[chickenoodle99]

Not true. We've purchased multiple houses here, never had a roach problem.

The palmetto bugs (XL roaches) can get in if you leave a porch light on and aren't careful when you open your door if they're nearby, you just kill them once they do. Small roaches usually indicate an infestation and it's normally due to poor living(bad seals/pipes/cleaning conditions so when you happen upon a home like this you'll need to check seals around windows/doors, place roach traps and be extra diligent to eradicate it.

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

I know. I found one in my linen closet, and you haven't lived until you feel one on you in the middle of the night. That was the night before we called the extermination company.

Which is why, when you get up in the middle of the night, you stomp around and make a lot of noise before you turn on the light.Hopefully that will scare off the buggers and make them scamper back into their hidey holes and crevices before you see them.

I have to say I never felt any on on me at night, maybe my snoring kept them away. There was an occasion or two, though, where I went to the kitchen to get some ice for my water and surprised one or two of them cavorting around on the floor. Which is why I recommend giving them a lot of warning at your approach.

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

I know. I found one in my linen closet, and you haven't lived
until you feel one on you in the middle of the night.

I had a SYSTEM!

Ok...you go to bed with a flashlight near...because a big light will blind you at 2 am...you
place styrofoam sheets and some aluminum foil in strategic places...
the crawling noise will wake you...shine the flashlight ...spray the Raid...go back to dreaming....
they die within a foot or so.
Don't want the smell of Raid? Too bad. Better than the alternative!
Put a sheet over your nose,then.


Haha, went to Miami for a 3 days...opened my nightstand drawer
when I got back...they nibbled on
my peppermint sugarless gum sticks! Heebee jeebees!

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by chickenoodle99

Not true. We've purchased multiple houses here, never had a roach problem.

The palmetto bugs (XL roaches) can get in if you leave a porch light on and aren't careful when you open your door if they're nearby, you just kill them once they do. Small roaches usually indicate an infestation and it's normally due to poor living(bad seals/pipes/cleaning conditions so when you happen upon a home like this you'll need to check seals around windows/doors, place roach traps and be extra diligent to eradicate it.

You can also tell they've been there even if you don't see them, from their droppings they leave behind. Those droppings look like pencil leads, maybe 1/16 to 1/8 inch long. I remember seeing these long ago when I lived in the Florida Keys, in some of my clothese drawers (yuck). I saw a lot of palmetto bugs outside, but never saw one get into the apartment, so I was clueless. A coworker there enlightened me about what those little pencil lead things actually were.

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

I had a SYSTEM!

Ok...you go to bed with a flashlight near...because a big light will blind you at 2 am...you
place styrofoam sheets and some aluminum foil in strategic places...
the crawling noise will wake you...shine the flashlight ...spray the Raid...go back to dreaming....
they die within a foot or so.
Don't want the smell of Raid? Too bad. Better than the alternative!
Put a sheet over your nose,then.

Or snore loudly. And make a racket before you get up in the middle of the night and turn on a light.

[Arcenal813]

Roaches love beer and wine for whatever reason.
After you have a beer (or wine) at night, leave a little bit at the bottom of the cup.
Place it somewhere dark and let it sit overnight. By morningtime, you'll see a crapload of dead roaches in the cup. Good way to kill them.

[chickenoodle99]

Originally Posted by Travelassie

You can also tell they've been there even if you don't see them, from their droppings they leave behind. Those droppings look like pencil leads, maybe 1/16 to 1/8 inch long. I remember seeing these long ago when I lived in the Florida Keys, in some of my clothese drawers (yuck). I saw a lot of palmetto bugs outside, but never saw one get into the apartment, so I was clueless. A coworker there enlightened me about what those little pencil lead things actually were.

Yes! It's so nasty.

[JMC49]

Originally Posted by edujop

I am cockroach adverse. I literally lose my appetite for a couple of hours by just seeing one. I stayed with a friend once in Tallahassee, and there were lots of cockroaches in his house. Not only the big ones with wings, but the somewhat smaller ones that don't have wings. He said they were unavoidable if you live in Florida. Is this true? Or can you keep them out?

I have never seen or had one in my house.

[Sheepie2000]

In 7 years, I think we've seen 2 and I assume they came in on some boxes. We have an exterminator come every 6 months and then whenever needed in between and there's only been once that we asked them to come an extra time. They don't have to be a problem.

[justNancy]

The best way to kill roaches is to exhaust them to death. You usually on see them when you turn on the lights at night, right? So switch on the light, when you see one, immediately switch it off. Do this about 100 times quickly and they'll get so worn out, they'll keel over.