File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
Okay /an/. Since people just love posting insects here, I figure this is a good place to ask. I'm living off campus my senior year of college and since my college is in a nasty part of town, the apartments around here suck. I found the least suckiest one, but it still has problem. Big case in point, roaches. I live on the top floor and I found one dying on the hallway floor, though it was the opposite side of the building. I've seen one in the lobby too. The people who live in this building are fucking pigs so I can't really help that, which is whole other story that also pisses me off. How can I keep these things from staying in my apartment? Is there any way? I have a cat that loves to hunt but besides the very small bugs which she loves eating, she'd only play with them and bat them around a bit. Maybe that would be enough to keep them away? And WTF do I do with the boxes and bags of food in my cabinets? I'm thinking of passing them along to my brother to keep, but only if I really have to.

tl;dr: Help me keep the roaches out of my goddamn apartment. Also, cat pic because I'm praying my cat will hunt them down and scare these fuckers off.
>> Anonymous
Don't leave food accessable around.
Use sealable canisters to store it.
>> Anonymous
Get ortho home defense, it's safe around pets and food and such. Just get the big bottle and go around the perimeter on your walls / ceiling / hallway even.
>> Anonymous
Keeping the area clean (no food) is the obvious thing to consider. But there is more to it than that:

The number 1 thing that roaches need is a damp enviornment. So in addition to food, don't leave water around. Keep the dishwasher closed. Fix drippy faucets. Don't leave any kind of standing water around.

If you have a cat, that could be problematic too: roaches love to get into pet food and water bowls.

Also, roaches like dark places. So, see if you can eliminate places where roaches like to hide. Keep everything very clean--not just the "no food" rule. Don't leave stuff lying around on the floor. Put up your dirty laundry in a hamper. Don't leave old boxes or magazines lying around...get rid of as much clutter as possible, and try to keep the place brightly lit as long as you're not sleeping.
>> Anonymous
google.
>> Anonymous
OP here. Google gave me exterminators to call, which are nice but the realtors that own my apartment building insist I use their exterminator, and he's not coming around for another three months. Bastards.

Thanks for the advice guys. Hopefully they stay the fuck out.
>> Anonymous
That's bullshit.

I would have a serious talk with your apartment complex. Be firm (but not rude):

There are roaches in my apartment. I want them gone. I don't really care who does the job, but it needs to be taken care of within a week. If "your" exterminator can do it, that's fine. If you can't get the job done and you tell me I can't call my own exterminator, then I am going to contact everyone I know, including local news, the state apartment assocication, and the BBB and I will tell them exactly this:

I live in the XYZ apartments. My apartment is full of roaches even though I keep it clean and tidy. The apartment management refused to take care of the problem. I then tried to pay for an exterminator MYSELF, but management told me that I couldn't do that. XYZ Apartments is forcing me to live with Roaches!

Success is assured....
>> Anonymous
I know this is amusingly late. But I do have a fairly good solution. I hope you're here to read this OP.

There are such things that create a high pitch whine (too high for humans to hear) that would drive insects away from your room. My sister had one, and it managed to drive annoying insects and the like away from her room. It's just a case of pluggin this small device into the mains on the wall, and it's on.

The only problem this would cause, is that the noise MAY effect domestic animals, but I can't remember whether it would or not.

Look into that if your exterminators are being lazy.
>> Anonymous
>>128603
I've got one of these, but for spiders. I haven't had a single one in my room since I plugged it in, and my cat and dog still sleep in my room. If it affected animals, it should say on the package. Most shouldn't do anything but drive away bugs.
>> Anonymous
>>128603
OP here, thank you for that tip! I'll have to look into it, any idea where I could find one? I googled it and I keep getting links about computer bugs, stupid Google, wise up already!
>> Anonymous
>>128640

Be warned: these things are more snake oil than anything else. They don't work particularly well.

I have tried these twice in the past: one was a portable batter-powered one supposedly affective against mosquitoes. The other was the plug-in type, which I attmpted to use to keep insects of an area of my garage where I paint. Neither of them worked at all. Money down the toilet.

Why not follow the earlier poster's suggestions and

1)Firmly (but politely) demand that the landlord take care of the problem. They demand that you pay rent on time. You have the right to ask they take care of the bug problem on time.

-or-

2) Get some indoor-safe insecticide and take crae of it yourself.
>> Anonymous
>>128650
I know you're right, but I do think I have to take care of it myself. Even an exterminator isn't going to help I don't think, there are 4 floors and 44 residents, roughly 30 of which live in the most disgusting ways possible, so I wonder if one even comes out, if he can make enough of an impact spraying around if the environment of everyone else's apartment is still the same. Bah, sorry for sounding like I'm talking in circles, I know I am, just fuck. I don't want to live there now that I honestly know what the place is like, but I already signed my lease. Joke's on me, but hey, this apartment's better than the one down the street over the bakery with a mice infestation. No joke.
>> Anonymous
mmkay
>> Anonymous
>>128655

I don't mean to be crass, but who gives a flip about the other apartments? So long as they spray YOURS, your roach problem should be eliminated as long as you keep your place clean.
>> Anonymous
Sorry for a slightly delayed response.

In answer to your question about what they're called...I can't remember. But good things to search for would be "Electronic Insect Repellant" or something along those lines.

I think my sister found hers in a chain Pet Store, so a good idea would be to ask in areas like that. I'm pretty sure they can point you in the right direction.

If you get a plug-in one, it should be decent for your problem, as battery power sucks.
>> Anonymous
Me again *quickly*

I did a brief search, and you're looking for something that looks like this:
http://www.totalvac.com/parts/EW421.html?zmam=6843742&zmas=1&zmac=7&zmap=EW421

As it's from Black and Decker, I would instantly assume it does the job well.
>> Anonymous
>>128671
You're right in that I don't have to live in those other rooms, but I also have to use the laundry room downstairs (which is covered in dirty clothes no one will claim), and the front entrance, and coming home to your building to find a cockroach or three chilling there waiting for you right when you walk in is pretty gross. I just worry since the other apartments are so disgusting, even spraying won't keep them away from there so they'll just go on breeding and whatnot. Maybe not, if they use a strong enough spray. I should look that up.

>>128682
You get about a billion stars for being /an/'s most awesomest helper today. Okay, that sounded fucking fruity. But still. Many thanks and kudos!! You rock!
>> Anonymous
>>128692
No problem. It's lucky I looked at this thread at this time, because I don't usually hang around here on /an/.

Have a fun time shooing the roaches.
>> Anonymouse
The pestesides the pro's use is supert toxic. Keeping your place really clean and tidy will do wonders. Also in dark spaces that the kittys are unable to get into (kitchen cubbys and any place you can put saftey latches) half boric acid and cornmeal kills roaches when they eat it..sounds strange, but it works great.