Any non-toxic ways of getting rid of cockroach infestation?

[sagira]

I think it's safe to say we have a cockroach infestation. I hear them crawling at night, I see one nearly every day either in or on the dishwasher, or crawling in the utensil drawer. This is mostly our fault, for two reasons:

 

- we are messy. I'm not a good housekeeper. In fact, I'm not even a housekeeper. I have tried in the past, and I think it's my life's struggle. Even tougher now that I'm exhausted and pregnant and nauseated with baby #3.

 

- a few years ago, we found a perfectly-looking piece of furniture with four drawers on the side of the road. Turns out, cockroaches kept coming out of it. We'd never seen cockroaches before that. I think it was full of eggs (gross!).

 

I have visited the Fly Lady website in the past, but found the "sink clean every day" unrealistic for me, and too many things to do. What she called the basics are more than I did every day!

 

I'm revisiting the Messies Manual. I did the Mount Vesuvius method, where you put junk in categories in banker's boxes (both in out bedroom and my ds' room) and the boxes are still there, filled up. Sigh.

 

I hate cockroaches! I have them in my bedroom now!

 

Do I get rid of the piece of furniture? (dh's TV is on it).

 

How do I get rid of cockroaches in a non-toxic way? I'm very much into green products for the home. I use (when I do, ha) green and non-toxic cleaners.

 

Thanks for any advice you can offer! Maybe being pregnant and my aversion to cockroaches will finally help me become less messy and cleaner? Dh is messy too.

 

Please help! :(

[Slartibartfast]

Well you have to clean things out because that is just providing them places to live. Things like stacks of paper and such are something they might like.

 

you can get really fine silica, which is supposed to be non-toxic. It is diatomaceous earth and you can find it at Lowes or Home Depot

 

You don't have to get rid of the chest but I would take it outside and clean it. Just spreading stuff to kill them won't really be effective if there are still nice places for them to live, they will just move over a bit and keep on.

Edited June 23, 2010 by Sis

[Mrs Mungo]

What do you mean by non-toxic?

 

I would clean really, really well. If you have to, pay someone to come and clean it thoroughly for you one time. It may cost $200, but they'll usually clean behind the fridge, clean the oven, everything.

 

Then, I would call an exterminator. Then, I would put down like a billion of those cockroach traps.

 

Maybe you are asking the wrong person.

 

eta: Eldest dd says, "Yes! Get rid of the dresser, maybe burn it."

Edited June 23, 2010 by Mrs Mungo

[sagira]

What do you mean by non-toxic?

 

I would clean really, really well. If you have to, pay someone to come and clean it thoroughly for you one time. It may cost $200, but they'll usually clean behind the fridge, clean the oven, everything.

 

Then, I would call an exterminator. Then, I would put down like a billion of those cockroach traps.

 

Maybe you are asking the wrong person.

 

eta: Eldest dd says, "Yes! Get rid of the dresser, maybe burn it."

 

I can get rid of the dresser. Talking to dh tomorrow. I was trying to avoid the exterminator and such, as I'm only 7 weeks pregnant and I know the fumes that stay around are bad for my developing baby as well as my children. Thanks for the advice though, both of you. I need people to spur me into action.

[Faithr]

When I lived in Baltimore in an old, old rowhouse, we couldn't get rid of cockroaches or mice no matter how hard we tried, so the goal was to reduce numbers as much as possible. You have to be ever vigilant. I suggest you call Clean House and have them come help you! (just kidding there!). The truth is you do have to clean up to get rid of them. I am untidy too. Clutter accumulates around me like Pigpen (in Peanuts) had clouds of dust around him! But you have to CLEAN, that is you have to focus on food. You can't let any crumbs stay on any surface for any period of time. All spills must be wiped up immediately. Don't let glasses of juice or milk or coffee sit around. Focus on the kitchen and keeping it clean of food. Put anything like flour, sugar etc in containers. Don't let boxes of crackers or cereal sit open, contain everything in ziplocks or containers that seal well. Save those plastic bins and cartons and jars you get from stores and use them. It got so I really paid attention to packaging and how I could reuse things to store food.

 

Keep your soap in containers too. Switch to bottles of soap or if you must use cake soap, get those plastic travel cases for them so you can keep the soap in there. Cockroaches like to eat soap.

 

Also, vacuuming is very important. Get the crumbs out from couches, etc.

 

The best thing though was boric acid. Get it at a drug store. Sprinkle it in lines around the corners of your rooms and along the walls in the back of all your cabinets. Put it in places your 2 yo is not likely to get to. Although, if you google, I think boric acid is okay or at least safer than other things. Also get those roach motels and stick in cabinets and places that are hidden or child-proofed so that your kids can't get to.

 

I am sorry you are morning sick right now and feel you can't handle it. Is there anyone who could come help you? Your mom, sister, neighbor, friend? Can you afford to hire a teen who is looking for work over the summer to help you? I wish I lived near you. I would come help. If necessary enlist your husband's help! I'd devote a weekend or two to just cleaning and attacking the nasty creatures!

 

And get rid of that piece of furniture! My sister had the same thing happen with a couch she picked up somewhere. She had to throw it out!

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I had cockroaches in one apartment I lived in, so I did a lot of reading about them. Those little buggers are nearly impossible to get rid of once they have taken hold somewhere. They eat just about anything, so they can usually find food. I don't think you are going to completely eliminate them without some thorough cleaning, and some chemical pesticides. If you have a place to stay for a few days, I would do what the PP said and have someone come in to clean, and then get an exterminator in there.

 

Cockroaches breed very quickly and they also can spread lots of diseases. It may be even more unhealthy for you and the kids to have the cockroaches around than having the chemicals around.

 

In the meantime, don't leave any standing water or food around. Take the garbage out every night.

 

Good luck.

[2boysmom]

going to clean my sink full of dishes now. Ugh!:eek:

[Quiver0f10]

I am all for natural things but if it were me I'd be calling an exterminator ASAP.

[littlebug42]

We had a bad problem with roaches when I was in college in the apartment I lived in. Exterminators did not help. The only thing I have ever had work is boric acid powder. You apply it liberally under appliances etc and then you take a paintbrush and put it in every crack and crevice. It sticks to their legs and they carry it back to their nest and kills them all off. You would probably need dh to do this since you are pregnant but there are no fumes to it. You can purchase it at hardware stores.

 

Oh, I would also get rid of the piece of furniture. An exterminator also told us once that if you have empty soda cans etc around, those are big draws for the roaches. Also, if you store a lot of brown paper bags, they like the glue and can be attracted there as well. Once you are infested though, it is terribly difficult to get rid of them. Good luck.

[Snickerdoodle]

The only thing I have ever had work is boric acid powder.

 

My kids caught a cockroach once and kept it in a plastic container filled boric acid powder and the thing did not die. I finally had to throw their disgusting little experiment away.

[Faithr]

Was there something wrong with your boric acid? Because boric acid really worked for me too! There's a reason why people joke that cockroaches will survive a nuclear holocaust. I don't think exterminators help much, though it might do something to keep down the numbers for a while.

[Daisy]

Cockroach poop is thought to be one of the number causes of asthma in inner city children. Just a thought. I wouldn't want to be taking that chance with my health.

 

I'd do whatever it took to kill those suckers. Sorry but there is no way I could stand living with bugs in my house.

 

We had an infestation in this house when we bought it (the house was so filthy we were able to knock 15K off the asking price). I waited 2 weeks before we moved in. First I cleaned the entire house. I scrubbed out every drawer. I pulled out old liners. I scrubbed down the inside and outside of cabinets. I washed down doors and walls. I cleaned baseboards. We ripped up carpets. Man, we did whatever it took. Then we called the exterminator. They came and sprayed twice. They sprayed in the attic, into every single outlet space (took off covers), outside, inside, I mean everywhere. Then they came back ten days later and did it again (to kill off any newly hatched bugs). My hubby now sprays every 2 months year round (hot climate like you) but only has to spray outside. I haven't had a cockroach since.

 

You absolutely must get the paper out of the house. No cardboard boxes. No stacks of paper. You also need to make sure you put everything away DRY. No wet dishes in the cabinets. No wet silverware.

 

If you are seeing cockroaches in your cabinets/drawers, you need to pull out everything you own, clean out the cabinets/drawers, spray your cabinets, and disinfect all your dishes (hot cycle in dishwasher). Let the cabinet/drawers air out for 24 hours before you put back in your dishes. If you have a major infestation it is going to take some major vigilance to tackle it and win.

Edited June 23, 2010 by Daisy

[bookfiend]

I had cockroaches in one apartment I lived in, so I did a lot of reading about them. Those little buggers are nearly impossible to get rid of once they have taken hold somewhere. They eat just about anything, so they can usually find food. I don't think you are going to completely eliminate them without some thorough cleaning, and some chemical pesticides. If you have a place to stay for a few days, I would do what the PP said and have someone come in to clean, and then get an exterminator in there.

 

Cockroaches breed very quickly and they also can spread lots of diseases. It may be even more unhealthy for you and the kids to have the cockroaches around than having the chemicals around.

 

In the meantime, don't leave any standing water or food around. Take the garbage out every night.

 

Good luck.

 

:iagree: I'm recalling articles that link asthma to cockroaches. (here is one link from a quick search. http://www.epa.gov/asthma/pests.html).

 

Dont forget to put the borax powder in your electric outlets. Call the exterminator to get a big kill going (stay someplace else for a few days), and be vigilent for the next several weeks as they go through hatching cycles.

[Jan in SC]

OP- I think you are being amazingly calm about this! I would move!!!

 

You need to get a handle on this. As gross as it sounds, if you can hear them in the walls, it is really bad. I bet if you took a flashlight in your child's room at night, you would see roaches crawling on them. Please call an exterminator.

[rookie]

There's no way around it: you have to be willing to get rid of clutter, clean everything thoroughly, and use an exterminator. We live in one of the roach capitals of the world. A messy, dirty house is a perfect breeding ground for roaches and once they are in they do not move out without intense intervention. They are bad for your health (not to mention disgusting).

 

You are not doing yourself or your family any favors by accepting dirty dishes, clutter, a dirty house, etc., as the way you are or because life is busy (I do not mean to sound unkind, just truthful). It is time for a change. You can learn to declutter and keep a clean house - it just takes discipline and you can go green AFTER you eliminate the present problem and learn how to maintain your home.

 

In the meantime, protect your family from vermin and get a professional company to come out and scour it and an exterminator to kill everything. You can go out for the day with your family (leave the windows open) and it will be fine. If you see any more after that, repeat exterminator as often as necessary until there are none and then keep it up. The problem will only get worse if you do not deal with it. Good luck.

[Daisy]

I imagine being 7 weeks pregnant, this isn't a fun time to get a kick in the rear about cleaning, but honestly, you've got to get that house in shape before that baby comes.

 

My neighbor had the hardest time with cleaning. Her neighbor (NOT ME) filed a CPS report on her and they almost took her kids away because the house was so infested. I tell you what, that was an eye-opener for her. They still come every 6 months and check her house. Time to just get it done.

I'm not suggesting your house is that bad. Honestly, I have no clue. But I am saying it can become a major problem and needs to be dealt with.

Edited June 23, 2010 by Daisy

[SailorMom]

I just want to say - I am so sorry you're dealing with this :confused: I have a cockroach phobia - and we live in Florida - where the huge "palmetto bugs" tip a hat to you and say good morning if you don't keep up on housework.

 

This must all sound very overwhelming - but maybe if you look at it as a very temporary purge - once you get rid of the buggers - you will need to keep the house clean, but not antiseptic.:grouphug: Sounds like it is time to enlist the kids and the hubby (and if finances allow - Merry Maids).

 

If you don't want anything toxic in the house, at least have an exterminator spray the outside. As for inside - yes - you will have to scrub and scour, and then use something that will kill them. Most pesticides are no longer toxic to animals and humans after 24 hours or so.... The one we use outside is safe after it has dried (not that I would lick it - but safe to be around...) I have also heard that Boric Acid works wonders, but you would need to keep it away from pets and kids.

 

I do think that a temporary use of chemicals is better for the kids than ongoing exposure to the feces and diseases that cockroaches carry - and they spread it everywhere.

 

Try not to let this bring you down. This is something you CAN fix. Good luck :grouphug:

[stripe]

Yuck. I hate cockroaches. Get rid of the dresser and call an exterminator, and let the house air out before you go back in.

[KS_]

There is a product called Flea Fix that interrupts the life cycle of fleas and roaches and it less toxic than a lot of other products that just kills the roaches. I've used it twice when we've had a flea issue (different houses), and once when my ds was an infant. I did a lot of research trying to find the least toxic/most effective solution. It's a liquid you dilute with water and spray all over the areas that are infested.

[Hannah C.]

It sounds to me like they may have come from the dresser, so you may want to either completely disinfect it, or just get rid of it.

 

I've also read that if you actually *see* any cockroaches, especially during the day (they are nocturnal), then you have way more hiding in your walls. I had a huge problem with cockroaches in one of my student apartments. We weren't able to get an exterminator, sadly, and I *HATE* cockroaches!!!

 

Put boric acid everywhere. Along cracks in rooms, behind appliances, under appliances, everywhere. I don't think it will hurt pets or children but I could be misinformed. My mother uses it, and she's had small children for 20 years running I think. If you or dh can use a caulk gun, caulking up any crack you can see in walls/baseboards/etc. might also help - I didn't do this, but had friends who did and they didn't have bug problems. Cockroaches can squeeze into some of the tiniest cracks. Raid kills the ones you can see, but they run after they get sprayed, and it's a chemical. Roach traps/roach poison in places you think they will find it is probably one of your best options. Put everything in airtight containers. And all the other suggestions people have mentioned. If all else fails, get an exterminator.

[thowell]

Don't know that this will help while you are infested but once you have it under control it may. I used to work for Sears Pest Control and one day I met a very old lady who lived in a very old house. She had no bugs at all. I asked her what her secret was (keep in mind that the house was very clean) and she said she cleaned everything with straight old fashion Pine Sol. She claims that the roaches hate it and that was all she ever used. For now you are going to have to do something more drastic to get a handle on it but once they are gone try the Pine Sol. I clean my whole house with it and we live in Florida and have no roaches! I even dilute it very week and use it to wipe down all my furniture. For floors, counters, baseboards, bathrooms and things in that nature I use it full strength and the lightly rinse. I wish you good luck! Oh one other thing, I have heard from many people not to save bags from stores plastic or paper. They say roach eggs can be inside and you will bring them into your home.

[Truscifi]

I also live in FL and the bugs are crazy bad here. It is constant warfare to keep them out of the house. I use boric acid in the backs of cabinets, inside electric outlets (just unscrew the faceplate and squirt some in there) and under furniture. I also use a chemical bug spray every 3 months around the outside of the house and along window sills and such. I never leave dirty dishes or food out at night and everything in the cabinets is in airtight containers.

 

Also, as PP have said, you have to get rid of the clutter. If you can hear them in the walls there are a LOT of them, and once the walls are full they will start coming out of the walls in droves.

 

One last thing - I used the be a child protective services worker, and while I didn't remove children due to bug infestation, it was definitely a cause for concern. There are a lot of serious health risks from living in an infested home and a really bad infestation could be used by a worker who didn't like homeschooling as an excuse to take you to court. (None of the people I worked with would have done that, but we all know it does happen.)

[3littlekeets]

Hate to harp on the clean thing, but as a native Miami gal now living in Alabama, clean is a major necessity, as is chemical warfare that attacks their central nervous system is necessary. Boric Acid PASTE is much more effective than boric acid powder if you go that route.

BENGAL roach spray is toxic and expensive, but it is a gas that works on their nervous system that works extremely well. You shouldn't spray it, but your DH can, though it may be cheaper to get an exterminator.

 

If they are in the walls -- you may have to have your home tented to get rid of them.

 

I know I'm just repeating what everyone else has said, but a clean home is the only real preventative for roaches. Once you have them, you have to kill them then keep it clean.

[sarawatsonim]

We had roaches in an old place we rented because the house behind ours used their backyard as a garbage dump.:eek: It was so awful I cringe still thinking about it. The thing about cockroaches is that when they decide to move in, there is not much you can do unless you go the chemical route. My concern wouldn't be the dresser, they have moved on to everything else by now. They really like electric appliances, so they probably are in the backs of the dish washer, microwave, and fridge. You will at least have to do some basic cleaning to get rid of clutter, and open foods. We tried everything and nothing worked so we moved.....and they decided to move with us. The only thing we got that worked and worked well was these, lots and lots of these all over the house. That was three years ago and we haven't seen one since. Good luck, I know how upsetting it can be.

[CalicoKat]

http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,roach,FF.html

 

Take a look at these recipes. :D

 

Roaches love them. And it kills them.

 

Just don't eat them.

 

edited to add: We used this at my dormitory in Africa and it worked great! I recommend the recipes that have you put it into a ball, #3 and #8

Edited June 23, 2010 by CalicoKat

[lllll]

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[Susan in TX]

Boric Acid. In my experience, this is the only thing that works to get rid of cockroaches. It does not work immediately but it works.

 

Susan in TX

[mktkcb]

Ditto the boric acid powder. We live in an apartment, and a few years ago we had a major infestation. They were under & behind the fridge, stove, geez...everywhere. I cleaned out all cupboards & drawers, squirted boric acid powder in the bottoms/back of them, cleaned out under the fridge & put down a good squirty layer of powder underneath, squirted powder down every crevice I couldn't clean, put some around all the edges of my counters, all around the edges of my carpet in every room. I put that stuff everywhere I could think. It worked like a charm. We haven't had a problem since. I was out to nuke those critters.

[asta]

Not to harp, but the roaches themselves will make you sicker then anything you use to get rid of them.

 

Respiratory infections result from them leaving residue by crawling all over everything. You'll end up eating their eggs without even knowing it when they get into boxes and bags of foodstuffs.

 

And to agree with another poster, yes, they thrive off of paper bags, boxes (first) and then they'll move on to stacks of paper, envelopes, anything with glue (even books). They love christmas wrappings, cotton yarn... you get the picture. If you have a water leak *anywhere* they will swarm to it.

 

A qualified exterminator can actually smell them.

 

For the sake of your family's health, you need to forget about trying to deal with this yourself and call in two professionals: an exterminator, and someone to help you get a handle on the mess. Take it from someone who grew up in it - it has LONG lasting consequences on children.

 

 

asta

[Renee in NC]

The place we live in now was INFESTED when we went to move in. One of the biggest problems was a waterleak - the kitchen sink leaked for a long time and waterlogged everything underneath it. That side of the kitchen had roach "debris" so bad that you wouldn't believe. The refrigerator no longer worked because the roaches had nested in the coils. They were *everywhere.* After we finished the renovation, we bombed the house with lots of bug bombs. Then, 10 days later, we did it again.

 

The bugs were gone. We have found 1 or 2 of the palmetto bugs since then, but not many.