I need a different kind of repellent

[Lotus]

This is kind of embarrassing. The area I live is right by the river in what would have been swamp ground if they did not plunk a human habitat on it. So, we get plagued by any sort of water beetle like….roaches. Every home around here is either infested with roaches or centipedes (variety known as the common household centipede: natural predator for roaches). Personally, I could do without either of them. These two types of critters seem immune to any sort of pesticide even the expensive ones. Nothing kills the roaches except squishing them and nothing kills the centipedes except for spraying Lysol bathroom cleaner with bleach on them.

Is there any way to keep both away from me?

BB
Lotus

[Crazy Healer Lady]

I have heard that sprinkling salt near where they congregate or where you notice them coming from will keep beetle pests away

[Stormy]

They are cruel, but effective - glue traps - nothing can escape them, and you can get them in a variety of sizes. I really can't condone them for things like mice - it's such a horrid site, a mouse screaming and squirming on one of those things - but for insects, well, it's still mean, but I think they suffer less in the time it takes you to collect the traps and dunk them into rubbing alchol or bleach.

Plus, you need to know that ALL centipedes have a venomous bite - they may not kill you but they can give you one heck of a welt and a lot of pain. And roaches are one of the number one causes of indoor allergens (dust mites come first) - it is the airborne minute particles of their feces and shed skins as well as the chemical scents they put off.

[Windwalker]

Centipedes?!?! SHRIEK!

MOVE.

[SageWolf]

There is nothing to be embarrassed about, It happens in areas that you live then it happens.

I'll look and see if there is anything I can find but I know roaches are hard to kill. I've never had a problem with centipeds, but like I said I'll look and see what I can find.

SageWolf

[Lotus]

Thanks,
I will look into the glue traps.

It is really all of Columbus, Ohio that has this problem.....not sure why. When I lived in Toledo, I never saw even one roach or centipede. Here there is some wierd natural balance going on since the years alternate between roach or centipede infestations.


BB
Lotus

[Titania]

If you can find a copy somewhere, maybe your local library, I suggest Tiny Game Hunting. I don't know the author or the publisher.

[Mahala]

Oy, reminds me of when me and my parents were living in a motel in SoCal. They were spraying for roaches in the rooms down from ours and it wasn't uncommon to find one two... eight nine, crawling through the crack under the door each night.

Mom and I went out and bought at least 60 glue traps from the local stores. They're cheap, effective, and easily disposed of. Just place them near where the roaches love to hide or try to get out and check them every 4-8 hours is my guess. (That motel had a MAJOR problem...)

Another solution is to pick up all pet food and human food and put it in roach-proof containers. They feed on our food and pet food, but where there is NO food... less roaches.

Wikipedia on cockroaches:

General preventative measures against household pests include keeping all food stored away in sealed containers, using garbage cans with a tight lid, frequent cleaning in the kitchen, and regular vacuuming. Any water leaks, such as dripping taps, should also be repaired. It is also helpful to seal off any entry points, such as holes around baseboards, in between kitchen cabinets, pipes, doors, and windows with some steel wool or copper mesh and some cement, putty or silicone caulk.

Bait stations, gels containing hydramethylnon or fipronil, as well as boric acid powder, are toxic to cockroaches. Baits with egg killers are also quite effective at reducing the cockroach population. Additionally, pest control products containing deltamethrin or pyrethrin are very effective.

Another method, that is homemade, is a Vegas roach trap.

For house centipedes...
Their bite cannot penetrate human skin and those that do give no more effect than that of a bee sting. (Unless you have allergies, then you can worry.) The symptoms usually go away in a few hours.

Wikipedia on house centipedes

Techniques for eliminating centipedes from the home include drying up the areas where they thrive, eliminating large indoor insect populations, sealing cracks in the walls, and seeking the assistance of an exterminator.

[Max]

I don't know if anyone still has this problem but I found a website with some good ideas for natural pest control. I couldn't say if they work, all I know is that little insects generally don't like salt and pepper spread around points of entry. Apparantly cockroaches don't like catnip. It's worth a try and the cats will love it!

http://www.eartheasy.com/live_natpest_control.htm#c

[kristoff1235]

do you have asian bees living where youre at? if so ive seen them kill alkot of insects because the pests kill "their" flowers. so if you grow a few flowering plants around or in your garden it might help. i havent tried it for centipedes tho so they might not go after them...

best of luck

[Librarian]

Cats! Best roach control I've ever seen.