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Location: West of the Catalinas East of the Tortolitas
4,922 posts, read 8,571,496 times
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I know cockroaches are pretty common here, and up until about 10 days ago, I'd only seen three in the three years I've been here, which was three too many. Now, this summer, I've seen a bunch. There were three on my front porch in the past week, not real responsive, but crawling on the walls. They died almost immediately when sprayed with Raid. Another on my balcony, again, almost dead. (I'm on the second floor).
Then, last night, one was in my bedroom closet. That was disgusting because I sprayed it, and it dropped from the wall somewhere amongst the hanging clothes (I have a walk-in closet with built in drawers, shelves, and hanger rods that are all full of stuff). I panicked because I couldn't find it. The thought of finding it in a piece of clothing, dead, was awful. A few minutes later, though, it did slowly crawl out into the main part of the closet floor and my son scooped it up for me and flushed it. I have an attic "trap door" in my closet ceiling, and I'm wondering if it got in through that? Today, I put a night light in the closet (there are outlets) hoping the light would scare off any of his friends, but there's no way of knowing if there are more unless I actually see them. Too many hiding places in the closet.
Long story for a short question: My house is definitely not dirty, so why all the roaches (albeit all but one was outside) this year? I have sprayed barricade on all the windows, doors and attic access. Also behind the washer and under all the sinks. We were sprayed about a month ago, so I don't get it. I looked the roach up and I think it's an American Cockroach with antennae as long, if not longer, than it's 2" body which is a burnt caramel color. Ewwwww!!! I itch just thinking about this...
Last edited by Marcy1210; 07-14-2011 at 09:04 PM..
Reason: clarification
It could be that someone in your area is attracting them. I had neighbors once that attracted ants, and of course they came into my home I do quarterly pest control now, no ants, no roaches, nothing.
Location: West of the Catalinas East of the Tortolitas
4,922 posts, read 8,571,496 times
Reputation: 8044
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tornado of Souls
It could be that someone in your area is attracting them. I had neighbors once that attracted ants, and of course they came into my home I do quarterly pest control now, no ants, no roaches, nothing.
I don't know. I'm in a condo complex and of the 8 units in my building, only two are occupied right now. 3 are Snowbirds, 1 is for sale and the other 2 are vacant. It's possible that the guy downstairs kitty corner from me could be attracting them. The weird thing is that they showed up right after we were sprayed by pest control. It's like they were driven out of somewhere and now they're in my condo.
Location: Approximately 50 miles from Missoula MT/38 yrs full time after 4 yrs part time
2,308 posts, read 4,121,934 times
Reputation: 5025
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marcy1210
I don't know. I'm in a condo complex and of the 8 units in my building, only two are occupied right now. 3 are Snowbirds, 1 is for sale and the other 2 are vacant. It's possible that the guy downstairs kitty corner from me could be attracting them. The weird thing is that they showed up right after we were sprayed by pest control. It's like they were driven out of somewhere and now they're in my condo.
.......Any possibility that there is a connection between the heavy Monsoon rains your area has had recently and your "bug" problem?
I'd also have the Condo Complex Management check the "bug status" of those 6 other un-occupied units........I'd also ask the "guy downstairs kitty corner" if he has seen any of those "Palmetto Bugs" in or near his unit..............Just a thought.
I do know that they can enter into a bath tub or shower area by means of coming up the waste water drain pipes......... thus my comment about maybe excess rain water (monsoon derived) has driven them (somehow) into the waste water piping in the complex and with 6 units not being lived in......no household water is being used in those units, thus those pipes in those units may be their means of access to your unit and/or other units.......Again just something to consider.
Location: West of the Catalinas East of the Tortolitas
4,922 posts, read 8,571,496 times
Reputation: 8044
Quote:
Originally Posted by Montana Griz
.......Any possibility that there is a connection between the heavy Monsoon rains your area has had recently and your "bug" problem?
I'd also have the Condo Complex Management check the "bug status" of those 6 other un-occupied units........I'd also ask the "guy downstairs kitty corner" if he has seen any of those "Palmetto Bugs" in or near his unit..............Just a thought.
I do know that they can enter into a bath tub or shower area by means of coming up the waste water drain pipes......... thus my comment about maybe excess rain water (monsoon derived) has driven them (somehow) into the waste water piping in the complex and with 6 units not being lived in......no household water is being used in those units, thus those pipes in those units may be their means of access to your unit and/or other units.......Again just something to consider.
Wow. I hadn't thought of the empty (they're owned, just not occupied currently) condos being the problem. That would be a distinct possibility. The unit below me, and next to me up here are both snowbird units, so no one will be back until about mid-November. The other two on the 1st floor are also currently unoccupied. I am now making it a routine to run the sinks, flush the toilets and turn on the bathtubs a couple of times a day more than usual.
I did talk to the guy "kitty corner" downstairs and he said he's got them, too. He noticed them in his laundry room by the washer. He's also had a couple of scorpions in his condo that he's never had before.
As far as monsoon rains, we've had them before, but I didn't have roaches. I wonder if a pest control company would spray just one unit in a building?
I know cockroaches are pretty common here, and up until about 10 days ago, I'd only seen three in the three years I've been here, which was three too many. Now, this summer, I've seen a bunch. There were three on my front porch in the past week, not real responsive, but crawling on the walls. They died almost immediately when sprayed with Raid. Another on my balcony, again, almost dead. (I'm on the second floor).
Then, last night, one was in my bedroom closet. That was disgusting because I sprayed it, and it dropped from the wall somewhere amongst the hanging clothes (I have a walk-in closet with built in drawers, shelves, and hanger rods that are all full of stuff). I panicked because I couldn't find it. The thought of finding it in a piece of clothing, dead, was awful. A few minutes later, though, it did slowly crawl out into the main part of the closet floor and my son scooped it up for me and flushed it. I have an attic "trap door" in my closet ceiling, and I'm wondering if it got in through that? Today, I put a night light in the closet (there are outlets) hoping the light would scare off any of his friends, but there's no way of knowing if there are more unless I actually see them. Too many hiding places in the closet.
Long story for a short question: My house is definitely not dirty, so why all the roaches (albeit all but one was outside) this year? I have sprayed barricade on all the windows, doors and attic access. Also behind the washer and under all the sinks. We were sprayed about a month ago, so I don't get it. I looked the roach up and I think it's an American Cockroach with antennae as long, if not longer, than it's 2" body which is a burnt caramel color. Ewwwww!!! I itch just thinking about this...
2" long roaches? They come out every year around monsoon time. I'll see a couple in or outside my house every year. There was one so large last year - lordy. I was minding my own business in the bathroom, and saw it walking down the hall. Got my husband to come get it for me, since I was, um, occupied. Threatened to put a saddle on it and name it Trigger.
They are not out for very long. I believe they come out of the drains and sewers.
Location: West of the Catalinas East of the Tortolitas
4,922 posts, read 8,571,496 times
Reputation: 8044
Quote:
Originally Posted by Emeraldmaiden
2" long roaches? They come out every year around monsoon time. I'll see a couple in or outside my house every year. There was one so large last year - lordy. I was minding my own business in the bathroom, and saw it walking down the hall. Got my husband to come get it for me, since I was, um, occupied. Threatened to put a saddle on it and name it Trigger.
They are not out for very long. I believe they come out of the drains and sewers.
This is my fourth summer here, and I've never seen them out and about before. I'd giggle when other posters would talk about their roaches and scorpions. No more.
Between the monsoons, empty condos in the building, plumbing and storm drains, it all make sense. The roaches started appearing after the first big rain. We have those empty condos (for a few more weeks until the Snowbirds return), the unused plumbing from the absence of the Snowbirds, and there's a storm drain right in front of the house. I've also been a sprayin' fool with Barricade stuff, the Ant and Roach killer, cumin and chili powder spray, and just about anything else I can find...Comet cleanser, borax, lime, you name it. The good news is we didn't get Crane Flies this year, although I'll take them over cockroaches any day...
I live in a newer area in Sahuarita and have seen plenty of them around. When I lived in Green Valley, we had them there as well. I am abnormally anal about cleanliness but I will still see an occasional roach or two. My neighbors are clean people and aren't attracting them either. I'm thinking water attracts them? When I move potted plants around in my yard, I will see several running from under them. When opening the valve cover for my drip system, I have seen them there as well. They seem worse during monsoon season. Also, when living in Green Valley, I saw them pop up in the sink drains. I always kept the drain stoppers down. It only happened a couple of times, but gross!!
Location: West of the Catalinas East of the Tortolitas
4,922 posts, read 8,571,496 times
Reputation: 8044
Quote:
Originally Posted by jksn75
I live in a newer area in Sahuarita and have seen plenty of them around. When I lived in Green Valley, we had them there as well. I am abnormally anal about cleanliness but I will still see an occasional roach or two. My neighbors are clean people and aren't attracting them either. I'm thinking water attracts them? When I move potted plants around in my yard, I will see several running from under them. When opening the valve cover for my drip system, I have seen them there as well. They seem worse during monsoon season. Also, when living in Green Valley, I saw them pop up in the sink drains. I always kept the drain stoppers down. It only happened a couple of times, but gross!!
I think you're right that the water's the common denominator...monsoons, storm drain, empty/dry pipes below, water in my condo, your sprinklers, etc. Before the one in my closet last week, the only ones I'd found in the house were two in my son's bathroom, belly up but still alive, on his bathroom floor. It looked like they may have fallen off his counter top. So, maybe they came up his sink drain. I bought a black rubber stopper for the disposal side of the kitchen sink, and I have closed the stopper on the drain side. I've also closed the bathroom sink drains and the bathtub drains. I'm also randomly flushing toilets...think I got that part covered.
I remember, also, my husband lifted a bag of potting soil from under the gardening workbench on the balcony and a bunch of them came out of the bag! Scared the you-know-what out of him. So, cool, moist, anything will attract them. I still get freaked when I think I see something scurrying across the floor out of the corner of my eye. I'm also throwing my bedcovers back and checking the bed for creepy crawlies before I get in.
What paranoia????
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That was disgusting because I sprayed it, and it dropped from the wall somewhere amongst the hanging clothes (I have a walk-in closet with built in drawers, shelves, and hanger rods that are all full of stuff). I panicked because I couldn't find it. The thought of finding it in a piece of clothing, dead, was awful. A few minutes later, though, it did slowly crawl out into the main part of the closet floor and my son scooped it up for me and flushed it. I have an attic "trap door" in my closet ceiling, and I'm wondering if it got in through that? Today, I put a night light in the closet (there are outlets) hoping the light would scare off any of his friends, but there's no way of knowing if there are more unless I actually see them. Too many hiding places in the closet. 
I do quarterly pest control now, no ants, no roaches, nothing.
