cockroaches
 

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

Where do you think they are entering the sewer lines in TV? Are they not all sealed from a house to the treatment plant?
Your report indicated apartment buildings. That seems more possible.

It is highly unlikely that roaches will enter your house through the sanitary sewer pipes. Every drain fixture has a P-trap that holds water to prevent gases and insects from entering your house. But, you do need to ensure that there is always water in the traps, and they don't dry out. It is more likely that the roach you saw was attracted to the drain to get water. But, the sewer lines are not sealed to the treatment plant. There are plenty of roaches and other insects in the manholes, but, they usually cannot get through the P-traps in your house. Vinegar and baking soda is not needed in the sewer line.

Are they larger than your average roach? Our city suddenly became infested with them in an area of California that never had roaches before. We found out from pest control companies they are an imported variety, haha, called Turkestan roaches from the Middle East. They are sewer dwellers and pest control companies claim they come into homes when city utilities flush the sewer lines. The good news is that they are not the kind of roach that gets into your pantry or the kitchen crawling on top the counters, etc. You can Google images to see if it looks similar to the one you discovered in your bathtub.

Thanks for the insight retiredguy....I do question where these things are coming from though

I'm not a roach expert, but I think the large black ones are called Palmetto bugs that mostly breed outside and only visit your house occasionally. But, if you see small brown ones, they are called German roaches, and they will move in and breed in your house and are more difficult to get rid of.

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!

Question:
Are you a snowbird?
Drains not used for some time can attract all kinds of bugs in sewer lines.

Call the folks running the systems. Should get more than just opinions.

District Utilities Customer Service Division/Finance Department is located at 984 Old Mill Run, The Villages, FL 32162 and representatives are available daily from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., except weekends and holidays.

Phone: 352-750-0000
Fax: 352-674-1999
Email Contact: utilities@districtgov.org.

Yes, if they are large and have wings, they’re palmetto bugs and like water. As long as I’ve lived here I’ll never get used to them. Or those giant grasshoppers or mole crickets (google them if you don’t know):ho:

All adult (mature) cockroaches can fly. Most of them don't, but they are all capable of it. Only nymphs are wingless.

A palmetto bug is just another term for cockroach. It's not a separate insect, or a distinct, unique species. It's just a regional term. Up north we call them "really big cockroaches." Down in Florida we call them "Palmetto bugs." They're the same critter either way.

The really big ones (no matter what you choose to call it) are usually the American cockroach. The German cockroaches are smaller.

Neither of them are as freaky as the Madagascar hissing cockroaches, which can get up to 4 inches long, and are sometimes kept as pets and bedazzled with rhinestones on their exoskeleton.

According to our single neighbor who was widowed 2 years ago looking around The Villages many can't even walk. She said that, not me. :shocked:

Most of these "palmetto bugs" are no match for a Texas-sized cockroach. Better Half killed a cockroach in Houston with a BB gun.

I'm not aware of any fully successful other way then having a Professional take care of all the little varmints that are new to many from the north. Our guy, a one man band comes our every other month and sprays inside and puts granules of something outside. $65 per treatment.

It is not risk free to use this service, chemicals are used. Before I hired him 4 plus years ago we had several roaches, tiny ants, bees etc. Within the first 2 or 3 visits he got rid of all of them.

I looked at the product safety sheet for each thing he uses and felt comfortable with the treatment instead of blood curdling screams from my poor wife. She freaks out. Many people also take care of these little PIA'S themselves with stuff from Lowes. Not my thing to handle.

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.

First off I'm sorry to hear about the night time roach problem or palmetto bugs as some people call them. I was told by my pest control people, that these critters can hold their breath for 30 minutes and swim through the water pipes and I don't know if that's true or just a story. However I do know at the water if not used in the bathtub trap pipe will eventually evaporate if you don't use that bathroom or shower on a regular basis. So pouring down bleach / whatever your mixture is once a month or two and making sure you use the tub is definitely one way to stop the critters. You should also just have a couple of traps inside your bathroom closets and under your sinks as well as next to your refrigerator in the back and one or two near your doors in your garage that lead to your house. As I've always said "death to cockroaches"

Roaches seem more prevalent this year.

Also, check your dishwasher. I found a couple of them when opening the door, scooting across it on the inside.

omg!!!

Stop throwing poison down the drain. Close the drain to the tub when not in use. It is very unlikely that a toilet will be dry when left unattended. I usually add a few drops of bleach for mold prevention, along with the tank. Covering it with plastic wrap is also a good idea. Vinegar and baking soda is great for all your drains. It clears drains and keeps them fresh smelling and much better than chemicals. Everything you throw down the drain goes into the water system!

Borax ... Borax .... Borax

lmao, i'm with you. i don't mind lizards or other creepy crawly things, but when someone says 'roaches' an alarm goes off in my head. i saw ONE in a toolbox in the garage & nearly lost my sanity:1rotfl: after the exterminator came out (yes, for one bug)i've been using peppermint oil to keep them out--so far, so good

Get yourself some Harris Roach Tabs. Place little tablets around your house, put some in the bathtub before you go to bed.

That is one of things I tell people when I am discussing my Home Watch Service (Snowbird or Rental programs). We can keep the water off in the house to prevent any damage from a leak, but visit weekly to turn it on and run water in all the sinks and tubs. Thus keeps water in the traps which cuts off that entry point for Palmetto Bugs (Cockroaches on Steroids, LOL). If you have the need for my service contact me at 585-739-8933

We bought our house in The Villages a little over a year ago now--noticed three cockroaches in the garage and a couple in the house right off the bat. We called Florida Pest Control and a sales rep. showed up the next day. We bought a full-service contract including bug protection among other things. The guy showed up the next day and proceeded to bug-proof the house, lanai, yard--everything. No roaches or any other kind of bug since then, with the exception of three roaches in the days immediately following. Two were dead, one nearly so; all in the garage.

About a month or so while trimming my hedge I noticed some wasps flying in and out of the hedge at about knee-level. Not sure what I was dealing with, so I called Florida Pest Control. Turned out my contract did cover getting rid of the wasps, which had I not had the contract was a $150 service. Our tech. showed up in about three hours after the call, and proceeded to rid the hedge of the nest and the wasps. For good measure she also checked all of the other shrubs and trees. All clear.

Can't say enough good things about those people.

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

forgive my ignorance, but arent they the same thing?

Interesting to me. We humans have been trying to kill off cockroaches and rodents like forever and they still exist. The Florida solution is to rename them water bugs.

We used to be commuters into New York City. We never had roaches or rats. However, New York roaches are at least twice the size of the one in Florida and a New York rat can take a Florida rat any time.

Many of us go nuts. Roaches can and do swim. Then can survive under water for quite some time. Insecticides do not instantly kill though we expect that.

Far from an expert but, vinegar is a mild acid. Baking soda is a base. Mixing them together they fizz, they neutralize each other.

A roach is something that infests low income rentals b/c food and garbage are left out. A ‘pal’metto bug lives outside in the grass bushes and trees and when one or two are seen in a Florida home they are usually lost….

Perhaps a side benefit, we have a refrigerator with a fountain in the door. It yells at you,
OK just lights to change the filter, every three months. I know or think I know that you do not need to shut off the water to change the filter, however I do. The valve is behind the refrigerator. It forces me to pull the refrigerator into the kitchen. We clean both the coils and under the refrigerator when we change the filter.

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?

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

Roaches
 

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.

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

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

Difference Between Palmetto Bugs and Cock Roaches
 

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.

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

Non chemical kryptonite
 

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

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.

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.