FAQs - Roaches
My apartment is TOTALLY infested with cockroaches. It is a
small (one bedroom) place and is packed with
books, clothes, and other possessions. In addition,
I have two pet iguanas that must be fed wet cat
food daily. How do you recommend I deal with
this problem? Are the roaches eating my papers/book
bindings? Is it possible to get rid of them without
throwing out or unpacking the boxes of books
and clothing? Would insecticides be a danger
to my lizards? What strategy is likely to be
most effective?
The most important part of any cockroach elimination program is removing
the cockroaches source of food and shelter. Boxes and other storage
can make a nice home for roaches to infest and spread. A constant supply
of wet cat food can provide enough food alone for a large population
of cockroaches. You should study the roaches eating habits by turning
on the lights late at night. Once you have determined where they are
most active and what they are feeding on, you must try your best to
clean or remove the food that is attracting them. Next, purchase several
different varieties of cockroach bait stations from the store and locate
them in the same areas you found the cockroaches harboring or feeding.
Determine which bait is working best and stick to that bait in future
purchases. As long as you keep removing their shelter and providing
their only source of food (roach bait), the roach population will continue
to shrink under these environmental stresses. Since you have pets, I
would only recommend a professional us liquid pesticides inside your
home.
