How to Control Cockroach in Your Condo Unit Without Breaking the Bank
There are 2 very common species of cockroaches in the city, the American cockroach (the big flying ones) and the German cockroach (the small ones which never really grow bigger than 1/2 inch).
I am used to receiving amused laugh ones people know that we are infested by foreigners.:)
Adult American cockroach
Adult German cockroach (cockroach below is a gravid, with egg capsule at the bottom of the abdomen)
As usual, the small once are the more problematic ones and in this article, I will teach you how to tackle them, in a practical and inexpensive way.
To be able to effectively control cockroach in your condo, it is important to understand some vital information.
Majority of the condominium buildings in the city is maintained by a pest control service provider, some condo tenants like this, some don't. I am assuming that the readers and users of this article are those who initially do not like being invaded by service technicians and applied with insecticides, but is eventually hopeful that each pest control service will effect a change. My good news for you is that, if you follow these procedures, you are up to forthcoming comfort and changes. Truth be told, all condominium buildings in the Metro experience cockroach issue, 1 year after commencement of operation. Some cockroach issue however, is more problematic and apparent than others.
There are 2 scenarios, the macro and micro scenes.
The cockroach problem usually starts with one unit/tenant/area of the building (micro scene).
And if it is not handled well, it becomes a building issue (macro scene).
This is a practical, and usually asked question, how can a cockroach enter a condo unit?
First, you can unknowingly carry roaches into your unit through store bought items like food, groceries, packaged goods, or by bringing into a clean unit an infested furniture, appliances or packed items.
Second, you are new tenant in a unit and you did not know that roaches live in this unit before you even arrive. Areas they usually live without our knowledge are built-in cabinet, kitchen cabinet, restroom strainers, floor drain and in between tiles.
Third, the other unit owner has an infestation. One day the roaches are looking for food. They entered under your door. And found an expansion of their shelter in your home.
These are the 3 possibilities why you have roaches in your unit. But don't lose hope. It can be resolved. To effectively control roaches in your unit, you need to do a combination of a few things:
Clean regularly.
Roaches live even in sanitary condition. How much more in a filthy one. Roaches thrive in water alone.
For your kitchen, practice CLAYGO (Clean as You Go). No dirty dishes are staying overnight or your roaches are kept well-nourished.
Wipe stove after you cook. Oil is cockroach food.
Clean dining table and dining floor. Food crumbs on top and below are cockroach food.
Allot a budget for tightly sealed trash bags or trash bins. A loosely open trash bin or trash bag is available food enough to nourish a nation roaches.
Dispose of trash on a daily basis or twice a day if you can. Dispose of used cartons and egg trays. Cockroach love them. In short, reduce your clutter.
2. Seal gaps. Roaches hide there.
To seal gaps, you can use cement, silicone sealant, or other sanitary sealant available in the market. Applying this is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Instruction is available at the sealant tube cover. Or of course, just check Youtube. This link is easy to follow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vjTxTFL-k0
Below are sample gaps which usually serve as hiding and breeding site of roaches:
Gap in between tiles.
A gap created by a broken tile
Gap between sink and cement or tile.
Seal gap under door with a mohair or weather strip also available at the hardware.
Sample of sealants that can be used.
3. Control them.
Baygon is bygone. The same with other aerosol products available in the market. They are effective, at first, because all you hit with this pesticide will die, but in the long run, they are not.
Use gel baits instead. Cockroach gel baits are available in any big hardware like Ace Hardware, True Value or Handyman. Cockroach gel baits are very potent. You don't need an expert to use this. It also doesn't expose you to harmful chemicals so if you want to DIY, this is perfect for you to try this. Like any other DIY material however, it will require you some patience and focus.
The effective cockroach control in your condo unit lies in the secret of doing thorough inspection. Cockroach elimination is fastest when you are able to apply the gel bait in the cockroach harborage area. You have found the cockroach harborage area when you see 3-4 roaches gathered around, with some small specs which are their urine and feces altogether.
Back of panel board as cockroach harborage area.
This is the best spot to apply gel bait with a size of gel pen ball point. Slightly press the plunger of the gel bait to release gel. It takes repetitive actions as all roaches need to eat for them to die. The good news however is that this gel has an effect in which its taste and smell is in the limbs of the roaches which ate it, so that the roaches which directly consumed the gel bait is spreading small amounts of the ingredient of the gel bait, which once eaten by other roaches, will still be lethal for them.
The effectiveness of this method however is highly jeopardized if there are other available food readily available for pests. It will be difficult for you to lure them to feed on the gel baits, if there are breads, rice, or any other food easily available for them anytime. Proven and tested brand in the market is Bayer's Blattanex.
Below is a link of how to use the cockroach gel bait like a pro, although I haven't personally tried Advion, all cockroach gel baits are applied and used this way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9zE7RuNcq0
No insecticide can exterminate the eggs of roaches. Some may claim that their product can do this but I assure you, anyone can claim anything, right. However, after you think you have eliminated everything, yet another batch will appear after a month or 2. Just do the same 3 things. It will be an on-going thing. But it is part of human living.
