Hawaiian Insects: Are they really that bad? (Honolulu: house, living)

[US-Traveller]

You cannot be serious that in a clean and renovated home in Honolulu, there will be roaches and other insects. That seems really ridiculous to me. You don't even see roaches in Chicago or Cozumel, Mexico for that matter. I never encountered any insects, just outdoor geckos, while I was at multiple vacation homes throughout the Hawaiian Islands.

[KoaKine]

Not to be a pain but I dont know where you've stayed. Ive seen them at the best resorts on Maui..

[alohakat]

I agree with KoaKine, .....US-Traveller, you've apparently been in homes that are drenched in bug spray, because when a couple bugs want to move in and have babies, it doesn't matter how immaculate the home, they'll move in.

[newUHprof]

Thirded. I see roaches all the time... not in my house too often (thankfully), but outside just walking around. At bus stops, on the street, on the steps to my building, running into cracks in walls. They seem to be more visible during the summer / dry months. Or maybe just I'm outside more often so I see them more? Anyway, we have a ground floor unit, so they're bound to get in. But I have good kitties who repel (or eat) all invaders.

Actually, I've been told by my vet that I shouldn't let the cats eat the roaches because the roaches carry disease. My impression was that roaches were pretty clean, actually. Does anyone know about this? I thought my kitties were the first line of defense against these critters, but now it seems like I might have to figure something else out... not sure what I can do. The place is clean and the holes are plugged up. We don't get a ton of them, but do find remnants, as it were, maybe once or twice a week.

[PacificFlights]

Originally Posted by US-Traveller

You cannot be serious that in a clean and renovated home in Honolulu, there will be roaches and other insects. That seems really ridiculous to me. You don't even see roaches in Chicago or Cozumel, Mexico for that matter. I never encountered any insects, just outdoor geckos, while I was at multiple vacation homes throughout the Hawaiian Islands.

Hawaii, like all tropical zones, is a near perfect enviroment for insects. It has little to do with how clean a place is. A clean place reduces insects but does not stop them from exploring. We have had specialized equipment brought down from PTA on the Big island that had to be fumigated due to insects. If you know that area, it resembeles the surface of Mars, yet insects are present. About the only place I have not seen insects is where scheduled fumigation takes place for the benefit of tourist or visitors.

[US-Traveller]

I spoke to one of my friends, who is a Realtor in Honolulu about bugs last night. He said that you won't find any roaches or ants in renovated or newer construction homes. He has lived in Hawaii all of his life and has lived in Diamond Head for 6 years and says he hasn't seen any insects except for the occaisional house spiders and geckos that wander in. He also said that he never has seen any centipedes except in the countryside. He did however say that he has seen roaches and ants in a home he owned in Maui.

[PacificFlights]

Originally Posted by US-Traveller

I spoke to one of my friends, who is a Realtor in Honolulu about bugs last night. He said that you won't find any roaches or ants in renovated or newer construction homes. He has lived in Hawaii all of his life and has lived in Diamond Head for 6 years and says he hasn't seen any insects except for the occaisional house spiders and geckos that wander in. He also said that he never has seen any centipedes except in the countryside. He did however say that he has seen roaches and ants in a home he owned in Maui.

Good example why Realtors should be polygraphed before you hire them

[Jungjohann]

Originally Posted by PacificFlights

Good example why Realtors should be polygraphed before you hire them

While being waterboarded!!!!!!!! I had a really nice condo up on Nuuanu Ave, 15th floor, overlooked the graveyard, (VERY quiet neighborhood!), watching TV one evening, see a LARGE centipede, wandering around on the ceiling. We're talking some 140 or so feet up, not ground floor. Caught the bugger and gave him/her, I mean how do you tell, heck, that close to Hotel Street could have been one of da kine transvestite centipedes, (not that there's anything wrong with that). ANYONE who tells you new construction is cockroach free is lolo!!! We used to unpack brand new cabinets with cockroaches in the packaging. It's just part of the "unique" experience of living in Hawaii, doubt if it's much worse here than elsewhere. Unless, of course, you're thinking of Nome Alaska in the wintertime,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Aloha and okolemaluna

[kpna]

Big Island has brown recluse spiders. :X

[KoaKine]

well i have them here in NY and get along with then o Im good lol