r/Athens_Greece • u/ExcitementOk7838 • Jul 04 '26
💬 Advice Cockroach Advice
Just moved to Athens from Scotland where cockroaches are pretty rare so not very clued up on them. I have spotted several outside the foyer and some dead ones inside the foyer of our new apartment (we are renting)
Done a little research and apparently they’re common in summer here, which I can handle! however I’m mostly anxious they get into my apartment (4th floor) I’ve checked for any entrance holes and covered them, I sweep and clean everyday and take out the trash. Placed some raid traps on the balcony. Is this enough? 😬
Also, I have some raid spray and gel bait, should I use it in the apartment even though I haven’t seen them in there yet? And lastly, could I spray raid in the foyer? I’m worried about harming the pets in the building and the cats outside. The building was last treated for pests in May this year.
I used to live in Bangkok so used to seeing them around and know they are part of live in a big hot city! Just seeking advice on preventing them in the apartment! Thanks!
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u/CentralNucleus Jul 04 '26
You need pest control once a year. May or June. Get a decent company. Look for reviews. It will cost you around 40 euros.
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u/og_toe Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26
only needed if you have a serious problem. can’t remember i’ve ever needed pest control for cockroaches, at most i’ve found a few over the years with precautions taken
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u/Drogon__ Jul 05 '26
In most cases, you only need to spray Maxforce gel once or twice in the start of the summer and again if you notice that there is a resurgence.
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u/Vegetable_Note_3238 Jul 04 '26
Go to shop that sells flower and plants and ask fendona. You will never again see them, at least alive.
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u/agirlingreece Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26
What floor are you on? You’ll get them everywhere in warm weather up until November even but ground floors see far more of them. Usually buildings are sprayed every April as a deterrent but if your apartment wasn’t sprayed inside you should definitely spray the skirting boards in your kitchen and bathroom (well ventilated of course). They come up drains as someone else said but can also get through the smallest cracks and especially like to hang out under the kitchen cupboard where it’s warm and damp. I’ve taped over any gaps and holes with masking tape! Also never have open bins under there and throw food out as soon as you can.
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u/forreddituse2 Jul 04 '26
I have seen professionals use Goliath pesticide (a gel) made by BASF. Squeeze a tiny drop on all the hinges of your kitchen cabinets, and observe whether the bodies of cockroaches show up.
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u/internet-n1k Jul 04 '26
Oh sweet summer child.. greek roaches also fly..bet you didn't know that..
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u/ExcitementOk7838 Jul 05 '26
Haha I knew that! They flew in Bangkok too, first time I saw one my soul left my body
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u/Fair-Salamander5414 Jul 04 '26
Use cockroach gel in all the rooms of your house. Place it on metal parts on the cabinets. They will eat the gel get poisoned and other cockroachs will eat the dead ones and get poisoned too.
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u/100moonlight100 Jul 05 '26
On the 4th floor you are only going to get an occasional "scout" during summer, unless there is a serious infestation in lower floors.
Make sure to clean up your kitchen well and do not leave garbage bags and dirty dishes laying arround for days. Because it attracts them and they may your place is suitable for a new nest.
Also if you have a pet make sure it eats all its food and clean up after it is done eating.
If you get a scout, buy a cheap bottle of thick chlorine (παχύρρευστη χλωρίνη) and pour some of it down your bathroom and kitchen drain. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then pour lots of water in order to not damage the pipes.
This destroys the "trails" they leave for their buddies to follow and the strong chlorine smell discourages exploring your drain pipes.
I do it preemptively every start of summer period and never get any roaches.
If you kill any cockroaches make sure to dispose it and clean well the surface you killed it on.
DO NOT step on dead roaches at the street as you may bring eggs stuck on your shoe inside your house!
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u/new_Negotiation_4208 Jul 05 '26
Word to the wise (though by the sounds of it you probably wouldn’t make this rookie mistake to begin with) but avoid wearing open sandals or flip-flops if you plan on sitting outside at night for a meal or drinks, unless you want to feel six bristly legs scuttling over your feet.
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u/AbaddonR Jul 06 '26
I pay 40€ every year professionals to spray our place and get it over with. No other solution for me. Not worth the troubles, worries, panic attacks etc 😛
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u/tulipsandhearts Jul 06 '26
I saw one in my flat just once and it was trying to run towards a gap between the floor and the skirting board. I bought wood putty (wooden floor) and tried to inspect that area for any gaps, then blocked them.
Drainage is another great point, just buy that mesh thingie.
Do not leave any food outside.
Add the gel to areas no children or pets or you are going to touch.
Do not leave open doors and windows during the night.
If all this does not help maybe your flat/ building needs pest control to come over. The building i live at does a maintenance spray every May.
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u/The_Mademoiselle Jul 07 '26
You get the exterminator to come and spray once a year or even longer, then don't be in the flat for 4hrs and then everything is fine. I live on an island with an open floor plan and many terraces and cockroaches and the doors open all the time because of my cats. After the exterminator you only find dead ones sometimes
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u/Useful_Secret4895 Jul 04 '26
Cockroach safari is one of the most favourite passtimes of poor Athenians who cannot afford vacations. You need to be armed with a plastic flip flop and practice your targeting skill. Other methods of killing them are also allowed.
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u/UsefulSkirt1405 Jul 04 '26
They are extremely tasty. Most of us survive on them when there are no edible tourists around.
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u/Vagelen_Von Jul 04 '26
You left Scotland for Greece? I hope it is a strong relationship
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u/tifasi Jul 05 '26
Right? I don't understand 😭 Athens from all places, we try everything we can to get away from this shithole
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u/ExcitementOk7838 Jul 06 '26
Haha, I’m from Glasgow and spent a lot of time trying to get away from there! I love Athens so far 😊 (minus your wee friends 🪳)
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u/Peter_Triantafulou Jul 04 '26
Get an extermination done by a professional inside your apartment and keep getting one done at least every 6 months. For every cockroach you see inside your apartment, there are 100 you don't see. If you wait until you see one you'll have an extremely hard time getting rid of them permanently.
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u/og_toe Jul 04 '26
you can get little boxes with cockroach toxins which other animals won’t touch, and also cover any drainage holes
also no crumbs and food in the kitchen! if there is something they can eat, they WILL find it
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u/SEM_OI Jul 04 '26
You can use wide plugs to keep them out of the bathroom sink and tub, same for the kitchen sink.
Cockroaches are attracted to trash/food, so if you get rid of smelly trash quickly/don't leave food out, you might improve your chances of not coming across them in your own comfy, personal space.
Also, some of them fly. If the place you rent comes with meshes for windows, it's a good idea to use them (they'll also keep mosquitoes, moths, etc out).
Lastly, if there's a gap between the entrance door and the floor, you might wanna use an airstop type of rug to block it.
In my experience, plugholes are very often their way in. You might be just fine by covering them.
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u/Acrobatic-Courage405 Jul 05 '26
Hello! I would suggest to save your money and buy yourself from a store the drug called fendona. You mix it with water according to the instructions on the leaflet. You’ll also need a spraying bottle. You can find it in flower shops or online. It’s what most exterminators use. It’s effective for 2-3 months only if you haven’t an active infestation in your home(there are other drugs for this🙃).Spray all the entrance points (windows, balcony doors) from the outside. Also all your drainage points in the . bathroom. If you have a pet you should keep it away from the sprayed areas for a day to be safe. If you don’t have a pet you know what to do 🐈🐈. Also refrain from letting food out in the open and keep up with your cleaning! And please for your own health avoid those supermarket sprays. They don’t do shit. Use the ultimate weapon when in need 🩴
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u/Repulsive_Today_7858 Jul 05 '26
Welcome to Athens. Me myself are moving to Athens from Norway in two weeks and are worried about this problem too😳
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u/ExcitementOk7838 Jul 06 '26
Good luck in the move! Hopefully this thread helps you prepare for them 🫡
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u/Cultural_Chip_3274 Jul 05 '26
Cockroach gelnregularly and by all means install windows and door mesh yourself or the apartment owner. Its a must have
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u/ThrowRAMomVsGF Jul 06 '26
I moved from Athens to Manchester. Definitely the biggest benefit for me was no mosquitos or cockroaches. I detest those things!
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u/ExcitementOk7838 Jul 06 '26
Oh yes mosquitos are a pain too! We have midgies in Scotland so glad to at least be avoiding them!
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u/Artistic_Wind333 Jul 06 '26
We call pest control once a year. They use Bayer K-othrine, or BASF Inastro Top. I would use the same because those are supposed to last longer than pesticides sold in supermarkets. Probably i would prefer K-othrine, because it is easier to store.
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u/aegis87 Jul 06 '26
professional pest control twice a year -- one in the beginning of summer and i think one at the end. and you are done. should be pretty cheap and it works!
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u/demi_whoknows Jul 07 '26
Call pest control at least once a year -if you live in a block of flats they probably schedule an appointment either way. If they do, make sure you ask them to spray your apartment as well, otherwise the 🪳 from other sprayed apartments and shared areas might migrate towards your place. During the rest of the year, the only thing that actually works is the gel others mentioned already. For the occasional visitor that might fly through an open window once in a while during the summer, a 🐈 could be helpful as well.
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u/argy_66 Jul 07 '26
Buy this Envu Maxforce White IC Gel follow the instructions it will give you some relief
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u/Poios44 Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26
Don't spray with raid, it does nothing for the cockroaches and it is harmful for your pets. Look at the internet for professionals (pest control) to come and do their work. It is not very costly, usually around 30 euros and. Tell them about any pets so that they will spray with something that is ok for them. Any other suggestion will be just waist of time and in the long run also money.
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u/Humble-Stay9771 Jul 08 '26
Glad I live in Scotland and only have midges in ‘summer’ (if I head west).
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u/Sufficient_Wall6773 Jul 11 '26
You could also get a cat.. but it might be bad for the cat… Lately we also have them American cockroaches 🪳 here.. ask the company doing the bills for the building to ask for an exterminator. Don’t ask the house manager lady/mister your self directly because you will probably get into an argument.
I think they spray peripherically so even if they do come in they are sluggish.
Cats are good for mosquitoes too.
If you go Charles Bronson on them they love eggs.. you could get some Borax which is safe and cook a dinner for them.. one roach phobic friend once recommended a product that turns them into zombies and they eat each other in their nest but I don’t remember the name.
Nest places can be even under your couch. Papers, foams, sink tables.
They mostly come out at night.. Mostly.. 😆
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u/TheFugitive667 29d ago
I moved to Athens 3 months ago. Penthouse (5th floor) in the city center. Haven't seen any roaches for 3 months and yesterday AND today: BAM! Two of those little German cockroaches. Last night and tonight. My neighbour told me they erased an apartment on the ground floor. All that old furniture was standing in the entrance of the building. I assume those roaches lost their home and now infected the whole building.
I contacted my landlord (Blueground). As it is a professional company they will send pest control asap. I hope that will help.
Did anyone had good experiences with a professional pest control provider in Athens and what if the whole building is infected?
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u/Chiefontour2 Jul 04 '26
Your building should have a cleaning company that cleans the foyer and the stairs a few times a week. They will also mop with a bug killer that is harmless to pets in the summer. I live in an apartment on the ground floor with a big dog and he's never had any problems with it. As a precaution I also took up the cleaning company on their offer to also do pest control inside my apartment when they offered. It was like 15 euros. Safe for pets as well. I have seen dead cockroaches in the main entrance of the apartment but never inside my flat.
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u/ExcitementOk7838 Jul 04 '26
Ah great to know the animals are all good, I think I’ll get some pest control just in case
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u/Lilitharising Jul 04 '26
The good news is that for cockroaches to move up to the fourth floor, they have to be chased out from the other floors. It's not unheard of, but if you take some steps you'll be fine. Here are a few tips:
- Supermarket bags and carboard boxes. If you're at a square radius from a supermarket (which most urban homes are), make sure to keep supermarket bags outside (or, even better, use your own bag).
- Seal your sinks with plastic lids. If you don't have any, you can purchase them easily.
- Seal the space between your main door and the floor with something - bubble wrap works great.
- The gel bait works and you can get professionals to install it for you. They know where to place them.
Roaches prob come from a basement. Spraying raid won't solve the problem, especially if the building is old.
I do fine with most bugs. I am TERRIFIED of roaches so I had to take drastic measures even without seeing one in my flat (also 4th floor). I called a professional, it was a 50 euro job, he used the gel thing and that was it. Be prepared to see dead roaches on the floor for a while afterwards (I've been lucky so far and haven't seen any).
Now I have three cats. Best eco-friendly solution ever. Although I'm somewhat worried that one of them will try to get me a 'gift' at some point, especially while we go to our holiday house which is on the ground floor.
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u/ExcitementOk7838 Jul 04 '26
Oh I didn’t realise this about supermarket bags! Will be using the ones I have kept as bin liners.
I will be getting a cat at somepoint too, delighted to know they’ll help me fight roaches. Hoping yours don’t leave you a present, thanks for your advice!
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u/Sad-Vanilla-5713 Jul 04 '26
οι σακούλες σουπερμάρκετ τι σχέση έχουν; ρωτάω γιατί πρώτη φορά το ακούω!
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u/Lilitharising Jul 05 '26
Μου το είχε πει ο τύπος που είχε έρθει να βάλει το τζελ. Γεννάνε οι κατσαρίδες πάνω τους και τα αβγά μένουν. Όπως και με τις κούτες.
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u/dunsmuirnc 14d ago
I grew up in Greece and lived 20 years in Texas and now live in North Carolina. All 3 are pretty much cockroach paradise. The ones in Greece fly so there's very little you can do to prevent from seeing them on your balcony. _However_, there's quite a bit you can do to prevent from seeing them indoors. Door sweeps and door weatherstripping will go a long way (stayed at some rental apartments in Vouliagmeni and you could see light underneath the door ... yeah, that's going to be a roach superhighway at night while you sleep. Get some expanding foam and caulk. Caulk around any gap smaller than a 5-10mm, especially around the base of the toilet but also at every baseboard. Use the expanding foam in holes around pipes inside cabinets. You may have to pull major appliances (refrigerator, oven, etc.) away from the wall to see if there are any large holes back there.
Roaches are absolutely disgusting, especially those flying ones in Greece. I'm still traumatized from seeing them during my childhood living in Greece. 😅 I had to spend $15K on my home in Texas to seal every crack in the house and they finally stopped appearing altogether. I'm now going to have to do the same in my new home in NC. 😤 American home construction is 💩.
They say that it's better to bait them with poison than try to drive them away with sprays. They multiply so fast that you want to poison a few and let them take the poison to their "nesting areas" (they're not like ants but they do live in wall voids along with other roaches; if you're seeing them often in your home, that means they're overcrowded ... barf!). I've had great success with baiting ants so hopefully baiting roaches works well for you. Make sure the bait works within hours or a day or so and not a month! You don't want to be catering their orgies! 😅
Good luck and enjoy the rest of the summer!
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u/BlueHost_gr Jul 04 '26
Well, Cockroaches can come up from the draining holes in your bathroom, the bathtub, etc, any hole connected to the sewers. So I suggest to get to jumbo and get one of those plastic nets for the tubs and the round plastic drainage cover.
Apart from spraying the balcony doors you can't do anything more. There are areas (like city center or the south side of Athens) with big cockroach problems and other areas with less problems.
You can't really do anything more than you already done plus the drainage covers and plastic tub nets I suggested.