So – I was doing some “research” on Pintrest, and it didn’t take me very long find something I had an opinion on.
I found a blogger that had written an article about her experience with German Cockroaches.
Here at Capitol Pest Management, we are big on education. We will inform, and educate at any opportunity we have. My goal here is not to rip this blogger apart. She truly had a pest control issue that needed resolution. In her persistence, she finally found a something that took care of her cockroaches. It is really too bad that she had the experiences that she did with the pest control companies that she hired.
The following is the blog post as written. I have added my commentary in the middle of the blog post to address each topic individually.
Blog article as written on the left side.
My commentary is on the right.
Get Rid Of German Roaches Naturally!
I thought I would share a frugal and safe, natural home remedy
for getting rid of German Roaches.
No one wants roaches, no one wants to say they have roaches.
But, from time to time we may have to deal with this issue.
In some cases,
a roach infestation will have nothing to do with
your cleanliness, or any doing of your own.
We live on planet earth, so do the roaches.
A few years back we had a MAJOR infestation of German Roaches for a few years.
First of all we had no idea where they came from and they spread so quickly.
We had a regular exterminator that came out on scheduled visits,
so I was surprised to see anything.
He asked me if there was anything new in the house, I said no,
and then I remember a family member had asked us to store a stove for them in our garage.
Well, thee was the culprit.
He told us that German roaches in particular like the taste of electricity –
it tastes sweet.
So, that’s why you see them in electronic stores and pawn shops, according to him.
Roaches do not go into electronics because they like the taste of electricity.
If 110 will make me think twice – 110 will kill a roach.
The facts are this – electrical appliances are generally warm and dark
this creates the perfect hiding spot.
Stoves, microwaves & toasters have a positive food source,
making these places even more attractive.
The issue is the stove that she was storing for a family member ran out of food.
Looking for a new food source the roaches came into her home.
Yes it is that simple, and of no doing of her own.
Well, I paid him a lot of money and he was never able to get rid of them,
I paid another exterminator even more money to get rid of them.
Nothing worked, I paid a lot of money for bombs
and set them off repeatedly in every part of the house including the attic – nothing worked!
I even searched the local flea market
for some sort of chalk that was supposed to kill them when they crossed it,
I marked up everything in the house, but it didn’t work either.
We moved and they followed… It was terrible.
This is so very common.
Exterminators who have not been trained,
who have been given poor or false information,
and have a lack of experience
will not be able to successfully eliminate a roach population.
“We moved and they followed”
yes it was terrible… are you kidding me …
at that point even I would have used a gallon of gasoline and a road flare.
No, I would not have used gasoline or a road flare
nor do I promote the use of this tactic…
So, one day I happened upon a “recipe” that promised to rid us of them,
so I thought why not – I have tried everything!
So, I mixed up Peanut Butter, Sugar, and Baking Soda in a large bowl –
cause I needed a lot!
I the placed a teaspoon in several plastic baggies
and placed them opened in drawers and cabinets all over the house.
In less than 1 week they were gone! I mean not a one!
I left the big bowl full of the leftover concoction out overnight, too.
I was shocked to say the least!
We had spent over a thousand dollars
and more than a year battling these things
and all the while the answer was in my pantry!
From my understanding the peanut butter and sugar draw them
and the baking soda kills them.
You can make the same mixture with honey instead of sugar
and with boric acid instead of baking soda, if you like.
The Dollar Stores sell a large bottle of powdered Boric Acid for just $1.
I use that outside around doors and windows to keep them out.
Bravo.
Peanut butter is a great fat and protein that roaches will eat.
Honey is also attractive – instant energy.
As a team here at Capitol Pest, we discussed baking soda.
We are not sure exactly why baking soda would work or works.
Our theory is that either the ph in the roach changes dramatically
or the baking soda reacts in the stomach
the same way it would if you mixed baking soda and vinegar,
in both events resulting in death of the roach.
We have never tried or are going to try the baking soda approach.
It worked for this blogger – I would definitely give it a try.
Boric acid works. We in the pest control industry use Boric acid all of the time.
It is low in toxicity to humans and pets, it does not break down quickly,
it is a natural mined mineral, and it just plain works.
If you decide to use this method,
understand that it will not get rid of all of the roaches.
It will get rid of only the roaches that eat it.
Recipe:
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 cup baking soda or you can use boric acid
1 cup sugar or you can use honey
enough water to make a thick paste
Mix all ingredients together
– See more at: http://www.babyboomerrants.com/get-rid-german-roaches-naturally/#sthash.clVLVVAE.dpuf
http://www.babyboomerrants.com/get-rid-german-roaches-naturally/
If you decide to use this method,
understand that it will not get rid of all of the roaches.
It will get rid of ONLY the roaches that eat it.
it will slow down the population, but the eggs will hatch out in a few days or weeks,
leaving you frustrated at best.
Why use a knowledgeable pest control company?
Because we have products that go beyond killing the roaches that ingest boric acid.
One of our products that will eliminate the population via ingestion
has a very high transfer rate.
This means that one roach will walk through this product
and carry it off everywhere they go, sharing the product with all of his roach friends.
Another one of the products we use has an “insect growth regulator.”
This product will stop the roach from maturing further.
We like to refer to it as birth control for roaches.
Vacuum, my team always goes into a roach treatment with a HEPPA vacuum.
“A roach that is not there is a roach I don’t have to worry about killing” (Bug-man Bob)
This three-pronged method is very effective at solving roach issues.
Moral of the story – Roaches are gross.
Hire an exterminator, a knowledgeable one.
Go to the better business bureau, Angies List, or your local BNI group for referrals and references, and interview the company you intend on hiring. Do not just give someone your money because you can no longer tolerate your pest issue.
Home remedies sometimes work, try it. However, before you get into a large infestation, call a professional. Treatment will be less expensive the smaller the infestation is.