How to get rid of palmettos [Palmetto bugs]

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parigi723
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How to get rid of palmettos [Palmetto bugs]

Post by parigi723 »

Does anyone of you live in Fl?.I live in central florida and every night I have unwelcome visitors,huge cucarachas,I understad they call them palmettos
here.Before I call the exterminator I'd like to know if they can be ZAPPED into oblivion with something over the counter or if the commercial exterminator will be a good option.........Many thanks,parigi.
renue74
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Re: How to get rid of..........

Post by renue74 »

We have them too in SC.

In fact, last week, I had seen 2 of them at one of our Airbnb properties.

I use Invict roach gel and after about a week, I don't see them.

I bought this: https://store.doyourownpestcontrol.com/ ... it-gel-kit

The Tekko Pro in the kit will their reproductive abilities.

So you put out the roach gel on wax paper around the house. That kills the adults.

Then you spray the Tekko Pro around the house and that eliminates them from reproducing.

It works.
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rmelvey
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Re: How to get rid of..........

Post by rmelvey »

I live in NYC so know a bit about this :wink:

Put a light dusting of boric acid (sounds scary, it's just a white powder) in all of the nooks and crannies where they like to hide. It will keep killing them for years. I used to have a big problem with them in my apartment but now I go months without seeing one.
brandy
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Re: How to get rid of palmettos

Post by brandy »

^ +1
Though the boric acid powder (relatively inexpensive at home depot) works very well by itself, I use a mix of it and a small bit of sugar or cocoa and maybe, food grade diatomaceous earth, which kills a different way. I put it on a piece of paper, or plastic lid, under fridge, back of cabinets where kids and pets can't get to it.
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macaroon
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Re: How to get rid of palmettos

Post by macaroon »

Here in south Florida we have huge palmetto bugs, too. I use Maxforce gel bait and it has worked better than anything else I've tried. https://store.doyourownpestcontrol.com/ ... roach-bait
I 'm terrified of these giant roaches and I've lived down here for 67 years!! :annoyed
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mlebuf
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Re: How to get rid of palmettos

Post by mlebuf »

We had loads of them when I lived in/near New Orleans. The joke was that they were the state bird. The best way I found to keep them at bay was to put several aerosol insecticide bombs in the attic once a year. Moving to AZ was the best remedy. We have subterranean termites and a few other bugs but nothing compared to warm, humid climates. When I lived in LA, the cats were forever plagued with fleas. Moved them out here, the fleas all disappeared in less than 2 weeks and haven't been heard from since. :sharebeer
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Gill
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Re: How to get rid of palmettos

Post by Gill »

We call them palmetto bugs, not palmettos. Palmettos is the plant where they often live, thus the name.
Gill
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Housedoc
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Re: How to get rid of palmettos

Post by Housedoc »

Spray Ortho home defense inside and outside of house. Kills them and last months.
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OAG
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Re: How to get rid of palmettos

Post by OAG »

My experience with Palmettos is well over 30 years ago but the only thing I found to get rid of them was a shovel, pick-axe, regular axe, and machitti. Of course a lot of back breaking labor was essential. I did find each removal was permanent, complete and neat. :happy :happy

Edit: I thought we were talking about the Plants not the Bugs. :oops:
OAG=Old Army Guy. Retired CW4 USA (US Army) in 1979 21 years of service @ 38.
jpelder
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Re: How to get rid of palmettos

Post by jpelder »

I've had luck with a combination approach. This allows the ones that don't fall for one kind of bait to still be killed

1. Boric acid baits work well (I'm partial to Harris's Roach Tablets, since they're cheap). You can also make home-made boric acid bait (See http://tipnut.com/how-to-get-rid-of-coc ... ll-recipe/). Boric acid has the advantage of killing them physically, rather than chemically, so the population can't evolve immunity like they can to chemical insecticides.

2. I've also used the commercial wet baits (can't remember the brand).

3. Barrier sprays around the outside of the building.

4. Most importantly, make sure that they don't have a food source. Scrupulously wipe all accumulated grease and crumbs off the stove and out from under all the appliances. Make sure that there are no leaks that can be a source of water.

The thing that's worked best for me, though, has been having a cat. He smashes any crawly critter that shows its face. He is also cuddly and entertaining, so that's a vote for the cat route :D
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JPH
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Re: How to get rid of palmettos

Post by JPH »

We had a lot of those when I lived in Galveston. I knew a redneck girl who stomped them with her bare feet.
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Topic Author
parigi723
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Re: How to get rid of palmettos [Palmetto bugs]

Post by parigi723 »

Hello:
Thank you for your kind replies,always so helpful,kindly overlook my small or big mistakes on my request,I'm still trying to "master" the
English language..........Your patience is much appreciated! parigi.
ralph124cf
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Re: How to get rid of palmettos

Post by ralph124cf »

jpelder wrote: Tue Nov 13, 2018 3:01 pm I've had luck with a combination approach. This allows the ones that don't fall for one kind of bait to still be killed

1. Boric acid baits work well (I'm partial to Harris's Roach Tablets, since they're cheap). You can also make home-made boric acid bait (See http://tipnut.com/how-to-get-rid-of-coc ... ll-recipe/). Boric acid has the advantage of killing them physically, rather than chemically, so the population can't evolve immunity like they can to chemical insecticides.

2. I've also used the commercial wet baits (can't remember the brand).

3. Barrier sprays around the outside of the building.

4. Most importantly, make sure that they don't have a food source. Scrupulously wipe all accumulated grease and crumbs off the stove and out from under all the appliances. Make sure that there are no leaks that can be a source of water.

The thing that's worked best for me, though, has been having a cat. He smashes any crawly critter that shows its face. He is also cuddly and entertaining, so that's a vote for the cat route :D
Unfortunately, note that roaches can digest paper, glue, and human hair.

Ralph
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Bengineer
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Re: How to get rid of..........

Post by Bengineer »

rmelvey wrote: Mon Nov 12, 2018 1:38 pm ...
Put a light dusting of boric acid (sounds scary, it's just a white powder) in all of the nooks and crannies where they like to hide. It will keep killing them for years. I used to have a big problem with them in my apartment but now I go months without seeing one.
This works for me too. Dust the cracks and dark places in the bath and kitchen where water & food are. It is poisonous, but not very. I haven't seen very many alive or dead since, though I suspect my dog eats the dead ones...

Plus, it's a good neutron absorber! :mrgreen:
sedonashine
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Re: How to get rid of palmettos [Palmetto bugs]

Post by sedonashine »

If you don't do it right...they fly at you! Bengal Roach Spray!~
wfrobinette
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Re: How to get rid of palmettos

Post by wfrobinette »

brandy wrote: Mon Nov 12, 2018 2:52 pm ^ +1
Though the boric acid powder (relatively inexpensive at home depot) works very well by itself, I use a mix of it and a small bit of sugar or cocoa and maybe, food grade diatomaceous earth, which kills a different way. I put it on a piece of paper, or plastic lid, under fridge, back of cabinets where kids and pets can't get to it.
+2 - Cheap and safe.

It's the main ingredient in Borax and is quite often used in swimming pools to raise ph. Some also add straight boric acid to help combat ph swings.
csm
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Re: How to get rid of palmettos [Palmetto bugs]

Post by csm »

I know this is an old thread but hoping someone can help.

For the past ca. four months, I have had a cockroach turn up in the bathtub in the master bathroom about once every 3-4 weeks. Because the tub is slick, it can't crawl its way out, so we flush it down the drain.

Initially, my husband suggested it came in through the drain, so after seeing the first one, I have kept the drain closed at all times except to shower. I've also kept the sink drains closed in that bathroom. Just as I start feeling safe and secure after not seeing one for 3-4 weeks, I'll head to the bathroom in the morning and there is one single roach in the tub again (despite closed drain). They've been different sizes, so I know it's not the same one.

I've read all the threads and googled about how to get rid of roaches, but I don't think the methods really apply because I cannot identify where it's coming in and I don't see multiple roaches, nor see one frequently. I don't want to set traps that will attract more than the single roach every month! And I don't think there are places to sprinkle borax or poison around, again based on the single location where I see the rare roach since I've only seen it in the tub and not on the floor nor near cupboards, corners, etc. I did clean the tub with borax last time but I'm doubtful this really has an affect since it gets rinsed thoroughly.

Some details about the residence: We are in Central Florida and this is a two-story condo on the second and third stories of a building, i.e. we do not have ground floor entrance. The ground floor is a CPA office (not a restaurant or place with food), and there are three condos (ours and two others) above the CPA office. That is the entirety of the building. Our first floor (the building's second floor) has our kitchen which we keep meticulously clean and all pantry food in ziploc bags. Our second floor (the building's third floor) is where the master bedroom / bathroom are and where this lone roach is appearing in the tub every month. There is no food on that floor and we keep it dusted and vacuumed. We don't have any pets.

We've owned here for 16 years and this is the first time we are having this problem. I think the roach this morning was #4 (or #5), spaced about 3-4 weeks apart. Always in the tub, nowhere else. Although I keep the drain closed now at all times, there is an opening for the overflow, so I'm not sure if that is where it is coming in, or if it is coming into the ceiling vent and falling into the tub, then unable to get out. But none have appeared in the other bathroom on the same floor, nor anywhere else in the condo.

Does anyone have any suggestions for where/how it's coming in or how to eliminate this problem?
livesoft
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Re: How to get rid of palmettos [Palmetto bugs]

Post by livesoft »

The roach can come from anywhere. It just gets stuck in the tub. And it could come up the drain though if you keep it plugged, that's unlikely. But you must have sinks with drains and these critters come up through them. Also its friends and family are just unseen by you over that past 16 years. They have been in your home, but you just didn't notice them.

Roaches are a fact of life. I'm not going to read this thread again, but you can sprinkle powder inside your cabinets and just put out roach bait in the little plastic pieces. About $6 - $10 at Big Box stores. The bait decomposes / goes bad in about 6 months, so you just have to buy new roach bait and throw out the older/expired ones. I write the Month/Year with a sharpie on my baits. If I see a roach, I squish it, but we do not see many nowadays. They eat the bait and die inside the walls somewhere.

BTW, flushing down the drain just sends it back to its brothers and sisters and doesn't kill it. If I walk past a sewer manhole cover at night, there are almost always 4 dozen cockroaches basking in the moonlight.
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Bogle7
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Re: How to get rid of palmettos [Palmetto bugs]

Post by Bogle7 »

Move north.
Maybe by hundreds of miles.
The roaches in Toronto are small.
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