Cockroaches

[bilbo86]

Hi, Bilbo 86
I live in the subtropics called Florida. The state insect is the Cockroach and it's illegal to kill them. No, just kidding. I used a cockroach lure that is basically boric acid. It is non-toxic to kids and pets and has no odor. Sprinkle it in the corners and near the walls and cabinets. They will start dying off right away. The boric acid clogs their gills and they suffocate. The eggs will hatch and it will get them too. Reapply in about 6 months. My roaches are gone now for over 2 years since using it. You can get the roach lure by a couple of names at ACOE Hardware and Lowe's. Just be sure it has 'Boric Acid' as the ingredient.

Thanks, a friend of mine mentioned using boric acid when she lived in Alabama for a while. I forgot all about that. I put some traps down Monday and haven't seen anything in them yet. The instructions say to move them if nothing shows up after a few days so I'll probably shift them around a bit. This is good info, since I'd imagine we will have similar issues with a house.

 

[fiddlingdoc]

This might not be applicable for your situation, but, if one has a (Palmetto Roach) in one's car, my proven method is this:
Buy a beer in a can. Drink the beer. Leave the can on the floorboard overnight. The next morning, open the door and immediately toss the can out onto the driveway. The roach will be in the can, and you may either squash the can, or wait for the roach to exit, and squash it directly.
This method has never failed me in South Louisiana, which is closely akin to Florida in its roach population.

 

[Sjm9911]

Great drunk cockroaches. Lol. Ill come out and they will have all my camping crap out playing loud music around a 8 foot tall fire. No thanks.

 

[Chaaalie]

I second the Boric Acid answer. "Blow" that into the voids in the pop up (through the same holes that the power cable, gas etc) enter through to get to the entry points. Also, as said before, you have to clean up food and sticky stuff VERY quickly -- not just because of the roaches, but the ants as well. (if you cook inside, clean the area around the stove after every use.) In Florida you will NEVER eliminate these two pests from inside your home/pup/etc. but you can make it much less attractive for them -- and that really is the whole game. For ants of almost any type, the Terro traps and gel are great inside, and the bait (looks like course-ground corn) is pretty effective around the outside (campsite/yard). The other factor that makes it impossible to avoid these insects is that often they are moving in/out because of our weather -- with dry seasons they seek moisture, during extreme wet times they seek dry ground ... at that point, no bait or repellant/slow acting poisons will work quick enough to keep you from seeing them.

Once you learn the balance, it will be pretty easy to maintain without smelling like Raid everywhere you go ...

 

[EdinMI]

Spray the whole inside with Ortho MAX.
Sprinkle Cayenne Pepper around EVERYTHING that touches the ground outside. Yes tires, hitch wheel, electric cord, hose, EVERYTHING.
I buy the big container at Walmart(it doesn't take a lot), and do it every week and every new site.
No insects and no mice, snakes, ....
.
.
Added Note:
The Ortho dries safe for pets, the pepper will make them sneeze, but safe.

 

[pacificcoasttraveler]

A lot of info about cockroaches on the internet. Some good info at cockroachfacts.com.

You have to know what your dealing with - German (smaller inside) or American (larger usually outside - unless you're sitting in the middle of a heavily infested area). I would go with either baited traps or a bait product like Intice (Boric acid killer) to start. These are probably the safest to your health. That will probably take care of it.

If they're German roaches, Advion gel is kind of a knockout punch. Just keep it away from pets and small humans.

 

[Dingit]

Boric acid doesn't clog cockroach gills. They don't HAVE gills. It poisons cockroaches because they ingest it while grooming themselves. They are adorable when they clean their antennae.

If you have wandering cockroaches, it won't help. It's not an instant kill and you'll get new random cockroaches before the old ones are dead. It's like trying to swat All The Mosquitoes. But if they are setting up house in your popup, it's helpful. Puff it into cracks and things.

If you'd like your cockroaches identified, take a photo. It doesn't really matter much...heh heh.

 

[JunieB]

Combat bait. Roaches eat it, it kills them. Also do NOT put any light on under the trailer as one northerner suggested. Pacificcoast is right about the different varieties; we don't have many of the "Germans" in FL. My pest control guy said-- some varieties of the big winged ones like the Americans (palmettos), are attracted to light-- find themselves seeking light, thinking they will "find a girl roach," come indoors-- but indoors is not their preferred environment! I think there was a third variety he mentioned, too, don't remember the name. He was a fount of information.
If you see the biggish fat ones without the wings-- that is a juvenile palmetto bug. I did an experiment once. Trapped one of those big juveniles, put in a plastic clear closed container on back porch (in shade). No water, no food, still took 6 weeks for the bugger to die. So you can keep your place clean as a whistle but won't be rid of them all for couple months- & they can lick the grease in a drain like nobody's business for food.

 

[Sandy Simmons]

Hello, it's been a while since I've been in here. I'm staying in my pop-up while in between houses during a relocation to Florida for work. I grew up and have been in the frozen North my whole life where the winters kill bugs before they can really get big and/or invade. I saw a cockroach walking on the table this morning. I also saw a couple walking around the tailgate of my pickup. How do I keep these away? I've always heard if you see one there's a million more. That freaks me out a bit. When I got here I applied barrier spray to the following areas: where roof & canvas meet, where tub & canvas meet, where canvas meets bunks, where bunks slide into the tub, around the door, around the refrigerator vent, around the heater vent, where power cable enters, tires, stabilizer jacks, and tongue. I've been keeping my food in a plastic tote, and garbage goes out with me every morning. What else can/should I be doing to make sure they don't move in with me?

I live in Savannah, GA. We fight the year round. You can sprinkle Borax around ground contact areas. The borax is supposed to dehydrated them and make them unable to absorb moisture and it will kill them.

 

[NLB]

I second the Boric Acid answer. "Blow" that into the voids in the pop up (through the same holes that the power cable, gas etc) enter through to get to the entry points. Also, as said before, you have to clean up food and sticky stuff VERY quickly -- not just because of the roaches, but the ants as well. (if you cook inside, clean the area around the stove after every use.) In Florida you will NEVER eliminate these two pests from inside your home/pup/etc. but you can make it much less attractive for them -- and that really is the whole game. For ants of almost any type, the Terro traps and gel are great inside, and the bait (looks like course-ground corn) is pretty effective around the outside (campsite/yard). The other factor that makes it impossible to avoid these insects is that often they are moving in/out because of our weather -- with dry seasons they seek moisture, during extreme wet times they seek dry ground ... at that point, no bait or repellant/slow acting poisons will work quick enough to keep you from seeing them.

Once you learn the balance, it will be pretty easy to maintain without smelling like Raid everywhere you go ...

RAID!!!

 

[Dingit]

Smokybrowns look a lot like Americans but are a little bit more wild. They can be household pests but they can also just walk on in. If you aren't in a developed area, they're more likely to be the ones you'd get.

(Biggish fat ones without wings could also be Oriental cockroaches--even the adults have no or reduced wings. I believe they occur in Florida.)

Boric acid must be eaten to kill insects which is why it doesn't work on many of them. It has to be in a bait form for insects that don't self-groom. A cockroach is fastidious and always cleaning itself. That is why plain dust works on them.

It doesn't dehydrate them--that is diatomaceous earth.

 

[bilbo86]

I believe the one I saw, and killed, inside was the German variety. It was smallish. I have seen the palmetto bugs outside and it definitely was not one of those. I may have seen a juvenile in the restroom this morning, it looked like a junebug kind of, stuck on its back.

I do know not to have a light on. I put a small light by the door when I rebuilt the camper and you definitely need to use it sparingly, even up north. My wife learned that the hard way when she came back after a midnight bathroom trip and left it on.

 

[JunieB]

Smokybrowns look a lot like Americans but are a little bit more wild. They can be household pests but they can also just walk on in. If you aren't in a developed area, they're more likely to be the ones you'd get.

(Biggish fat ones without wings could also be Oriental cockroaches--even the adults have no or reduced wings. I believe they occur in Florida.)

Boric acid must be eaten to kill insects which is why it doesn't work on many of them. It has to be in a bait form for insects that don't self-groom. A cockroach is fastidious and always cleaning itself. That is why plain dust works on them.

It doesn't dehydrate them--that is diatomaceous earth.

Yes-- I seem to recall the "Bug expert" exterminator saying another variety was Asian or Oriental or Chinese. This sounds right to me. Didn't know about the "adults" without wings. Oh, and watch for any brown little pillow-looking things that are about 1/2 inch long. Those are egg cases. Flush 'em down the toilet!

 

[Mark CASTELLANI]

@bilbo86 ... DUDE [or DUDETTE]... I feel your pain!!!

I grew up in Central New York and took my first Professional Job in New Orleans [interviewed during Mardi Gras season.... 'nuff said]

My first experience with a "Palmetto" was being, literally, chased down Pirate's Alley by a big sucker [think "Beetle Juice"]... I swear, being a wee bit inebriated had nothing to do with it!! [dang French Quarter!!] ... regardless, it FREEKED THE CRAP OUT OF ME!!!

New Orleans is where I learned that having Cockroaches [the "German" kind] in your house WAS NOT a sign of uncleanliness...they're everywhere!!!

For my houses, it was a "Pest Control" service once a month and I've done the Borax, too, especially in my first, one room apartment, on Camp Street... it "seemed" to work

Cockroaches are one of the reasons I moved back North... them, and no alligators in the lakes up here LOL

Never had a PUP while living on the Gulf Coast & East Texas [tented, though] so, I have no experience with how to handle them in a camper

There's been a lot of good advice posted here.... if I had a PUP in the Deep South, I'd take it...

Good Luck!... and...

Happy Trails!

 

[Sherronlee]

I would add that it is better to take your garbage out before you go to bed instead of leaving it sitting in the trailer all night....

 

[fiddlingdoc]

My first experience with a "Palmetto" was being, literally, chased down Pirate's Alley by a big sucker

Everyone is brave until the cockroach flies!!

 

[kudzu]

To OP, I'll just echo the general theme, prevention is the best way. My personal weapon of choice for the camper is Ortho Home Defense, which for us has worked to prevent ants and roaches, at least the ones that don't fly in. Using the light underneath at night time as a way to find cracks and openings was a good suggestion. Sealing as many as you can will reduce the problem. Just be sure to use one light in one area at a time. Don't light up the entire underside the whole time you are working or you'll have a colony set up inside before you can get the first hole filled.

... This method has never failed me in South Louisiana, which is closely akin to Florida in its roach population.

When reading the OP, my initial thought was it might be easier to just leave Florida and go somewhere else. Just not Louisiana. Then again, better skip South GA, AL & MS, also. It's like roach & ant paradise in all those areas. That's how I learned to keep all my pantry staples in plasticware.

My first experience with a "Palmetto" was being, literally, chased down Pirate's Alley by a big sucker

Everyone is brave until the cockroach flies!!

You're cracking me up!! Scariest thing about visiting my grandparents in New Orleans wasn't crime, burning your skin in the Summer on the cars vinyl upholstery or breaking an axle in the pot holes. It was the flying roaches! And SO BIG!!

 

[Sandy Simmons]

@bilbo86 ... DUDE [or DUDETTE]... I feel your pain!!!

I grew up in Central New York and took my first Professional Job in New Orleans [interviewed during Mardi Gras season.... 'nuff said]

My first experience with a "Palmetto" was being, literally, chased down Pirate's Alley by a big sucker [think "Beetle Juice"]... I swear, being a wee bit inebriated had nothing to do with it!! [dang French Quarter!!] ... regardless, it FREEKED THE CRAP OUT OF ME!!!

New Orleans is where I learned that having Cockroaches [the "German" kind] in your house WAS NOT a sign of uncleanliness...they're everywhere!!!

For my houses, it was a "Pest Control" service once a month and I've done the Borax, too, especially in my first, one room apartment, on Camp Street... it "seemed" to work

Cockroaches are one of the reasons I moved back North... them, and no alligators in the lakes up here LOL

Never had a PUP while living on the Gulf Coast & East Texas [tented, though] so, I have no experience with how to handle them in a camper

There's been a lot of good advice posted here.... if I had a PUP in the Deep South, I'd take it...

Good Luck!... and...

Happy Trails!

I have been sitting in my living room and been dive boomed in the face by one.