Do you have roaches?

No I sure as hell do not.

YES!!! And I try and try to eliminate them but they come right back.

No. I'm on the top floor of a 4-storey building. The roaches can't be bothered to shlep all the way up here.

I lived in NYC for decades and I fucking hate roaches. The best you can hope for is a relatively brief respite. They never go away.

Heck no! I live in a beautiful brownstone apartment with a killer kitty.

Once, years ago... I was tricked into subletting in this roach infested place. It was a nightmare. I refused to use the kitchen, slept at my parents house often and found a new place 1.5 months later.

We don't really get them here in the UK (unless you are a filthy, dirty pig) It's too cold.

I had roaches when I lived in New Mexico. The Turkistan roach is ubiquitous in the American Southwest ... but unlike the German and Asian roaches, they can't scale walls.

Oh, hon. The UK is not too cold for roaches.

They only stay if your house and kitchen floors provide lots of food.

This gets rid of them fast.

Roaches and rats own the city of New York, can we be honest about that?

Do they still throw their garbage bags out on the side walk on garbage day? What a stupid mess.

In Texas even the roaches are bigger. I’m from NYC but have never had roaches thank God. But I. Texas I see the biggest GD roaches - disgusting.

Better roaches than endangered animals, R18.

R19 Actually part of the reason they have gone down that route-as a replacement for animal parts they can no longer legally get.

I see them sometimes at night here in los angeles. They just scurry along the sidewalks, it's so gross, really ruins my after dinner walk.

Not now. My first apartment did. I recall them crawling over my face as I slept. Disgusting. Now I live in a nice place with no pests, besides the entitled neighbors.

How are the bed bugs, now? I’m afraid of staying in a hotel. How did they go away, and why did they come back?

Bed bugs went away because exterminators used DDT to kill them. In your building. In your apartment. Here, there, everywhere.

When DDT was banned, the bed bugs came back.

The flying ones are really scary.

I don't know if this is the same stuff as R13, but it worked for me.

No, but I worked in a restaurant where I’d be the first one to flick on the lights. Lovely. No matter how much things got scrubbed, I’d have to clean off the newly hatched roach shells every time. Still skeeves me out to think of it.

The biggest ones I’ve ever seen though, are in Hawaii after a flash downpour. They scuttle out of the drain pipes, and run on the streets.

My clients don't notice cause of my hotness

My friend, Barb, says she woke up to a "water bug" crawling across her face the other day. I think it was a fucking cockroach. She lies.

Borax. Good old Borax. Takes care of it. Takes care of ants too. Read about it though. Have to do it safely if you have pets.

I had a small problem 2-3 years and that Advion took care of everything in about 10 days - haven't seen another roach since then.

No, but there’s one in the White House.

They come out at night so you bitches saying no probably don't notice them.

I have never seen a demo of a kitchen without roaches coming out when the sink and the cabinets under it get taken out, No matter how clean the house they will be there.

American Cockroaches are terrifying - my only phobia. I have never been to Hawaii, but have heard the nightmare stories. Southern states such as Florida, Louisiana, Texas have GIANT cockroaches. I am sure that Mexico and Central America are even worse. They fly, have huge spiky legs, run faster than a Ferrari (hard to kill) and do crawl all over you at night. I hate all roaches of course - but the huge American Cockroach is by far the worst. Folklore claims that they came over on African slave ships, liked the climate, had few predators here and then thrived. I have plenty of horror stories of my own and plenty told from friends and acquaintances pertaining to those nasty things (I grew up in Florida). I have heard that they live in California also (I think that generally it is too dry for them, but who knows) - thank God I have yet to come across any. The much smaller German Cockroaches can actually thrive almost anywhere and take over a home by the millions if not exterminated. They are less menacing, but survive easily anywhere. It is said that in south Florida - If you could remove the walls, roof, windows, floors, etc. of every house and leave the roaches - you could still clearly see the outlines of every home in every neighborhood. THAT many roaches are living right along side you whether you ever see them or not. Roaches are easily the most disgusting insect that I can think of..

I live in South Florida. Your phobia is showing R36.

If I see one in our house, I just pick it up and throw it outside. Like this morning.

And yes, you could put a saddle on some I have seen here.

Yeah, but only cuz they fell out of Brielle's funky pussy.

No, but I had a dead mouse inside my wall!

Whoever invented Advion deserves a Nobel prize.

I saw one the other night. How does Advion work? Do I just spray it on the baseboards?

TV show: Infested With Roaches!

r41 It's a gel. You have to put little "dots" of it around the areas where you suspect they might be.

The place we're at has been the seven plagues - mice, roaches, ants. Mice peanut butter and re-usable traps do the job. Roaches - bait - it's poison and roaches bring it back to the nest and well - they all eat and die. Ants get bait traps too.

[quote]You have to put little "dots" of it around the areas where you suspect they might be.

Do they get caught in the gel or just ingest it and die somewhere?

It's poison. They ingest it.

[quote]Mice peanut butter and re-usable traps do the job.

The Ratzapper is the best product for killing mice. I've messed around with those spring traps and they are the worst. With the ratzapper, you just throw in the bait (I use a piece of candy), turn it on and a light comes on when there's a dead mouse. You just pick up the zapper, tip it into the garbage and start again.

During my time in Dallas, TX - huge cockroaches seemed to thrive almost everywhere. You did your best to keep them out of your home, but the worst sightings occurred at night wen they would swarm the sidewalks and streets (particularly near water sources - creeks, ponds, etc.). The only friend of mine who claimed to have never seen one in his house lived in a very swanky, over-grown, viney, Bluffview address. The area was likely full of roaches, but instead he had an infestation of lizards (multiple varieties) who ate those putrid, giant, repulsive bugs like candy. (They are called "water bugs" in Texas and Palmetto bugs in Florida - but they all = gigantic, flying, enormous, spiky-legged cockroaches) I believed him and actually never saw a roach in his home or on his property for that matter. Sadly, the lizards were often caught in the door jam however and committed suicide often all over his house - windows, doors, floors, etc. That said, I will take lizards any day over roaches. I did feel bad for those dead lizard guys though..

my friend, barb, has roaches which she refers to as "water bugs" but i know differently. I won't even go to her apartment because I'm scared I might see one of those things.

you need to fucking call the Orkin man.

I haven't seen a roach for a while. I have spiders. Spiders and wasps.

These put out a synthetic version of an insect growth hormone. It won't affect adult roaches, but it fucks with the growth cycle of immature ones. They end up stunted and deformed. They never reach maturity, so they can't breed.

I've worked my way through several different types of mouse traps. All of them work for the first few days, then the goddamned fucking mice learn to avoid them. The trap is fully baited, but the mice walk right by.

The conventional spring trap is particularly vexing. The mice have learned to eat the bait off the trap without springing it. Not every time, but very, very, consistently.

At this point, I'm tempted to get a cat. But frankly, cats are more disgusting than the mice.

Anyone have a good mosquito solution? I love sitting outside on my deck/patio, but I get eaten alive.

I choose things they don't like for the pots- Geraniums, lemongrass, marigolds, lavender, rosemary, basil, catnip.

[quote] My friend, Barb, says she woke up to a "water bug" crawling across her face the other day. I think it was a fucking cockroach. She lies.

Probably not. When the seasons change and the boilers are turned on in my building it drives the water bugs out. They are HUGE. I saw one once in my bedroom maybe 15 years ago and I freaked. It looked like the mother monster in Aliens.

I'm in Houston and I have cockroaches the size of my fist. They come from trees outside. But the worst roaches are the black flying ones. They like dirty places. Thank god I don't have those. They are the stuff of nightmares.

R15 is right, to a point. Yes, NYC is loaded with rats, mice, roaches - but that doesn’t mean every home, every apartment, every building has them running wild.

Where I am, they offer free monthly professional exterminator visits - you just call up the management office and sign up. Guy shows up Saturday morning, he’ll spray anywhere you tell him to, will inquire after other bugs, pests, etc.. You have the smell for a couple hours, just open the windows and deal. Much better than having one crawl across your face as you sleep! [shudder]

Also, was having some work done before moving in, I had the contractor seal every seam with clear caulking, and wrap every pipe coming in with steel wool. Have never, touch wood, seen any since. It also helps having neat/clean neighbors and good staff keeping common areas spic n’ span.

I had never even seen a cock roach until I lived in the dorms at college, I didn't know what they were. I am pretty sure I have never lived in a house with cock roaches despite what R35 says. Never had a mouse problem either, and very rarely an ant problem but not in many years. I have seen a couple of centipedes in the house but that is it. Lots of spiders though, hey that might be why I don't have a bug problem.

r55 I have two huge rosemary bushes on my patio, but they don't seem to deter the little pests. I'm going to try one of those OFF! coils and some citronella sticks. (The candles don't seem to do much.) Maybe I'm just going to have to apply some repellent, which I hate to do.

Texas is Roachistan.

Many years ago my partner was in downtown Fort Worth on a trip, and walking at night. He saw a line of roaches marching in parade, and when they came to a building (he said it was 1930s deco-stone monolith type, which made the effect even worse) they just went straight up the side.

R54, mosquitoes hate being around burning oil. That’s why so many patio restaurants have those tiki torches going around the perimeter. That works best, tried and true. But hey, don’t burn your house down.

Forget those lemony candles or skin so soft. SSS works a slight bit, but you have to douse yourself in it and the stench isn’t worth it.

The giant roaches that we all are describing are given cutesy names - likely in order to deflect attention from how hideous they are. In Florida they call them "palmetto bugs" and in Texas they were coined "water bugs". Both are really just GIANT American Cockroaches (you can google the scientific genus and species if you wish - I don't want to look at the pics). Sadly, only extreme cold or extreme dry climates seem to deter them. Home infestations tend to occur when holes from the exterior are not well-sealed or when dark, damp areas and dark cabinets and appliances are not well-poisoned. They love water sources, so bathrooms and kitchens are always a sure bet. I will say this - if you live in a warm Southern state, you WILL see them and they WILL find a way into your home (no matter how clean you are). My mother in law who lives in Florida is a piece of work (really bitchy, judgmental and high maintenance). As grossed out as I am to see the damn things in the house, I am always very happy to point out that her home has giant roaches. This infuriates her and she goes off on a tangent about "palmetto bugs" not being actual roaches. She has a point - you really can not keep them out of your house not matter how clean or tidy you may be (the smaller German roaches often infest due to filth and lack of cleanliness or extermination). I don't plan to ever move back to Florida for many reasons but these giant, flying roaches are a very good start on my list..

As a follow-up: If you buy from Ebay, Etsy, etc. or have family who send gifts from down South - be warned that packages from these lower, warm states can often contain "hitchhikers". Open the package outside and through away the packaging - do NOT bring it into your house. You have been warned. Silly, I know - but I have experienced a few tag-alongs that appeared the day of or next day from a package from Florida. Just be aware.

"Roaches"!

I'm swooning for the '70's!

I used to have to have my place sprayed every 6 months. Fine for 6 months and then they'd be back. It was very annoying. Then my large condo building executed a planned extermination over a tight period of some days. They started at the top floor and worked their way down to the basement and garage spraying each unit, storage area, common area, laundry room, staff rooms etc. It worked like magic. I never saw another roach for 20 years. Then my niece came to stay for a summer - I will add my Florida niece - and what do you know? They returned. I am beside myself because none of that gooey stuff they put in spots around has helped. I need a thorough spraying like the old days - I now have to plan when I have time to clear all the cabinets etc in the kitchen and bathroom and then put them all back.

I learned what a roach was when I moved into my first studio apartment in LA. I saw something scurry across the floor and up the side of a door. I was mortified pretty fast. Upon moving out of there and into many other apartments, almost all had some kind of roach issue. I hate them and feel stricken with fear when one appears. The big ones aren’t as disgusting as the babies because the big ones sometimes just get in from the rain. I once moved into a place (dear god, I hope they’ve bulldozed it) on Cherokee between Fountain and Sunset area. Cheapest rent in Hollywood, full of roaches in every corner- I was somewhat desperate for my own space, and figured i could bomb them out. Actually, I don’t know what I was thinking. I lasted a month and got all of my money back. There are many people who just *live with* roaches or bed bugs. I don’t miss dealing with roaches but that’s since been replaced with mosquitos.

Can I just have Linus Roache instead?

R67 - It is interesting that I do hear occasional stories of roaches in Los Angeles, but never see them. Maybe you should move over the hill. 11 years in Toluca Lake and I have never seen a roach - ever.

I live in Houston. Just before the rain hit during Harvey I was standing in the garage smoking, and at least 5 HUGE water-palmetto bugs all came running in at the same time. It was horrifying and i screamed and ran like a little girl. They sensed the storm coming, I'm sure.

Boric acid.

Cheap. Organic. Works.

They crawl on it, it sticks to their feelers, they lick it off and it SHREDS THEIR INSIDES LIKE SHARDS OF GLASS.

I’m in LA and cannot walk my little dog at night because I have a roach phobia. Those suckers walk all over the sidewalks and I look like I’m dancing with my dog, screaming the same time. At home I have three fat Persians, who like to bat around living things. The cats, not the rich guys, sadly. I get borax and put it in every crevice. I don’t cook in my kitchen . Seriously, I think lizards are cute, should I get some?

Once in NY, I lived in a cheapo walkup on 82nd and 1st and couldn’t go to work one day because a very large monster roach was right above the doorway. I had to call the landlady who used her key to get in. She had to find and kill the thing. In LA, one small one walked on my sheet as I was reading the iPad. I screamed so much that my new puppy hid behind me with her paws on my shoulders like a small human. I would rather fight Ted Bundy than one of those giant flying ones.

Now I read about roaches getting stuck in ears(nice, moist, disgusting places) and am beside myself. A trick with boric acid is to put it near a crevice and spray water on it and let lots of this solution flow into the crevices, so it gets away from your pets. Then the stuff dries and gets real deep in the crevices. Back to killer powder. HA!!! It’s been working.

To continue my roach phobia story, I think it started when I was little and growing up in an unnamed 3rd world country. My poor mother had an even bigger phobia of flying roaches but always came running in the middle of the night to save me when I went to the bathroom or something. Then she died, and now I have to fight these bastards alone.

I was working in a clinic here in LA once and got engaged to,a fellow doctor. He had had a crush on a young secretary at the clinic but never proposed to her or even went out with her. She was a decade younger, very beautiful, but could be a bitch. She had married some AT&T phone installer guy and I got engaged to my doctor friend. My ring was bigger and very nice and I showed it to everyone in the clinic. I went about floating on my cloud.

The next week the beautiful bitch secretary called me to where the secretaries worked and wanted to show me something in a little box. I was curious and got close to the box but guess what was in it.....Yes, a cockroach. My phobia was well known by the clinic. Anyway I screamed and ran terrorized and crashed into a wall and nearly broke my shoulder. As I was being helped by the staff, everyone was mad at this bitch. Her excuse was “but the roach was dead”.

Oh well, I learned a lesson about showing off my jewelry and did not wear it to work again. Wasn’t that girl a beast???? JEEZ!!!! Oh and she always talked about he church and Christ etc. and her intense religion...

r69 I live east of you (in the "other" valley) and I have had roaches several times.

R74 - I have no idea, but perhaps Toluca Lake/Studio City is just immune to them (knock on wood). I have a huge phobia, so trust me - I keep an eye out for those nasty, giant bugs. I grew up in Florida so I am very aware of and horrified by the monsters. I really have not come across them in BH or WEHO either - but I only frequent those areas at night on certain weekends for the most part. Haven't seen any in Malibu or the Palisades either (only during the day, so no surprise). I suppose that I am just lucky (honestly, I know that is the case because I have heard a few California roach stories). In Florida, you can NOT miss them - they are everywhere, ALL THE TIME. Ditto Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, etc.

R72 - you are not alone; we feel your pain! Honestly, if someone wanted to kill me - giant, flying cockroaches would be my Kryptonite. Yes, lizards are the best defense that I know of for roach control. They use them on yachts and sailboats for that very reason. I have heard stories of tiny lizards eating cockroaches twice their size. They get the job done as long as you do not accidentally step on them or smash them in the door/window sills/etc. Buy some!

Another Texan here who hates those motherfucking flying roaches.

R69, I’ll keep that in mind. I only ever lived in Weho/Hollywood. Every single place had roaches, even my fancy one on West Knoll. Had to kill a couple big ones with boric acid. I lived in ten different apartments at least. That Cherokee place is such a dive. I can’t believe people live there. They also didn’t do a credit or income check though.

Lived in an apartment building for years with a next door neighbor who had a ferret for a pet. Never saw a single roach the entire time I lived there.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) ferrets and gerbils are illegal in California.

I know a place where I can hide gerbils from authorities in California. I haven't tried a ferret yet, but it might be fun!

R54 For outdoor mosquito problem: use a fan. They don't like the wind.

I grew up in Florida. The palmetto is a flying roach. When I was around 12, my mom sent me out to clean what use to be our fort, now shed. My cement finishing dad never cemented the 2nd half, so we use a wood pallet, but one that the boards were close together. So I, in only my shorts, emptied the shed, and then lifted the pallet up. It was like the bowls of hell opened up in the shed. Bugs, ants, and the flying palmettos filled the entire shed. I was screaming, frozen while palmetto bugs were in my face, on my skin, pummeling me. I looked down on the pallet I was still holding, and two huge wood spiders were slowky crawling up the word towards my hands. All I remember was someone yanking me backwards out if the shed. Of course mom. And immediately sent back into the shed with bug spray to kill them. It was a nightmare.

[quote]For outdoor mosquito problem: use a fan. They don't like the wind.

I'm gonna have to try that. I bought one of those outdoor fans that you can hook up to your water supply to create mist.