No. In general, one must be extra careful when spraying anything liquid or aerosol around electric outlets, light sockets and  in general, anything “electrical”. This includes TV’s, computers, microwaves, etc. Liquids can “short out” electric appliances and should never be sprayed on them; aerosols contain solvents which are highly corrosive and can both short out electric connections as well as cause the kind of damage that can lead to fires. The corrosive nature of most any aerosol will rot away electric connections, wires, fittings and sockets.

The best treatment for use around sensitive electric appliances, light sockets and other areas which host electricity is either ROACH GEL or DRIONE DUST. The Roach Gel is easy and effective with just small dabs about the size of a grain of rice needed. This means you can usually bait these areas without making a mess or leaving much trace following the application. The only problem with gel around electricity is that in some cases the area will get too warm causing the gel to melt. This can definitely happen in most any light socket so if the light sockets you want to treat will be hosting light bulbs that are kept on, go with the Drione.

The second good option is Drione Dust which won’t be affected by heat. Another big advantage with Drione is that once it’s applied, the treatment will last pretty much forever (or at least as long as the light socket stays dry). All it takes is a light amount puffed into the socket using a HAND DUSTER. Drione is highly repellent to any roach and 2-3 light puffs will do the trick.

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

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

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

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

Actually, what you’re describing is quite normal. As our COCKROACH CONTROL ARTICLE explains, most homeowners will only see 1% of the local roach population so given that you’ve only seen one, it means there are many others around that could have laid eggs. And since baby roaches are not nearly as timid or afraid like adult roaches, they tend to wander out in the open. Therefore you see them a lot more frequently compared to adult roaches. This also means that even if you only have 5 -10 babies but 50 adults, the odds are high you’ll mostly be seeing babies.

At this point I hope you’ve left plenty of spaces to bait and allow the roaches to move. You see, dust’s like Boric Acid will repel roaches and chase them away. This is a good thing to do when you’re trying to prevent getting them. But once you get them it’s best not to dust but instead to allow the roaches free roam and attack them with a gel roach bait. This way you know exactly where they’re located, where to bait, etc. Additionally, gel based products don’t do well when they interact with dust (the dust contaminates the gel) so for now, I strongly recommend vacuuming up the BORIC ACID ASAP so you don’t make it near impossible for the gel to work.

Now once you vacuumed up all the dust, wipe the area down with a damp paper towel or rag to remove any excess and you’ll have the area ready for a gel treatment. So in theory, if you clean up properly, the roaches should once again have free roam. This way the ADVION can do what it does best and if it does, the roaches will be gone in 3-6 weeks. At that time you can go ahead and set out Boric Acid for roach prevention and not have it interfere with any other treatment.

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

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

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

Boric Acid:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/boric-acid-jt

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

He’ll need to first vacuum it as thoroughly as possible. If the bottom side has a box spring compartment, he should remove any protective barrier (fabric or plastic is commonly stapled over this area and can easily be removed) to gain access. While cleaning it he should look for evidence (roach droppings, egg sacs, etc.).

After vacuuming it, he should apply ROACH GEL throughout the entire inside from the bottom access point. Use 1/2 tube for the initial treatment. Roaches won’t be able to ignore this offering and in all likelihood, this will be fed upon by any roach in the area which will die.

But to be 100% sure the problem is under control, he should install ROACH BAIT STATIONS as well. These can be left on the top of the sofa every night for at least 2 months after he gets the couch. Have him place out 6-12, every night, to make sure no roach is missed.

The great thing about baiting with the stations is that you can remove them anytime and replace them as needed. This way if people are coming over, you can make the couch presentable and then later that evening place the stations out again without making a mess or spraying anything.

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 Bait Stations:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/stations/maxforce-roach-bs-72bags

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

For every box you pack that’s 16x16x16 or less, place a single ROACH BAIT STATION in it during the packing process. For boxes larger, use two stations. These roach bait stations contain a bait deep inside the station which roaches love. If you pack any roaches during the move, they’ll be hungry and no doubt smell the bait. This will lead them to the station where they’ll feed and die.

When you arrive at your new abode and unpack, recycle the roach stations by placing them out in the kitchen, living room, bedroom, etc. We also suggest you set out some ROACH TRAPS out in as many rooms as possible. Both the bait stations and the roach traps are non toxic to people and pets but work very well at controlling roaches. More importantly, they’ll alert you to any roaches you may have brought with you  or if the new residence already has roaches.

You should also consider setting out a FIRST ALERT BED BUG TRAP when you first move in. These traps are amazing at catching bed bugs and will do so immediately when set out and it gets dark. This way if the new building has any bed bugs, you’ll know within a day so you can decide to stay or move. Right now you may have roaches on your mind but in the last year, we’ve come to learn that bed bugs are running equal with roaches when it comes to listing the most likely pest you’ll find in your new home.

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

Roach Bait Stations:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/stations/maxforce-roach-bs-72bag

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

Bed Bug Monitor: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/pheromone-and-food/bed-bug-first-response-trap-monitor

Tenting should not be done. First, it’s very expensive. For the average home it generally costs $5,000 to $10,000. For a 5 unit condo? Who knows. Second, this kind of procedure is rarely if ever used for roach control and in this day and age, the only time it’s employed is for termites or some other kind of wood destroying organism.

But I also believe that spraying isn’t the answer. As you read in our ROACH CONTROL ARTICLE, it’s very hard to get control of a standard roach infestation in just a single family home when it’s empty when using the old “spray” methods. For multi unit complexes which are occupied? I’d say it’s pretty much impossible. The main reason for this is largely based on the lack of having access to all the key spots that will need treatments. More importantly, the roaches can be in so many locations that it’s just not possible to treat them all via spraying unless you are able to come over a several month period, keep detailed records of what you did, where the roaches are, etc., and use the same technicians over and over who truly want to get rid of the problem. Getting any company to meet all these variables is near impossible these days so I would say the spraying method probably won’t work given the information  you’ve provided.

That being said, I do believe you can get control with bait. And even if the neighbors didn’t follow the routine, you could do it without them following suite. Basically what you’ll need to do is to set out nothing but the ADVION and MAXFORCE ROACH GEL in all the rooms where you see activity. Once placed out, I’m certain the roaches in your unit will feed and die. More importantly, any foraging into your unit will find your placements (as long as you keep them fresh), eat some and die so that future infestations could be avoided no matter how bad it gets in your neighbors living areas.

So for now, I’d recommend the baiting only approach. I also suggest you set out some ROACH TRAPS throughout your unit so you can monitor the situation. In most cases the traps will catch roaches in locations that before were being ignored. This extra bit of information is both helpful and sometimes critical in solving roach problems.

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

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

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-packs

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

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