[Daydrmr]

OMG!! I notice that not one person has mentioned the absolutely alarming Dobsonfly........now thats one thing that will scare you more than a roach. Im a NY native and only moved here in 2004 and it never fails to surprise me just how gigantic all insects here are. I am not used to or getting used to the size of all insects here. We have never had a roach prob, but we also have the house sprayed every month. The lizzards used to freak me out but not anymore.....but those pesky Dobsonfly's are HORRIBLE and terrifying......they cling onto whatever they fly onto so if your pulling it off a screen, be prepared to pull.....I personally just scream and slam the door closed and just stay home lol

[soapboxsallysmom]

Originally Posted by FL80

We lived in the Orlando area for awhile and eventually moved back up north due to all of the bugs. We're considering a move back to the Daytona area. We don't use bug spray and were wondering if any of the locals on here also do not spray? If so, what do you use/how do you keep the bugs away? Thanks!

There a couple of "old time" concoctions that may work. I have never had the patience to wait for them, but it may help you. One consists of a boric acid mixture (not sure where you can get this stuff anymore), placed around the house in "SAFE" places. No kids or pets should get to these...very poisonous! Some people dust the baseboards with some other mixture (sorry to be so vague but you can find all this on Google). It is very helpful to create a barrier around you home (if you live in a house and not an apt), but that usually requires chemicals. I'll try to find thes "recipes" and post it later today....got to log off now.

[soapboxsallysmom]

A quick revision...just found something on boric acid powder that is sold online and they claim it is less poisonous than common table salt! Will get back to you on that. As with all things...read the label. I haven't used this stuff before, only heard about it.

[lulu]

Go buy 'Combat' gold for large roaches (not for the small ones)...nothing beats it. Can be bought anywhere for just $8-$10. The packaging says to put a date on it and replace every 3 months - I replace every 6 months and we do very well.

It's safe to put around food areas, in kitchen cupboards (comes with stickies) and there is no spraying poisons into the environment, breathing fumes or killing anything else - just the icky flying Palmetto roaches & smaller ones,too.

The way it works is that it's a contained bait, in a plastic covering - the
roach goes in there & nibbles & is slathered w/the bait and goes to it's home. When they go to their nest behind walls or other hiding areas the whole colony is contaminated by just that one roach, & all of em are eliminated - problem solved.
I'd like to stress that when one sees one little measly roach, it's not just that one you see - there is a whole big family hiding somewhere in your home. Killing just that one & spraying Raid insect killer to drown it in a river of poison, is not a healthy thing to do for oneself/nor the environment, nor is squashing it to death w/a shoe repeatedly a solution either - maybe, for ones mental purposes one might feel better - but really does nothing to solve the whole roach situation/problem. Might as well do nothin', leave it alone and let it go back home. 'Combat' will combat the whole problem....try it.

[elfyum]

Did I mention that you guys are a bunch of wusses?!

Ok, now what he HELL is a dobsonfly???!!!

[hgsgold]

Not to mention the Love Bugs that hoover over everything twice a year..They are always mateing((yes having sex flying through the air) but what a price to pay.. After mating they die...You have to protect the paint on your car with a cover over the front. Their insides splash over the windshield. Not easy to remove and you must do it quickly.. I just came in from washing my car...
You have to spray along your baseboards every couple of months to keep the crawling critters out...

[maggiekate]

Originally Posted by rocco

OK, I don't mean to sound cynical or naive but are there a lot of coackroaches around Punta Gorda, North Palm Beach, St Pete Beach, Palm Harbour, LongBoat Key or Tampa? I love the heat and don't mind humidity at all but I am quite scared of ****roaches. So are they like, all over, or is that just tales people tell? Thank you in advance for any and all comments.

Hi, I live in Wesley Chapel, the lovebugs from outside come in, soon they will be gone.

I also saw some I think called silver fish, they were dead anyway, I don't do bugs either. My Australian terrier attacks them, I see mostly the tiny lizzard come in when the dogs are just sight seeing. They are cute running around outside, inside the terrier stalks them, or no water, they die. I like them so if i can catch one, i put it outside. We have the pest guy come every 2 months it works great, the hoa does it. Just have pest control, it should work.
also up north we had field mice come it, I was more afraid of them.

I like heat better than cold, and the days still do not get dark early, and cold 50 and it is cold! Now it is real nice in the sunshine state.

good luck, don't worry about bugs, or adopt a kitten, who will stalk.

judy

[maggiekate]

Originally Posted by Larimik

Hi, there are a lot of bugs down here, but depending on where you live and how you live will determine how much you will have to tolerate the little critters. If you live in an apartment complex, most of them have a contract to have the apartments sprayed monthly. If you live in a private residence, and you keep a clean house and spray regularly as there are certain chemicals that you can get from the local feed stores that do control them and leave no residue and don't cost you an arm and a leg.

The key is to not leave things lying around, like sugar products, as you will get sugar ants...and they are pesky little critters..keep all your foods in sealed bags or containers,most of all don't leave paper products lying around for them to hide under.

I hate the critters, but there are ways to avoid them.
Good luck.

I had the sugar ants when a few years ago we got heavy rain they attacked my tooth paste. yuck!

[maggiekate]

Originally Posted by richkat

We have a new home with in-wall pest control and have never seen any type of roach or bug of any size within the house. But during some months of the year, I can't even go out to the mailbox without getting eaten alive. Giant grasshoppers sometimes hang out on the front door, as well. I can't go near any grass. And don't forget "Love Bug" season in May and September.

- Kat

Yes, the love bugs are attacking me, and the 2 dogs, oh well, the terrier helps, when, they come in, the adorable bichon? When I was little I would collect grasshopper, they were tiny. I would put them with grass in a glass jar with air. I thought that was neat?

[sick of South Florida]

The hardest to get rid of are the fire ants, sugar ants, and mosquitos. We have not had any fleas or roaches in the house. Probably due to using Sevin dust so often to get the fire ants. The other stuff doesn't work, they just move their mound. AND I have to be careful what I use because I let my horses graze in the yard. We did have roaches in my shed but the "roach bait" got rid of them. The best way to keep ants out of your house is to caulk up any holes they are coming in at. If you spray where you see them, they will just find another hole to come in at. We also get alot of snakes, (not in the house) but they don't bother me as much as the ants and mosquitos. I would say the further south you go, the more Palmetto bugs. Many years ago in Miami I lived in constant fear of them-they are SO gross! I woke up with one on my arm, once I was on the phone and one crawled inside my bathrobe,... they fly at you!! Toads are also very GROSS! I lived in North Florida for awhile and I didn't have bugs there except for fire ants, but just down the road from me a friend lived in a trailer and her trailer was infested with the little roaches. She was surrounded by woods and the property around my house was mostly open pasture so maybe that's what the difference was??