GETTING RID OF COCKROACHES

If one exists, I would truly like to know.
Last week I made the mistake of poisoning some invading mice. Now, they are dead in the attic where I can't get to them. It took about three days to find ways to seal off the odors. I had opted for the poison, because I have two sogs that I didn't want getting stuck to sticky traps and didn't want the dogs to get the mice and regular traps either.

Maple, Boric Acid is a good roach preventative. You put it all around the edges, the drains, the top of cabinets, like the baby powder. It will difinately keep roaches out... I'm not sure if it will kill ones you've already got, tho.

Edgar, D-Con sells a mousetrap that looks like a tuna can. You twist it until entrance holes align, then when the mouse goes in, t whirls back to its closed position. You just pick up the whole trap and dispose of it. It wouldn't hurt your sogs, and you'd know right where the dead mice are...

OK...I'm game.

Diatomaceous Earth. Most hardware stores carry it (I get mine at Lowe's; Home Depot didn't carry it -- I'm in Georgia). Works great on fleas too! Safe for pets. I use it on my dogs and their bedding. Borax and powdered sugar works well too, but it has to be reapplied several times a year and if it gets wet, its useless.

mcrodgers--

Welcome to A2K.

mcrogders, I went to Lowe's and bought the Diatomaceous Earth. Do you put it in containers?

Good to meet another Georgia person...of course, I'm transplanted from the midwest...I remarried, a Georgia lady, and she won't leave

I was horrified to find a German Cockroach in my kitchen the other day. It wasn't dark out...and the little sucker just ran across the wall. Ugh. I almost died. We live in a complex with several townhomes together....So god help me if they are in the walls somewhere. Yuck.

I wonder if this means that I have more or if he just got lost??

I'd be interested in alternative options as well.

Yeah, boric acid is really good....big plus is it won't harm pets.

Put it in some kind of squeeze bottle, like one of those picnic stlye ketchup and mustard holders. That way, you can blast it into tiny cracks.

The roaches walk in it, it gets on their roach feet, they ingest it, and they die.

OMG - I swear I didn't read this first....

Boric Acid Powder
All Natural Insecticide
Boric acid is one of the oldest inorganic compounds known to mankind in treating pests. Mined from the Mojave Desert in California it is nature's proven long-term treatment in eliminating Cockroaches, Palmettobugs, Waterbugs, Ants, Silverfish, Carpenter Ants, and Termites.

Properties and Advantages
Boric Acid is the "secret ingredient" in so many commercial treatments for insect control.
This simple inexpensive, household chemical is deadly to all insects. It has been shown to attack their nervous systems, as well as being a drying agent to their bodies. Boric acid is a wonderful tool for controlling cockroaches in homes, restaurants and other buildings. It is effective in extremely small amounts and retains its potency almost indefinitely provided the deposit remains dry. Unlike many insecticides, boric acid has no repellency to insects and, consequently, roaches return to treated areas repeatedly until they die. Boric acid (100%) powder is odorless and nonstaining. Boric acid is deadly to cockroaches, but is low in toxicity to people, pets and other nontarget animals. It is also odorless and contains no volatile solvents. Simply apply directly on carpets where pets frequently traffic or sleep at the rate of 1.5 pounds per 150 square feet. Work powder deep into fibers and mat. Any powder visible after application must be brushed into carpet fibers or vacuumed. Allow powder to remain for a period of three weeks to achieve maximum flea control in carpets.
Sprinkle around baseboards, under and behind refrigerator, stove, sink, dishwasher, washing machine and dryer. Also, sprinkle into openings around drain pipes and electrical conduits, and in cracks and crevices along baseboards and corners of cabinets, cupboards and closets. Insects walk through the dust, ingest it, and die within hours.

Cockroaches:
People have been fighting cockroaches with boric acid for nearly a century Cockroaches succumb to boric acid when they crawl over treated areas. The tiny particles of powder adhere to the cockroaches' body, and the material is ingested as the roach preens the powder from its legs and antennae. Some boric acid is also absorbed through the greasy outer covering of the insect's body. All species of cockroaches are susceptible to boric acid provided the powder is applied into areas where the roaches are living.

Using Boric Acid Like a Pro
The key to success with boric acid is proper application. Plastic, squeeze-type bottles with narrow applicator tips are the easiest to use. (These containers are similar in appearance to the squeezable mustard and ketchup bottles found in restaurants). For best results, the powder should be applied in a very thin layer barely visible to the naked eye. Piles or heavy accumulations will be avoided by foraging cockroaches much as we would avoid walking through a snow drift. To apply a fine layer, shake the container and puff a small quantity of the powder into the target area. Use a container which is no more than two-thirds full, an airspace is created at the top which allows the dust to be puffed more easily (A few pennies or pebbles placed inside the container helps prevent the powder from caking). The trick is to give the container a shake, then puff a very light dusting of the powder into the area you wish to treat.
Avoid applying a heavy layer, and never apply the material with a spoon.
Where the powder is applied is just as important as how it's applied. Cockroaches prefer to live in cracks, crevices and secluded areas close to food, moisture and warmth. Kitchens and bathrooms are the most common areas to find cockroaches, although any area of a home may become infested if the infestation is severe, or if species other than the German cockroach are involved. Key areas for treatment include under/behind the refrigerator, stove and dishwasher, into the opening where plumbing pipes enter walls (such as under sinks and behind the commode, shower and washing machine), and into cracks along edges and corners inside cabinets and pantries. Oftentimes, there is a void (hollow space) under kitchen and bathroom cabinets which becomes a hiding place for cockroaches. This area can be accessed and treated by injecting powder through any existing gap at the top of the kickplate, or if none is present, by drilling a few small holes.

boric acid is NOT a completely benign substance !
i think that a couple of years ago we alredy dicussed it .
you have to exercise some care in its use .
i think it is no longer part of babypowder .
similarly 'Diatomaceous Earth' should be handled with care - make sure the wind doesn't blow it in your face ... and your lungs when you are using it .
hbg
...BORIC ACID POISONING...

Good information hamburger....yes, I'd take care to spread it thinly in an area close enough to the floor boards so that people and animals aren't likely to step in it.

Also, it would need to be reapplied after you mop the floor.

A report: I am having some success with the insects. I took an aluminun (sp) pie pan; cut two 1 and 1/2 inch lines in the side; bent it down to make a ramp; added a thin layer of fine grit (research indicates the grit gets caught in the moving parts and contributes to death); placed Diatomaceous Earth on 1/2 of the surface then added a few pieces of table leftovers. I then attached a plastic plate cover...bent the alum..over the edges of the plastic...I distributed these containers in the kitchen and bathrooms.

So far I have a dead cockroach and limited traffic during the night...limited means I recently counted three on the counter...now I only see one.

If this works...great...if not, then its onto the boric acid.

Thanks all for your help

What are these pie pan things supposed to do?

What kind of earth?

Sounds interesting, but I'm not really understanding.

Then again, just had my first sip of coffee.

i use the diatom. earth in the garden to control an excess of earwhigs , particularly around the outside faucets and downspouts .
just try to avoid inhaling it .
as usual : BE CAUTIOUS !
hbg


...diatom. earth...

The alum... pie pan is the bottom container. The inverted, clear pie pan shape on top allows me to see the grit, earth, bait area. It is a baited insect trap. I can pick up each trap and if necessary, store them. All without touching the contents or exposing the Diatomaceous Earth to a breeze.

This is especially helpful with the Diatomaceous Earth, which as hamburger has stated, is a mean burn to your nasal cavities and dangerous.

Chai, Diatomaceous Earth is one of the SAFER products...more organic/safer...no pun.