Biggest #&#$@ Roaches on the planet!! (Houston, Grand Prairie: condo, houses, scorpions)

[cityluv]

I have to admit some of these stories are hilarious. I am sitting at my computer desk cracking up so much that my side is starting to hurt. I have a friend from Gainsville, Florida and he once told me that as a kid, he would see those big roaches fly around and that you could actually hear them when they landed. He said they made a loud "plop" sound on whatever surface they landed. That was pretty scary to know that roaches can get to be that big and that they can actually fly.

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

We had one 'ski trip from hell' (bus stuck in ice, then it broke down a couple of times - stayed for hours at bus stations, horrible motel with no heat, hail falling on everyone trapped on a stopped ski-lift) way back in my days in the church youth group and it turned out to be the one everyone always talks about ... a little namedropping here - Peri Gilpin (Frasier) went to my church so I always say I used to go skiing with her...

In the Keys if you see a roach you don't care. But they do have those ants which disturb your Key Lime Pie.

Oh my gosh, I'd almost say you were on our trip. When we left Dallas it was snowing and pretty good too (rare). This was in March back in 1998. It snowed all the way and got worse the further north we went. The bus company had their route scheduled to go up thru Oklahoma and Kansas. My dad left the same time in his truck to Colorado and made it BACK to Dallas before we ever made it to Colorado. The driver got lost in Oklahoma (I was the only one awake as I NEVER sleep on these things). In Kansas we passed a Greyhound slid off in the ditch. It was a friggin BLIZZARD! We were the only idiots on the road. Finally made it after TWENTY TWO HOURS!!! The ski rental shop was closed but let us come anyway. Well that was not the end of it. One of the families on the trip their little boy got to not feeling well. She took him to a doctor and got some medicine and it worked for 1/2 day then took a turn for the worse. He got admitted to the hospital and was diagnosed with VIRAL MENINGITIS!!! We almost had to get quarantined by the Colorado Dept of Health . LOL!!! Bless his heart that mother was beside herself and I so felt for her. He pulled thru and was able to come home a few weeks later. No one else got sick but we did all have to get shots while IN Colorado because of it.

The bus trip home was MUCH shorter. I was tempted to fly home after all this. The roach was nothing compared to the rest but it just added to the whole "ski trip from hell" experience. Which is one reason why I KNOW it was IN Colorado this occured. Maye the roach got meningitis and died

[lilypad]

Yes, those thinking of moving down here to Texas (where everything is bigger), need to think about ALL the bugs, flying and crawling critters! It is true the northern TX roaches not as big. I rarely see one here, have NEVER seen a waterbug this far north. They are huge and abundant in southern TX. I visited friends in San Antonio several years ago, they lived in a very upscale townhouse but had those huge roaches everywhere. Has nothing to do with cleanliness. And yes, they will fly at you! One main reason I moved away from Tyler, TX due to all the huge bugs there. The roaches would swarm down the street drains at dark (would see them when I dared to take a walk in the neighborhood). That did it for me. Then saw some huge dragonfly-like flying critter coming at me one day while hanging out the laundry. Ha, ha, no more of doing that! Anyway, it seems the bugs are less in number and size up here in the Panhandle, and intend on moving further up north where the ground freezes in winter to kill their damn eggs!!

[Grainraiser]

This thread has been very amusing. It's been said that in the event of a nuclear holocast the lonely cockroach would be a survivor. You can run but you can't hide LOL!

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by momof2dfw

Nope, it WAS in Colorado. It was a ski trip w/ a church group and came to be deemed the "ski trip from hell". Trust me............ IT WAS ON THAT TRIP!!! Besides, I was in the tub and I hardly EVER take baths but had to since there was no shower in that room.

Here are some links from Colorado that show what kinds of roaches can be found there:
Cockroaches
FYI, not for the weak stomach.

Oh, those are disgusting. I am surprised though, but thanks for enlightening me, I think. I just don't see how people can stand living anywhere if those creatures are living in their homes. I just can't imagine.

[Rosie123]

Originally Posted by momof2dfw

Nope, it WAS in Colorado. It was a ski trip w/ a church group and came to be deemed the "ski trip from hell". Trust me............ IT WAS ON THAT TRIP!!! Besides, I was in the tub and I hardly EVER take baths but had to since there was no shower in that room.

Here are some links from Colorado that show what kinds of roaches can be found there:
Cockroaches
FYI, not for the weak stomached

Here, even on this thread in the Colorado forum some posters dispell the rumors that they don't exist there:
//www.city-data.com/forum/denve...6-roaches.html

Actually, in the place we stayed in down in The Keys we had little bitty sugar ants. Had to put EVERYTHING food related in the fridge. Even a box of Pop-Tarts that were still sealed were not immune from those little devils. Oh, and the place we stayed at was not a dive either. I actually highly recommend Hawks Cay. Florida Keys Resort & Marina - Hawks Cay Resort - Luxury Resort in the Florida Keys, Fl.

I have to agree "how gross!!". Sorry to hear you had such a bad skiing trip - most people really enjoy their vacations in Colorado and that's why they keep coming back for more!!! That roach you saw...hmmm..really it is very uncommon - well I believe now that we also have roaches in CO (not as big as in TX)...but nobody I have talked to has ever seen one!!! When we lived in Texas and moved into our home..we had roaches everywhere.... one day, I was sitting on the PC, I felt something on my foot....and it was a roach!!!! You should have seen my jump...of course I was immediately on the phone with pest control ! We also had a rat problem.....so, one day I found 3 dead ones in our backyard...when pest control came...I was told that they (that guy!) would not pick them up..because it was not his job!!!!!! (guess what..a call to the company..and the guy was back the same day to pick them up...)
Yes...and we had lots of baby rabbits drowning in our pool - it was awful...but there was nothing we could do...we had a safety net around the pool and the rabbits would bite through the net....Actually, I jumped once in the pool to safe the life of a mommy rabbit!! Every spring we had wild ducks enjoying our pool - we loved watching them
Luckily we never had to deal with snakes (but we have friends in McKinney who cannot jump into their pool before checking for snakes ahhhhhhhhhhh...I think in that case I would consider living without a pool

[houstoner]

I opened this thread warily, wondering how long it was going to take till Houston was mentioned. Thanks for not disappointing me with the first reply, Lakewooder!

Since not many people have offered tips to control the suckers, three things:

1. boric acid powder ($3 at Walgreens)
2. Combat bait stations
3. Combat roach killing gel (this stuff is amazing)

All of these work miracles, are safer than pesticides, and cheaper than exterminators. Using this three-pronged strategy, your roach problem should be contained within a couple weeks, tops.

[USA_Mom]

Originally Posted by houstoner

I opened this thread warily, wondering how long it was going to take till Houston was mentioned. Thanks for not disappointing me with the first reply, Lakewooder!

Since not many people have offered tips to control the suckers, three things:

1. boric acid powder ($3 at Walgreens)
2. Combat bait stations
3. Combat roach killing gel (this stuff is amazing)

All of these work miracles, are safer than pesticides, and cheaper than exterminators. Using this three-pronged strategy, I guarantee your roach problem will be no more within a couple weeks, tops.

I used the boric acid and the stations when I lived in N.O., and they do work great (I don't think the gel was out then).

As far as Houston well there was/is an ongoing rivalry on the Georgia board and which 2nd tier city (like populations of 200K are huge there) is "the best." Finally Columbus won because "we were No. 1 in car theft! Woot!" I laughed my butt off that day.

[momof2dfw]

We have TONS of rabbits and ducks around us. Our lil dog LOVES watching the "Bunny Rabbits" and wants to play with them. My husband has scooped a baby bunny out of the pool and sadly we have found some in the skimmer . We have had the ducks build their nest in our front shrubs one year. The next was in the back next to the pool. The ducks could be in the backyard in or out of the pool and our dogs would not even bother them. Right now we also have a TON of lil froggies in the yard. The dog gets a kick out of seeing them but does not bother them. Having frogs is a GOOD THING as if you don't see them it is because too many pesticides have been used.

I've always recommended the roach bait stations. I put them out in a house before we even move in. Nip it in the bud is what I like to say and do.

[SharonL]

Originally Posted by bookworm2768

Holy @@$@$#@!
WHAT IS UP WITH THE SIZE OF THE ROACHES DOWN HERE!!!
This dream move to Texas is turning up some pretty nasty little added benefits!
I've found a roach in my sun room last week (just wandered in, right?) and just five minutes ago found another one as big as a credit card inside my cereal bowl INSIDE my Kitchen cabinet. I am utterly freaked out!!! After doing a *** all over the kitchen and smashing the monster to bits I am ready to throw up!
How common is this? I've got a contract with a pest control company who will only be able to come out on Friday to spray the place. Friday!! Heck I'm terrified of entering the kitchen anymore! I haven't seen roaches this big in 13 years!
So what does this mean?? Is this house infested?? We just bought it this spring but I cleaned those cabinets out really well! Where on earth are these da&**d things hiding? HEEEELLLP!!!!

I think Corpus Christi is worse. The spray should work. I get quarterly sprays & always have pest control come out at the very beginning of spring. Spring & Summer is the worst. The winter is fine.