There was a cockroach in my living room this evening

[Critters2]

First one I've ever seen in any house I've lived in. Eek!! There are these big roaches outside in my yard, on my patio that I see at night--might even be palmetto bugs--and I think this was one of those. I'm hoping it just sneaked in from outdoors. I can't stand the thought that I've got roaches in my house!!

:scared:

[Bjornsdotter]

1. Yes!

...I saw 2 outside last night and I commented to my son that they looked like palmetto bugs. I feel vindicated, although I'm sorry you had to experience them. I was going to bring one into the county and ask them what they are....if I do, I'll let you know.

Cheers

[Critters2]

4. They're HUGE!!

I'd be interested in knowing what the county says, if you do take one. I've just sprinkled diatomaceous earth on my steps, to keep anymore from getting in.

And the rain will wash it away. That was stupid of me. Large bugs make me take leave of my senses.

[China_cat]

11. They also fly.

[LeftyMom]

2. Would you like to borrow my cat?

She's quite convinced that the best food is the creepy, crawly kind. There's nothing like a cat with a still-twitching spider leg hanging out of her mouth trying to give you kisses. :puke:

[Critters2]

6. I've got three. They usually catch such things.

I hope they find any others that might be around.

[LadyAziz]

3. Oh, kill it before it has babies

Roaches are horrible, nasty, and they spread like wildfire :scared:

[Critters2]

5. I've lost my vegan credentials.

I took the one I found outside (thank God for long-handled dust pans). But then I sprinkled diatomaceous earth on my porches. Hey! It's just "earth"! Is it my fault some bugs are killed when they come in contact with it?

I'm thinking of sprinkling some in my carpet. The bag says that's safe to do. But I feel funny about it.

Still, I don't want more roaches!!

[AntiCoup2K08]

9. I'm pretty sure diatomaceous earth is safe.....for humans, if not roaches.

Last I heard, that's what restaurants used in the machines that they filter the oil in their deep fryers with.

[Critters2]

10. The bag says it's safe for mammals.

It also says to use gloves and a mask when spreading it, which I didn't do. Why do I need a mask and gloves for something that's "safe"?

And what do restaurants do with it?

[ChoralScholar]

15. Diatomaceous earth, like boric acid

is not poisonous, per se, but very harmful to anything with an exoskeleton (like roaches) the grains get into their joints, eventually breaking the exoskeleton, and releasing the life-sustaining moisture from their bodies. So, they die of dehydration, essentially.

[FlyingTiger]

7. There is no worse creature in this world than a cockroach.

Scare the bejeezus out of me. Bring on the spiders, snakes, and bats, but leave the cockroaches behind or I'll scream like a little schoolgirl.

[Swede]

8. Was he on tv at his ranch in Texas?

"Yesterday President Bush flew out to his prairie-chapel ranch in Crawford, Texas, to begin his eleven-day vacation. It's not really a ranch. There's no cows or horses. It's more like an estate. But ranch sounds better. You know like when you call Iraq a democracy. It sounds better." --Jay Leno

[soleft]

12. I've been having major cockroach issues all summer

We've never had them in our apartment - in NYC - which is great, but necessary because my girlfriend has major roach phobia.

Then last year they started major construction in our building and everything that was in the basement, including mice, starting heading upstairs.

They can get in through drains, so we've been keeping mesh screen weighed down with softballs in all our sink and tub.

[Critters2]

13. Through drains? That's interesting

When I lived in the country, people warned me that wood roaches would come into houses when it was very wet, because they were forced out of the holes in the ground where they normally live. I never had any, but I knew a lot of people who did. We've been getting MASSIVE rain storms for several days now. Maybe this one was forced out of somewhere--and maybe came up the drain. I hope it's the last.

[Rabbit of Caerbannog]

14. For every one out in the open...

10,000 inside your walls. Or something like that... Or is that bed bugs? Hmmmm

RAID!!