Just Found HUGE Cockroach In My Kitchen!! HEEEEELP! (Austin, Earth: lease, house)

[sinking]

I moved here from the north as well. My first time seeing a roach ever and down here I also freaked the F out. I have been told that those kinds of roaches fly in when you open the door or latch onto your clothing or grocery bags.

[sajae90]

Originally Posted by sinking

I moved here from the north as well. My first time seeing a roach ever and down here I also freaked the F out. I have been told that those kinds of roaches fly in when you open the door or latch onto your clothing or grocery bags.

Latch onto your clothing??! EW...okay I'm done lol I come from a rural part of town where there were roaches, but nothing like this! The roaches are the size of a cat down here! lol

I have heard that these roaches are often found in grocery stores because they like to hide out in the boxes where the food is shipped in...gross. After seeing the first cockroach in my house I rewashed all my clothes and linen, bleached the kitchen floor and countertops and vacummed along the cracks of my carpet with a hose. I'm going out tommorow to get some roach bait/boric acid. there is no point of me moving cause from what I hear its a common problem.

[SickOfCalifornia]

If you want to get rid of roaches in an apartment, what I would do is every night I would sprinkle Borax across the kitchen floor right before I went to bed. In the morning, sweep it up. Do this for about a week and your roaches will be gone. They will usually cross your kitchen floor at night, and they'll get Borax all over themselves. It not only dehydrates them but when they return to their lair, the other roaches will pitch in and try and clean off the Borax-covered roach. By doing so they will also get Borax on themselves and also die. Within a week they'll be gone. Works much better than pesticide, which kills a few and the others smell it and move or find a work-around.

[sajae90]

Originally Posted by SickOfCalifornia

If you want to get rid of roaches in an apartment, what I would do is every night I would sprinkle Borax across the kitchen floor right before I went to bed. In the morning, sweep it up. Do this for about a week and your roaches will be gone. They will usually cross your kitchen floor at night, and they'll get Borax all over themselves. It not only dehydrates them but when they return to their lair, the other roaches will pitch in and try and clean off the Borax-covered roach. By doing so they will also get Borax on themselves and also die. Within a week they'll be gone. Works much better than pesticide, which kills a few and the others smell it and move or find a work-around.

Thanks for that SickofCalifornia, I am defientely going to try that. I found some borax online for $6 which is a good deal. I'm also going to call the maintenance person to come in here and seal up all the holes and cracks at the bottom of the baseboards including under the sink. I heard they like to hide out and lay their eggs there...ugh..thanks alot

[mimimomx3]

Boric Acid is the way to go- is that in Borax? It does work.

[sinking]

Since the pesticide is sprayed along the base boards you may be doing yourself a disservice by cleaning so much. You may actually be cleaning the pesticide up.

[sajae90]

Originally Posted by sinking

Since the pesticide is sprayed along the base boards you may be doing yourself a disservice by cleaning so much. You may actually be cleaning the pesticide up.

I know, but from what I am seeing, the Raid is quite ineffective on cockroaches unless you flood them in it by spraying it directly on them. cockroaches seem to not like the stuff, but it won't outright kill em either. Plus, I wanted to mop the floor with bleach to get rid of any residue from food that I may have spilled or dropped. I won't be spraying the raid anymore because it could be ineffective for when I put the boric acid/borax down cause the roach will try to avoid that area where the boric is because of the pesticide. Raid is about as effective as dousing them in water. lol

[HappyTexan]

Originally Posted by sajae90

LOL, I know, but up North, they have roaches to, but those were the roaches you could douse with a little Raid and call it a day, these suckers down here are COCKroaches the size of mount everest, you can beat that thing with a skillet and it will still pop up like Bruce Lee! I wish I didn't have a fear of cats cause I would surely get one. My fear is not that I see one or two, but that there may a whole nest of them! I heard that one cockroach can lay up to 40 eggs and it only takes about 3 months before they reach full size (BARF) I believe the apartment building was already a breeding ground for them, alarm bells should have went off when the apartment manager said they have an exterminator come and spray under the sinks and in "cracks" every couple of months (this is where roaches live).

i think the reason why I haven't seen them until now is because I have been so clean. I think I came into contact only recently because I left a garbage bag with a hot dog in it and it started to rot and the damn thing smelt it)

Now do you believe the saying.."Everything's bigger in Texas" ?

[CarnivalGal]

I have lived in Texas for nearly 20 years and have never gotten used to the bugs - especially the roaches. They absolutely freak me out still. You can exterminate out the wazoo, and they will still get in. The "good" news is that they do not infest your home, but inevitably one will find it's way into your house every now and then.

Call your landlord or apartment manager and tell them you are having issues. They will probably have someone come out and spray for you. Still won't really solve the problem, but it always makes me feel better at least.

For the record, I spent the first 20 years of my life in the Northeast and never, ever saw a cockroach. Ever. Sure they have them up there, but they are the smaller ones that infest your home. But if you are relatively clean, you won't have an issue.

[smartygurl]

Why are you afraid of cats?