Aquarium/herp safe roach extermination?

[Mount_Prion]

Hey all,

Know I haven't been posting on here, but I've not been in an office job that keeps me on the internet all day, and my fishkeeping life has been pretty stable. Actually hopefully attending vet school next fall but that's another story.

Anyway, I've recently had a roach problem in my apartment. Think I must have a hoarder neighbor or something as I've never had it before and they're clearly coming out of the kitchen/bathroom drain.

I definitely need an exterminator, but I'm concerned because I've got two tanks with open sumps, a few reptile cages, and two cats. I'm worried a poisoned roach could wander somewhere where something else could eat it and sicken.

Are there fish/herp-safe insect control solutions? I tried diatomaceous earth (leftover from a bedbug scare that thankfully never materialized) but it did nothing to the roaches.

Thanks!

P.S. Rebuilding my huge swamp tank with my awesome turtle soon. Will post about that as it progresses, promise!

 

[Mount_Prion]

Anybody know anything about this? Guess it's not so frequently asked after all.

 

[celebrist]

Can you possibly relocate your animals temporarily? If not then I would consider investing heavily in traps
Open sump just seems like a disaster waiting to happen if you bomb the place

 

[Deadliestviper7]

Add a few free ranging house geckos,they should have several areas to get water,apartment tempature should be in the 70s or higher.

 

[Icthisapian]

From a pest management professional to a citizen:

I think free range geckos would be awesome. A slightly more feasible answer would be to use a gel or granular bait in a crack/crevice control method. Don't quote my spelling but Dinoterefulon, a neo-nicitinoide, is highly effective against these insects but does not work on higher level organisms like cats and people. The gel is typically unscented but has an attractant (sugar i think) mixed with it. I recently used it at my own home where i have several tanks and two puppies. Apply as directed. They are probably not living in the drain, so flushing things down it wont help. They are likely living in the floor where moisture has caused some rot to form and they are eating that fungus and wood. You could also use bait traps as a monitoring method, but these will not cure your problem even in high numbers. Do you know which variety of cockroach you are dealing with? Also, depending on where you are, these could be native pests that are seeking a warm spot for the winter.

Worst case scenario, contact a professional and explain your situation they will have a solution for you ...though your going to pay for it.

 

[skjl47]

hello; If the infestation truly is spillover from a neighbors apartment this may not help much but it seems to work in a house.
I get a roach powder whose main ingredient is boric acid powder. I find cracks and hidden areas where the powder can be placed. Main places are around the drains in bathroom and kitchen sinks. Places where people, food or pets do not normally get to.
If you cannot find the roach powder it is my understanding that the laundry product with "borax" powder is much the same. 20 mule train comes to mind.
I think the powder gets on the insects body as they crawl around in it and later kills them. I used this in a rental house some decades ago and it seemed to work. I also did not want to spray pesticides inside.

 

[Icthisapian]

Boric acid (Borax) is a desiccant. When the roaches come in contact with the powder it irritates the pores and fine hairs on their exoskeletons. It may possibly kill them if they eat enough or get enough on them, but its more an irritant/deterrent.

You can mix it with Sugar into a thick paste and place on cardboard to put in corners and other areas you've seen the roaches. They may eat it and kill them. You'll have to try.

 

[Deadliestviper7]

Cockroaches hate the smell of cucumbers