Cockroaches — best elimination approach?

[Ducks]

Despite taking as many precautions as possible (keeping windows and doors shut, food always sealed in plastic containers, limiting standing water, regular vacuuming, very little left on floors), we seem to have developed a small roach problem that I would like to knock on the head before it becomes a big roach problem. 

Can anyone recommend the best course of action to proceed? Spraying? Traps? Both? We've got the big red cans of spray from Mercadona, but I'm considering traps, too. Has anyone run into the problem of the traps being too attractive and bringing in additional roaches from outside/other dwellings? Are there particular brands or models people have had good experience with? 

We are based in Caleta, and I would appreciate any and all advice that's not "just live with them"— burning the place down would be a more appealing option! 

[Spitfire58]

Hi Ducks,
Not sure if this will help you but we run a very extensive program of prevention in our place. My wife is terrified of roaches & swore she would not return if we got any inside the house, so !!!

1 - I fitted aluminium frame mozi screens to all windows, these were supplied by a French company for self assembly to fit the windows, silicone onto the frames & then silicone sealed around the edges. Nothing & I mean nothing can get in !

2 - Doors are NEVER left open.

3 - Floors are swept/hoovered after any food, no dirty dishes/pots left lying around, no wet tea towels left lying around.

4 - floors are mopped every second day with a nice smelling pink liquid that is an insect repellent/deterrent from Spar in Atlantico (can’t remember the name but it is something like DESIC) & an extra strong solution as we leave.

5 x Borox powder is placed on the floor/ground inside & outside all doors when we leave. All sink traps/toilet traps are filled with neat bleach & plugs put in & a heavy glass put on top & air vents in these taped off. Toilet is covered in cling film & duck taped around the edges.

6 - lastly all window frames/door frames are sprayed with the red tins of bug spray before we go.

It seems excessive but in two years we have never had one inside yet, or on the patio’s as these are mopped with the same DESIC daily.

When I fitted the kitchen units I built them with 12” metal legs & no kick plates so you could see right under them & they were all silicone sealed to the walls right around the backs so no gaps existed. Plus a number of other minor precautions    

So far so good 

[Spitfire58]

The other thing I would say in my experience is that the plumbing/ground works/sewage systems in Caleta (& we did stay in Caleta quite a few times before we got our own place) have now been around for a number of years so I would expect that they are very populous if not rife & I would have my doubts that they can be eradicated completely but that’s just my thoughts.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Hi Ducks, I can symapthise, when we lived on a complex in Corralejo we had a constant problem despite the complex having regular professional treatment. I think mains drainage is a lot of the problem - it provides an ideal living condition for them and a convenient conduit! Yuck!! However much you clean your house and eliminate them there are always hundreds more waiting to take up residence!

I used the '3 month' spray from Mercadona, every week! Pay special attention to spraying under and behind fridges/freezers/ovens/washing machines/dishwashers - they love the warmth. You also need to spray behind any kickboards. Make sure the outlet pipes from washing machines and dishwashers are sealed where they enter the waste pipe. Suspended ceilings are a nightmare - if you have them lift a couple of tiles and spray in the void. Remove some electrical socket covers and very carefully spray up the conduit pipe using a straw. Remove bath panels and spray behind.

I also used the floor cleaner, DESIC:



I started by using traps but they didn't seem to do much good - perhaps others have had better results.

Good luck - hope you beat the little buggers!

[Ducks]

I'd settle for not seeing one every other bloody night!   I could do with some sleep, frankly. 

We're doing most of that already, though I very much appreciate the tip about the mopping solution, and will look into that tomorrow. The kitchen units are more of a problem, but it seems more like this particular issue is happening in the basement where there is virtually no food— we put in a kitchenette down there which has never been used except to make tea and the only food is the occasional biscuit that I clean up very thoroughly after!

What about the Borox? Where can you get that, and how do you use it?

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Toilet is covered in cling film & duck taped around the edges.

Really good idea Spitfire but it did make me laugh when I read it!
I had a vision of forgetting to remove the cling film when you arrive late at night after a long journey. …………. (sorry!).

[Spitfire58]

Or after a few drinks Tamara 

[Spitfire58]

I'd settle for not seeing one every other bloody night!   I could do with some sleep, frankly. 

We're doing most of that already, though I very much appreciate the tip about the mopping solution, and will look into that tomorrow. The kitchen units are more of a problem, but it seems more like this particular issue is happening in the basement where there is virtually no food— we put in a kitchenette down there which has never been used except to make tea and the only food is the occasional biscuit that I clean up very thoroughly after!

What about the Borox? Where can you get that, and how do you use it?

If it is a basement, is there any damp down there Ducks. They would love that !!

[Decho]

Desic (purple bottle) on all floors and surfaces does it for us. Very rarely have a problem and when we do it has it legs in the air! It's really easy to use and has a pleasant lavender smell. It's available in most supermarkets and just mix it with water and Mop the floors.

[Johnrgby]

Hi Ducks

When we bought the property we had a similar problem and tried just about everything, then a neighbour recommended a plugin called A  Vermatic we bought 3 and have not seen a cockroach in the house since, we bought ours from Amazon, they will not ship them out here so we had family bring them out, another option would be Woodside Cargo, I cannot remember how much they were but I think around £16/17, but that was 3 years ago, we tried and still use Desic, but no where near as effective as A Vermatc.