If you read our ROACH CONTROL ARTICLE, you’ll see in the first paragraph that we clearly state you’ll need “patience” when it comes to solving roach problems. This is especially true when it comes to major infestations like the one you describe. Does this mean it should take 3 or more months for the problem to be gone? No. In most any case, a proper treatment should knock them out after 4-8 weeks. Even bad cases. But it would be very hard to knock them out with just one “spray and fog” so I’m afraid you’ve got some time to go before the mobile home will be roach free.

In our article we go over the various roach treatment options available so give it a look. One thing we make pretty clear is that once people move into any home, even mobile homes, it becomes very difficult to spray and get good roach control. This is because all the items that get moved in will obstruct the spray making it difficult for the applicator to get product where it will most matter. Appliances become impossible to treat; cabinets and other hidden areas now filled with food and other items will constrict the amount of product that can be applied and where the applicator can use it. That means because you’ve moved in, I doubt they’ll be able to get rid of the roaches since they seemingly didn’t do so when the unit was empty.

Which brings us to roach bait. At this time, there is no doubt the roaches in your mobile home are quite hungry. And this is when baiting for roaches is very effective. So if you are to stay in the mobile home, I suggest you bait the entire premises with MAGNUM GEL and ADVION GEL. Be sure to use both. Probably a tube of each initially and then a followup of 1/2 tube of each in 10 days and then another 1/2 tube of each 10 days after that. This covers 20 days from the initial and if all goes well, you should stop seeing adult roaches.

From there on you would expect to see baby roaches because there is no doubt you have some egg sacs around that need to hatch. Since no spray or bait can kill the egg sacs, you literally have to wait them out meaning having baby roaches will be part of the process. Set out some ROACH TRAPS to catch them where you see activity or wait for them grow large enough so they start eating. Once they do, they’ll no doubt eat some gel and die so in the end, the problem will be resolved.

In summary, if you want to stay in the mobile home, go with the bait and follow the schedule I outlined above. But don’t spray. I highly doubt the service company will be successful using any spray with you living in the unit if they couldn’t get rid of the roaches treating when it was empty. Oh, and yes, the roaches can be in any appliance like the refrigerator, microwave, etc. But this is very common and easy to treat with the gel bait and highly effective too.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Roach Gel: http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/gel/maxforce-magnum-roach-gel-1-oz

Advion Roach Gel: http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/gel/advion-roach-gel

Roach Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/pheromone-and-food/roach-trap-6-pack

Roach Control: http://www.germanroaches.com/roach-control

In general, Boric Acid is NOT a good roach control product. This is true for many reasons but here’s the main one.

Boric acid it works as a stomach acid. This means you must get the roaches to ingest it in order for the treatment to kill them. Boric acid doesn’t taste good and roaches really don’t want to eat it. And yes, there have been some baits that have done a good job of hiding the boric acid mixed with it but these products are marginal at best. And when pure boric acid is used alone with no supporting cast of products, only the very best of pest control technicians can expect to get complete control with such a limited arsenal. For the average applicator, they’re doomed to failure unless they go to the one of the roach baits.

On top of that reason, there are actually many more dust formulations that work so much better than boric acid. So if you insist on using any kind of dust, go with the DRIONE we have featured in our ROACH CONTROL article. Drione is so much more effective compared to boric acid. In fact, you can get instant results meaning you can eliminate a roach problem immediately following a treatment if you were somehow able to apply it everywhere the roaches were living. The same can not be said about any other dust and certainly not for boric acid.

But even with Drione being better, the ROACH GEL is usually the way to go. It’s easy to apply, requires no special prep work prior to using it and you can add more as needed without making a mess. All dusts tend to break down when they get wet, they’re messy and one must know where to use them in order to get the best results. But products like Roach Gel eliminate all these concerns and makes the matter of roach control an easy problem to solve.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Roach Control: http://www.germanroaches.com/roach-control

Roach Gel: http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/gel/maxforce-magnum-roach-gel-1-oz

Drione:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

No need to panic yet but you should take a defensive posture. As our ROACH article explains, rogue or roaming roaches will be seeking food in their new abode. Take advantage of this behavior by setting out some ROACH GEL. Roaches that come into your apartment will no doubt find it which will help allow them to live and start nesting.

I also suggest you set out some ROACH TRAPS. If roaches aren’t seeking food they’re seeking other roaches. Roach traps set out will no doubt collect some too.

If you set these out for now, there is a good chance any roaches in your apartment won’t get established regardless of where they come from. But if you don’t start doing something, things will rapidly get worse.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Roach Control: http://www.germanroaches.com/roach-control

Roach Gel: http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/gel/maxforce-magnum-roach-gel-1-oz

Roach Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/pheromone-and-food/roach-trap-6-pack

What can we do to end this problem! Please help :)

I our only solution to move??? Can there be a roach infestation so bad that it can’t be ended? HELP!

If you read our roach control article, you’ll learn that baiting is what we feel is the best approach for most any infestation. And from your message, it would seem that you’ve got bait being applied throughout the unit. But also in our article is a section about “repelling” roaches. This can be especially important when it comes to multiunit housing like apartments. This is because roaches can be cleaned out of one unit but because a neighboring unit has a bad problem, the cleaned out unit is subject to an never ending stream of roach activity. I suspect this is happening in your case.

I say this because really, there is only one of two things happening. One, the roaches you’re seeing are in fact living in your unit or two, they’re coming from an adjoining apartment. Now if it’s situation one, then the bait and spray that’s been applied would take of any living roaches as long as you’ve removed all the bait like you claim  you’ve done. That leaves situation two.

And if you’re getting roaches that are traveling through electric conduits, electric wall sockets, light switches, light fixtures, pipe holes in the wall, etc., the problem will be never ending until you set up a barrier through which foraging roaches won’t ignore. And how do you do this?

Apply DRIONE to every port or route of entry into your unit. Gas lines, electric lines, drain pipes – basically anything that goes into the wall or ceiling is a port through which roaches can enter. And as long as these ports remain open, you’ll no doubt keep open routes of entry that over time could allow lots of roaches to enter.

Apply the Drione with a HAND DUSTER to every void and focus attention on where you mostly see the roaches. Remember, there is no need to make a mess with the application and if you do it right, the dust will not interfere with the gel bait placements. If you stay the course you should be able to eliminate all routes of entry into your space and once you’ve achieved that goal, any roaches still in unit will no doubt consume some bait and die. At that point you’ll finally be roach free.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Roach Control Article:  http://www.germanroaches.com/roach-control

Drione Dust:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/good/hand-dusters

This is a tough question to answer specifically. I say this because in the end, it will depend largely on how many roaches are living in the structure. For example, if you have 25 or less roaches, one tube of ROACH GEL will be enough. In fact it would be enough to treat several times so you might go through half with the initial treatment and then use the second half 1-2 months later.

But if you have a bad infestation, it could require several tubes of gel to knock the roaches out for good. This partly due to the fact that the more roaches you have locally, the more they’ll eat. Other variables include how long it will take for all of them to be affected, how dispersed the infestation might be, etc.

Now if you decide to spray with some ORTHENE and GENTROL, the same is true. Mild infestations can many times be resolved with 1-2 applications. But when several hundred roaches are nesting in the home, it will no doubt require more material to knock them out.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Roach Gel:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/gel/maxforce-magnum-roach-gel-1-oz

Orthene WP:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/wettable-powder/orthene-wp-1-4-oz-pk

Gentrol:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/igr/gentrol-vial

My first concern is what you mean by the word “issue”. Here’s why. In my house, we will see 1-2 roaches every fall as the weather turns and gets cool. These are Pennsylvania wood roaches foraging in from outside our home which is surrounded by lots of trees. No matter how much I spray outside, these guys fly and can effectively bypass my treatments. In the end, one or two will be seen no matter what I do and my family has accepted this fact. But these guys won’t be able to live inside so there is little risk involved by not doing anything unless this number was increase significantly.

But if we were seeing one every 2-3 weeks throughout the year? To me this would be an “issue”. And if we ever saw just one german cockroach, it would be an even bigger issue!

Which leads me to your question. Based on the way you phrased it, I’m thinking what you’re asking is if the roaches you see every 2-3 weeks are a sign your unit is infested or if they’re coming from a neighboring unit? If this is the question, I’m sorry but there is no way I can tell for sure where they’re coming from. But here’s what I do know.

Roaches exist for three things. Food, shelter and sex. Food is first. This means if you’re seeing activity during the day as described, the roaches involved are either very hungry foraging for food or they’ve been affected by some kind of treatment which is causing them to forage in broad daylight. More importantly, the 1 you see is most definitely NOT the only one. That means the ones you’re not seeing are what’s really important. And if you have roaches foraging throughout your unit what do you think they’re doing? First, looking for food and second, looking for a place to live.

Second, if these foragers find a good meal and start to nest, what do you think is next? That’s easy; they’ll start to multiply. So for obvious reasons just seeing 1 german cockroach a month on a regular basis is reason enough to do a treatment whether they’re nesting in your unit or not.

So what type of treatment is needed? I would go with the ROACH GEL for sure. It’s easy to apply, lasts 2-3 months per application and won’t make a mess like most any spray. All you need to do is apply 1/2 tube (as explained on our product page) every 3 months and that will do it. If a roach forages into your unit, he’ll no doubt be hungry which means he’ll find your offering, eat some and die. More importantly, if any start to nest in your town house, they too will find your offering, eat some and die. Either way you’ll be avoiding a much bigger “issue” which will no doubt be a lot more costly and time consuming to resolve.

Hope this helps; here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Roach Gel:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/gel/maxforce-magnum-roach-gel-1-oz

Roach Control Article:  http://www.germanroaches.com/roach-control

No. In fact, adding insulation to outlets and switch boxes is generally not suggested for several reasons. The first is that this space should be left open so the area can be maintained. The connections inside these boxes will many times break down and need to be serviced. By leaving the space open, routine maintenance can be performed without having to remove insulation or any other obstruction.

Second, electric boxes are natural fire hazards because they tend to hold heat and as well electricity. This is a dangerous combination. Keeping them open and accessible reduces the fire hazard. Furthermore, the insulation being sold on the market place these days has so many “natural” recycled additives, there could very well be a natural electric conductor added that could increase the likelihood of something bad happening. Since insulation is not intended to be used in these areas, it could very well have something in it not designed to be there so again, it’s strongly suggested that you do not seal these important ports found throughout most any building.

So what you can do when roaches take harborage in this area? The good news is this problem is easy to treat. If you read through our ROACH CONTROL ARTICLE, you’ll read about a product called DRIONE. This dust is long lasting and ideally suited for using in electric outlets and switches. All you need to do is remove the cover to the switch or outlet and puff some Drione in using a HAND DUSTER. 2-3 puffs is all that is needed. Next, replace the cover and you’re done. Roaches inside the treated area will die immediately but more importantly, the Drione will last years in this environment so you rarely if ever have to retreat.

I have personally been using Drione in this manner for over 30 years and at this time I can say it’s still one of the best products on the market. Long lasting and extremely effective when used in dry environments, Drione is the best for this need.

On  a related note, it does appear that roaches like electricity. And though there is no scientific proof to substantiate the claim, there appears to be something about the electro magnetism of electric current that attracts roaches. So whether it’s the electricity itself or the heat that tends to be around where electricity is flowing, no doubt roaches commonly nest in electric outlets, electric switches, electric appliances and anything that conducts, stores or uses electricity. Fortunately Drione is the one material ideally suited for this area because it can be applied to all these sensitive areas without damaging the wiring or posing a fire hazard.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Roach Control Article:  http://www.germanroaches.com/roach-control

Drione:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

If you read through our ROACH CONTROL ARTICLE, you’ll learn that bombing for roaches rarely works. No doubt you’ll kill some as evidenced by the bodies you’ve been finding following the treatment. But as you’ll soon learn, the 2-4% of the population that avoid the treatment will reinfest the property with a vengence and in most cases, they come back worse than ever following the use of total release aerosol bombs.

To avoid this vicious cycle, I suggest you set out some ROACH GEL and ROACH TRAPS. These two products are usually all that is needed. They’re very safe to use (especially compared to a total release aerosol bomb which is spewing chemical needlessly all over your apartment) but more importantly, the Gel is highly effective. Roaches can’t resist the Gel and will quickly consume your offering. The Traps should be placed around the apartment and will be a tool that will alert you to any activity you may have missed or did not know existed. Once a spot is located as active by a Trap, place some gel close to it and you’ll get these guys too. Once the Gel and Traps have been installed, the problem should be resolved in 2-8 weeks depending on how many egg sacs you may or may not have on the property.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Roach Control Article:  http://www.germanroaches.com/roach-control

Roach Gel:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/gel/maxforce-magnum-roach-gel-1-oz

Roach Traps:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/pheromone-and-food/roach-trap-6-pack

Definitely the CYPERMETHRIN. This active is both fast working and repellent by nature. Spray it on the building and in the turf. If you cover the entire area between the two houses, you’ll stop any from migrating to your mothers house. ‘

I also suggest you apply some COMPLETE GRANULES to the turf first, prior to spraying, as they will help provide longer protection and overall better results. They’ll also take care of any that may be nesting in the turf which cockroaches will commonly do.

As you now know, German cockroach infestations can get large and when left uncared for, will spread from house to house throughout the neighborhood. Be sure to treat the inside with some ROACH GEL so you’ve got the inside protected. And be sure to spray the yard again if you find out the tenants are about to be evicted. Many times the act of tenants leaving can cause a large exodus of roaches from the infested house seeking a new location and during this time, they’ll leave the rental house in droves. It’s then that you’ll want to refresh your granules and Cypermethrin to make sure you’ve got the area well treated.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Cypermethrin:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin

Complete Granules:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/granule/complete-insect-killer-granules

Roach Gel:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/gel/maxforce-magnum-roach-gel-1-oz

Cockroach Control:  http://www.germanroaches.com/roach-control