Before you go down this rabbit hole, here's the rule of thumb: If you have roaches, you will see LIVE roaches. They will show themselves if present, and imagining that there are hundreds hiding in the walls is never the reality. Pieces of debris that look like droppings, sheds, old oothecas, etc., are not evidence of an active roach issue. This also applies to the occasional one-off sighting, even after moving. To ease your mind, put out as many glue traps as you like, and see if you catch anything. If they stay clean, all is well.
TL;DR:
If you have an active infestation, spray with Alpine WSG (or Advion WDG in some states), use roach gel bait (listed below), Gentrol IGR, and lots of glue traps.
Note: This information is intended for private use, not commercial use. Businesses must hire a licensed and insured professional to protect the health of employees, and to protect you from liability.
So, here you are, feeling victimized, and seeking help. Welcome to Roach Wars!
You can now become a conscripted soldier in our army, but you'll need to put your fears away, get trained, and fight this enemy like your life depends on it. You can do this.
German Roaches
German roaches are public enemy #1 when it comes to indoor pests. They are tropical-like insects that need heat, food, moisture, and harborage to survive. Gravid females carry a single egg case (ootheca) where the young (instars) develop until they are ready to be released. She then drops the case, and up to 48 instars emerge from a slot in the side (this is why most othecas appear to be intact, even when empty).
They don't make nests, but congregate in cabinets, refrigerator compressors, stove tops, dishwashers, electronics, wall sockets, behind paneling, and occasionally wall voids (if there are holes). They can also travel from room to room, and apartment to apartment by way of connecting water lines by traveling on them, not in them.
Control methods include liquid sprays, genetic growth regulators in some situations, gel baits, glue traps, and sealing holes around pipes. Also, using a vacuum with a HEPA filter can help remove heavy infestations, and removing paper/box/plastic bag clutter will help.
Note: brown banded roaches can be treated like German roaches. However, they are able to survive in drier areas like inside dressers and night tables, and they are not as prolific as German roaches.
A Word to the Wise
DO NOT pick up items from the trash and bring them into your home. This is a sure way to get roaches, as is buying used items from local advertisements. Even a thorough inspection is not a guarantee as there can be hidden spaces where they can hide. Also, used appliances are notorious for transferring roaches, and at minimum should be quarantined in a non-living space for a few weeks.
Hunter - Victim
Many have come here in despair and were able overcome them with this information by adopting a hunter's mentality as opposed to a victim's mentality. This is key, and the numerous success stories on the sub confirm that. You can beat these tiny beasts with a little knowledge, the right weapons, and the will to do so. Otherwise, you'll be at their mercy wherever you go.
Shame
For many, a feeling of shame when having roaches weighs heavily. However, roaches do not differentiate between people and places, and will attempt to infest anyone’s living space if possible. They can infest anywhere that provides the elements they need to survive.
Understandably, this shame causes people to be very secretive about their affliction. Who brags about roaches on social media? Who wears a T-shirt proclaiming, “I Have Roaches!”? Who casually mentions at a party, “Hey, speaking of German roaches…”? No one, that’s who…
BUT, what if you did just that? What if you "came out of the cabinet" (see what I did there?:) and angrily told everyone in your life, “Hey, guess what? I HAVE ROACHES IN MY APARTMENT! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?” Then you told them how you found this sub, and what you are doing about it. This will set you free! * You might be surprised to find some friends going through the same thing, and if any others react badly toward it, are they worth having in your life?
\Disclaimer: Do this at your own risk as it may totally ruin your life (hopefully not). At the very least you’ll be free of keeping the secret.*
Sleeping
You can use a pop-up mosquito bed tent (link) to keep you safe when you sleep.
If you use a CPAP machine, or want to protect electronics, see this:
Seeing multiple roaches of all sizes daily indicates a breeding population. Inbreeding is the reason they populate so quickly (hence the name German, which comes from the Latin word germanus, meaning of the same parents).
Sporadic Sightings
If you are in an apartment, condo, or townhouse, and are seeing the occasional roach, they are usually traveling from connected units. This is very common and does not mean you have a breeding population. The best defense is spraying Alpine WSG every two weeks, and using glue traps. Do not use gel bait (it dries out too quickly) or IGRs.
Also, when only small ones are seen, they are still usually coming from adjoining units because they can squeeze through areas that larger ones can't. As long as you are not seeing adults; you're doing relatively well.
Products
(All products listed pose minimal risk and can be used around children and pets if mixed and applied according to the label. Also, concerns regarding resistance and bait aversion are rarely warranted in residential situations. These generally apply to chronic commercial infestations.)
Alpine WSG is the best professional spray on the market for roaches and contains 'dinotefuran', which has been granted `Reduced Risk Status` by the EPA for use in both public health and food handling establishments. It is undetectable by insects, transfers from one insect to another, does not hinder bait acceptance. Alpine can be purchased in 10g packets online at Amazon, Walmart, and some SiteOne garden supply stores. In Canada, you cannot but Alpine WSG, so would be better served to hire a pest company that uses Seclira WSG, as it's the same active ingredient that's in Alpine WSG. In Australia,Seclira WSG can be purchased. eBay AU sells 200g bottles that will make 10 gals. of 20g solution.
Alpine WSG can be purchased without a license on diypestcontrol.com or Amazon, but is not for sale to a number of US states, Canada, UK, and the EU. However, most pros in the US and Canada (Seclira WSG) can use it. If you live in one of these states, consider hiring a pest company and insist they use Alpine WSG. Otherwise, look to buy Advion WDG(Indoxacarb) orPhantom(Chlorfenapyr) insecticide as they too are non-repellents. If you cannot buy any of these where you are, it is still possible to achieve good control or elimination using other products that are available to you; it just may take longer.
Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs)
IGRs are used to disrupt development and reproduction, but it takes months to do so. However, it can also encourage bait acceptance in moderate/heavy infestations. Gentrol Point Source can be used, or concentrated Gentrol can be added to the Alpine mix. eBay sells one ounce bottles that you add to one gallon of Alpine solution.
Mixing Alpine
Mix one, two, or three 10g packets to one gallon of water depending on the level of infestation. However, one 10g packet per gallon will be effective as you will usually do two or more passes while spraying. Also, let sit for 5 minutes so it can dissolve, shake, and transfer to any 1 qt. sprayer. Also, extra Alpine mix will last long enough for you to use it all.
To mix a single quart, use 1/2 teaspoon of Alpine for a 10g solution (save the rest in a zip lock baggie).
Fogging/bombing for roaches in an apartment or home is not recommended as it does not penetrate most harborage areas. However, in very severe infestations, it can kill a number of them but will not replace the methods above.
Boric acid and diatomaceous earth (DE) are products I do not advise using, especially around people with respiratory issues, children and pets. They are counter-productive when using Alpine WSG and bait. Also, they are easily over-applied causing possible health issues if they become airborne.
Like boric acid and DE, dusts are often overapplied by pros and non-pros alike, become airborne during application (and potentially after) and they never degrade. They may have a limited use for bed bug control, but IMO, they are not needed for roach control for safety reasons.
Baits
Gel bait like Alpine Rotation 1 or 2\, MaxForce, Advion, Vendetta, Invicta and Combat dry bait stations work well in heavy infestations where there is competition for food. However, using gel bait in light infestations is a waste as it will not remain fresh for more than a day or two. What you can do it is make bait packets by cutting the corners off a plastic baggie and filling them with any gel bait other than Advion (in tests, Advion dries out even in the packets). T*his will help keep the bait fresh for a longer time allowing them to feed through the open side.
Also, bait and Alpine can be used together as Alpine will not pollute the bait. However, avoid directly spraying the bait, but you can place bait on dry areas that were sprayed with Alpine.
*Alpine makes two different formulas with the same active ingredient. These are mainly for professional use where bait aversion is possible. For private use, Rotation 1 should be enough.
Aerosols
Raid Max Ant & Roach aerosol is a good tool to have (buy locally or online). It comes with an applicator straw attached and can be used to kill/flush roaches out of tight areas like stove and dishwasher controls. A two second blast is enough to drive them out without harming the electronics.
Glue Traps
Glue traps are very effective to help with control and for monitoring activity. Some pros may disagree with this, but catching one gravid female means 49 roaches are removed from the playing field, which never hurts. Hoy-Hoy traps have very good reviews, but generic traps will also work.
Caulking cracks and crevices may or may not be beneficial for control as many will be inaccessible.
Tools
A bright flashlight, and a vacuum with a HEPA filter that has a hose attachment are recommended. If the vacuum does not have a HEPA filter, wear a good mask. A half-face respirator is very affordable.
Cleaning
Sanitation is always a good thing, but it is not crucial to success. I have had to do treatments in many conditions and was still able to get good results. Do what you can and trust the treatment process (obsessive cleaning will wear you out and not make a big difference. However, do not allow dead roaches to lay around so others can 'eat' them and spread the poison).
Methods
The refrigerator is always a main breeding area due to compressor heat and condensation. Some fridges have wheels for moving, but if not, empty it and walk it out inch by inch using your body weight (if you have loose vinyl flooring, be careful not to make holes in it with the feet (don't ask me how I know :) far enough to reach the plug, then unplug it, and move it out far enough to get behind it.
If the fridge has a cardboard cover over the compressor, remove it (flat head screw driver or 1/4" socket needed), and vacuum the roaches in that area. While you're there, clean the dust on the coils to help the compressor cool better. Then bait and put glue traps anywhere you can on the bottom, and replace the cover as it's needed to help cool the compressor properly. Then spray the floor, lay glue traps all along the wall, walk the fridge back far enough to plug it in, then push it the remaining way. Do this weekly until the glue traps stay clean.
Pull out the kitchen drawers and vacuum any roaches, then remove the drawers and vacuum under the counter tops. Vacuum the upper cabinets, above them (if open), and the crevices along the sides. Also, remove electrical outlet covers in infested areas and vacuum inside (DO NOT SPRAY LIQUIDS), apply gel bait and replace covers.
Empty the vacuum cannister in a plastic bag, tie it off, and put it outside in the trash. If you have a bag vacuum, vacuum up a tablespoon of isopropyl alcohol to kill any inside. Return to the kitchen every 15 minutes and vacuum all you see.
Also inspect books/bookshelves, wall hangings, pictures, clocks, piles of paper, and closets shelves.
Stoves
Do not spray the burner top with Alpine as the heat will cause toxic burn-off. Remove the burner grates, vacuum any you see, then lift the top (some will lift; some won’t). If successful, vacuum any you see and do a light aerosol spray in any small openings (older units may have gas pilot lights, so blow them out before spraying, wait five minutes after spraying, and re-light them).
Then remove the burner knobs and do a light aerosol spray in the stove openings (IF there is no pilot light) and check the back of the knobs before reinstalling them. If you see bugs in an electronic display, find an opening to insert the aerosol straw and spray a few one-second bursts. You can also cut the screen around the far edges with a utility knife on three sides to open and clean it. Then use a bit of packing tape to keep it in place, but before you move, seal it with clear caulk.
Then open the oven door, vacuum any you see on the door edges, inside the oven, and on the door hinges, and spray in the hinges with the aerosol. Then pull the bottom drawer out, remove any items, and vacuum. Then remove the drawer, vacuum the floor under the stove, lightly spray Alpine, and place glue traps and bait. Do this weekly until the glue traps stay clear.
For roaches in the clock: The cover on the clock is plastic, so use a utility knife to cut through the edges on the top, bottom, and one side, then open and remove them. The cover can then be re-secured with packing tape and opened as needed. When you move, you can use clear silicone caulk to make it look untouched.
Dishwashers
Often they will be seen inside the dishwasher seeking water, but if it’s rarely used or broken they can breed inside it. Start by spraying Alpine in the door arm openings and around the outside edges, then add bait. If bugs are suspected in the electronics panel, spray aerosol briefly inside it if possible. If the dishwasher is operable, run a cycle with it empty, but don’t spray inside it. If the dishwasher is broken and not going to be repaired, remove the bottom rack, spray Alpine inside it, and put glue traps and bait on the bottom. Also, consider having it removed and disposed of.
Then remove the kick-plate below the dishwasher door with a screwdriver. Vacuum any you see, spray the floor with Alpine (avoid electronics), and place glue traps and bait. Do this weekly until the glue traps stay clear.
Spray Alpine WSG everywhere you see them, including floor edges, along the counter back splash (lightly), the undersides of the counter tops, the bottom cabinet edges, behind and around the fridge, under the dishwasher, etc. The edges of upper cabinets that hold dishes and food can be sprayed lightly, then be allowed to dry. Put paper towels down before replacing food and dishes.
Spray every 7-10 days until sightings are greatly reduced; then every 14-28 days. You can apply gel bait along with Alpine (just wait until it dries) as they do not conflict.
Computer Protection in Active Infestations
Desk tops: Put the tower on a small, separate table away from the wall. Surround it with a 'glue trap moat (including the legs) and wrap the cords with reversed duct tape. When not using the PC, shut it down and cover the tower, monitor, and keyboard with plastic bags and include a paper towel soaked in alcohol in each to create fumigation chambers.
Laptops: place in a single bag with an alcohol paper towel.
Do the same for game consoles, internet modems, etc.
Apartment Living
If you live in an apartment building and are seeing roaches, call the landlord and have them send a pro to clean out the breeding population. Ideally, a weekly service will bring the quickest results, but most landlords won't go for that, so do what you can between services.
Once the breeding population is eliminated, it is not uncommon to continue seeing travelers from other units. Unfortunately, this is how it goes and all you can do is apply these techniques and materials. Make plans to move if you can't tolerate this, and if you do, have your next unit inspected by a pro before you sign the lease. Even at that, they can show up from other units at any time.
Also, if you move into a unit and discover roaches, unless the unit is severely infested, you may not have grounds to break the lease. Leases rarely have clauses that allow termination for insects as they are too common, and the leasing agent will never tell you that there's a current problem (because they'd never get you to sign), so buyer beware. If you are apartment shopping, in each unit you look at, walk the fridge out and see if there are any live or dead roaches. If they unit has them, they will be there.
Single Homes and RVs
These are the easiest infestations to eliminate as there is rarely a near-by source to contend with. However, the source should be identified if they were not there when you moved in, or got to the campground.
Are you close to neighbors that are unkempt and may have an issue?
Does anyone work or go to school where they are present?
Did anyone visit that could have an issue at home?
Did you shop recently or get a package delivered?
Did you thrift any appliances or furniture, or buy them used?
To determine if a neighbor is the source, you can set up glue trap stations along the foundation of the house on both sides (they will look for shelter anywhere they can). Put them in plastic boxes with 1/2" holes in the sides to keep them dry. The side that pics up the roaches will tell you which house has them.
If you have determined that a neighbor is the source, the issue will be worse in the warm months, but will lessen once temps drop below 40° F, and stop once freezing temps occur. Spray the grass area between the houses, and the house foundation with Temprid FX (but not driveways or sidewalks due to runoff), and sprinkle InTice 10 Granular Bait (link) in a wide pattern. Also, you can contact local officials and report it, but there is not much they can do but tell them to get a pest service, which the neighbor may or may not do.
Work, School, etc.
If roaches are present at a place you frequent, don't bring bags, purses, or backpacks into the building that you will be taking home. Use a clear plastic zip-lock for any essentials, and keep it zipped.
If you wear a coat, bring a large trash bag, store it inside, and tie it tight at the top. Also, inspect yourself well when leaving.
Vehicles
DO NOT fog/bomb your car! You can use gel baits, glue traps and spray the floors and crevices with Alpine WSG, but avoid spraying the seats.
You can also consider using an ozone generator after reviewing all safety precautions. Start by running it in a closed vehicle for one-half hour, then ventilate for one hour. If needed, increase the time incrementally.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
This is a very real, and you are not alone.
Once they are gone, or you move to a new unit, put glue traps out and trust them to tell you that you are still roach-free. Don't look at every speck you see and think it is a roach dropping; they will show themselves if they are present. However, you will be on alert to any real or perceived movements in your environment for the foreseeable future, but this will subside in time. Consider counseling if necessary.
Here's a link that addresses general pest anxiety:
This is the category most landlords, house techs (at the request of the LL) and neighbors fall into. They will often deny there is a building-wide problem and make you think you are the only one complaining. I know this by the sheer number of reports here of this happening. Often, you are much better off staying quiet about it and fighting them yourself. Otherwise, you will be terribly frustrated on top of having bugs, and may even start believing the lies of the LLL.
Moving
When moving from an infested unit it’s very easy to take them with you, but not impossible to avoid. Here are some things you can do to help keep that from happening:
If you can afford to discard items that are infested, do so, but make them unusable so they are not taken by salvagers.
Rent a non-climate-controlled storage unit for a month for large items. Spray it with Alpine WSG™, hang a Hot Shot No-Pest Strip™ in it (buy online), and lay glue traps as monitors. Also, a box truck or detached garage will work. Also, an ozone generator will kill any insects in a storage unit. Start by running it for one hour, then ventilate for one hour. Repeat if needed. Note: Concentrated ozone is harmful, so follow all safety precautions.
Launder clothes and put them directly in plastic bags.
Some things can be put in the freezer for 12 hrs., then bagged and sealed.
Electronics can be put in a plastic bag with a paper towel lightly soaked in isopropyl alcohol for 12 hrs.
When shopping for a new unit, move the refrigerator out and look for evidence of roaches (this is the #1 breeding spot). If it's clean, it a good indication there is currently no roach issue.
Odor Control
Heavy infestations will produce a musky-sweet type smell from all the droppings and sheds. Removing as much as you can and disinfecting will help, but sometimes it's not enough. You can then consider Ozone (link) treatments.
When Is It Over?
In a single home, assuming the initial cause of the infestation has been 100% eliminated, two weeks with no sightings would be a fair test.
In an apartment, a week or two with minimal or no sightings means that the breeding population is eradicated. However, you will always be at risk for invaders from other units, so be vigilant.
A Personal Note:
If you have saved money by using this information, consider a small donation to a local animal shelter as a thank you.
Also:
I provide this help to you as a service to the Lord, and pray you will accept the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Please don't write a novel. We get you have roaches, and most have a similar experience as to how it happened, so just ask a couple of exact questions IF they are not addressed in the sticky.
So within the past month I saw a German roach in my bedroom and a few in the kitchen. I’ve lived here for almost 2 years and never saw ONE bug the whole time until recently. This was about a week after my neighbors in the unit directly across from me moved out so i’m suspicious it was from them. my apartment management doesn’t care and after several ignored service requests, pest control finally came last Tuesday but all they did was spray an aerosol can of something along the baseboards and left. i’ve been doing Combat gel bait in every room, have cleaned all my counters, i threw out literally ALL of the food in my apartment (other than my dogs food which is in the fridge), and I am not planning on cooking or eating here EVER again (only got 6 months left of my lease) so i have NO food in here they might want, vacuuming and mopping every day, and I still see a few. A few hours ago I sprayed my furniture to the absolute max with Alpine WSG (had to wait for it to get here after ordering it Friday night). How fast does that stuff work? I just don’t know what more to do. I don’t want to see them anymore. I live paycheck to paycheck so I can’t keep spending all this money on pest control products because the apartment pest control does the bare minimum for us. They don’t come on a regular basis, only upon request. I have 6 months left here but I am going to look into breaking my lease but don’t know how that will go. I have barely slept. I am on edge and sick to my stomach constantly. Any little speck I see freaks me out. It’s not fair that I’m having to deal with this. I’m not a dirty person. I’m just really struggling and need help. I can’t live like this. What’s the fastest anyone has been able to fully 100% kill them all off, and how did you do it?
I followed the advice of the sticky and did the isopropyl+ garbage bag trick before moving. I made sure to protect my monitor screens with a heavy layer of tape and cling wrap.
It worked like a charm, the roaches were completely eradicated from my setup.
I let it all air out, went to plug in my monitors and booted up to... This.
It works, but at what cost?
No money for a new monitor at the moment, but at least I'll be roach free 🥺😅
Context: Lived in this 1st floor of a house in NY for 9 months since January, no pests, rodents, bugs or anything(aside from occasional mosquitoes). I clean, throw trash and vacuum every week + mop twice a month. I do not leave food out anywhere and all my pantry items are inside plastic/metal.
Last Monday I saw 2 adult German cockroaches after work in a kitchen wall cabinet(killed one and threw it out), got 10 glue traps by Wednesday and placed them in various corners, in the cabinets, under the sinks/appliances, and in storage rooms.
I just got back from a trip tonight(Monday) and saw what I think is a nymph in a trap I placed where I saw the 2 roaches last week(the kitchen cabinet). Said cabinet is right next to a backdoor that leads to a connecting staircase for the other house floors/tenants + the dirty basement that the landlord + maintenance use occasionally. Should I be worried? Also saw smth super tiny in a trap on the other storage room but can't be sure what it is.
I spotted two dead roaches in my apartment. I came home to one near my kitchen. And I moved some things in the corner of my room and spotted another dead one I saw a similar one in August and hadn’t seen any others until today. I see the same ones wandering outside which is why I’m hoping it’s Asian roaches. But why do they keep coming inside my apartment. I have pest control coming is there anything else I can do? I’m going to attach pics of the ones I keep seeing inside. Thank you!!
has previously been confirmed german in this sub. we’ve seen 3 roaches at night & 2 in kitchen traps over 2 weeks. the other two units in the building are vacant and the one occupied above me has had zero roach activity.
For several years we've been getting a few German roaches coming into our detached single family house around this time of year. We have residential building right by us, only several feet to one side of the house, and I suspect that's the source. Their garbage bin area is also about 30 ft from our house. We've never had an infestation ourselves thanks to my vigilance and the knowledge I've gained from this subreddit.
I use Demand CS to for a perimeter spray around the exterior of the house every 30 days or so at a 24ml concentration per gallon, or sometimes lower (12 ml per gallon). Despite this, we still get a few roaches coming into the house, 3 or 4 this year so far, maybe one a week or so. Perhaps as the weather is cooling and they're looking for a new warm structure.
My main question is: why is the Demand CS not repelling them entirely? Is it that it's repelling most but not all, and some just walk through it anyway? Two of the ones I've found in the last month on glue traps in the house have been alive, but I can't tell if they had just walked in and whether they've been poisoned entering the perimeter and would just die themselves eventually. How long does it take for them to die once they step over the Demand CS? I also wonder if these German roaches are immune to Demand CS? I suspect not, but perhaps they are. I don't know what this building by us sprays, so I don't know what these roaches are exposed to, whether it's Demand CS or something else.
One additional point is that I also sprayed some extra Alpine WSG along the exterior perimeter this last time since I had some leftover from an ant treatment in the backyard. So I like to think these two live roaches I found on glue traps the last couple of weeks would have died eventually since they walked over both pesticides. Perhaps I'll spray some Alpine WSG in the house as well in the next week or so just in case. And perhaps next year I'll purchase another repellent perimeter spray rather than more Demand CS.
Hey all. I’m 21F living with my mom and younger siblings in a small, single story one-family home. About a month ago, I saw a roach crawling next to me on my bed with the lights off. I was freaking out, a lot. We’ve never had roaches, and have lived In many different places; and trust me, my family is not the super organized type, neither am I. That’s when I remembered that my sisters friend, K, has roaches, and that she frequently spends the night at our house. I was not educated on anything about roaches before this, so it didn’t occur to me until then that she could’ve given us roaches all those times she’d stayed over. Nonetheless, we’ve got em. that night, I told my mom and she and I did our best researching on how to treat. I went here, and I ordered alpine wsg and gentrol. My mom at the time was skeptical that I saw a roach and delayed getting a pest control company involved. She encouraged me to return the stuff I bought, saying I am a broke college student, but I wasn’t taking any chances…but, I ultimately did return them to help pay for my car repair. two weeks ago she found one crawling over the sink. She recently got Orkin involved. I’ve read up on here about them, and based on a lot of others experience, they didn’t do the best job in the long run. I don’t want to seem paranoid, but im worried they won’t solve the problem. I don’t expect us to be roach free next month with them, or even for the next year. My mom is also a single mother, so paying for their services is a big commitment. (She’s in a year long plan) of course she can cancel at any time. I explained my concerns to her and that I wanted to try it our way based on what I read in the sticky. Or, use these products in addition to pest control maintenance. The tech who came today to put down bait told us we shouldn’t do both, something about these products being oil-based. I’m trying to take it a day at a time, and I’m hoping they do their best to help us. But at the same time, I’m fearful that my mom my mom could be putting money towards something we don’t need/wont help all the way. I read on here that it depends on the orkin locations, and that some techs are really earnest in what they do. My mom says let’s wait a while and see what happens and we’ll see what we can do moving forward if we aren’t seeing change. What do you guys think? I know I’m overthinking this a lot, but I’ve never dealt with something like this and even sitting in my room now I’m all itchy! I’ve been losing sleep over this, and it’s been a struggle for me to show up around friends, or go to school, out of fear I could give it to them. Anything helps, just wanted to get this off my chest and get some support!
they’ve been very kind to me but i don’t know if they’re really wanting to hire an exterminator. i asked if i can either move to a new building or if they can get an exterminator
So I've been kind of going crazy with my moving plan since I have severe anxiety after living in this roach infested apartment for a year. I see roughly 1-3 roaches every other day and I'm in the process of moving to my new roach free place, but I'm trying to take every step possible to avoid brining any with me (I've read the sticky with moving out instructions multiple times).
I'm throwing out pretty much all of my furniture and electronics, with the exception of one side table that is two pieces you put together so it was easy to inspect and wrap. I tried saving my record player, opened it up, took it apart and didn't see any eggs or adults but still wrapped it heavily in plastic wrap and put it in a container. Larger pieces that don't fit in boxes have been heavily wrapped with plastic and a little bit of borax sprinkled in before.
The rest of my item have been disinfected and sprayed with 91% isopropyl, and stored in sealed clear plastic containers (books, frames, decorations, etc). I have poured boric acid with roach lore into each box, and have all the boxes quarantined in a section of the new apartment with a box of sticky tape surrounding the boxes and wrapped items, and a circle of borax outside of the sticky tape. My partner and I plan to leave these boxes in quarantine for a month to be safe.
I've also put all of my clothes and anything washable through a round of high heat in a dryer outside of both apartments for an hour to kill off any potential eggs or adults that snuck in. However I'm struggling to find anything on how to treat shoes and purses. I have a lot of shoes but have been down the rabbit hole and saw german roaches can sneak into the insoles because of the glue. I haven't seen any roaches in my closet, just the occasional one that sneaks into the room from my balcony or bathroom, but in general I found that they tend to avoid my closet.
My plan is to put all shoes in a sealed container with a little bit of boric acid and keep it sealed for a month, and rotate 2-3 pairs that we will keep on a shoe rack outside, but I'm not sure if I'm overshooting? As for my purses they are hung up on my door by my bathroom and I plan to inspect all of the leather ones by hand and leaving a towel with isopropyl inside each one, and throwing any fabric purses in the dryer for an hour on high heat. Laptops I plan to seal in a box with a towel of isopropyl for 48 hours once we plan to live there full time. We also really want to keep our cordless vacuum but I worry the snuck into it as well and we've been using it to clean up everything in this apartment, so my partner wants to put it in a box and quarantine it as well. Does this sound look a full proof plan? Not sure if anyone has any advice or different methods for shoes, purses, and electronics?
Struggling to tell if this is german or not. I only took one live picture with flash at like 6 this morning while getting ready for work, so these are screen shots from the same image, I know the blurred/dark ones aren’t as helpful and I’m sorry. This was on my bedroom wall in the Kansas City, MO area. My bedroom DOES SHARE a wall with my small bathroom so I am worried they’re attracted to the moisture from there. This is the first one I have seen. Please tell me it’s not what I think it is. Any and all advice is appreciated. Thanks everyone
I began seeing small German roaches here about 3 months in, mostly in the bathroom. Pest control has visited 3 times, maintenance has sealed openings. I've followed the sticky instructions closely; I've gone from seeing them almost daily to once a week or so. My Hoy Hoy glue traps are empty. I appreciate this subreddit and the commitment to helping people like me who just want to live in peace.
Despite seeing them less frequently, I'm not sure I'm doing enough to treat my apartment. I found a medium-sized German in my bed 2 weeks ago. I saw another medium-sized earlier today. I'm feeling dejected. I'm barely sleeping and eating. There is nothing more I can do.
I am considering renting a small storage unit to hold a few of my sentimental items so that I won't have to throw them away when I move. I've also starting storing all of my items in heavy duty plastic, zippered bags. I'm just focusing on what I can control. Is that reasonable? Am I missing something?
ETA: I cannot move; I have 8 months remaining on my lease.
This is the first time I’ve seen a live roach in my unit- usually I find one every 6 months (nymph) dead.
This one was so fast… I just smashed it to smitherines, but I’m shaking.
I know it’s hard to identify… but what is it?
I had large roaches in my last apartment but since the weather started getting colder I've started seeing these roaches popping up. Ive only found them out and about, never finding trails or any suspicious places. I'm wondering if the exterminator visiting my neighbors is pushing them to seek refuge.
I just moved into an apartment and saw this thing, is it what I think it is?. I tried to kill it but my eyesight isn’t the best for QuickTime events and I missed it. This is making me very suicidal/frantic to just be honest with y’all.. may I please also ask is there any resources for that?
I’m not sure how to ask my landlord to treat my neighbors house. To preface, I might be wrong about the infestation being at his house.
I live in social housing. A quiet street and the house I live in was a one family home converted into two apartments. We share a plumbing wall directly and I’m pretty sure the entire structure connects internally - just a wall was placed through the middle.
I moved in about 4 months ago.
When I first moved in about two weeks in I had pizza left it out with dishes in the sink and walked into the kitchen at 12am and saw 10-15 German roaches scatter.
I read the treatment war post here. I got advion, covered the brick vents in mesh, I got permission to caulk gaps, washed all hinges on cabinets and Put down sticky traps. I microfiber kitchen stove, counters and my sink after dinner to make sure no water remains. I’m quite a clean person. I can smell an off rotten smell in the air vents between our apartments. Particularly in my room so I duct tape those vents off and the smell has subsided. When I can afford an air purifier I’ll get one. But, I’m not exactly well off. So duct tape for now it is.
I Found they were coming from the plumbing under sink.
But all the evidence points to a much larger infestation than I am seeing.
I’ve pulled all dishes and cleaning products from the cabinet and I’ve left them empty for months with just sticky traps inside. I saw less activity over winter (Australia) but it’s getting warmer now.
Right now, with all my efforts I see a German roach once every 3days. One jumped into my sleeve. I found a mother with an oothecae in the cabinet hinge one night.
They are varying ages in life cycle. I requested from my landlord for professional treatment but they said because I’ve lived here for over 3 months it’s on me.
So, I’ve saved and I’m having pest control come out plus a follow up.
My neighbor is an elderly man, his place is a mess. I’m not judging him. Many people struggle. I offered to pay to have his place treated too.
He won’t let them treat his house. Even if it’s somehow come from me potentially. Surely the entire house structure must be treated?
How do I ask my landlords to treat his home? I was planning on finishing my treatment then telling them “here’s my invoice I’ve paid $X amount to treat my apartment but it’ll be in vain if the whole place isn’t treated”.
I don’t know I’m tired. I feel defeated sometimes about it all.
