Outdoor Roaches

[jsfinn]

I have a sliding glass door with a light next to it that turns on automatically when it gets dark out.

Sometimes, I'll notice a roach or two on the outside of the screen after dark. I'm pretty sure that these are just common American outdoor roaches... but I don't want them near the house.

I never have roaches inside - and we keep a very neat and clean house, but I'm afraid that eventually one of these guys will make his way inside - and don't want that.

I spray the yard and perimeter of the house every 3 months or so with Ortho Max insecticide. I don't have any wood piles, or rotting trees near by. I do have a lot of mulch beds, and a wood deck that they probably like to hide in though.

I know these bugs are in their natural habitat, but they are too close to my natural habitat... and I'm bigger and smarter, so they have to go away!

What else can I do to keep these guys away?

Thank you!

 

[JCF350]

Re: Outdoor Roaches

Get some malathion and a pyrethrume. Use one then spray with the other in 2 weeks, repeat once maybe twice.

 

[dolluper]

Re: Outdoor Roaches

A dish of beer...they drown or stumble around and never make it in the door ...sound familiar LoL's

 

[i386]

Re: Outdoor Roaches

Yes, we have them in the garage and carport. We call them palmetto bugs, but yes they are American cockroaches. They will occasionally get in the house but I've never seen them infest a house like the little German cockroaches. 2-3 times a year I will spray the perimeter of the garage floor and around all the doors and windows with Bengal Roach Spray.

This stuff was recommended to us by a guy that works in pest control about 10 years ago. I wasn't impressed by his claims because we'd used all kinds of sprays with average results. We bought some anyway and I was really impressed.

If one of those bugs (or any bug) comes in contact with this stuff they will be on their backs in about 60 seconds. The treatment lasts for a long time too.

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Outdoor Roaches

Sevin powder sprinkled around the outside perimeter should also work. Just pray you never get a boxelder bug infestation. They bury deep into small cracks around mortor joints and cement and its 100% inposible to get rid of them. They come out in the early summer by the thousands. see google pictures. Lucky they dont do any real damage . Be very careful buying pine straw. They can be a hundred thousand of them in a bail and you never know until you open it and then its too late.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Outdoor Roaches

I have the same thing living in rural NJ. Those roaches do not seem to infest homes like their city dwelling cousins. I find one or two in the garage during summer months. Used to scare me thinking I was going to get a roach infestation. But it never happened and I've been living in this house for 16 years.

The products other members listed will help rid the roaches, as well as most other bugs. But from my experience, you may be wasting your money.

Lowes carries a bug killer that is applied with a broadcast spreader. Comes in a big 5 or 10 lb bag. Looks a bit like oatmeal. It kills most everything on the ground and below the ground. I spread about 10 lbs of this stuff around the house and play areas to keep the deer tick population at bay. It works very well for killing ticks and grubs. Should work for the roaches too, and lasts about 3 months. Been using this for 3 years now. Sorry I can't remember the product name.

 

[bjcsc]

Re: Outdoor Roaches

In my experience living in the Palmetto State, you can't do anything about palmetto bugs. They will not infest your house like the little roaches. They thrive in stacked/rotted wood, stored cardboard boxes, leaf litter, etc.. They are just part of life in the southeast. You can treat the ground all you want - won't matter. If you haven't noticed - they fly...

 

[jsfinn]

Re: Outdoor Roaches

Thanks, everyone.

I think I'll hit the foundation and yard a little harder over the next couple of days, but like a lot of folk say - I don't think I'll be able to get rid of them 100% because they are outside, and they do fly so they could be coming from neighbors yards too.

Mark - I use that oatmeal lookin' stuff too.

Both Ortho Max and or Bayer Complete look the same - I use either one and then spray the perimeter of the house with a pump sprayer with whatever concentrate I happen to have. I don't know how well either of these work because I've been doing this forever and there are still some bugs but that's to be expected .... it's outside where they live.

I think I'll also change the light to only turn on with motion and not turn on when it gets dark... that should help not attract them to the door.

 

[Coors]

Re: Outdoor Roaches

I found that Bayer Advanced is the best I've bought for NE FLa.

 

[v1_0]

Re: Outdoor Roaches

Get some live chickens.

 

[Tater Head]

Re: Outdoor Roaches

Max-Force makes some good roach bait that will help control your roach problem. Or you can remove the mulch. If you are lucky you might be able to find some Cloradane. It was pulled from the marked in the 80s. Ever once in a while you can run across some. Great stuff.

 

[dchris]

Re: Outdoor Roaches

A one inch strip of borax 20 mule soap in front of the screen or door is an effective stop. They won't cross it.

 

[Xandre]

Re: Outdoor Roaches

I lived in Savannah Georgia for 3.5 years and we had giant Palmetto bugs. Cockroaches that are bigger, stronger and fly around (kinda).

Someone once told me not to kill them if they get inside because the eggs get splattered around and produce more bugs. Not sure if this is true.

So I would catch them and take them out side. Nothing you can do about these guys. I would whack them sometimes with a rolled up newspaper and they would survive and walk away!

 

[mthieme]

Re: Outdoor Roaches

I see these once and while too.
Thankfully, they are not the same thing as the inside roaches.
I have bigger worries - ants come to mind.