# Bugs in my appliances



## Hears The Water (Aug 2, 2002)

Hi y'all! I have bugs!!! Eeek! John and I have been togeather for 15 years and never in all that time have we had roaches. I have been very blessed! I realy hate them, I mean it is phobia-like hate. In the last month or so I have noticed these little pear shaped roaches in my house. I had heard them called "Mexican Cockroaches" but we have not ever had them like this! I mean you just can't go to the grocery store or buy anything in a box or a bag and not see one once in a while, but these puppies have moved in! I just noticed two days ago that they are in the lit clock, time counter pannel on both my microwave and my oven. My oven is one of those new ones that has a key pad rather than knobs and the bugs are in the lit up part. When you turn the oven on, a whole bunch of them run up by where the time is lit up, Johnnie just discoverd that if you push on the pad, it squishes them yuck! Now I have some dead bugs blocking my time read out. Grrrrrrr. So, what I am asking is this: do these kind of bugs eat the wiring? DH John said that they where. Is there anything I can do about them? We have a theory, we just started shopping at Aldi's and bringing in boxes, and keeping one or two of them for trash and other things. Plus for some reason the Hedge Apple tree that drops hedge apples on my roof each year, did not make but about 20 Hedge Apples. I have heard that Hedge Apple are a natural deterant to bugs. Anyone have any ideas on what I can do? I don't want to spray chemicals in my house, let alone in my microwave and oven!! Will they eventually eat the wiring in my applicances? Any input would be very much appreceated!
God bless you and yours
Debbie


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

I like Roach Motels and Bengal Roach Spray.


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## Siryet (Jun 29, 2002)

We use to put borax in all the light switch boxes, around all base boards that animals cannot get to also used roach motels placed in high roach traffic areas
borax in cabinets but not near the food or dishes. We also put borax around the baseboard in our garage. At night we would wipe the counter tops down with bleach.

We lived in Houston Texas and were one of the few people who didn't have roaches.  

We *did not * keep and boxes or paper sacks from any grocery store. :no: 

I don't know if they eat wiring or not but they will eat just about anything else.

Good luck in your war against the mighty cockroach


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## peanutgreen (Oct 25, 2003)

Lots of glue traps, too. And if you see any roach poop, wipe it up immediately. An exterminator told me that's what the babies eat. (I don't know if it's true, but I guess you'd want to clean it up anyway.) I would keep any food that isn't in cans in the fridge or freezer or a Tupperware type container until you get rid of them. Seems like I read somewhere that DE sprinkled in the carpet would help. If you don't want to use that, you might be able to sprinkle Borax on all the floors. I think I also read that mothballs will help keep bugs or mice away? I'm not sure which it was or if it was both.

Good Luck! :yeeha:


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## Ozarks_1 (Jan 11, 2003)

The roaches love our cordless phone.
We've found a combination of borax and DE works best for us.


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## Ozarkquilter46 (Jun 5, 2002)

I know this may sound funny but roaches hate allspice! A friend of mine took me to her grandmothers house and I was telling her I lived in Military base houseing and they extermanated the ajoining house to mine and then I had roaches!! She told me to take ground allspice and place a teaspoon of it in a lightweight paper towel. fold it up so that there is only one layer on paper on the top with the allspice under it. Tie it with a string and then poke a few wholes in it. Put this little package in every kitchen drawer on every shelf and also under all the sinks in the house. Well within about 3 or 4 days I didn't have any at all. I don't know why it worked but it did. I would even sneek into the kitchen late at night and leave someting on the counter just to hit that light switch and still no roaches. I have always kept these little papertowel packages of all spice in my kitchen every since and have never seen another roach in about 22 years.  Now mice is another story. I love the sticky traps for them


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

Roach Pruf is the stuff to use.Its available at ACE Hardware,comes in a yellow can.It has an electrostatic charge that affixes it to the roach,supposed to scrape off the protective coating on the roaches shell and they dehydrate.I used it once living in an apartment,it cured the problem really well.I swear by the stuff.Paul Harvey used to advertise it on his radio program.Its a borax product I believe.
BooBoo


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## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

we've had them like that too. I don't know if they eat the wiring but they did short circuit my microwave. When we were in the trailer we got them so bad. They were in every appliance. The neighbors would spray and there they came. I hate them! They seem to like warm places. When we moved I found them in surge protectors, the cordless phone, the dishwasher, you name it. I took every appliance we had apart and left hem outside for a few days before putting them in the house. Thanks goodness it was summer and didn't rain! The microwave was shot though. We had a few move in with us despite all that and I put borax everywhere after I bombed. I hate the chemicals but I hate the roaches more.


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## lacyj (May 14, 2002)

An exterminator at a resturant told me NOT to step on them. If there is a pattern on the soles of your shoes, and you squish them, they will drop an egg sack. He said that any time roaches are disturbed, they will drop an egg sack. He showed me by, shaking one, in a jar, and sure enough, out popped that d*mn thing. When you step on them with waffle type shoes, the egg sack may stick in the sole cracks and then get transported to other places. By squishing them in your microwave, you may be making the problem worse, by increasing their number, faster.
lacyj


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## OD (May 25, 2004)

We have woods close to our house & the BIG waterbug roach things were coming in from outside. Some of these things are 2 inches long & I tried everything I heard about for 3 years. Finally, I found the cure, & I haven't seen a live one in a couple of months now. It is "Combat Roach Killing Gel". It comes in a syringe-type tube & it's about the consistency of toothpaste. You just squirt some in out of the way places & in a day or so you see dead ones lying around. It took about 3 months to completely get rid of all of them. I still keep some out to get new ones if they come in.


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## gobug (Dec 10, 2003)

I don't know what kind of roach you have based on your description. It is relevant. Is it just the babies that are pear shaped? What part of the country do you live in? Do a google on "german cockroach" and see if that is what you have.

Most roaches that live in kitchens need water more than food. They can eat just about anything, and go without food for as long as a month. But they need water every other day. So generally, they live as close as possible to a water supply, like within 8 feet or so. This makes the kitchen counters, cabinets, and appliances hot areas. They can get water from the sink, a damp rag or sponge, a dish drainer and tray, a damp mop, dirty dishes, "empty" cans, the refrigerator drip pan, a sweaty pipe, a dog dish, fish tank, etc. Like any pest, the better the environment the faster they reproduce. So start by making it hard on them. Wash and dry the dishes immediately after each meal. Wipe off the counter and the sink. Don't leave a damp rag sponge on the counter. Store the damp mop with the top up in the air. Get empty cans out of the house.

Forget about mothballs. They are worse for you than the pest. They are intended to be used in an enclosed space, like an airtight plastic bag, not in your breathing space.

Boric acid products and DE are not very effective because you cannot get them where the roaches like to live. They don't adhere to vertical surfaces. It's not good to put them, or anything else into electrical appliances or outlets.

Sprays are not very good unless you can get it on them. Once a spray has dried it will take at least a half hour of constant contact for the bug to pickup a lethal dose. Most of the sprays you can buy are repellant, so the bug will just move to where you didn't spray.

Sticky traps are good as an indicator of the problem, plus any that get trapped will die, but it won't eliminate the problem.

The safest and most effective treatment is bait and growth regulators.

The most effective product (not a pesticide), unfortunately you can only buy with bait stations. I use a concentrate formulation and mix it with water and spray it just about everywhere. It's called Gentrol. Its a growth regulator that prevents babies from reaching sexual maturity. It doesn't kill any, but it effectively stops the population explosion. It also lasts four months and makes the roaches eat more often. When you buy bait stations some will advertise "baby stoppers" on the label. You will get one or two little devices that you place as directed. Unfortunately, it is not nearly enough if you have a problem as big as you describe. They only sell them with the bait stations. 

The bait station approach will work, but you must get enough. Roaches forage randomly for food, so the bait stations must be numerous. If they come 12 to a package, I would suggest at least 3 packages. The "baby stoppers" will effect anything within as much as 75 square feet, but if you put one under the fridge, or in a cabinet it will only affect that area. Ideally, you'd want one under the sink, fridge, on each counter, and in each cabinet with roaches. If you read the label carefully, I believe you will see a restriction on placing the growth regulators in a cabinet with exposed food, like potatoes. Get around this by putting the food in a tight plastic container.

Don't use bombs. Don't use aerosols. Don't use mothballs. If you use DE or boric acid, read the label. You'll see it says to remove visible excess. This means if you can see it you have used too much. The less you use the better, because the bugs are more likely to get into it when it is barely there. Run your finger over the surface. You should get a just little on your finger if you applied it correctly. Use these under the appliances, not in your dish cabinet, not in your food cabinets, not on your stove.

You can place bait stations right on the stove by the clock. Or by the cell phone or microwave without risk you or your family. The toxicants have to be eaten and are not in your airspace.

Good luck


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## gobug (Dec 10, 2003)

A note about your market: complain to the manager if you are certain you got them there. Ask for a discount on the bait stations.

It is not uncommon in the southern parts of the country for these pests to come home with you from the market. They do love cardboard corrogations and bringing a box into the kitchen could be where you got them. Change your habits. Look before you buy. Empty the box or bag and get it out of the house. 

A good grocer will do the same. He(she) will have a receiving area where they inspect the products before they bring them into the store. They should quarantine anything they find with bugs to prevent them from getting into the store. Ask if this is their procedure.

If it is a small scale operation that you love, you will need to do the inspection routine before you bring the stuff into your kitchen or pantry.

If you do live in the south, the bugs can live outside as well.


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## countrygrrrl (Aug 4, 2003)

This happened to me some years back in the last rental I ever lived in.

:no: It was awful and the more I tried to fight it, the worse the problem was. The place was completely infested and, to make matters worse, I had a very piggy neighbor right next to me. I'd fight the roaches, they'd just run next door for a few days, then turn around and come right back.

Much as I hate to say it, I ended up either trashing or donating most of my appliances when I finally moved --- I even sold or gave away all my furniture because the roaches spread to most of it. 

:no: 

If your neighbors are pretty clean and if you're not infested, you should probably be able to deal with it pretty easily. If you're infested, though, or have really piggy neighbors, I'd get professional help ASAP.

Boy, I feel for you!


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## Hears The Water (Aug 2, 2002)

gobug, I found this link that had pix of roaches. http://pested.unl.edu/bbroa.jpg The littliest ones are what my pests look like. The smallest one (dead) is about 1/8th of an inch and the largest one is about 1/4 of an inch. Unfortunatly, we have some major leaky pipes. Also some super genius decided to make our countertops where the sink is, out of wood and used wood quater round as trim. All of that is rotting and we cannot fix it until Spring. So we have a very damp area that I am sure would seriously entice the bugs. And to my shame, I am not a good house keeper and we do have dishes and a wet dish drainer that I am sure is just a bug buffet line. Well *sigh* I guess that this is as good an incentive to keep house better! I will look for the roach bait you mentioned. Will it still work on a brown banded roach? Thank you so much for your help.... everyone! I realy appreceate it. 
God bless you and yours
Debbie


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## gobug (Dec 10, 2003)

The brown banded roach you posted is very similar in size and coloration to a german roach. Even some professionals will confuse them. The egg sack is the best clue, but if you closely examine the adult markings, they are also a way to discriminate. The brown banded roach will stick its egg sack in a variety of places. The egg sack, as shown looks like a hand bag. The egg sack will take some time before the babies emerge. A german roach lays the eggs the day they hatch and the egg sack looks more like a suitcase - its a little longer and rectangular. 

This is an important distinction, because the brown banded is entirely different. The suggestions I gave you are more related to the german roach, which is the more common of the two. The cleanliness is still important though.

Pull out your kitchen drawers and use a flashlight to look inside the structure of the cabinetry against the wall by the sink. The brown banded will likely glue the egg sacks to the wood close to the wall and counter edge. You'll find empty egg sacks of the german roach just laying on the bottom of cabinets or on the counter.

While the brown banded reproduces a lot more slowly, they are harder to deal with. You might find them in any room, with eggs sacks glued under tables, in closets and even ceiling light fixtures or hanging pictures. They are not so needy of constant moisture.

Still, the baiting routine will work. You just have to get the bait to the roaches.

I didn't mention that I don't use bait stations. I use a similar bait product that comes in a syringe. It is easy to apply drops the size of the lower case "o" in this posting in about 100 or more spots where you see the bugs. This is more cost effective and you can probably find this type of bait online. I suggested the baits stations because they come with the growth regulator devices. The brown banded could be much more widely spread through your house and it would be expensive to aquire enought bait stations and growth regulator dispensers. A single syringe might cost you about the same as a package of bait stations, but I only use about 1/3 of a tube in a heavily infested apartment. You might be able to find a product called Gentrol Point Source on line as well. This is the stand alone growth regulator product. The Gentrol will probably cost more than a 1$ each and come in a box with around 24.

Generally, do-it-yourselfers overdose. Thats not possible with bait stations, but I have seen tenants use 3 or 4 tubes of bait on their own. Thats why I didn't suggest the syringes to begin with. So if you take the syringe approach, just put tiny drops right by the roaches. In CO the bait dries out quickly - like 3 weeks. Once it is dry the roaches wont eat it. So use a little and re-apply where you see the bugs.


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## marvella (Oct 12, 2003)

mightybooboo said:


> Roach Pruf is the stuff to use.Its available at ACE Hardware,comes in a yellow can.It has an electrostatic charge that affixes it to the roach,supposed to scrape off the protective coating on the roaches shell and they dehydrate.I used it once living in an apartment,it cured the problem really well.I swear by the stuff.Paul Harvey used to advertise it on his radio program.Its a borax product I believe.
> BooBoo


roach pruf does work, and is easy to make at home. i use it on ants too. mix equal parts of sugar and boric acid (maybe the same as borax, not sure.) leave it in jar lids on the counter, or wherever you see them. it takes a week or two to get them, but it will work. been using this combo for years.


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## gobug (Dec 10, 2003)

Just a few quick notes on boric acid. It gets into their stomach when the roaches clean their antennae and it poisons them. Its a stomach poison not a dessicant like DE.

It is dirt cheap. In fact the container costs more than the contents, which is why you get enough in one can for you, your children, and their children. It is 1000 times cheaper than the growth regulator I use and 100 times cheaper than the baits I use. 

It is 10 times more toxic than bait, and it is 100% pure instead of 2% which makes the application of the boric acid dust 500 times more toxic than the bait in a syringe. Additionally, the bait stations cannot be eaten by a child. The truth is boric acid is a poison and a tablespoon is enough to kill your baby. It is also a powerful herbacide. Spill some on the ground and nothing will grow there. To use it on the floor in a house with infants is not smart.

Mixing it with food at 5% by weight or less is a much better way to use it. The biggest problem with this is measuring 5% and finding a suitable food base. Roaches are known to have an aversion to sugar, so jelly will work for ants better than it will for roaches.

While I do not dispute for a minute that some of you have had success with the product, I would use it regularly if it was as effective as the baits. I treat for roaches nearly every day in large apartment complexes. I do not know of a single professional that uses boric acid pure. My supplier has had a bucket on the shelf for years and cannot give it away.


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## spirit_dust (Jul 20, 2017)

What is DE?




gobug said:


> Just a few quick notes on boric acid. It gets into their stomach when the roaches clean their antennae and it poisons them. Its a stomach poison not a dessicant like DE.
> 
> It is dirt cheap. In fact the container costs more than the contents, which is why you get enough in one can for you, your children, and their children. It is 1000 times cheaper than the growth regulator I use and 100 times cheaper than the baits I use.
> 
> ...


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

spirit_dust said:


> What is DE?


I think it stands for Destroyer Escort.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

spirit_dust said:


> What is DE?


Diatomaceous Earth.
It's the fossilized remains of tiny marine creatures called "Diatoms".
It's mostly Silca, the second most common element in the Earth's crust.

Some think it has nearly magical curative powers, even though it's chemically identical to sand.


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