CAN BUG SPRAY BE USED ON TOP OF GRID AND UNDER ELECTRIC STOVE. THANK YOU.
In general, it's not a good idea to spray countertops, stove tops or other appliances being used for cooking. In other words, the surfaces coming in contact with food should be left alone. In fact these areas are usually not too important to treat anyway since roaches will almost certainly be hiding down inside the appliance most of the time. To get good control, it's always best to go after them where they like to hide and this is where you need to focus your attention anyway.
That being said, one of the best ways to treat all these sensitive areas in the kitchen is the set out some ROACH GEL. This product can be applied in small amounts, about the size of a grain of rice per spot, and won't pose a hazard to people. It's a much safer option and it works great too as you can see in the roach feeding video. I recommend applying it throughout the kitchen and even in the rest of the house. Overall the baits work just as well if not better than spraying and in general they're much easier to use. But if you still want to do some spraying, use one of the products we have mentioned in our ROACH CONTROL ARTICLE. These are professional grade products that work well and when applied as directed won't pose a hazard to people or pets.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Roach Gel: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page12.html
Roach Control Article: http://www.germanroaches.com/roach-control
Filed under how to spray by 
I know that roaches carry salmonella bacteria and cause asthma, but what kind of physical damage can they do to a home? For example, I have some beuatiful antique tables and a Queen Anne schoolmaster's desk which have completely infested these items. (our condo allowed a broken pipe to remain unrepaired for six months thus creating an open invitation to roaches. They have been in our building for 3 years, and the condo association refuses to address it even though it is their responsibility.)
Anyway, I have been duly appointed to discuss this issue with the association. I would like some facts regarding damage from cockroaches to the interior walls. If roaches are damaging my furniture, they have to be hurting the wooden frame of our building.
These roaches have also chewed through wires in my circuit breaker box and thermostat, twice causing small fires. Help!!!
Roaches are able to cause damage most anywhere they reside. Unlike boring pests such as carpenter ants or carpenter bees, roaches are not able to bore through wood nor do they typically depreciate the common materials used for the construction of homes or condo's. But since roach populations can explode when left untreated combined with the fact they'll attempt to eat most anything that contains nutritional value, unmonitored roach populations can impact furniture, cosmetic finishing such as wall paper, clothing, storage boxes and most any non food item made with natural materials.
Cotton, linen and other fabric are common targets as is wall paper, wall paper glue and rugs. Paper is made from cellulose and roaches have been found to feed on cardboard, the glue used to hold cardboard together, and most anything made of paper. Rugs are mostly comprised of nylon and other man made fibers but factories will readily use old natural ingredients which can be preyed upon by many pests including roaches. And remember that in this day and age, many things are recycled. Recycling will many times cause the mixing of food items (natural ingredients) with non food items and the end result is a great source of nutrients for a wide range of insects including roaches.
You mentioned your circuit breaker was once damaged by roaches; electric wiring will typically contain insulation used to help keep wires free and clear of one another. One of the most common insulates used in wiring is paper or cellulose. Exposed ends of wires can and will become targets for starving roaches once these insulates are out in the open. This condition exists in wall sockets, light fixtures and circuit breaker boxes. Their act of feeding on the insulation can most certainly lead to electrical issues so what you mentioned is entirely possible. And this scenario can be played out internally for most any electric appliance including washing machines, microwaves, refrigerators, etc. No doubt the indirect damage caused by roach infestations leads to an early demise for many common household appliances.
Last but not least, roaches love humans. That's right, human skin and hair is a common food roaches will readily eat. It only takes a strand of hair to feed a roach and there are many documented cases of roach populations exploding to such levels that they were feeding on the occupants of the house in order to sustain their populations. This will commonly happen at night, when everyone is sleeping, and the initial target will be your eyebrows or other exposed hair. Toe and finger nails are also a good source of protein as is the skin you shed when sleeping. If you're finding roaches in your bedroom and you can't figure out what they're eating, remember it doesn't take normal food to keep a roach satisfied!
In summary, living side by side with any insect or animal is generally not a good idea. Roaches not only carry bacteria and virus, they transmit it to everything they touch. Who wants to eat food preyed upon by a roach which very well could have crawled out of a drain line where human feces is readily flowing? Such is the scenario played out all over when roaches, rats, mice, ants and other pests are allowed to coexist with people. Clearly the removal and control of insects and animals inside homes and other living spaces is what has propelled man kind above and beyond the unnecessary exposure to common disease and parasites so we don't have to endure the never ending cycle such exposures cause. Though there is some logic to a controlled exposure (such as flu vaccination), there is no way getting such exposures from an insect or nuisance pest should ever be perceived as "beneficial". At the very least it's unsanitary and ridiculous in this day and age; in it's extreme it could be life threatening and therefore irresponsible to allow yourself or any family member to be exposed to this vermin.
The good news is we have many safe and easy to deploy products that can rapidly eliminate most any roach infestation. If you read through our GERMAN ROACH CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll see we have a wide range of baits and sprays which are what the pest control industry considers to be the best for this persistent and stubborn pest. If it's not in the budget of the property owner or the tenant to hire a service company, then get some of the products we have listed and apply them yourself. The use of ROACH GEL BAIT is both easy and effective requiring little effort or preparation. Roaches will readily feed which leads to their demise and in most cases, problems can be solved in just a few weeks.
Here are direct links to the article and products listed above:
German Roach Control Article: http://www.germanroaches.com/roach-control
Roach Gel Bait: http://www.bugspray.com/item/magnum-roach-gel.html
Filed under what they eat by
I have a rental house about 960 SQFT and about a year aga we had to evict tenants and found the place full of garbage ETC. and roach infested. We had it professionally treated 3 times before we got rid of the roaches. We also cleaned agressively everywhere we could get including removing cabinets. Had all the duct work & furnace professionally cleaned & fumigated, all carpet replaced, all walls scrubbed down & painted. We still can not get rid of that terrible smell, it must be in walls & attic (floor is a concrete slab) can you make any suggestions? Thanks.
Roaches can cause lingering odors long after they have been removed and controlled in homes, restaurants and other structures. Their feces are easily set airborne and their body parts disintegrate into dust which many people find to be irritating when breathed. Since you've done a lot of cleaning in this house already, it's apparent the lingering odor is living in the floor, the walls or the attic space. I'm inclined to initially believe the major part of the problem will be where the roaches were most concentrated when they were active. However, without seeing the initial infestation or the current condition of the house, it's not possible for me to offer direct advice from first hand knowlege. But here is a "process" which should, through the step by step elimination resulting after each step, and in the end help you solve the problem.
If you read our ODOR CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll learn we have a product called NNZ which we recommend for some harsh odors. That's because this product has proven itself highly effective in many kinds of conditions. I say start with this product.
Where to treat will involve the process of elimination. For starters, I suggest wiping down an NNZ diluted formulation over the areas where you know or suspect the roaches were congregating or mostly focused. This would no doubt be the prime location of the odor. As explained in our article, certain odors are "alive" and the act of painting or cleaning won't eliminate the odor. True it can help to reduce it and or keep it from getting worse. But once it becomes living and then after it locks onto something like wood or concrete, a true odor neutralizer is needed to completely render it gone and deceased.
If after a week you find this didn't help much, proceed by treating the floor. Obviously this could be tough if the floor is covered with tile or hardwood. But carpeting and other furniture can be lightly misted with the NNZ formulation and tile or hardwoods can be wiped down with the same formulation.
Again, if this doesn't solve the problem, consider wiping down the walls and ceiling paying particular attention to hot spots like crown molding or certain pieces of furniture.
Lastly, wall voids and/or attic spaces can be either foamed or misted as explained in our article. Though many people believe these areas are where all roaches want to live, in fact, it's far away from where they much rather be residing. Remember, roaches eat what people eat so to be happy, they want to be as close to us as possible. Attics and wall spaces wouldn't provide such close proximity and is probably why it's rare such places ever need to be treated.
If done right, you should be able to identify which of your treatments works within a day of when you treat and when you achieve success, you can then further address that treatment area again to knock out any odors you still detect a week later. If you are able to directly treat the odor living molecules with the NNZ, you'll no doubt eliminate the source of the problem.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Odor Control Article: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page200.html
Filed under how to treat by
I have a HUGE roach problem!!! We have the worst german roach problem and nothing is working!!! We didn't have them until the land next to us was cleared… or at least we thought thats why we all of a sudden had this problem!! I'm at the end of my rope here and need some help..
First, don't panic. Start by reading our GERMAN ROACH CONTROL ARTICLE which will explain what you should expect during the process of cleaning out the infestation. As you'll learn, patience is a big part of the equation.
Second, German Roaches rarely thrive outside and only in the worse situations will they live on the exterior of buildings. This can happen when inside populations "spill over" to the exterior of a structure. But the reverse is not really true. In other words, it's not likely this species was living "in the woods" and then somehow decided to move into your home just because some land was "being cleared". We do know there are other species which thrive outside and it's possible you have one of them in your home. But regardless of the species, I suggest a combination of two products we carry that will no doubt knock out and prevent any future infestations.
On the inside, start by setting out our ROACH GEL in any room where you see activity. Foraging roaches will quickly find it, eat some and die. Over the course of 1-2 weeks, most all adults will be dead. If you have a lot of egg sacs around, expect to see young roaches hatch out at some point so don't fret when this happens. At first these young roaches won't eat anything so the gel won't affect them. But as they grow they'll eventually feed and when they do, complete control be reached.
On the outside, you need to spray with the CYPERMETHRIN on every side of the home. Don't forget to spray high since roaches will many times enter around gutters and downspouts. May species including Asian, Oriental and Wood roaches are commonly found in residential areas and these species will readily migrate into homes. To make sure this doesn't happen keep a good protective spray barrier in place.
Lastly, do not spray in the home anymore as this will contaminate the gel bait and if you have been spraying, be sure to set the Gel out where you haven't put any liquid. Use tiny cutouts, about the size of a quarter and made from a paper plate or wax paper if you must make placements over areas you've sprayed. This will insure the gel isn't contaminated by the old chemical.
Here are direct links to the information and products mentioned above:
http://www.germanroaches.com/roach-control
http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page12.html
http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page14.html
jonathan
Filed under roach infestation by
I've got roaches in my kitchen and living room. Not too many but enough. What good roach bomb can you recommend?
We don't recommend any type of bomb or total release aerosol for roaches. Remember, cockroaches like to hide and are very good at sensing anything that poses a threat or danger. Aerosols released from a roach control "bomb" have never really worked well for them since they'll know it's coming and avoid the treatment by going deeper into the recesses of your appliances and wall voids. Will you see some dead roaches following your treatment? Yes. But since cockroaches can reproduce so quickly, your problem will be back in no time and in most cases it will be worse the next time around. Not only that, but total release aerosols project chemical all over everything making a "chemical mess". Food areas can be virtually contaminated and clean ups are tough to near impossible following the treatment. Lastly, the net result is that 99.9% of the material released ends up where it won't help and will essentially be wasted.
To get control of your problem, we suggest you apply some ROACH GEL listed in our GERMAN ROACH CONTROLARTICLE . It's easy to use and highly effective. You didn't mention what kind of roaches you have and this could be important. German roaches live inside and the bait alone will solve the problem. But if you have a roach species penetrating from outside, you'll need to do some spraying out there with the CYPERMETHRIN.
Here are direct links to the information and products mentioned above:
http://www.bugspray.com/item/magnum-roach-gel.html
http://www.germanroaches.com/roach-control
http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page14.html
jonathan
Filed under cockroach bombs by
we have been seeing a roch a night but only in kitchen on floor in front of the cabinet under sink but not in cabinet across floor where we keep food. We would see them if we got up in middle of night and turned kitchen light on. I'd spray some raid go back 2 bed and in the morning there would be a dead roach on his back in front of cabinet or over by the other cabinet but i see no indication of them being in that cabinet.this has been going on for a month or so and we dont see them every night sometimes going a week plus with none we live upstairs in a condo and in 18 years here we have never had any roaches before.we also dont see them any where else.2 times one has wandered into living room next to kitchen i keep raiding them.none in daytimewhen i emptied cabinets no signs in other cabinets and every time i raided them i sprayed toward cabinet under sink and when i emptied cabinet under sink no signs but i noticed a small vase and it had about 10 dead roaches in it.i also discover the dry wall under sink was open all across back wall.could that be where theyre coming in i fixed the wall.could this stop the roaches?its been 2 days and none yet im resending because i forgot to say THANK YOU.
As explained in our ROACH CONTROL ARTICLE, there are many routes of entry cockroaches may use to gain access throughout a building which shares common ground like apartments and condo's. The holes under sinks for pipes are always a commonly used access point. But there are many more such areas like the pipe entries for bathtubs, water heaters, washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, wine coolers, bathroom sinks, etc. And this list isn't limited to only water pipes. Other points of entry include air ducts for heat and air conditioning, electric lines used to power all your appliances, light fixtures where they attach through the ceiling, electric power outlets on your walls and many others. To deal with the long list, there is a two prong approach that is works best. And as explained in our article, spraying products like "raid" isn't one of them!
You see, treating with a spray just doesn't work at "stopping" the problem. Remember, the problem is roaches have access to your unit. So as new roaches enter your unit, they'll avoid the areas sprayed with most any common aerosol spray because these products smell bad. Additionally, old treatments wear out when using standard "off the shelf" chemicals found at your local hardware store. These products simply aren't up to the standards of the professional products so if you insist on spraying anything for roaches, use our PHANTOM AEROSOL. It's far superior to raid because it lasts longer, is odorless, goes on dry when used making no mess and it's undetectable by the roaches. The other characteristic of Phantom is that it doesn't work quickly so insects don't even know it's been applied. They'll walk over treated areas unconcerned and they'll never realize they've been poisoned. And since it takes awhile to work, roaches will affect other roaches as they nest up during the day and come in contact with one another. So if you insist on using an aerosol or "spray", use the Phantom. But again, spraying isn't the best approach so I say don't use Raid or Phantom. Instead, lets stop them from ever getting into your unit!
So how do we do this you ask? Simple: employ some of the DRIONE DUST we have featured in our article. Roaches hate Drione and will avoid treated areas. By taking a little time and applying the Drione into all the wall entry locations you can find, they won't have access to your unit anymore. In fact, if you were able to treat all routes of entry with a quick 2-3 puffs of the Drione, they'd never get in. This might take 30-60 minutes to do throughout your entire unit but in many cases this is time well spent. I've used this approach for many insects but the most common it works on is cockroaches and silverfish. One of the great things about Drione is that it can last 12 months or more. This means if you do a thorough job, you can get away with as little as once a year treating for roaches!
Lastly, to make sure they're not nesting inside the unit, you should apply some bait anywhere you've seen them inside. As you can tell in the video featured on our ROACH GEL page, cockroaches love this stuff. If you place it out where roaches are seen, they'll eat it and die within a day or two. So my recommendation would be to "seal" the house by treating all routes of entry with the Drione. If you take some time to do this right, you won't get any new ones entering. Next, bait with the Gel inside anywhere you see them at night. This insures you don't have any nesting in your unit. If done correctly, I would expect all the roaches to be gone within 2 weeks for good. And notice I didn't say to use any spray; it's not that the spray won't kill them so don't misunderstand. The real problem with the spray is that it doesn't get them at their source so in the end, more will keep coming around unless you have an effective barrier in place to stop them.
Here are direct links to the information and products mentioned above:
http://www.germanroaches.com/roach-control
http://www.bugspray.com/item/phantom_aerosol.html
http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page220.html
http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page12.html
http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page12.html
jonathan
Filed under condo roaches by
hey, ive been reading other posts about roaches in apts. i just have 1 question– we dont have an extensive problem here (though these are the waterbugs and they are gigantic and scare the hell out of me). so most of put entry-points, to the best of my knowledge, are sealed.. i was thinking about getting the pheremone traps (my youngest daughter is about to crawl and i would like to avaid chemicals whenever possible). Would these traps end up attracting more roaches then would have normally come? I would love to zap all these things, but dont especally want my small apt to be the center of operations…
thank you so much for your time!! it is VERY appreciated!
Roaches are very social. They prefer to be around other roaches and unlike many mammals and even many other species of insects, they don't fight over territory or mates. This means in general, colonies tend to get larger and larger over time and never "pushing" members away but quite the opposite. This is why they can be such a massive problem; their instinctive behavior lends itself to nests getting large.
When conditions for the colony are adverse, they will migrate. This is especially true for the larger roaches many of us refer to as waterbugs. These roaches are fast, strong and can travel long distances to avoid danger. Remember, danger to a roach could be a change of temperature, flooding or even extreme heat. Whatever the cause; if you reside close to an active population of waterbugs, chances are some will forage into your apartment if you leave it unprotected.
Since it sounds like you don't want to spray, the WATERBUG PHEROMONE TRAPS would be a great option to start with for now. As stated above, roaches don't want to leave where they have it so good. And yes, the traps do smell good to them but they don't smell so good that they will lure roaches from remote areas to your apartment. What's more likely to happen is that some waterbugs will be migrating away from a problem somewhere close to your unit. They'll gain access to your location through a pipe or electric line power outlet and then "bam", they're inside! Once inside, they'll immediately look for shelter, food and other roaches. If they are in the range of the traps, they'll likely enter expecting to find other roaches but in fact will only get stuck.
So in summary, installing several of these traps throughout your apartment would be a wise defense for now. If you end up catching 1-5 waterbugs a month, the traps will probably do an adequate job of keeping them under control. But if you start catching more, I suggest going with some of the GEL. Very safe around mammals, this product is very effective on roaches and will keep them under wraps for sure.
Here are direct links for the products mentioned above:
http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page701.html
http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page12.html
jonathan
Filed under apartments by
I have been a General Manager of many restaurants and have never ran into a roach problem until this position at a fast food establishment I have just accepted. Short of burning the place down is there anything I can do? They have a pest control company come in once a month but this place is infested. I do not take anything inside the building and my family makes me undress in the garage when I come home! I have been getting the employees to clean better so this might help but it is really bad. I won't even sit in my own office. I did not know it was this bad or I would not of accepted the position. The owner is set in his ways and I can't get him to switch bug companies. Any advice?
Cockroach problems are commonly found in restaurants. The massive amount of food, the never ending ordeal of keeping everything clean and abundant space for insects to hide and thrive make it a wonder every restaurant doesn't have an active cockroach population. As our COCKROACH CONTROL ARTICLE explains, getting control of this pest requires patience and this is never more true then in food processing facilities.
Based on the information provided above, it doesn't sound like you'll be able to get help from your current service company. When confronted with this scenario, it would seem as though your best course of action will be to either purchase more service or supplement the current initiative. If the company treating now is using bait as their main weapon, get some more baits and add to the selection inside the establishment. As explained in our cockroach control article, making multiple baits available will assure greater acceptance and in the end, both faster and more complete control of the infestation. There are many cockroach baits available these days and though most companies tend to rely on 1 type or brand, using multiple products is always a better approach. A combination of the MAXFORCE MAG, the ADVION GEL and some AVERT is a good combination/mix that we've found effective in food processing plants. If your service company is only using one flavor of bait, add variety and that will no doubt help.
If the current program involves mostly if not nothing but spraying, more frequent applications can help. However, it's almost always best to try and achieve more precise treatments when spraying and the applications don't seem to be helping. In other words, a good roach clean-out should knock most of the population down and eventually out. DRIONE applied throughout the establishment can obliterate any established population and when used properly is the single most effective product around. Unfortunately it does require skill to use Drione correctly and most companies these days don't have the personnel available who know how to use it. If the current program involves nothing but liquid's being sprayed to the baseboards, there is no way you'll ever get control. Roaches have proven time and time again they'll simply move to a region or area which isn't being sprayed. In other words, baseboards are amongst the least likely places that need to be treated. Again, you'll either have to get them to change their service techniques or supplement the routine with some different products applied in different areas to get the results you want. In most cases the ORTHENE WP is an excellent residual to be applied and when mixed with some GENTROL, will provide long lasting residual that can wear down any cockroach population.
In summary, cockroach problems in restaurants and other food prep areas can be a challenge to control. If you have a problem and the service company doing the work isn't skilled enough to deal with the problem, chances are it will continue on and on. For this kind of situation, either a change of company or a change in service will be needed to reign in the problem. The good news is it can be accomplished. If you have further questions or concerns, give us a call on our toll free 1-800-877-7290 and one of our tech reps should be able to assist.
Filed under restaurants by
I've got roaches running around in my kitchen and I want to get rid of them for good. Should I use the gel or the spray? I've read your article so it looks like the gel would be easier but spraying seems to work faster. What do you suggest?
We always suggest using the ROACH GEL when you are living in the home which is being treated. The gel is so much easier to use and does not require exact or precise applications in order to get good results. As explained in our ROACH CONTROL ARTICLE, you really only need to get the product applied where you see the roaches. They'll quickly find it, feed and die. Unlike sprays which require that you get it where the roaches are nesting, the gel will work as long as you make placements close to the nest but on or in it. Roaches can nest and hide in remote locations and if you're not dealing with them day in and day out, trying to get control using sprays and dusts can be frustrating. This is not the case with the gel. All you need to do is get it close to where they live and you'll impact them dramatically. If you have further questions, please give us a call at 1-800-877-7290.
Filed under roaches by
My boyfriend keeps his apartment clean, there isn't dirty dishes anywhere, he doesn't leave food out or anything. He has been seeing german roaches come out of his sinks in the bathroom and kitchen. He has just started seeing them within the last few weeks. He hates bugs of all sorts because they are so dirty, and he wants to get rid of them now! Is there anything that he can do that is inexpensive to get rid of them? His landlords are not the most attentive to phone calls from tenants, plus they don't inspect the apartments as well as they should. Is it possible that they are traveling from one apartment to another? What should his landlords do about this to get rid of the apartment?
Roaches will migrate from room to room as local populations expand. In apartment buildings, this means adjoining units will many times "share" the same infestation. To keep any one unit roach free is near to impossible unless all the units are treated equally. With that being said, it's still possible to prevent foraging roaches from nesting in your boyfriends unit. The key is making sure there isn't anything around to enable them to sustain themselves once they arrive. Keeping the place clean is paramount for roach prevention and it sounds like you're doing this for now. But since the landlord doesn't sound like he'll help much, it's time for your boyfriend to take matters into his own hands.
To start, the best thing he can do is set out some of the ROACH GEL we have listed in our ROACH CONTROL article. The great advantage of this product is that it will take advantage of what the roaches are doing and why they are moving in the first place: the need for food. Roaches love this stuff and can't resist as shown in our roach gel video here:
Make placements around the sink and mostly up underneath this area in any cabinet that's located below the sink. Roaches love to nest in this area. If you bait it they'll readily find your offering, eat some and die with no chance of nests being established. It's quite common for roaches to use the pipes and electric wires in buildings as "highways" to move from unit to unit. I'm sure that's happening here. Mind you they aren't moving "inside" the pipes but instead will walk on the outside of them. Pipes are routed throughout the entire structure and present the best way for roaches to "network" from unit to unit. Remember, there is almost always a space around the pipe where it comes through the wall which is more than enough space for any insect to fit. Make your bait placements on and alongside these exposed pipes where they enter your unit and I'm sure you'll keep the problem under control.
If you have further questions or concerns, give us a call on our toll free 1-800-877-7290.
Filed under sinks by
I have a huge roach problem in my apartment…. I've reported my roach infestation to my property manager and they will call the terminators who only paid to treat my unit only (not everyone elses). About every 2-4 weeks the terminators have been out to spray. I finally had enough and bought the ultrasonic things that plug into the wall and lined my whole apartment (around the baseboards and cupboards) with boric acid which has worked for the last couple of months… now the are back.
I read your article, and I want to try the roach gel but because I used boric acid all over the place, there really is no place that has already been treated. Won't that make the gel not work? What can I do to make the gel more effective?
The key to solving any roach problem consistency. As explained in our ROACH CONTROL ARTICLE, whether you choose to spray or bait, the key to long term roach control is you must be persistent in your effort. Having the pest control company spray every 2-4 weeks is critical but if you aren't hitting key nest sites, chances are high the roaches will find these areas and live within the safe boundaries of these untreated regions. Since service technicians aren't living in the structure and only visit periodically, it's hard for them to ascertain these locations. The end result is a roach problem that will remain unless these key locations are dealt with at some point.
To best deal with these areas the service company is probably missing, you can either spray or bait attempting to supplement their effort. Though this can help, in general we don't see the homeowner can get good results when attempting to help by spraying. This is especially true if the products they employ are "old school" like a dust. Boric Acid is one of these old school products. Though it can have an impact, it's mode of action is slow and unless the user is skilled on where to best apply it, rarely can one expect to eradicate a roach infestation by using Boric Acid alone. To avoid the short comings of dust formulations, we recommend the bait when supplementing any ongoing roach treatment program.
As explained in our article, the one problem with bait is that it can get contaminated when it comes in contact with other products like a residual dust or liquid. But there are ways to avoid this problem. The simplest is to make your placement where you are sure no one is spraying. This can be in a kitchen cabinet, up under the stove or microwave or maybe in a desk or dresser. There are many "spray free" locations if you just stop and think about it. Remember, the GEL BAIT only needs to be applied where you are seeing the roach activity. As our gel video shows, they love this stuff and will readily find it as long as you make placements close to where the roaches are being seen.
Another technique that's equally effective is to make your placements on something non absorbing like a sandwich baggie. Small amounts squeezed inside a baggie and then laid out in sensitive areas will both keep the gel from getting contaminated as well as keeping it from touching sensitive objects. Just be sure everyone in the household knows this is being done – especially children – so no one inadvertently eats the placement. Though such placements should be small and non hazardous because only a small amount is needed, you should always avoid having non target animals like pets or people contacting the placements. Label any placements clearly and remove them when the problem is resolved.
Two last options that can really help are the ROACH BAIT STATIONS and ROACH TRAPS. The Traps are easy to use and can be placed anywhere as shown in this video.
The Bait Stations use the same active as the Gel and side by side are close in performance over the long run. Though the roaches don't typically feed on the stations as quickly as the gel, you can get both the gel and the stations and then "inject" small amounts of gel into the stations just prior to placing them out. This will both protect the gel from getting contaminated as well as lure the roaches to the bait station that much faster. If you have further questions or concerns, give us a call on our toll free 1-800-877-7290.
Filed under apartments by
We are in process of moving lots of boxes of our daughter’s belongings from an infested condo to our home.
We have not brought them inside, they are in our garage and greenhouse. I bombed the greenhouse 16 days ago, have not bombed boxes in garage.
A contractor told us about you, says you have better stuff than Home Depot.
1) What can we use to treat the boxes?
2) What can we use to kill the devils in her condo? We bombed her condo 2 days ago but there are still live roaches in there.
You don't state if the condo is empty now or not. This will factor in on what you can use. As explained in our ROACH CONTROL article, the GEL BAIT is almost always the easiest and most effective roach remedy. But if you have full access to the key areas and locations in the condo, spraying can be quite effective. The ORTHENE PRO PELLETS with some GENTROL would be a great combination to employ. If the condo has been cleaned out and doesn't have any readily available food around, the roaches will be ready to start foraging for food. If you've done a good job spraying, they'll walk over treated surfaces which in theory should kill any that come in contact with the Orthene.
For the boxes still in storage, I'd stop "bombing". Aerosols won't penetrate the deep recesses of the boxes and if they did, it's safe to say most of what you're storing in them would be contaminated. Instead I suggest baiting with either the ROACH BAIT STATIONS or the ROACH GEL. Since there shouldn't be much if any food close by, any roaches you transported should be real hungry and ready to feed. If so, the bait will quickly be found. Any that feed will die in a day or two.
All these items we have in stock and you can either come by to pick them up or have us ship them out. If you are in the Atlanta area, deliveries will only take 1 day. Give us a call at 770-985-9392 if you have further questions.
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I have cats and a dog and want to use the safest treatment for an ongoing roach problem. I live in an apartment and I don't think they're spraying much of anything when they come around. I was looking at your maxforce and other gel bait but what if one of my animals ate some?
Baiting for roaches is one of the safest ways to treat so you are on the right path to solving your problem. The fact is that most all insect baits use active ingredients which have little to no impact on mammals even if your pet was to eat some! That's right, even if they eat some. This doesn't mean you should feed the bait to them but if you have it out the normal placements, which are supposed to be real small as explained in our ROACH CONTROL ARTICLE, there just isn't anything being placed out that could cause a problem for most all pets or even people that might accidentally eat some.
Additionally, bait placements can be made in hard to reach places where only roaches can get to compared with the sprays which must be out in the open and therefore be more likely to come in contact with non-target animals. Cupboards, behind appliances, up high behind furniture and other objects are great places for roach bait placements like MAXFORCE GEL and ADVION GEL. Spraying some of the AVERT GEL into small voids where roaches are suspected of nesting is almost always somewhere the average pet cannot access so again, there should be little or no bait out in the open for them to find when the treatment is done properly.
In summary, baiting for roaches is one of the best ways to go about treating an ongoing roach infestation. We always prefer our customers go this route so I think you were thinking in the right direction. If you have further questions, please give us a call on our toll free 1-800-877-7290 and we'll be glad to answer any more questions you might have.
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I need products to control a roach problem in a 4plex treating once per month for one year. What do you recommend?
As explained in our ROACH CONTROL article, achieving success when treating for roaches can only be reached when three conditions are met. 1) You must have full access to the units being treated 2) You must get the tenants to "go along" with your roach control program and 3) You must use a combination of the right products.
With this in mind, I'll assume you have access to the units you want to treat and that your tenants will follow "good housekeeping" guidelines. If this happens, you're 95% of the way there.
The last step is insuring the right products are being applied. Though most people feel liquid spraying is the best way to control roaches, in many cases this is not true. Currently we have many types and flavors of cockroach gel and bait which arguably works better than any spray. The great thing about using a bait is that you don't have to be precise with where you make bait placements. Since the roaches natural do nothing but forage for food, any bait which "tastes" good will naturally attract roaches. All you need to do is get your placements as close to where the roach activity is being reported. Since most roach infestations are identified by visual contact, it's generally very easy to make such placements. When done right, such placements will quickly yield positive results and have a devastating impact on their numbers.
Now just what roach bait is best? There probably isn't "best" roach bait but rather the best way to use them. This "best way" seems to be by employing two or three types at one location. Multiple flavors of roach bait applied ensures you'll get quick acceptance by any roach actively foraging for food. Like people, roaches will vary their diet and like to change from time to time. Using a variety of roach bait ensures that any roach which changes it's dietary consumption needs or wants will likely be switching over to an alternative bait! This strategy will yield faster and more effective roach management success.
One other benefit when using roach bait is that tenants won't be able to complain about bad smelling spray or the amount of work they typically have to do in order to prepare their cabinets and other living spaces to be sprayed. In most situations, any of the bait we recommend can be applied safely and effectively with little to no preparation needed by tenants. ROACH GEL comes out in small doses that can be finely controlled with the use of our BLUE BAIT GUN. Small dabs about the size of a grain of rice can be placed every few feet in discreet locations that many times will not be visible to the naked eye. AVERT AEROSOL BAIT can be used for spaces, voids and other more open locations where the placement of gel will not be easy to make. And the new ADVION GEL is a great third flavor to introduce as needed; units which display an ongoing roach problem should probably be retreated with the Advion following the initial clean out or use it right from the start if the problem looks bad enough.
In summary, baiting for roaches is usually the best approach when initially trying to get a roach infestation under control. Four Plex units, condominiums, apartments and even residential homes can all get roaches. These dwellings have so many crumbs laying around as well as great locations for roaches to safely nest and hide it's a wonder we can ever keep them roach free in the first place. The great advantage of roach bait is the fact that it takes advantage of what roaches do most of the time: forage for food. Start setting out roach bait for your 4-Plex units and I'm sure you'll be able to get your roach problem under control.
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Hello. I live in an apartment complex on a college campus. We've recently had a rapidly growing problem with roaches in our apartment. The university sent somebody out to spray, but is making no efforts right now to spray in the apartments around us so we feel like they're going to come right back in ours. They started spraying last week and now they're spreading from just our kitchen and bathrooms and getting into our bedrooms.
There's a chance we'll be asking them to move us to a new apartment if they're not going to handle exterminating them here properly. My roommate and I were wondering what we do to prevent them from clinging to our stuff and taking them to the new apartment? Will washing our clothes be enough to kill them if they're on them? And what should we do with our dishes etc? Basically just any helpful hints about moving so we don't accidentally take them would be great. Thanks!
As you can read in our GERMAN ROACH CONTROL article, apartments are a common location to find active roaches. One of the big problems with apartments and controlling roach infestations stem from the fact that it is sometimes difficult to have access to all the units in the structure. Failure to treat the structure in a uniform fashion will make the problem difficult to control and seemingly never ending.
Keeping that in mind, we've learned the best way to handle invasive roaches is to take advantage of that which they want most: food. In general, roaches will only migrate and move as food and shelter becomes scarce where they currently reside. To take advantage of this behavior, apartments can prevent infestations by "pre-baiting". The simple process of setting out some roach gel prior to acquiring a real infestation can really help. If you do relocate, it is strongly suggested that you pre-bait the new location. This will ensure a thorough baiting is both easy to do and properly applied but most importantly, it will control any roaches that may be present or attempting to invade from neighboring units.
As for your concerns regarding the moving and packing of your belongings; there really shouldn't be much that has to be done. When packing clothes, books and other items, a visual inspection is really all that is needed. When disturbed, roaches tend to scatter so if any are uncovered during the process of packing your belongings, they'll be seen immediately. The real risks of transporting roaches during any move or relocation seems to be linked to the boxes which are used and the time in which they are kept before the move. In other words, if you collect boxes from restaurants or warehouses that typically have roach infestations, there is a strong likelihood one of the boxes you use for the move may contain roaches. This means you must choose your 'box supply company" wisely. Additionally, storing the boxes you intend on using for several weeks in your apartment is not a good idea. As our roach control article explains, boxes have many ingredients which attract roaches and letting empty boxes sit out is a direct "housing invite" to any foraging roach that might be around.
In summary, if you end up staying in the apartment where you now reside, I suggest you take an active pest control stance to control the roach problem you're currently experiencing. Even though there are treatments being done, you can successfully add to it by using some roach gel. Placements should be subtle and small and focused in discreet locations where roaches are still active and the liquid spray is not making contact. These locations will almost always be high up, in cabinets, the backs of TV's, microwaves and other applicances most service companies will not "spray". I'm sure this strategy will help to minimize the problem currently active. If it turns out that you do relocate, be sure to use clean, new boxes for the move and try not to store them more than one week prior to moving. Additionally, a good visual inspection of everything being boxed before it leaves your present apartment should be all that is needed to make sure you don't carry or transport roaches with you to the new location. Lastly, prebait the new residence with the same roach gel in key locations like kitchen cabinets pantries, bathrooms, closets and dining rooms. Pre-baiting the new residence before you settle in will go a long way in keeping your new home roach free and as the following video shows, roaches just love this stuff to death!
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