It's Roach season again - AZ 2 inch roaches in the homes (Phoenix: apartment, house)

[AZ_singlemother]

Yes, we have 2 inch long "sewer roaches". They come from the sewers during late spring and all summer. When the City of Pheonix flushes the water system, they infest both dirty and clean homes. Spray your home often? these bugs do not die from the spray.

They swarm and they do fly. Pour bleach down the sinks and all drains to hopefully minimize your chances of finding them crawling on you in your sleep.

[june]

Originally Posted by AZ_singlemother

Yes, we have 2 inch long "sewer roaches". They come from the sewers during late spring and all summer. When the City of Pheonix flushes the water system, they infest both dirty and clean homes. Spray your home often? these bugs do not die from the spray.

They swarm and they do fly. Pour bleach down the sinks and all drains to hopefully minimize your chances of finding them crawling on you in your sleep.

Wow thanks for the warning, how disgusting. Bleach will kill anything...lol

[kawgpz550]

I live in Bullhead City and we get them too. I'll tell you the BEST thing we have found so far to help eliminate them....CATS. We have a couple of cats and they keep them away. Of course, occasionally one may get by them, however, on a whole they are excellent! Sometimes I might have to pick a dead one up, but hey, at least the cats did the hard part of catching them and killing them. My cats have also caught and killed scorpions as well. Ok, so it costs a little cat food and maybe some litter, but overall cats are the best bet! I have found that the females do the BEST job at taking care of them. The males sometimes tend to be too laid back where the females are more aggressive with them lol!

[Ponderosa]

We don't seem to have as many of those big roaches out where I am now, maybe because we have scorpions here and they kill them LOL., but I did see a few of them each summer when we lived in Ahwatukee The city sprays manholes for them in Phoenix, I know. I agree that cats are effective against both roaches and scorpions.

Anyway, the big ones are called the American cockroach and are found in all the warm cities of the south and southwest US. I guess it's one more price we pay for sunshine and mild winters. I've never heard of one crawling on someone who is sleeping. They just seem to scurry across the floor when you turn on a light. Pretty disgusting though and a real shock for someone from the frozen tundra who just moved here.

Another tip: Keep pet food bags closed tightly in summer or they will find their way into them.

[AZ_singlemother]

Must be a Scottsdale thing. There seems to be more in Scottsdale, especially North Scottsdale. Thanks for the suggestion about cats. I'll do anything to not even look at them. Summer's are worst. No matter how spotless your place is they swarm out like crazy. Especially with the water flushing.

[HAMMERHEAD46]

Originally Posted by AZ_singlemother

Yes, we have 2 inch long "sewer roaches". They come from the sewers during late spring and all summer. When the City of Pheonix flushes the water system, they infest both dirty and clean homes. Spray your home often? these bugs do not die from the spray.

They swarm and they do fly. Pour bleach down the sinks and all drains to hopefully minimize your chances of finding them crawling on you in your sleep.

Another thing that helps is pouring Boric Acid and Baking Soda down each drain.

Also watch out for piles of NEWS PRINT! ROACHES LOVE TO EAT THE INK!

Third, if you use "RAID FUMIGATORS" (THREE TO A BOX COST ABOUT $12 - $13 ) and I don't mean THE AEROSOL TYPE BUG BOMBS, you can get rid of 99% of all bugs (except dead ones) for 3 - 6 months or more.
THE CORRECT RAID FUMIGATORS HAVE A BLUE CAN INSIDE OF A CLEAR PLASTIC BOWL THAT YOU PUT 1/3 INCH OF WATER INTO AND THEN DROP THE CANISTER IN,

THEN GET OUT OF THE HOUSE WITH ALL PETS FOR (2) TWO HOURS MINIMUM
WHEN YOU COME BACK OPEN ALL DOORS AND WINDOWS AND TURN ON SWAMP COOLER TO AIR OUT IF YOU HAVE ONE, THE SMELL WON'T BE BAD IT IS A NICE SMELL BUT YOU WANT TO REMOVE THE REMAINING POISON FROM THE AIR.

I have been using these for more than 25 years with excellent results, even in roach infested apartment building I would have no roaches while my neighbors were crawling with them.

ONE WORD OF CAUTION,
1. REMOVE BATTERIES FROM SMOKE DETECTORS AS IT WILL SOMETIMES SET THEM OFF.
2. PUT A CERAMIC PLATE UNDER EACH OF THE CANISTERS AS THEY GET VERY HOT I DIDN'T THE FIRST TIME AND IT DISCOLORED A NEWS PAPER I HAD UNDER THE CANISTER, I HAVE NEVER MADE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN.

The RAID FUMIGATOR box is about 3 1/2 inches square and 8 - 10 inches tall, it is BLUE in color.

I can't use cats as I am deathly allergic to them. but I love them for outside pets and they keep the snakes away form my house.

[elfyum]

They're "Palmettos", not roaches...
Net 'em with a small fish net & throw them back outside where they belong!
I'm sure they don't wanna be near you any more than you wanna be near them! They're lost man!

[AksarbeN]

In July we have gone to the Roach Rodeos being held at the State Fair Ground. It’s an interesting and joyful event watching the rodeo cowboys lassoing and riding them while they are on the run.

I also enjoy watching the “roof rats” chasing them around the yards when roach season is here…. However you must be careful driving in the neighborhoods and have one of the “biggies” run into the side of the car.

All kidding aside, I know that Boric Acid is a dry powder that can be sprinkled around some areas in the garden etc. or anyplace where you think they could crawl into the house. The Boric Acid is not harmful to animals or people. The bugs clean themselves off and digest the boric acid ~ their systems can’t handle it and they die.

Keep your place clean and free from food and most of the time bugs are not around. I've seen them one year in my Eucalyptus trees. I removed the trees and never seen them again.

[gingervandy]

I was just taking a hot bath reading a book. When I felt something on my toe. I looked to see a 3" roach on the edge of the bath. It climbed out of the overflow thingie. Getting bleach for all drains in the morning. How often should I use it?

[KarmaPhx]

Unfortunately bleach does not kill roaches unless poured directly on it, those who feel this works just got lucky and wouldn't have seen another roach either way.

My uncle who used to do pest control told us to use aspartame, the fake sugar, such as sweet and low. They cannot handle the the aspartame and will die, just like eating the boric acid.