I recently went to a family members’ home to visit and didn’t realize until it was too late that they have a german roach infestation. I am pregnant and the point of the trip was to get some stuffed animals I had there when I was a kid. I am concerned because I thought that I wouldn’t have a problem as long as I washed the toys immediately, but my husband won’t allow them in the house. And after I mentioned that I had seen one in the car, I don’t blame him! However, I was wondering if there was a way to prevent the roaches from entering the house on/in the stuffed animals. I have them outside in garbage bags at the moment and I also cleared out my suitcase and inspected it and put all of the clothes in garbage bags to be washed at the laundromat. Please help! My husband and I are horrified that these things are going to end up in the house!

No doubt roaches can live on and in stuffed animals. The folds, spaces and voids of the material is an ideal location for them when given the chance, they’ll readily take advantage of any they can find close to food. To be sure the ones you have are roach free, storing them out of the home in plastic bags is the first step. Next, you’ll want to place some of the ROACH GEL into each bag too. This will readily be found and consumed by any roaches that might be present and once they eat it, they’ll die. The use of the gel is by far the safest method of treating given the item that’s infested and with you being pregnant. In fact the gel doesn’t have to contact the animals at all; you only need to have some placed in the bag and they’ll find it since they will no doubt be starving.

Once the gel is applied, let it sit in the bags for at least 2 weeks. In fact I would say to let the treatment sit for 6 weeks to be 100% sure you don’t miss any egg sacs that might hatch following the initial treatment. This is the general guideline we use when treating homes and apartments and the same time line applies regardless of what you’re targeting. By waiting it out this long you’ll be sure to break the cycle.

Here’s a direct link to the roach gel and more information on roaches:

Roach Gel Explained:  http://www.germanroaches.com/roach-control#roach_bait

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

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

First, there is nothing to be scared about so tell everyone to stay calm. As our GERMAN ROACH CONTROL ARTICLE explains, these guys can most definitely be controlled with the right products and a little patience.

Second, in the article you’ll see several control options with one of the most common employed being a bait. No doubt you’ll get the best results if you use 2-3 different baits but if you’re on a limited budget, get the MAXFORCE GEL and with this product alone I’m sure you’ll knock out any roaches currently in your apartment as well any that might enter in the coming months. All you’ll need to do is refresh the placements every 2-3 months and you should be able to keep them at bay.

Lastly, doing this work yourself will no doubt save you plenty of money compared to using a service and since we’re selling what the professionals use, you can in fact get the same results with a little help from us on how to use the products we’re recommending.

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

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

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

No. If you read through our ROACH CONTROL ARTICLE, you’ll learn they’re very tolerant of temperature extremes. In fact, most insects will slow up and go “dormant” as it gets cold. But this doesn’t kill them. Considered “cold blooded”, insects merely go into a state of suspended animation. This is when their molecular processes slow and require very little food or nutrients. It’s this state that enables them to endure long periods of time with no food, water or even what we consider to be “warm” temps. Now how long can they do this? No one really knows for sure but based on observations both afield and in the lab, it’s thought at least one species (the German Roach) can last a year if not longer in this state. If anything, the cold would actually help them endure the same environment longer because it will slow their internal processes.

I also think that freezing the home could present a host of other problems that would prove costly. My first concern would be freezing pipes. Water supply lines, toilets, hot water heaters – all of these would be at risk not to mention the prospect of unwanted entry. And what unwanted entry am I thinking of? The first would be people but don’t forget the local wildlife. Birds, squirrels, rats, mice just to name a few would no doubt wander inside. Some would come and go but I’m certain others would nest, chew and destroy things so I don’t think this approach would be a smart undertaking.

But if you are willing to leave the home for an extended period of time and do a thorough cleaning prior to leaving, I am certain you could achieve good success by baiting with ROACH GEL. However, I would also suggest you leave the home heated during this time. In fact, keeping it extra warm would get the roaches really active. And if there was no food inside except the Gel, they would no doubt eat it. This of course would kill them all off and I would expect that after 2 months of time, most if not all should be dead. Remember, roaches are cannibalistic and will readily eat their own kind. As roaches die from the Gel, others will feed on them which in turn will kill them too. So if you do in fact remove everything edible in the home,  a complete treatment of Gel throughout the home would be one of the best ways to control the problem.

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

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

Roach Gel:  http://www.bugspray.com/item/magnum-roach-gel.html

You stated that you read through our online GERMAN ROACH CONTROL ARTICLE which is where we list the products you’ll need to use for this problem. As detailed in the article, the ROACH GEL is definitely the way to go inside. It’s easy to apply, readily accepted by the roaches and will knock out any problem.

But using the Gel outside is tough if not impossible to use successfully due to a host of reasons. Combine this with the level of infestation you claim is present, I’d go with the CYPERMETHRIN instead. It can be applied to the turf, plants and siding of the home safely and will provide a quick knockdown, repellancy and in the end, control. I recommend treating the entire property at least once using about 1 finished gallon of product for every 1000 sq/ft of turf. Roaches will nest down in the ground under leaf litter, grass clippings and general debris. In southern climates they’ll live outside all year long and since mulch, compost piles, grass clippings, thatch and other organic debris will stay “warm” as it decomposes, there is usually a zone of heat created that will enable them to get through the harshest of winters remaining active all the while.

Applications of Cypermethrin to the turf will result in a quick kill of any insects living there. Spraying the side of the home will kill and repel any from the structure which in your case could be important. Based on what is happening around the neighborhood, it’s entirely likely more will be foraging onto your property on a regular basis so you’ll be prone to reinfestation. To keep this from happening, apply some COMPLETE GRANULES to the turf every 1-2 months at the rate of 20 lbs per 10,000 sq/ft. And if you intend on keeping any porch or patio lights on around the house, spray the outside house siding with the Cypermethrin during this same time interval to keep new ones off the building as well.

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

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

Maxforce Roach Gel:  http://www.bugspray.com/item/magnum-roach-gel.html

Cypermethrin:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page14.html

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

Thanks for the help.

If you review our online ROACH CONTROL ARTICLE, you’ll see we have several spray options that will handle this problem. No doubt the ORTHENE WP with GENTROL added to the tank mix would help. Since rough cut wood tends to be very absorbent, you’ll get better lasting results with a wettable powder formulation like the Orthene. CYPERMETHRIN WP would be a good choice too and since it’s more repellent compared to the Orthene, it might provide faster results.

FYI, there are many kinds of roaches that will live and thrive outside including wood, Asian, oriental and even German roach species. To get established, they’ll need a good food supply and both plants and trees will many times provide all they need. Rough cut or any freshly cut lumber tends to leak sap and in particular, pine sap is both highly nutritious and palatable. I suspect they’re either eating the sap or hiding amongst the joints or seams the lumber might inadvertently be providing.

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

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

Orthene WP:  http://www.bugspray.com/item/orthene_wp.html

Gentrol:  http://www.bugspray.com/item/454333.html

Cypermethrin WP:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page279.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

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!

But yet ever time I visit to do work, I find roaches all over the place.

Why are they coming in to the house when there is no food to be found???

Love your website by the way.  Also had a chance to visit your store last week.  Great service, great help.  Thanks!

There are several reasons why this happens. First, roaches don’t do much except look for food and nest sites. When food is scarce, they are forced to forage more than they’d like. I suspect this is happening at your second house. When food is plentiful, roaches are able to get their fill when they feel most secure and will spend more time hiding out of sight. But if the local food supply is limited, they’ll have to come out more and forage more so in the end, there is a greater chance of them being seen. Clearly this is happening at your location.

Second, as explained in our GERMAN ROACH CONTROL article, roaches can live 6 months or longer without food. So even if you removed all there was for them to eat, you would still expect to see them foraging around for a good 6-12 months under normal conditions expected life spans.

Third, roaches are cannabilistic. They love to eat other roaches. I’m sure there are lots of dead roaches hidden behind walls and under things which are providing ample nutrition and food for the local population. These carcasses can conceiveably sustain an active roach population indefinitely.

Fourth, roaches will commonly feed on things people don’t consider to be food. These items include fabric (furniture, drapes, carpets, etc), paper products (boxes, paper plates, paper), wall paper, wall paper glue, insulation and basically most any construction component found in most homes these days.

In summary, roaches are great survivors. They’re both adaptable and persistent. They’re able to survive on material commonly found around most any house that most people don’t consider to be “food”. With this in mind, it’s no wonder they can remain active in an abandoned house indefinitely. So if you wish to get rid of them, you’ll need to do some baiting and the ROACH GEL is ideal for this type of problem. Since it’s so much more attractive to what they’ve been forced to feed on, the gel will readily be accepted and in most cases, the population will be knocked out in 3-6 weeks once it works it’s way into the bulk of the population.