argh!
we've lived in this building for a few years now. since we got here we moved twice (each time to a larger apartment), the last time was more than a year ago.
it was mostly fine, not great, but fine, but this summer gave us the very last straw.
cockroaches.
small, gross, annoying, impossible to get rid of, cockroaches.
we've never seen them in our former apartments, and i don't recall seeing them in this one last summer. it's definitely never been so bad.
the building management provides "pest control" treatment every once in a while. in the note they leave under our door prior to each treatment, they state that they use biodegradable pesticide, that's odorless and safe for pets and people. unfortunately it's safe for roaches, too. 
we told the management and they sent someone to spray. after two days it only got worse: we were killing a few of them each day, there's a roach running away every time you turn on the light. apparently they don't get exterminated, they just move from one apartment to the other. probably through the walls. so two days after spraying us, they sprayed some other floor, and the roaches were on the move. argh! it's an entire building infestation.
so we took matters to our own hands. a couple of weeks ago we emptied out the kitchen, got some bug spray that's NOT biodegradable nor safe, and sprayed the hell out of the kitchen. we tried to get into every hole and crack - and there's lots of them - to block their entry ways. a few came out running that day, and since then we still see some roaches - though not as many - but we think it's just because they have less places to hide in.
today we finally decided to put things back where they belong, but to our great frustration it seems like the roaches are back, bigger, stronger and faster.
where are the men in black when you need them???
our last resort is to get some stuff that's super poisonous that the roaches carry back to their nest. or maybe something from this website but i doubt that would work either, since even if we kill one nest the neighbors' roaches will just come visit us.
and a final note:
i'm glad these are not the Tel-Aviv cockroaches. but i'm still very grossed out and very frustrated. yuck.
8 comments:
I feel sorry for you, Keren ...it's sound almost like the movie "The Birds" by Hitchcock..."the cockroaches"
...I know what you mean the Tel-Aviv cockroaches which are BIG and often look like palm dates... it may be very confusing and can end in a very unpredictable way too...
They say a world wide nuclear war that killed every human and animal would still leave the cockroaches, so I wouldn't advise going nuclear. Are other residents complaining as well?
for all i know, Gary and Sandy are experts in making traps for pests... just like the the story with the mice (I am still buying that story, Gary).
So next time they come over, make sure to have a bucket of water water (or acid in this case), a long spoon, and let them do the rest
I hope that Ella doesnt feed the cockroaches like she does with the cats....she might like that! how come the cats dont do anything?Maganda didnt let any animle to be a resident in our house beside Malakas and herself.
OZ: gross. gross. gross. the TA cockroaches are fast and big and they can fly... i used to chase them with FLIT around my apartment. there were never any confusions, luckily...
Sandy: yes, the neighbors also complain. actually our friends on the 12th-floor had the problem the winter (and still do) and i admit that at the time i didn't believe them that it's that bad. i do now.
Ron: good idea!
Ima: Maganda was a lot smarter than Gray Scrooge. he doesn't really do his job around the house. the only bugs he cares about are spiders hanging OUTSIDE our windows. i really wish he was a little more of a cat and a little less of a dog.
black scroge is smarter but he's not around much, he prefers to spend the hot summer days hiding and sleeping somewhere.
Oh you guys, I am so sorry. I can only imagine trying to juggle a little one walking and playing on the ground with these terrible little pests. I hope summer goes quickly for you, it sounds like things are better during the other seasons?
Ohhh also sounds like a great excuse for a mega vacation. I hear pasadena is nice this time of year ;)
Kari, it hasn't been a problem with Ella: the roaches "live" behind the kitchen cabinets and when we see them it's in/around the cabinets, and she's not allowed there anyway! phew. i can't imagine what it would be like if they actually hung out where we do. yuck!!!!! i would have probably moved!
right now, if we didn't need the kitchen (eg, if we only ate takeout food or pizza...) it would be fine.
i hope we eliminate this problem soon.
or move.
La Cucaracha, La Cucaracha...
ya no puede caminar
porque no tiene,
porque le falta
las dos patitas de atrás.
I read that roaches don't like bay leaves, but not enough for itto be a real repellant.
Can you get fresh PANDAN leaves at the vietnamese quarters next to you?
Very funny but serious article: Pandan Leaves (Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb.) As
A Natural Cockroach Repellent
(Li J.1 and Ho S.H. It was based on the observation that in singapore taxi drivers use the leaves to repell roaches. From the article summary:
".....Hence,
bunches of pandan leaves can possibly work well for taxi drivers as the leaves are usually left to
dry out at the back of the taxi, evaporating the water and volatile compounds in the leaves. Since
leaves are contained within the small confines of the taxi, its scented, cockroach-repellent
volatile compounds can permeate the air and possibly be concentrated enough to repel
cockroaches......Although by no means the most efficient for this purpose, a natural, non-insecticidal means
of combating cockroaches is preferred in the face of reported undesirable effects of many
synthetic repellents such as DEET (Reynolds, 1989) on humans and the environment.
Furthermore, P. amaryllifolius has the secondary benefit of adding visual and olfactory pleasure
to humans....."
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