Oh... I'm thinking what we call Chinese cockroaches up here. I've had to deal with those buggers too. They're freaky. Gotta deal with them like you would any roaches but they're easier to get rid of than the normal "German" roaches or whatever they're called.

German roaches are small compared to "waterbugs"  but they are resilient and extremely hard to get rid of once they've "infested" a home.

Well the ones I dealt with were probably coming from outside the building(s) so maybe that's why they were easier to deal with. I don't think they like it up here in the cold so much.

I have been an exterminator all my life. My dad had a pest control business and I have since 1989... so. If you have any questions or need any help I can tell you where to look, what to get, and how to use it. Do not spend ANY money without talking to me first.
If you have German roaches you cannot get rid of them with spray. Fogging will drive them deeper into the walls. Fogging and spraying will look impressive BUT... and this is a large aft... the German roach breeds so fast that you can kill 90% of them and have more than you started with in 30 days.
Some rules.
~NEVER bring used furniture or appliances into your home without first inspecting and treating them.
Actually that is the only real rule except to NEVER try to control German roaches by spraying them. You can get bait or I can get bait for you at about half price and I do not mind doing it.

If you have them in a computer, microwave, coffeemaker, or other small appliance like an office phone (they like the heat and ants will also nest in and under small appliances). Take the microwave or whatever it might be, put it in a black garbage bag and set it in the sun. Obviously this wont work is it is 20 degrees outside but if it is reasonably warm the black bag closed up will generate enough heat to kill everything without harming the electronics.

Now... to see if you still have any roaches. Pull out the kitchen drawers in the area where the most sign is. Set the drawer on the counter, lay on the floor, stick your head in the cabinet and look back up near the front of the cabinet with a flashlight. They tend to go up and toward the front. You can also put a light puff of any flying insect killer behind or under the fridge... very little and be aware it is deadly to birds and reptiles and fish are very sensitive to pesticides.

Don't buy the bait without talking to me. You can also use a gluetrap to monitor for roaches. If you don't have one make a ball of clear tape or a piece of duct tape with a little tad of peanut butter on it. Just put it in the area over night.

Roaches are VERY sensitive to changes in air pressure and will run for the cracks as soon as you start moving around. If you see a few you likely have a lot more UNLESS they are the big roaches (Smokey Brown or American roaches) like you see in Florida etc. German roaches are caramel colored and they do not fly, their wings are shorter than their body. The Wood roach looks almost identical but it flies and the wings are onger than the body. The Oriental roach is more associated with sewers and water meters.

I hope this helps and REALLY... don't call an exterminator. I can get you through this WAY cheaper and you can do it. If you find roaches and you can.. take a picture or two.

Let me know. I promise, I don't mind helping and will help. It is one thing I am really good at.

J

Roaches are not waterbugs... everyone's waterbug is different. You probably have either German, Smokey Brown, American, or Oriental. SB and Am are the big boys. Oriental are medium. Germans are small. Also all baits are not the same. You don't need "bait stations".. forget that. You need bait gel. Just let me know and I will get you a price on what you need. It will be at least 50% cheaper than any "do it yourself" store. I buy straight from the distributer and will make nothing off of you. I may even have some baits that are getting older. If I do, I'll just give them to you with full instructions. All it takes is the right material, common sense, and time. If it is germans... you have to take your time and sometimes hit every crown moulding, every door and window frame, behind every clck and picture, pull every drawer, bait the inside of every cabinet hinge... and so on but first determine exactly what you have. Germans are not native here and do not live outside, they are carried from place to place. If you have SBs or AMs you have to spray. I prefer Suspend Polyzone and you need to either dust of fog (or spray the attic) winter will take care of the outside.... but from your OP... you have an indoor infestation or there was one at some point.

Identification is important. After that I can tell you what to do... forget waterbugs... they don't exist (at least in the roach world) waterbugs actually live in water. Waterbugs are like the generic roach... sort of like in the south when someone is going to the store and asks if anyone wants anything, "yeah, get me a coke". "What kind of coke"? "Oh.. a Dr.Pepper". All soft drinks are cokes in some parts of GA. Same with waterbugs... it means nothing.

J

https://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&biw=1366&bih=697&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=german+roaches&oq=german+roach&gs_l=img.1.0.0l2j0i24l8.3299.6482.0.8031.12.10.0.2.2.0.61.497.10.10.0...0.0...1c.1.GAy2sYqZEvk

Then put in Smokey Brown roach; American Roach; Oriental roach; pennsylvania wood roach; roach; any other... but those are the main ones that are considered to be pests..d the wood roach will come in but die... they are the only one attracted to light... the rest don't like light.

J

When I was a kid we had a monkey. His name was Sam...Sam the monkey...he used to poop everywhere, He used to escape and climb up the telephone poles and play on the wires. Yes it was fun for awhile, but it became a lot of work to take care of him, so my parents gave him away and told us he ate a bee and died.

Heh. Thanks, jbow. I wasn't actually an official exterminator but had to bend my job description a few times to fit the bill. Most of what you've suggested is what I try to do so it's good to know a bad azz pro thinks along the same lines.

This wasn't bad and I don't think it's an active infestation. There was only one low cupboard that had any real evidence of what was probably a past infestation. There was one adult corpse and one adult husk and two corners in that cabinet with a small amount of leavings. The super said they had had a very small problem a few years ago but they got some pros in and haven't had any complaints since. The people who occupied this unit before me were SLOBS (I saw the place before they "fixed it up" and it was disgusting) so I'm assuming they just never cleaned up the aftermath.

In a way this is kind of good because now I've got some leverage in getting some stuff replaced around here. I'm also going to seal everything up nice and tight and am currently in the process of disinfecting everything. If I do end up seeing anything (and yes I'll get some monitors... in fact I have some somewhere in all my crap) I will definitely be hitting you up for some advice.

NUKE... THEM... FROM... ORBIT!

It's the only way to be sure.

;-)

Ate a bee and died...  

probaby playing with his bananna at the zoo! I bet a monkey couldreally be a handfull!!
 
J

Yep he was a handfull alright, he'd escape out of his cage and we'd have to chase him around for hours till we'd catch him. hehehehehe....no more monkeys for me !!