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

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

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

NNZ:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page884.html

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

www.bugspray.com

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

www.bugspray.com

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

www.bugspray.com

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

www.bugspray.com

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.

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.

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.