Dealing with bugs

[the lynx]

Having said that, keeping lizards and spiders help! Natural form of control!
Oops...

@zzm: Etofenprox is one of the mildest pyrethroids around (and also compared to most of the common insecticides active ingredient) but still ahead of insect growth regulators in terms of toxicity. Still kills but too slowly, which is why usually it is a favourite for direct application on pets, especially cats for flea control.

This will help instead for more info on etofenprox. From WHO on etofenprox. Pay attention to part two page 22 if the hazard level is what you are looking for.

[x9200]

@zzm: Etofenprox is one of the mildest pyrethroids around ...

<teasing_mode>
What is the significant of informing zzm that Etofenprox is a pyrethroid if you assumed he is not knowledgeable enough to find related info info using googles?
</teasing_mode>

[nakatago]

showing off.

[ecureilx]

showing off.

Jealous ??

Too bad I didn't do well in Chemistry

[nakatago]

[the lynx]

@zzm: Etofenprox is one of the mildest pyrethroids around ...

<teasing_mode>
What is the significant of informing zzm that Etofenprox is a pyrethroid if you assumed he is not knowledgeable enough to find related info info using googles?
</teasing_mode>

Well earlier on, he pointed that the Wikipedia on etofenprox was so scarce so I showed him the WHO one instead. And since we are on the subject of safe usage of pesticides anyway...

And yes, THAT WAS ULTIMATELY ME TRYING TO SHOW OFF! Muahahaha

[zzm9980]

Wife and kid is out of town, so thought this would be a good time to execute my bug eradication plan.

Bought the Baygon, quite good stuff. When I moved in, I noticed inside my cabinets had a faint smell I couldn't place. I now realize it was Baygon. So the pests have been an issue for a while...

After tearing everything out of all of my cabinets, I realized I won't be able to properly solve the issue. My kitchen cabinets are an "L" shape, with the lower part of the L an island, but the island had a half-height tiled wall that comes out for the cabinets to mount to. On the other side of that half-height wall is the washing machine and trash chute, then back windows. Anyway, there are two raised tile islands, about 3-4cm each for the cabinets to sit on. There is a 3-4cm gap between the two islands where the L meets. The cabinets go right over it, but this is a place bugs live. And I cannot fill it. Also, the back of the insides of the cabinets is old particle board, like from crappy Giant furniture. this is all rotted and warped, no longer joined in most places, revealing another 3-4cm gap behind all of the cabinets. So basically, filling this will be impossible. The kitchen needs to be gutted and cabinets replaced.

I did use almost a whole can of Baygon coating the inside of the cabinets and spraying quite a bit extra into these holes and gaps. I did all of this last night and still feel light headed... Probably should have bought a mask for the spraying. This morning I woke up, looked inside the cabinets and they were COVERED with dead roaches Maybe a dozen or so big ones, but dozens, maybe a hundred little ones under 1cm each. Quite gross, but wiped it all down pretty good. Since I felt light headed again, I put three fans in there and hope to air it out pretty good today.

I plan to put some of the traps down too, but is it safe to say I'm probably screwed here? I don't think anything short of gutting the kitchen will eliminate the problem. I just need to deal until the lease expires... I don't have a "roach clause" unfortunately either

[the lynx]

Yeah usually the lease clause only covers for termite.

I tried understanding your description of the layout but I lost you somewhere around the tile-island part

1. I think you are screwed, judging from the 'dozens' description.

2. Did you remove the dead ones? Better do - as promptly as you see them. And since you said you have gaps (I guess, all along the edges), my favourite is to use vacuum cleaner. Suck them all in, big and small, dead and alive and also egg sacs (and oh, make sure your vacuum nozzle is large enough to suck in the 'large' ones).

3. Putting bait traps is good. But can you fit them inside the gaps? That will take care of survivors.

4. If you don't plan to gut, I suggest you seal up the gaps. You may not be able to fill up the gaps but at least sealing of the openings will prevent any roach from going in and re-populate the gaps after you clear the current one.

[zzm9980]

Ok so, pardon the bad art (and not quite to scale), but the kitchen looks something like this:



The dotted black lines are the demarc for the cabinets. That dotted orange line is where there is a gap between the islands the cabinets sit on. The areas I marked in red are where the inside backs of the cabinets are warped and falling apart. The "G" is the garbage chute.

I can't reasonably get inside to clean up all of the other roaches inside I can't reach. I suppose I could buy a shop vac and maybe reach a lot of it... I can't even begin to think about how much a shop vac would cost here though

Also, I'm renting. No way would I pay to gut the kitchen and have it rebuilt

[the lynx]

Wow. Picture does say a thousand words. Yup, the layout makes it tricky for you to reach in without tearing up the whole fixture.

Another thing to note at when you shop for vac. If anyone in your household has asthma, you should consider getting one fixed with HEPA filter (though it will cost you a lot). Cockroach protein is a known allergen and asthma trigger. Otherwise, you are ok without HEPA.

And I would recommend getting the one with disposable bag so that it will be easier for you to throw away. If cost is a factor, get the wet type of vac, fill the base with water (follow the instructions) so that you can drown the live ones (if they survive the suction effect enroute) and then flush it down the toilet

[zzm9980]

What is my best option for a shop-vac? Would a place like giant have them? I think I've seen them in the window of that "Fix It" shop @ PP, but everything there is so overpriced...

[sundaymorningstaple]

Kärcher. Their home HP washers are pretty good. I was in Courts or Best Denki the other day and they had a display of Kärcher Vacuums. Normal or wet/dry types including the canister type of shop vac as well. Not sure of the price but they didn't seem all that expensive.

http://www.karcher.sg/sg/Products/Home_ ... 293000.htm

[x9200]

Bayogon is extremely effective, but I am a bit about lasting power. They say "up to 4 weeks" but in this climate I would give it less than one week, Just spray over a clean plate of glass and see how much residue it leaves after 2-3h.

[tealeaf33]

Ugh, I know what you mean. Roaches are the devil. Try COMBAT though, it's worked brilliantly in my experience for 3 bad infestations so far (separate houses by recommendation!). They're bait traps that ensure the offenders bring it back to their nests and poison everyone so you don't actually end up finding any carcasses.

It's fantastic stuff, no smell, no residue, lasts about 3-6 months, pretty inexpensive, and there are ones for ants too.

[movingtospore]

Ewww!