A few questions for the Wilmington area natives...

[macjr82]

Basically you see them when it rains, with the lack of any preventive measures. I reckon you can have the house treated or consult otherwise with an exterminator. I susally deal with them shoe, spray, and dog. My dog likes to chase/kill them, unless they fly at her then she runs like a punk. The clsoer you are to trees/woods, the more you'll have to deal with water bugs.

[le roi]

Originally Posted by finallygreen

Thanks again for all the help, guys...and if anyone else has new suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

In the meantime, I have a new question about....BUGS!

Specifically, these palmetto/water bugs I guess they're called (call'em what you want, they're huge roaches any way you look at it!). We see one or two a week here INSIDE the house...and they're friggin' huge! The neighbors just laugh at us for being sensitive to it at all, seeing as how they've lived here their whole lives and just tell us to "get used to it"...but the beauty of this forum is that I can get a 2nd/3rd/100th opinion

So....is it normal to see these things inside with that kind of frequency? And, is there a way to keep them out??

I'd appreciate any help/advice you have!

what people call "Palmetto Bugs" are a group of several different african-imported cockroaches, like the 'american cockroach', 'smokybrown cockroach' and the 'brown cockroach'. they're fast, some of them fly, they typically live outside in rotting wood and debris, and have a tendency to come inside when it rains.

but generally speaking, if you have an old house with cracks in the floor, walls, or ceiling, then you're going to be waging a constant war against them, as they can squeeze through the smallest cracks. My 1930's-era house in college was a nightmare, with plenty of rotting wood in the backyard, and was so poorly-sealed that it was impossible to keep them out. By contrast, I currently live in a new-ish concrete slab home, with very little wood (or old trees), and our backyard is a haven for lizards and frogs. I haven't seen a roach in the two years i've lived here.

so, without calling an exterminator, here's what i'd do --

a. eliminate any rotting wood, whether it is under your house, an old deck, or an old tree.
b. establish a habitat for predators, like lizards and frogs
c. clear out excessive tree cover and shade; they don't like sunlight
d. clear out anything underneath your house, consider putting in a moisture barrier
e. improve ventilation and moisture-control in the attic
f. put out boric acid in areas where you know they're coming in. (under door cracks, window cracks, etc.)