[macguy]

Originally Posted by kar

You are right. Palmetto bug is just a fancy name for a roache.

There is some difference. The German roach that you find in a dirty kitchen are what most people most people think of when you say roach. The Palmetto bug is a roach but the ultimate survivor and it doesn't take a dirty house for them to be around. They will eat "Anything" even plastic and they love paper and books. The cleanest house can have them come in because there is still plenty to eat. What is interesting, one of their favorites habitats are the palm trees people are so fond of. You get up on a ladder and pull down some of the soft paper like stuff that is around the fronds(sp?) and hundreds if not thousands of them will come pouring out on top of you.

These are harmless bugs though. In most cases they don't even carry any kinds of germs or disease. They are just domestic type bugs that may have hatched in your house and spent their whole life living with you in a nice clean environment. The real danger is all the poisons and chemicals used to try to get rid of them. The simplest way to control them is to use Boric acid. It is cheap and comes in a power form.

Although it sounds bad unless you ate the box it is pretty harmless to humans and pets. Just put it in places the roaches go and it get on their feet. When the bugs grooms themselves they eat it and it destroys their insides killing them.

[tallrick]

Last night my mom's cat killed three of them. I rarely see any in my house, but often they will sit on the window panes and often on the walls outside. In addition to Boric acid, you can use diatomaceous earth under cabinets, their favorite breeding places. I will never understand why people choose to poison their lawn and eventually the water supply. If the roaches bother you, just move north!

[dreamofmonterey]

What is interesting, one of their favorites habitats are the palm trees people are so fond of. You get up on a ladder and pull down some of the soft paper like stuff that is around the fronds(sp?) and hundreds if not thousands of them will come pouring out on top of you.
________________________________

eek- now that freaks me out. I just wasn't prepared for the SIZE- have never been to a rainforest-lol.

sunny

[dreamofmonterey]

lol- It is just scary to look at- one was crawling across the kitchen counter and I almost had a heart attack- it was like the size of my hand.

[Minniemom]

OK - so then how do you get rid of them? What do you do when you see one in your house. I have this vision of my son crawling around and finding one of these and trying to eat it! yuck!! How do you kill them when you do see them??

[macguy]

Originally Posted by Minniemom

OK - so then how do you get rid of them? What do you do when you see one in your house. I have this vision of my son crawling around and finding one of these and trying to eat it! yuck!! How do you kill them when you do see them??

I just catch them with my hand and either throw it outside or down the toilet, which for a roach is like an all expense paid trip Las Vegas. This is getting a little gross I know but they will nibble on you if they can.

The smell of a baby may be attractive to a roach and they may check it out. Their ability to locate food is amazing, they use their antennas to triangulate on the food. At close distance they can just do it with their two antennas. At a long distance like 10 or 20 feet they do it by positioning like a direction finder on a boat, it is incredible to watch. They will pick up the scent and then move a few inches in one direction to get a second bearing on the food. Then they will move to another point and get another bearing. Once they have done this they go directly to the food without any hesitation.

I love to demonstrate this when we have guests it never ceases to amaze people how fast they do it. I just throw a piece of popcorn or something into the middle of the floor and if there is a roach around, in a few minutes it will be there. If the food is small enough it will pick it up with the front feet and run away almost on it's hind feet. You got to love these things. Did I mention they fly?

[ssg II]

Originally Posted by Minniemom

OK - so then how do you get rid of them? What do you do when you see one in your house. I have this vision of my son crawling around and finding one of these and trying to eat it! yuck!! How do you kill them when you do see them??

With a sledge hammer!

No, seriously, I haven't seen one in ages. I think they must be re-locating like the other displaced wildlife.

I remember back in junior high we'd use tempera paint. We'd put the paintings in our lockers and come back the next class and the palmetto bugs had eaten the paint off the paper!

[Minniemom]

Originally Posted by macguy

I just catch them with my hand and either throw it outside or down the toilet, which for a roach is like an all expense paid trip Las Vegas. This is getting a little gross I know but they will nibble on you if they can.

The smell of a baby may be attractive to a roach and they may check it out. Their ability to locate food is amazing, they use their antennas to triangulate on the food. At close distance they can just do it with their two antennas. At a long distance like 10 or 20 feet they do it by positioning like a direction finder on a boat, it is incredible to watch. They will pick up the scent and then move a few inches in one direction to get a second bearing on the food. Then they will move to another point and get another bearing. Once they have done this they go directly to the food without any hesitation.

I love to demonstrate this when we have guests it never ceases to amaze people how fast they do it. I just throw a piece of popcorn or something into the middle of the floor and if there is a roach around, in a few minutes it will be there. If the food is small enough it will pick it up with the front feet and run away almost on it's hind feet. You got to love these things. Did I mention they fly?

I have to say macguy, I usually love your posts. BUT, you are not making me feel any better about these things. LOL. So, basically, I have to get a dog to eat all the food that my son will be dropping on the floor.
We were planning on it anyway, we were just waiting till Chrismas. Guess santa is coming early this year! How bout a cat too? LOL

[Minniemom]

Originally Posted by sunshinegirl

With a sledge hammer!

No, seriously, I haven't seen one in ages. I think they must be re-locating like the other displaced wildlife.

I remember back in junior high we'd use tempera paint. We'd put the paintings in our lockers and come back the next class and the palmetto bugs had eaten the paint off the paper!

hmm, sledge hammer - sounds like that's what I am going to need. They sound indestructable.

I used to wait tables for extra money and I never, ever would take my pocketbook or jacket into work because I didn't want a roach to hitch a ride back to my house. Now I have to worry about these things on a regular basis. eeww!

[doggiebus]

Did someone mention the palmetto bugs that fly? I haven't seen one in a while, but they exist. They look like roaches but they can fly.