[dougawhite]

In 6 years only had a couple live ones and a few dead ones. I've noticed that the dead ones are always on their back. Do they use their last bit of energy to flip upside down?

[TNKYGAL]

Originally Posted by La lamy

Seeing cockroaches/palmetto bugs gives me a mini heart attack every time. I hate using chemicals to get rid of them, but I may have to go that route. UGGGGHHHH!

I'm totally with you, La lamy! This thread is freaky. I think I'll be sure to take melatonin tonight and hope it wards off the nightmares!! LOL

[daca55]

If you are seeing roaches in your house that to me means that your pest control company is not doing a good job of protecting your property. I have owned my house in TV for 11 years and have seen very few roaches in my house and I am a snow bird. I use Deans and If I see any bug dead or alive I keep it and call them and show it to them so they know what to treat for. Next time kill the bug and call your pest control people.

[MrFlorida]

If you have trees or large shrubs next to your house , trim them....Palmetto bugs can climb them and enter your attic..

[IMPidd]

Originally Posted by davem4616

Okay you live in Florida...there's gonna be bugs.

We have had a pest control service since moving into TV and have never had a cockroach or any bugs inside the house in the five years we've been here

Last week I got up during the night, turned on the bathroom light and noticed one in the bath tub...I squashed the bugger and flushed it down the toilet (and was thankful that it was me and not my wife or guests that saw it)...the next day I called our pest control company, they came right over and placed some traps around inside the house and sprayed the outside of the house and yard

When I mentioned the roach to a first cousin that lives a half mile away one village over he said that he had found one in the tub recently too...

Last night I found another roach in the tub and it quickly ducked down the drain...it was still dark when I got up to put out the trash this morning so, decided to check the tub....there it was...flushed that one down the toilet too

I had suspected that they may be coming up through the drain pipe as it seemed odd that both times they were seen in the tub

I just googled 'can roaches enter a house through drain pipes?'

here's what came back....

"Cockroaches are crafty enough to crawl in and out through drains and pipes; this is especially a problem in apartment buildings, where drain pipes are used as highways between apartments. ... Above all, keep all drains squeaky clean!
What do you pour down the drain to get rid of cockroaches?
Pour a mixture of white vinegar & baking soda in the drain to kill roaches. A great alternative to bleach is a mixture of vinegar and baking soda. Mix equal amounts of baking soda and white vinegar in a cup."

So, now I have one more item on my 'things to do list'

I'm wondering if there's an infestation of roaches in the village sewer lines?

Coming from the north and never being a city dweller, roaches were never a concern...it was carpenter ants and yellow jackets we had to control

Rural King Leesburg sell some white pellets that corrected what Bug Guy couldn't.... cheap and no smell..

[GailMae]

I've been told by a sweet Southern belle from Natchez, MS that a palmetto bug is what you find in your own (immaculately clean) house and cockroach is what you see in your neighbor's house. Same bug, just different names.

Lived in central Florida for 15 years and had two roach episodes; one German in my kitchen and one American in my garage. Eliminated both quickly with Hot Shot Ultra Liquid Roach Bait, small plastic containers filled with liquid poison that attracts roaches and kills them. Packet of 6 for $10.45 at Walmart. A lot cheaper than having a pest control service spaying poison around you house on a routine basis.

As for roaches possibly coming up through the bathtub just close the drain after use and see if you find any more roaches in the tub. My guess is that they come for the wetness in the tub. They get thirsty which is why the Liquid Roach Bait works so well.

[Micki]

All I can say is American cockroaches are plentiful here this year.

[Worldseries27]

Originally Posted by davem4616

okay you live in florida...there's gonna be bugs.

We have had a pest control service since moving into tv and have never had a cockroach or any bugs inside the house in the five years we've been here

last week i got up during the night, turned on the bathroom light and noticed one in the bath tub...i squashed the bugger and flushed it down the toilet (and was thankful that it was me and not my wife or guests that saw it)...the next day i called our pest control company, they came right over and placed some traps around inside the house and sprayed the outside of the house and yard

when i mentioned the roach to a first cousin that lives a half mile away one village over he said that he had found one in the tub recently too...

Last night i found another roach in the tub and it quickly ducked down the drain...it was still dark when i got up to put out the trash this morning so, decided to check the tub....there it was...flushed that one down the toilet too

i had suspected that they may be coming up through the drain pipe as it seemed odd that both times they were seen in the tub

i just googled 'can roaches enter a house through drain pipes?'

here's what came back....

"cockroaches are crafty enough to crawl in and out through drains and pipes; this is especially a problem in apartment buildings, where drain pipes are used as highways between apartments. ... Above all, keep all drains squeaky clean!
What do you pour down the drain to get rid of cockroaches?
Pour a mixture of white vinegar & baking soda in the drain to kill roaches. A great alternative to bleach is a mixture of vinegar and baking soda. Mix equal amounts of baking soda and white vinegar in a cup."

so, now i have one more item on my 'things to do list'

i'm wondering if there's an infestation of roaches in the village sewer lines?

Coming from the north and never being a city dweller, roaches were never a concern...it was carpenter ants and yellow jackets we had to control

to all. Buy diatamaceous
earth non toxic. Sprinkle around left and right side entrances to all garages and behind all appliances. It shreds their feet and dessicates them. 19th century white house was infested with giant palmettos and it cleared them out. The insects hug the wall and floor seams. That is their path. Should clear up the issues. Easily bought online
good luck

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by jammaiora

Thanks for the info. Are you sure they aren't Palmetto bugs, which infest the palm trees, get into garages and then houses?

Palmetto bugs are cockroaches. There is a subspecies of cockroach, E. floridana, aka the Florida Woods Cockroach that is often called a Palmetto bug, which gets to be around 1.5" long at maturity. The American cockroach is also often referred to as a Palmetto bug, and averages more than 1.5". Those are likely the "huge" ones people see in their garages.

In case anyone wonders why I seem to know so much about cockroaches, it's because I have katsaridaphobia. Fear of cockroaches. I've spent hours and hours, days and weeks, learning what I can about them hoping to help me become somewhat densitized.

If I have to go into the laundry shed after it's dark, I wear shoes, and tip-toe in because I'm afraid one will start crawling on my foot as I enter. I also tap the wall until I find the light switch because I'm afraid one will crawl on my hand while trying to turn the light on. It's pretty bad.

But yeah that's why I know so much about these night-terror-worthy creatures.

Also, old fashioned RAID roach bait traps work great. Boric acid (aka Borax) as well. I recommend using both. And make someone else turn the light on in the laundry shed at night.

[drducat]

Originally Posted by asianthree

Our Deans pest person, mentioned that all of our drains have a Ptrap, and roaches can’t enter through them. They can flatten out and fit under your doors, I caught one to show deans, in a disposable coffee cup with lid, tiny opening to drink from. Sat it in the lanai, sure enough it crawled out of that tiny hole, dean found it, identified as a palmetto.

Once in the house will crawl down the drain to get water. They can go 30 days without food, but only 3 days without water, then they die.

Those who don’t have a home watch, need to cover drains, and use Saran Wrap on toilets. If the toilets dry out the roaches will come in the hundreds through a dry toilets from the sewer. That will be an infestation. This is the advice from my Deans pest rep, who is a wealth of information on even the tiniest bug.

Ptraps also dry out fairly easily with a small amount of wind. The pressure difference lightly sloshes the water out and they are dry making it readily available for gas and bugs to enter through.

[Warren]

Originally Posted by RICH1

Borax ... Borax .... Borax

I used the borax / boric acid. You can buy them in "tablet" form for $4 or $5. Put them under your appliances, around the toilets and inside the sink cabinets. They have something in the tablets to attract the bugs and then they crawl on them and burn themselves and or ingest it and then take it back to the nest and share it their nest mates. All I see now is occasional dead roach bodies. Paul Harvey used to advertise "Roach Proof" powder............. boric acid. Been around for a long while because it works !

[EdFNJ]

Since I started spraying around our foundation every 6 months with Talstar P about 2 years ago from someone here on this forum suggestion haven't had one of those big ugly bugs in the house ,).

[aces_04]

I have noticed a couple. In the garage, and tub after heavy rains. I squish them with gusto. I also close the tub drain. I hate when they fly🤨

[tbrod607]

I had left a bucket in the garage for a week with a mixture of Mr Clean and water. When I looked in a few days ago I saw 6(six) dead palmetto bugs floating. Let it one more day and there were 2 more. Cleaned that out and reloaded my new palmetto bug killer.

[HORNET]

If you live in Florida ( The Village’s ) and say that you haven’t ever had a roach in the house, you are not telling the truth!!!!!