Cockroaches

eralc777

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Aug 6, 2005
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Hi,
So I got the biggest cockroach in my apartment last night. Seriously, it must of had to open the door and walk in it was so big. Now im worried....do i have a cockroach problem???? What can i use to keep them at bay?

Thanks.
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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Santiago
You can buy the little traps, but if they are really big, they probably can't fit into the door. You might ask a local veterinarian.

This reminds me of a cockroach that entered our apartment right after we got married in Santiago. I had never seen one so big - honestly it looked like a small bird when it was flying. It was about 3 1/2 inches long and about an inch at it's widest. It made an awful mess when I squashed it too.
 
J

John Evans

Guest
I wouldnt worry too much if you have only seen one.....I was told not to squash them coz the eggs come out ...is this an old wives tale? I was also told they dont fly in the Dominican republic.

If you are in the sosua area you could contact Isabelle at U casa pest control 829 917 7004
 

eralc777

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Aug 6, 2005
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Well I am a bit relieved but still dont want any to come back. My kitchen hasnt exactly been the cleanest for the past week, would this affect cockroaches? I heard they dont like catnip? Can you buy that here?
 

SKY

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Apr 11, 2004
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If you do not have a drain in your shower or bathtub to keep them out they will come through the pipes at night.
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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Santiago
I wouldnt worry too much if you have only seen one.....I was told not to squash them coz the eggs come out ...is this an old wives tale? I was also told they dont fly in the Dominican republic.

If you are in the sosua area you could contact Isabelle at U casa pest control 829 917 7004

Shall I send pictures, haha!
 

GringoCArlos

Retired Ussername
Jan 9, 2002
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Buy some Acido Borico (Boric Acid) at the pharmacia for about RD$30. It comes in a small shaker container, in dust form. Sprinkle a little bit around the baseboards and stove inthe kitchen. (not too much though). The cockroaches pick it up on their feet, clean themselves and die. In a week or two they will be gone.

Alternatively, call pest control and pay them about $600 to $1000 for a service.
 
J

John Evans

Guest
no pictures thank you - i was quite happy believing they dont fly
 

GringoCArlos

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Talldrink, I am not advocating that one constantly leaves Boric Acid spread around the house for pest control. I am talking about a periodic light application, which with NORMAL household cleaning, would be swept up or mopped away in a few days. Of course, one needs to keep the darn container out of reach of children so they don't eat the entire container (which even then, would not be sufficient to cause damages to children).

Sorry, but apparently you know something the US EPA and others do not. Boric Acid is rated at low toxicity, and its a heck of a lot safer than most pesticides that a pest control service would apply in a home for pest control.

Boric acid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/borictech.pdf
 

augustus

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Dec 19, 2007
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Are you sure it wasn't a sankie in cockroach outfit..........

In my previous house, I allowed a friend of mine to wash his clothes there in my washing machine, well he brought some West Philadelphia die hard roaches with him and it took years to get rid of them, exterminator and all......After the extermanator fed them for two years or so at $25 a month and realized I was feed up with her services, she produced, or came up with a product that was in a tube, simuliar to what toothpaste comes in, and it got rid of them right away. It was expensive, but worth it. Prior to getting rid of them, I had one crawl out of my suit, while on a dinner date, which my lovely date called my attention to, grant you that was a last date.........Still pi$$ed with everybody..... All i'm trying to say is if they become a problem, get a professional and a guarantee, if possible, and don't get gouged or ripped off like I did..........
 

Texas Bill

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Feb 11, 2003
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Boric Acid issafe to use if used properly.
Mix 3 tbs with 1 tbs flour and 1/2 tbs of sugar. add enough water or milk tomake a paste. Roll this out between two sheets of wax paper andallow tobecome dry andflexible. spread a very small quantity of it, about the size of a dime, around inside your cabinets and under the sink. the roaches, ants, and other insects will eate it anddie. The ants take it back to their nest and feed it to the queen and she dies obliterating the colony Bear in mind that there are TWO types of ants, Sugar ants and protein ants. This mixture takes care of both the pesky, stinging varments. I have used this mixture for over 60 years with great success. Got the formula from my Grandmother andshe never had either ants or roaches in her house.

Texas Bill
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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the bastards can fly all right!

no worries, small cucarachas = big problem, big cucarachas = small problem. the big ones fly in through windows and open doors, smash them or send kitty after them - problem gone. small ones are nasty dirty creatures.

our cats chases cucarachas happily all around the house and delivers dead bodies to strategic points in the apartment where i am bound to step on a little lifeless body and scream as it crunches under my foot - much to the amazement of miesposo.

use the cat, you will both be happy!
 

DOMINCAN BOY

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Jun 6, 2006
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no pictures thank you - i was quite happy believing they dont fly
:bunny: <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xbaK_StdQi4&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xbaK_StdQi4&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
 

DOMINCAN BOY

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Jun 6, 2006
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Life's is too short

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mountainannie

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Dec 11, 2003
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AH == But you can just get two of them and a whip! Cheaper than a choncho! easier than a gua gua! your own private chariot! see then dropping their jaws in awe when they see you with your cucuaracha chariot....
 

DrChrisHE

On Probation!
Jul 23, 2006
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The heat seems to bring them out in mass. We'll go through a long cool period and not have any and then when it "warms" up, it's like one could get a saddle out for the big mammas. We've brought the flea/pest bombs down from the US and had better success with them than the local pest pros. There are several herbs one can use to deter them but I won't even bother listing them because down here, the roaches seem to thrive in the herb cabinet (super-mutant mega roaches that they are.)

That was a great link that GringoCarlos put up for Boric Acid. It has many medicinal uses (that I've used) and a long history with household use for pests. No, you probably don't want to use lots of it with toddlers, but it's toxicity is very close to table salt (the UNiodized type).
Here's a quick except on insecticide use:
"Insecticidal use
Boric acid was first registered in the US as an insecticide in 1948 for control of cockroaches, termites, fire ants, fleas, silverfish, and many other insects. [3] It acts as a stomach poison affecting the insects' metabolism, and the dry powder is abrasive to the insects' exoskeleton.
Boric acid is generally considered to be safe to use in household kitchens to control cockroaches and ants. Homemade ant bait can be made by dissolving 1 teaspoon (5 mL) powdered boric acid and 10 teaspoons (50 mL) sugar into 2 cups (500 mL) of water; this mixture can then be absorbed into cotton balls which are left near ant trails. This reportedly will be carried back into the ants' nest, decimating or even completely wiping out the colony."

If it is ANY consolation, thank your stars that they aren't cienpies. Those nasties are REALLY hard to kill and are oh so gross with all the wiggling legs (plus dangerous to small children & pets.)
 

DrChrisHE

On Probation!
Jul 23, 2006
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DOMINCAN BOY--Did we really need to see those? YUCKO--And, I don't think that qualifies as flying...more like a "hover craft" or little chariot (as mentioned). Could you hear my scream?

DV8--I thought I was the only one with wacko cats that ate roaches? Huh, maybe we need to transplant some of Andy B's cats down from Semana to SPM. We had a cat many years ago that used to sit by the electrical outlets and catch them in his mouth and then come right up to your face and let the feelers pop out (UCLA Family Student Housing was full of creepy crawly bugs.) He'd eventually kill them but not until letting them run around and then he'd catch them. One of our cats is obsessed with lizards--'wish I could switch her over to roaches.:bunny::bunny::bunny:
 

leekiv

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Mar 5, 2007
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Lol

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DOMINICAN BOY I love ur sense of haha.;) lol C'mon people they could be ur new pet's:cheeky:
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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our fat piggy will kill anything smaller than him plus cucarachas are a great food-producing tool. he places them all the way between bedroom and bathroom and waits until i blindly step on one, scream and properly wake up. then he shows up as "i'm so good to have killed this cucaracha for you, now give me food!"
and if i come across a live roach i jump on a bed and scream for miesoposo to kill it. i just hate the crunch they make when you step on them...