melissel Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 About 5 weeks ago, as we were up late packing the car in the garage for our vacation, I noticed a large bug on the inside wall of our garage. Horror of horrors, it was a cockroach *cue background screaming*. We've never had them here, and we're in a freestanding home. We had, however, recently had many packages delivered, the boxes of which were tossed in a big pile in the garage. So we figure the lone ranger came from there. Now, I can mostly manage to keep the whole thing out of my head. But in quiet moments late at night, images of festering nests of bug larvae in my garage walls dance in my head :willy_nilly: I know the odds of that one cockroach being a pregnant female are slim, but...how much would you worry about this? We're nearing the end of the 6-8 week incubation period for the phantom eggs. Should I preemptively call my secret boyfriend Victor (our darling exterminator who once and for all ended our ant problem without even resorting to napalm)? Blech. TIA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 I wouldn't worry about it. We're down here in Florida and have palmetto bugs all the time. They are horrendously icky creatures...the largest of cockroaches....and can fly. Lucky us LOL. We do have a monthly exterminator. But when we didn't (and my parents don't have one now and live right around the corner from us) we didn't have a problem with infestations. Has it been rainy a lot there lately? Usually when we get a cockroach indoors, it has been raining a lot and they are looking for a way out of the weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 I found a large roach in my kitchen a couple of months ago, and so far I have not seen anymore. EWWWWW...it was gross, but I am happy that it was only one. Mine was probably from a box too. I would not worry yet, but keep your eyes open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diane in CO Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 My washer and dryer are in the garage and one evening I forgot to close the lid to the washer. Cue next morning as I am turn on the washer and am adding detergent and see the BIGGEST ROACH EVER! I squealed and then got the cap off the detergent and scooped it up and let that thing drown. During the entire process I kept squealing and making non mom like noises :D I then threw it out on the front lawn. Have not seen any in our garage since, however I have never forgotten to close the lid on the washer. It took me the entire day to recover from that...and it didn't help when later that evening my husband told me that you have to squish them to kill them..and that I was probably throwing a non moving live roach on the front lawn :confused: I hate roaches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwickimom Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 I had one run across my livingroom last year. I freaked, called my bug guy, paid $75 to have search and spray my entire house. I swore their were nests and I could hear them at night....was totally paranoid :) He calmly explained that they are outside, you dont see them much and the chances of an infestation were slim. He then said I would know for sure if there was more. EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. After that, I would not worry about just one in a garage. Now if you see another one.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 The big guys aren't the ones to worry about. They are occasional indoors as they live outside. Its the little reddish ones that you have to worry about they're the ones that multiply and infest homes. I've been told they like to lay their eggs in the glue of boxes and paper bags. That's probably where your visitor came from. You can always sprinkle some boric acid around the doorways and perimeter of your home if you are afraid there are more looking for a way inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatCyndiGirl Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 :svengo: Ohmy. Between this thread tonight, my scorpion thread last night and the baby skunk on the front porch tonight.......I may never sleep again. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherGoose Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 How large is large? :) Down here in SC we have what are called "Palmetto Bugs" by the nice ladies in Charleston, that are 1-2 inches long. They are outside bugs that find their way inside and don't want to be there. The small( 1/2 inch or so) are the ones that are German roaches and more of a problem. I woudn't worry about one roach. If your garage is free of food sources, it won't survive. My dh works in the exterminating industry, and we are well acquainted with bugs. BTW, if you use the cleaning product Greased Lightning, spray it on a roach and it will disintegrate because Greased Lightning is a degreaser and dissolves the chitin. I discovered this by accident in college when it was the only thing standing between me and a Palmetto Bug. Stopped the critter in its tracks! If you see more, call your Victor :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted July 15, 2010 Author Share Posted July 15, 2010 :svengo: Ohmy. Between this thread tonight, my scorpion thread last night and the baby skunk on the front porch tonight.......I may never sleep again. :001_huh: :lol: You know, I was thinking of you as I was typing that thread, telling myself, "It could be worse. At least it wasn't a scorpion!" OK, thank you for talking me down, everyone. It wasn't a palmetto bug. I've heard about those, and we used to have some REALLY HUGE ones (no flying though) in an apartment we lived in in college. Our puppy used to handle them for us :ack2: This was just your average half-inch brown roach. Poor DH confirmed that it was a roach for me, and when I started to panic and hyperventilate, he tried to convince me it was actually a cricket :lol: Unfortunately, I knew better. Realistically, I know I shouldn't worry too much, but we just got our ant problem under control and my darling Victor evicted whatever was gnawing through our roof and even handled a mouse issue we didn't even know we had (I swear I love that guy; if anyone lives in NJ and needs an exterminator, call Cooper Pest Control!). It would be just our luck for a roach problem to start up now. Then last night I happened across an episode of Billy the Exterminator *shudder shudder* and got all freaked out and started Googling incubation periods and ended up in kind of a scary place. Blech! OK, back to my sweet denial for a few more weeks. I'll try not to worry about them until I have an actual reason to. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy loves Bud Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 One bug? In the garage? Not on my radar. At all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise1mds Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 The big guys aren't the ones to worry about. They are occasional indoors as they live outside. Its the little reddish ones that you have to worry about they're the ones that multiply and infest homes. I've been told they like to lay their eggs in the glue of boxes and paper bags. That's probably where your visitor came from. You can always sprinkle some boric acid around the doorways and perimeter of your home if you are afraid there are more looking for a way inside. Precisely what I was going to say. Don't worry about the big ones. My in-laws are constantly infested with the nasty little roaches, and if they bring gifts over for birthdays, they often bring "gifts" of another sort with them as well. I have gotten quite adept at getting rid of the buggers and boric acid plays a BIG role in that. Also, in addition to that, if you remove any water source that would encourage them to come into the house (fixing leaky pipes, sealing holes around pipes in the walls, keeping sinks empty, etc.), you'll stop them before they even get started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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