Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Every homes nightmare Roaches

They're among nature's most vile, disgusting critters, and they can be nearly impossible to kick out of your house. Cockroaches live all over the world, but their favorite residence is your house, where they can snack on your food, damage wallpaper and books, and spread germs to you and your family. Follow these steps to serve these pests an eviction notice and keep them from coming back. Cockroaches are generally medium- large sized insects, although in some parts of the world they can get quite large. They have spiny legs and long antennae. If you see even one roach, you've undoubtedly got a lot more. The problem is they generally hide during the day, so you may need to look for them at night with a flashlight. Even if you can't find any of the insects, check cupboards and pantries for their droppings -- tiny brown slime stains or pellets. Try to figure out where they're coming from. If you see cockroaches, try to follow them to figure out where they go. This is easier said than done, however, so you might need to do a little sleuthing. Check all around the house for cracks and holes through which roaches may enter. Roaches often enter through drains or vents, so you can't seal up everything. Kill the roaches. There are a variety of do-it-yourself options for killing cockroaches. Some of the more well regarded of these are listed below. Try one at a time, or try them all.

  • Make "Roach Food":
    • One part powdered (not granular) boric acid (sometimes sold as a roach-killing powder, but often available in pharmacies (for making anti-pinkeye eyewash), one part white flour, one part granulated white sugar. The sugar baits it, the flour makes it stick, and the boric acid kills them. Place in the backs of drawers and cabinets, under refrigerator, stove, etc. Expect at least 3 cycles of disappearance/reemergence of progressively smaller hordes of cockroaches, lasting about 2 weeks each. Continue using boric acid till roaches are gone.
    • Kids, dogs, and some other pets will eat this mixture. Boric acid is not highly toxic, but is for external use ONLY, so place it where only the bugs can get it. It will cake hard in humid environments, so paper or foil trays may be needed.
  • Dust with boric acid, flour and cocoa (1 part acid, 2 parts flour and 1 part cocoa). Try P.F. Harris Roach tablets. They contain boric acid and a lure. While still dangerous for kids and pets, this product is not as toxic as many insecticides, and the roaches aren't repelled by it so they drag it home and feed it to their hatchlings. Dust a fine coat in cupboards, under sinks, around toilets and any cracks, corners or hollow spaces. Avoid breathing the powder; like any acid, it can irritate the lungs.
  • Use an insecticide spray. Get some insecticide that is labeled for use against cockroaches, and spray wherever cockroaches may be hiding or entering the house, including along walls, in cracks, and in vents. Keep pets out of the way when you are spraying, and follow all safety instructions on the product's label.
Use cockroach bait. Cockroach bait is either housed in a childproof case or applied as a gel and contains a slow-working poison mixed in with an attractive (for cockroaches) food. The roaches eat the poison and bring it back to the nest, where it eventually kills all the roaches. Place the bait in an area where you know cockroaches will encounter it.

  • Use cockroach traps. Cockroach traps lure cockroaches in and then trap them with an adhesive. Get several of these, and place them wherever cockroaches are known to frequent.




  • Use water jars. A simple and effective homemade way to lure and trap roaches is with a jar placed next to a wall, allowing the roaches to get in, but not escape. Any bait can be placed in the jar, including coffee grounds and water, but it also works with just plain water in drier climates.




  • Apply a liquid concentrate. Liquid concentrates, once the exclusive domain of professional exterminators, are now being made for use by the public. The concentrate is a poison or deterrent chemical that is diluted with water and then sprayed, wiped, or mopped onto just about any surface. Concentrates can be particularly effective providing protection against re-infestation, as they usually deter roaches for 1-2 weeks or more.




  • Get professional grade pesticides. Don't go to the local home improvement store, all the stuff they sell there is weak. Search the web for it. Get something with Cypermerthrin, perhaps Demon WP or something along those lines. The will kill live bugs, as well as provide a residual effect for three months. Spray it around the perimeter of your home and in places like your basement. The bugs won't be back. The downside is that this will kill all bugs, even ones that eat roaches, like spiders and millipedes. But if you have lots of roaches, you probably don't care.




  • If you buy an exterior bug spray, it will work inside much better. To spray it, put it in a spray bottle or a pump-up pressure bottle and spray the solution in the kitchen cabinets clockwise while holding your breath. Spray quickly and run out and leave the windows closed for a day.




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