new apartment has roaches...

[Linas]

So i just moved into my new apartment. It is above a restaurant, which i imagine is the reason i have cockroaches. My landlord (which ive had for the past 2 years at another building of his) has been cool and taken care of issues, but ive never dealt with bugs. Is this his responsibility to get the roaches killed? I could tell him i'll call dept. of health, but im not looking to play hardball yet... Is there any effective method other than professional to get rid of them? Do roach motels work?

[lousybassplayer]

landlord's problem. period. I'd tell the resturaunt's owners too. HEalth department threats get things accomplished quick.

[warwick.hoy]

If the restaurant below is filthy and unsanitary, they'll probably never get rid of them. You may be able to move to another building and not break the lease if they stay infested. Unfit living conditions. Either way the landlord should be made aware just to cover your own butt.

[jwbassman]

Originally Posted by lousybassplayer

landlord's problem. period. I'd tell the resturaunt's owners too. HEalth department threats get things accomplished quick.

Amen. The DOH does not mess around.

[Linas]

Its the landlords restaurant, which sucks, because their food is delicious. Ill let the guy know today.

[Joe Gress]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw_zUUE4BE0

You need to watch Joe's Apartment.


EDIT: OMG! The whole thing is on youtube! Perfect!

[DanAleks]

Got to the hardware store and get Boric Acid. Should be about $10 for a pound. Tell the landlord what you're doing & make him pat for it.

Mix 1/2 and 1/2 with sugar (about 1 cup total is needed).
Use a disposable spoon for this.

Put it is bottle caps or on foil under the refrigerator, inside cabinets, anywhere children and pets can't get at it.

The roaches walk in it and eat it.
The boric acid dissolves the roaches and it gets tracked back to the nest where it kills the hatchlings.

[warwick.hoy]

I'd reserve contacting the DOH threats until the landlord becomes non-compliant.

I say CYA because even if you keep the place spotless if any of the other units are squalor the place will continue to be infested.

One thing that I don't miss about living on the East Coast. I don't mind bugs, but I loath cockroaches. The only ones that I've seen here in Spokane are Blaptica Dubia which my wife keeps a self sustaining colony of for feeding our lizards. They are more like pets than vermin. They can't climb or fly so they stay in an enclosure in a storage closet.

[jojobean39]

I was going to second the whole Boric Acid thing. That and 7dust seems to work well too.

[lousybassplayer]

I am not saying go straight to the DOH, dont pass go, I am just saying that the landlord should be responsible for any infestations, pre existing damage, leaky pipes, lightbulbs out, anything. I look at it this way, I am paying the guy, I signed a lease. If he is a landlord, not a slum lord, its his problem unless you caused the issue. The longer you wait to bring it up with him the more time he has to turn it around on you. Nice guy or not, the only difference between a landlord and a slumlord is tennants who keep him honest.

[coreyfyfe]

Definitely the landlord's responsibility. Roach motels don't work. Cats do. We had them in our old apartment for a little while before the management company had the whole building sprayed. When we did have them, my cat made a game of flipping them over and pulling off the legs then leaving them upside down to die.

[standupright]

Originally Posted by warwick.hoy

If the restaurant below is filthy and unsanitary, they'll probably never get rid of them. You may be able to move to another building and not break the lease if they stay infested. Unfit living conditions. Either way the landlord should be made aware just to cover your own butt.

this

[Stumbo]

Originally Posted by jojobean39

I was going to second the whole Boric Acid thing. That and 7dust seems to work well too.

I managed apartments for many years.

When the magic bugs appear, (either before some one moved in or when they were living there) what we did is:

0) Inspected the whole apartment to determine the level of infestation. Most often seen in the kitchen/bathroom/water heater area.

1) set off a couple of roach bombs(after the resident removed personal items and/or double bagged/ sealed the food or other such items. Be sure and wash all surfaces/dishes etc. before using again.

2) Pulled out any cabinet drawers near the floor and spread boric acid as far as we could to the back of the cabinet frame.

3) Cleaned/painted the inside of all kitchen/bath room cabinets/drawers. I mean all surfaces. This seals all the old ground in stains, etc.

4) Had the carpets steam cleaned

5) Pulled out the refrigerator and cleaned the area. Used diluted bleach as the last cleaning agent. Put boric acid behind the refrigerator.

6) Put out several roach motels and check them every other day, changing them out regularly until no more showed up.

7) Patched any holes under the sinks, water heater walls.

8) Returned in about 30 to 40 days to inspect everything. The roach eggs usually escape all of the above. In 30-45 days the babies come out searching for food.

9) Repeated the roach bomb if necessary. If you have to repeat this , you'll have to put put out clean boric acid and new roach motels.

99.9% of the time, no new infestations would resurface.

If you keep having roaches from the restaurant, they are in violation of the health code and should be reported. I wouldn't eat there knowing what you know. All of the above probably would reduce the appearance of roaches in your apartment but won't solve it since they originate in the restaurant.

Collect a few of them for the health inspector. The inspector will act immediately.

Good luck.

[lousybassplayer]

All of stumbo's methods sound very effective. Question is, do you think you should have to go through all that? Besides having a ticked off tennant, this guy has a resturaunt to think if. Health inspectors are gonna come around now and then whether you call the DOH or not. Hell, you might be doing him a favor.

[CamMcIntyre]

Contact your landlord ASAP. Let him know what is going on. Let him do the work.

http://www.renters-rights.com/

I've learned that when you let the land lord know of whatever problems are there ASAP, they take care of things far better than when you wait and say "oh, it's been like this for awhile now."

What neighborhood are you in?

[shadowtippy]

You're lucky. When I moved in, I had to bring my own roaches. Actually, the boric acid or Sevindust should work, but be careful if children or pets are present. Hopefully, the landlord will take cae of the problem for you.

[Marley's Ghost]

My first apartment had a roach problem. The exterminator would just move them around from apartment to apartment. Got two kittens. Within a month, no more roach problem. Cats>bugs

[GregC]

Damn, I came from Florida to Chicago almost 6 years ago and haven't seen a roach here yet. Boric acid's a good move, but make sure you get the landlord involved right away so he knows what you're putting up with.

[Thunderitter]

Originally Posted by Linas

Its the landlords restaurant, which sucks, because their food is delicious. Ill let the guy know today.

[Auzzie-Phoenix]

I am a firm supporter of ortho bug products when it comes to roaches. Had an apt. complex where I lived that got infested... I hate roaches.

I basically create barriers by spraying all doorways, floor edges, corners, etc... with a long lasting spray, open all cabinets, etc... bomb the everliving hell out of the apt., and keep cans of instant kill spray around. Re-do the barrier spraying once a month. Make sure you seal up wall cracks with expansion foam or silicon caulk prior to bombing the apartment. Keep the apartment spotless (sweep constantly, use a carpet cleaner, wipe countertops, etc...).

This way at least you won't have as many roaches to deal with until the entire building is roach free.