the downside of having chickens. roaches.

[vash]

ok, i have four hens. i keep the area clean. i sweep the concrete, and hose off the areas near my house regularly. i just deemed it a new house law to not feed them near the house. i have been seeing more garden roaches when i go out at night to lock up the coop. they will eventually get into the house, if they havent already.

any great DIY pesticides? i can keep them penned up for a few days so they dont get poisoned. any "green" solutions? bummer the hens are active during the day, and the roaches are nocturnal. damn.

if not, i am going into the free range chicken slaying business...i'll tell my wife a racoon to to them.

[peppy]

Boric acid, I do not know how green it is.

[Crowbob]

Chickens eat roaches. Get more chickens.

[vash]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

Chickens eat roaches. Get more chickens.

my chickens are roosted during the night. i need vampire chickens.

[David]

If you lived in Texas, or any other ag state that allows it, you could buy Demon or any of the other professional pesticides.

Try a feed store.

[Heel n Toe]

Spectracide Bug Stop Home Insect Control

http://www.epinions.com/content_406176566916

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by peppy

Boric acid, I do not know how green it is.

It's in eye wash, can't be too bad. I have boric acid for termites and the info I get is it's non toxic except for termites. I don't know about roaches.

[peppy]

Originally Posted by milt

It's in eye wash, can't be too bad. I have boric acid for termites and the info I get is it's non toxic except for termites. I don't know about roaches.

Works great for roaches.

[vash]

wow. collectively, i think we know EVERYTHING! i will try boric acid. off to home depot after work. i will swab down every horizontal surface of my house with a gentle cleaner. a two pronged attack.

[Hugh R]

Boric acid dissolves their exo-skeleton.

[m21sniper]

Haha, that's pretty sinister. >:}

[masraum]

Originally Posted by 125shifter

If you lived in Texas, or any other ag state that allows it, you could buy Demon or any of the other professional pesticides.

Try a feed store.

I second the recommendation for Demon WP (wettable powder). You can order it on Amazon. It's great. I can spray the outside of the house and hidden areas inside the house, and that'll control bugs in the house for a year.

[Heel n Toe]

BORIC ACID
People have been fighting cockroaches with boric acid for nearly a century. Boric acid is one of the most effective cockroach control agents ever developed provided that it is used correctly. Unfortunately, most people use it incorrectly, and in the process waste their money and effort. Boric acid may be used alone or in combination with the baiting techniques previously discussed.

Properties and Advantages
Boric acid is a wonderful tool for controlling cockroaches in homes, restaurants and other buildings. It is effective in extremely small amounts and retains its potency almost indefinitely provided the deposit remains dry. Unlike many insecticides, boric acid has no repellency to insects and, consequently, roaches return to treated areas repeatedly until they die. Boric acid is deadly to cockroaches, but is low in toxicity to people, pets and other nontarget animals. It is also odorless and contains no volatile solvents.

Boric acid is a white, inorganic powder chemically derived from boron and water. Boron is mined from vast mineral deposits in the ground and is used in countless consumer products, including laundry additives, toothpaste and mouthwash. Boric acid insecticide formulations can be purchased at hardware and grocery stores. The powder comes ready-to-use, i.e., no mixing or dilution is required. Formulations sold in plastic, squeeze-type bottles with narrow applicator tips are the easiest to use. (These containers are similar in appearance to the squeezable mustard and ketchup bottles found in restaurants).

Cockroaches succumb to boric acid when they crawl over treated areas. The tiny particles of powder adhere to the cockroaches' body, and the material is ingested as the roach preens the powder from its legs and antennae. Some boric acid is also absorbed through the greasy outer covering of the insect's body. All species of cockroaches are susceptible to boric acid provided the powder is applied into areas where the roaches are living.

Using Boric Acid Like a Pro
The key to success with boric acid is proper application. For best results, the powder should be applied in a very thin layer barely visible to the naked eye. Piles or heavy accumulations will be avoided by foraging cockroaches much as we would avoid walking through a snow drift. To apply a fine layer, shake the container and puff a small quantity of the powder into the target area. Manufacturers of boric acid often fill their containers too full of powder -- by using a container which is no more than two-thirds full, an airspace is created at the top which allows the dust to be puffed more easily (A few pennies or pebbles placed inside the container helps prevent the powder from caking). The trick is to give the container a shake, then puff a very light dusting of the powder into the area you wish to treat.


Avoid applying a heavy layer, and never apply the material with a spoon.

Where the powder is applied is just as important as how it's applied. Cockroaches prefer to live in cracks, crevices and secluded areas close to food, moisture and warmth. Kitchens and bathrooms are the most common areas to find cockroaches, although any area of a home may become infested if the infestation is severe, or if species other than the German cockroach are involved. Key areas for treatment include under/behind the refrigerator, stove and dishwasher, into the opening where plumbing pipes enter walls (such as under sinks and behind the commode, shower and washing machine), and into cracks along edges and corners inside cabinets and pantries. Oftentimes, there is a void (hollow space) under kitchen and bathroom cabinets which becomes a hiding place for cockroaches. This area can be accessed and treated by injecting powder through any existing gap at the top of the kickplate, or if none is present, by drilling a few small holes.

NEVER apply boric acid onto countertops or other exposed surfaces, especially those used to prepare food. Any visible residues should be wiped off with a damp cloth. Boric acid can be used alone or in combination with other cockroach control products. An effective way to augment the activity of boric acid is to place containerized cockroach baits such as Combat(R), Raid Max(R) or Roach Ender(R) brands, as discussed earlier. Avoid dusting over, or in the immediate vicinty of your bait stations, as this may reduce the attractancy of the bait. Used correctly, this dual approach will produce results comparable to a professional exterminator.

http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef614.asp

[mommyof6]

Hi there, new to forums,
I found a great site about getting rid of roaches. I live in the deep South, and everyone has them here. I had about 30 in my shed one day and was positively disgusted, being from VA originally I was not used to this ... but I found a solution and the answer is bay leaves. I can't believe how well they work. Crush them up, sprinkle them in your yard, and the roaches will go somewhere else. I have not to this day seen another roach since using bay leaves, it took 2 days and they were all gone. All gone! Anyway this site here has a lot of interesting ways to deal with them, and it does list bay leaves. (I got the bay leaf idea from another lady in a NY apt. who swore she had them everywhere, put down bay leaves and hasn't seen one in 20 years) http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/nr/2000/SP0007.pdf

Good luck!