eat the bait!
One huge victim got stuck today. He/she prolly had went through the window, the head is near the food. I think there would be more victims tonight. And it's stiff. Dead, I presume. A good pest is a dead one.