Clean your kitchen thoroughly.... I mean really clean! move every appliance and clean under it. (thats where the food is)
Make sure no water or moisture like from a pipe that is leaking.
Use a roach powder which is Boric acid. Shoot it behind appliancles, in any holes, behind washer/dryer/dishwasher, etc. This stuff really works great!
Seal any holes under cabinets for piping etc. If you have a crawlspace I suggest a liquid roach/spider killer sprayed with a garden sprayer at the foundation where it meets the wood. Seal any holes down there too.
An outdoor roach powder around the outside of the home at the foundation will help also..
Not a flame, just a few corrections. I am an "exterminator" but I prefer Pest Control Technician. (I also do termites.)
Depends on the type of cockroach. If they are German roaches, total elimination can happen in 3 months. Re-infestation can occur which is probably why he wants to come monthly. I always insist on monthly because German roaches are associated with filth... and I cannot get my customers to clean.
American roaches come from outside (usually) and need a lot of water. I find them in water meter boxes, wall voids where there is a pipe leak or water condensing on pipes and in attics if the roof leaks. Usually just cutting down on watering the lawn or fixing the leak works all by itself.
Oriental roaches are another matter. They CAN infest inside, but they don't thrive. Yes, they will breed inside but they prefer rotten, fermenting food. If you have alot of that around, you can breed them inside very successfully.
If sanitation is not an issue, choice #2 is to make sure all of your doors have perfect (or near-perfect) weatherproofing. Also, copper wool (not steel wool, as steel wool rusts) around pipe penetrations under sinks and by the washer/dryer. If you have a crawl-space I would poke around in there too. Wear gloves, knee pads, long sleeves and watch out for spiders, snakes and skunks. :) [experience is the best instructor]
Sounds good... but it's an apartment. I'm a little curious what your neighbors did, or quit doing. Your exterminator may have been able to cure your problem, but if your neighbor who was nastier than you moved out, the apartment was cleaned and you weren't nasty enough to support a roach population.... they may have starved to death.
Me too. My stuff is from 4% to 15% concentrate.
Not a chance. Boric acid is a stomach poison. Fleas cannot eat it unless you gobble some up yourself and they drink your blood... but even then, 5% concentration in your blood and you'd be dead.
Replace them when the bait is gone, or whenever the label says. [Remember - companies spend millions of dollars testing their product... they know how to use it better than you do... always follow the label.]
Again - just do whatever the label says.
I wish I were there, looking over your shoulder while you were typing that... so I could slap your hand and say, "No! Bad!".
The labeling clearly states that you should NOT apply more than 1.5 pounds per ACRE of land. It also is not labeled for inside use! Do not use inside!
Boric acid prevents fleas just as good as jello, post-it notes, a 1993 calendar with cute puppies on it, a photograph of a clown and a broken pair of sunglasses will. In other words, not at all.
To prevent fleas, keep your dogs and cats well groomed, keep the grass and weeds cut, block any access into your home where rats and mice are likely to enter with copper wool and/or hardware cloth. The use of flea collars to prevent fleas is a good idea too.
Cats are mediocre. They are used to cat food. They don't always eat what they catch.
That's good... sort-of. I want to make sure I stay away from your home so I don't poison myself... and I'm around chemicals all day. However - I FOLLOW THE LABEL!
Try alt.consumers.pest-control for more information.
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