[Luggage]

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"

[Rwirish]

Roaches seem more prevalent this year.

[bonrich]

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

[La lamy]

Originally Posted by orangeblossombaby

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.

omg!!!

[merrymini]

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!

[RICH1]

Borax ... Borax .... Borax

[PugMom]

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!

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 after the exterminator came out (yes, for one bug)i've been using peppermint oil to keep them out--so far, so good

[airstreamingypsy]

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

[mikeritz53]

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

[ThirdOfFive]

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

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.

[jammaiora]

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

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

[PugMom]

forgive my ignorance, but arent they the same thing?

[DAVES]

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

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.

[Petersweeney]

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….

[DAVES]

Originally Posted by Luggage

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"

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.