Getting Rid Of Cockroaches?

[cloudhopper]

There are two ways to completely rid yourself of roaches.

FAST WAY - Professional Exterminator. - current infestation can/will be killed but they will come again if there is something to eat.

SLOW WAY - Clean up. Go find that hidden food scraps, pet droppings, pile of dandruff.... Don't give the roaches a reason to come into you home. This DOES NOT mean you are dirty, they come to everyone's houses, but it means something, somewhere was missed.

You left out PERMANENT WAY.... Boric Acid. Kills the ones that are already there, and kills any that come later. Cost to treat the average home; about $3. Time to treat the average home; about 15 minutes. Well, OK... not permanent... You might have to repeat squirting the powder around again in a couple of years if everything gets washed away somehow.

Great posts FG. I have looked for it both in CM and Phuket without success but haven't tried the big chemical companies yet. Really don't know why it's so hard to find in LOS. Would like to see if a poster has purchased boric acid in CM.

[FolkGuitar]

There are two ways to completely rid yourself of roaches.

FAST WAY - Professional Exterminator. - current infestation can/will be killed but they will come again if there is something to eat.

SLOW WAY - Clean up. Go find that hidden food scraps, pet droppings, pile of dandruff.... Don't give the roaches a reason to come into you home. This DOES NOT mean you are dirty, they come to everyone's houses, but it means something, somewhere was missed.

You left out PERMANENT WAY.... Boric Acid. Kills the ones that are already there, and kills any that come later. Cost to treat the average home; about $3. Time to treat the average home; about 15 minutes. Well, OK... not permanent... You might have to repeat squirting the powder around again in a couple of years if everything gets washed away somehow.

Great posts FG. I have looked for it both in CM and Phuket without success but haven't tried the big chemical companies yet. Really don't know why it's so hard to find in LOS. Would like to see if a poster has purchased boric acid in CM.

I bought mine at one of the chemical supply stores next to the big pet food shop on Suthep Road between Neimenhamin and the hospital (opposite side from the hospital,) IN Chiang Mai, but that was three years ago. There are/were two chemical supply shops along that stretch of road, within a few blocks of each other. The biggest problem was that they wanted to sell it by the kilo and I only wanted about 200g. I bought the kilo bottle (because it was so cheap,) used what amounted to half a ketchup squirter bottle to spray about the house, and after about two years threw away the rest of the bottle, keeping only the remains in the plastic squirter... Didn't need more. Eventually I even threw that away...

Edited August 9, 2012 by FolkGuitar

[FolkGuitar]

I just did a quick 'Google' search using as criteria 'buy boric acid online' and got 392,000 hits, including Amazon.com., Wal-Mart, etc., The listed it in on-line suppliers in the US, Australia, UK, Germany, etc., in prices that ran from ridiculously high (health food companies) to very low (chemical supply houses.) Usage, where specified, seemed to vary from antiseptic to insecticide.

[Wavefloater]

Tried buying some boric acid in the village yesterday but no luck. Was told to try the bigger chemists in Pattaya like Fashico. The hunt continues. Perhaps there's some truth to information saying sales of it are restricted in Thailand due to misuse by unscrupulous meat vendors.

[Stubby]

I didn't mean it as a jab, well not completely.... I believe in actually taking care of problems rather than covering up with the closest band-aid. Setting traps, leaving poisons, and attacking with sprays will never get rid of the infestations. As you said, there are many many more that you will never see and yes, they are survivors.

There are two ways to completely rid yourself of roaches.

FAST WAY - Professional Exterminator. - current infestation can/will be killed but they will come again if there is something to eat.

SLOW WAY - Clean up. Go find that hidden food scraps, pet droppings, pile of dandruff.... Don't give the roaches a reason to come into you home. This DOES NOT mean you are dirty, they come to everyone's houses, but it means something, somewhere was missed.

I know this is not going to sound good but,... maybe a good cleaning so they aren't attracted to your place?

Thanks Steve, now why didn't i think of that

Hi Steve

I think your posts are assuming I, and perhaps most others, are living in houses? I'm not, nor are thousands of others. I'm on the 7th floor of an 12 floor condo (which includes a basement), Cockroaches can and do get in from anywhere and everywhere, and providing there are dark spaces (which of course there will be), it doesn’t take long for them to set up home.

They come up through drains in the bathroom, under cracks in the doors, in fact if it ain't airtight, they will get in somehow and set up home during the darkness of night. And regarding keeping a clean home, did you know that cockroaches will eat just about anything they can chew on? This includes soap, toothpaste, whatever is residing deep in the pile of any carpets or rugs, if you have them, and so the list goes on.

So you see, it's not just about cleaning the crumbs that might fall under the fridge after making a sandwich, or a few left over scraps on an unwashed plate etc., it's a much bigger picture than that.

Getting rid of cockroaches embedded in the complicated network of tunnels, cracks, and crevices found in a condo building is neigh on impossible, but destroying nests in one's home with poisons and traps, will not only drastically reduce the numbers 'living-in' but will also prevent the setting up of future colonies of cockroaches by those little critters that stop by after dark looking for a new place to nest.

Stubby

Edited August 9, 2012 by Stubby

[CMSteve]

Thanks for the compliment, the simple ones are easily amused.....

Sounds like a whole lot of excuses there. I'll put it very simply. I have NO roaches and do not use traps, poisons, borax. And yes, I to have cracks under the door, drains in the bathroom, soap, toothpaste, etc.

The one valid point you made is that you live in an infested building and that is not going to be easy to deal with. You will never stop the infestation, and sugar coated poison is still going to ATTRACT the roaches from other places. Yes, they may eventually eat enough to die, but until then, the party is at you place.

Realistically, you need to move to a place without the infestation. The only other option would be to get the building to hire a team of exterminators, but we all know that that is not going to happen.

I look forward to your next slew of excuses....

BTW, I'm just egging you on. Don't care about if your place is clean, has roaches, etc.... Please don't take this to heart. just having fun

I didn't mean it as a jab, well not completely.... I believe in actually taking care of problems rather than covering up with the closest band-aid. Setting traps, leaving poisons, and attacking with sprays will never get rid of the infestations. As you said, there are many many more that you will never see and yes, they are survivors.

There are two ways to completely rid yourself of roaches.

FAST WAY - Professional Exterminator. - current infestation can/will be killed but they will come again if there is something to eat.

SLOW WAY - Clean up. Go find that hidden food scraps, pet droppings, pile of dandruff.... Don't give the roaches a reason to come into you home. This DOES NOT mean you are dirty, they come to everyone's houses, but it means something, somewhere was missed.

I know this is not going to sound good but,... maybe a good cleaning so they aren't attracted to your place?

Thanks Steve, now why didn't i think of that

Hi Steve

I think your posts are assuming I, and perhaps most others, are living in houses? I'm not, nor are thousands of others. I'm on the 7th floor of an 12 floor condo (which includes a basement), Cockroaches can and do get in from anywhere and everywhere, and providing there are dark spaces (which of course there will be), it doesn’t take long for them to set up home.

They come up through drains in the bathroom, under cracks in the doors, in fact if it ain't airtight, they will get in somehow and set up home during the darkness of night. And regarding keeping a clean home, did you know that cockroaches will eat just about anything they can chew on? This includes soap, toothpaste, whatever is residing deep in the pile of any carpets or rugs, if you have them, and so the list goes on.

So you see, it's not just about cleaning the crumbs that might fall under the fridge after making a sandwich, or a few left over scraps on an unwashed plate etc., it's a much bigger picture than that.

Getting rid of cockroaches embedded in the complicated network of tunnels, cracks, and crevices found in a condo building is neigh on impossible, but destroying nests in one's home with poisons and traps, will not only drastically reduce the numbers' living-in' but will also prevent the setting up of future nests by those that stop by looking for a new nesting place.

Stubby

Edited August 9, 2012 by CMSteve

[biggunguy]

they are afraid of cats, and would avoid places, where they smell cat food... i have read somewhere... not sure, if true...

its true, that they come through the drains in kitchens and bathrooms... i always wondered, why particularly in asia, the space under the door is always so big... even mice walk through there...

i wouldnt be surprised, if their pipe system is extremely cockroach friendly designed...

Edited August 9, 2012 by biggunguy

[FolkGuitar]

Tried buying some boric acid in the village yesterday but no luck. Was told to try the bigger chemists in Pattaya like Fashico. The hunt continues. Perhaps there's some truth to information saying sales of it are restricted in Thailand due to misuse by unscrupulous meat vendors.

From what I've found during the course of this thread, 'Borax' (not Boric Acid) has been used to maintain the 'fresh color' of meats is some areas. Could well have been mis-used by unscrupulous vendors... But then, MSG has been used to bring up the flavors of less-than-fresh meats and veggies for years and is still sold in every supermarket. But... even if you can't find it locally, there are a thousand on-line vendors more than willing to send you some. Don't despair... the cockroaches do not have to claim victory!

[eyecatcher]

There are two ways to completely rid yourself of roaches.

FAST WAY - Professional Exterminator. - current infestation can/will be killed but they will come again if there is something to eat.

SLOW WAY - Clean up. Go find that hidden food scraps, pet droppings, pile of dandruff.... Don't give the roaches a reason to come into you home. This DOES NOT mean you are dirty, they come to everyone's houses, but it means something, somewhere was missed.

You left out PERMANENT WAY.... Boric Acid. Kills the ones that are already there, and kills any that come later. Cost to treat the average home; about $3. Time to treat the average home; about 15 minutes. Well, OK... not permanent... You might have to repeat squirting the powder around again in a couple of years if everything gets washed away somehow.

Maybe its me..Mr Rentokil, but every time you mentioned Boric acid you followed up by calling it a powder.

acid is a solution and powder is a solid (to me in any case)

so does this "acid" come in a bottle or wrapped in paper/ bag "a la" Lucy in the sky etc if you get my drift

[FolkGuitar]

Maybe its me..Mr Rentokil, but every time you mentioned Boric acid you followed up by calling it a powder.

acid is a solution and powder is a solid (to me in any case)

Ever take Vitamin C tablets for your cold? Vitamin C is chemically known as Ascorbic acid.

so does this "acid" come in a bottle or wrapped in paper/ bag "a la" Lucy in the sky etc if you get my drift

Good question! Actually, Boric Acid sometimes written B(OH)₃), and exists in the form of colorless crystals or a white powder that dissolves in water. It's sold in plastic bags, plastic bottles, and cardboard boxes. Personally, I've never seen it sold as a liquid, but it probably is packaged that way too.

From Wikipedia...

"The free acid is found native in certain volcanic districts such as Tuscany, the Lipari Islands and Nevada, issuing, mixed with steam, from fissures in the ground; it is also found as a constituent of many minerals – borax, boracite, boronatrocaicite and colemanite. The presence of boric acid and its salts has been noted in seawater. It also exists in plants and especially in almost all fruits.^[1]

Boric acid was first prepared by Wilhelm Homberg (1652–1715) from borax, by the action of mineral acids, and was given the name sal sedativum Hombergi ("sedative salt of Homberg"). However Borates, including boric acid, have been used since the time of the Greeks for cleaning, preserving food, and other activities.

[eyecatcher]

Maybe its me..Mr Rentokil, but every time you mentioned Boric acid you followed up by calling it a powder.

acid is a solution and powder is a solid (to me in any case)

Ever take Vitamin C tablets for your cold? Vitamin C is chemically known as Ascorbic acid.

so does this "acid" come in a bottle or wrapped in paper/ bag "a la" Lucy in the sky etc if you get my drift

Good question! Actually, Boric Acid sometimes written B(OH)₃), and exists in the form of colorless crystals or a white powder that dissolves in water. It's sold in plastic bags, plastic bottles, and cardboard boxes. Personally, I've never seen it sold as a liquid, but it probably is packaged that way too.

From Wikipedia...

"The free acid is found native in certain volcanic districts such as Tuscany, the Lipari Islands and Nevada, issuing, mixed with steam, from fissures in the ground; it is also found as a constituent of many minerals – borax, boracite, boronatrocaicite and colemanite. The presence of boric acid and its salts has been noted in seawater. It also exists in plants and especially in almost all fruits.^[1]

Boric acid was first prepared by Wilhelm Homberg (1652–1715) from borax, by the action of mineral acids, and was given the name sal sedativum Hombergi ("sedative salt of Homberg"). However Borates, including boric acid, have been used since the time of the Greeks for cleaning, preserving food, and other activities.

Certainly good technical and scientific info; ....

......but although an earlier post said they can live for weeks without a head and run at 3mph; I think I will continue to place them at the side of the road, point them towards the other side and conclude they may be this and that but they are no good at "chicken"

[Tywais]

I use a small "red disc" about 2 inc diameter, made by canbic.

get it from tesco/big c 2 in a pack for around 40bt, one will last for months indoors, not as long outdoors if it gets wet.

peel the edge off and they poke their noses into the poison

I bought the exact same thing about a month ago after we moved into another house. In the morning would find them dead on their back and after a week or two haven't seen them since. Surprised how well it worked.

[AnkertilBrewer]

Hopefully nobody will go ape shit if I go off on a little bit of a tangent. Worst cockroach infestation I've seen was at a Thai temple I stayed at briefly. They had the giant versions. One of my jobs while being a resident meditator was to shoe the roaches away from the senior monk's plates of food before they ate.

[uptheos]

and would avoid places, where they smell cat food... i have read somewhere... not sure, if true...

Any particular brand or do they know all brands of cat food?

[biggunguy]

and would avoid places, where they smell cat food... i have read somewhere... not sure, if true...

Any particular brand or do they know all brands of cat food?

wasnt mentioned any... but it doesnt smell for mouse either - i have read somewhere else...

also a question, if they mean the dry food or the meaty thing... the latter smells more...

Edited August 9, 2012 by biggunguy

[weary]

I know this is not going to sound good but,... maybe a good cleaning so they aren't attracted to your place?

Oddly enough, that doesn't really help as much as you'd imagine. (Of course, it certainly doesn't hurt!) A cockroach and live for a month on the glue on the back of a postage stamp. They don't need 'human' food either. Dead bugs, sloughed off skin (like dandruff,) piece of bird feather, mouse hair, etc.... It doesn't take much to make a roach happy. If an area gets damp and stays damp for a prolonged period (like a few weeks,) roaches will move in and WILL find food to eat, even in the cleanest places. This is a big problem after a house fire. Rebuild after the fire damage, but suddenly you have cockroaches around!

I can attest to the truth of this. I worked in a fast food shop in Sydney Australia as a kitchen hand 6 days a week, for 2 months. Every single working day, I would clean the entire shop. The first day I discovered a huge amount of cockroaches in the backroom where the soft drinks were stored.

I made a vow to get rid of them by killing every one I saw, and cleaning everything as carefully as I could, every single day. Well, despite my best efforts, the only thing I achieved by doing so, was that the cockroaches I encountered got smaller and smaller. Tricky animals.

[Mousehound]

Boric acid is sold by virtually every decent drug store in the world. It is NOT a difficult item to find but you might need to know the Thai name for it at some drug stores. For those who can't find drug stores, there are at least three chemical supply companies in Chiang Mai; two on Suthep Rd, on the same side as Wat Suan Dok, (one about one block east and another about 2-3 blocks east,) and another on the north side of Old City, facing the moat. The chemical supply houses will call it Boric Acid.

Boric acid can be used as an antiseptic for minor burns or cuts and is sometimes used in dressings or salves. Boric acid is applied in a very dilute solution as an eye wash. Dilute boric acid can be used as a vaginal douche to treat bacterial vaginosis due to excessive alkalinity.^[14] As an anti-bacterial compound, boric acid can also be used as an acne treatment. It is also used as prevention of athlete's foot, by inserting powder in the socks or stockings, and in solution can be used to treat some kinds of otitis externa (ear infection) in both humans and animals. The preservative in urine sample bottles (red cap) in the UK is boric acid.

It is toxic if taken internally in large quantities, i.e. about 10g per Kilo of body weight. A man weighing 90k would need to eat more than a pound of boric acid to be fatal.

Thanks FolkGuitar. This gives me a completely different impression of what people in the "red ant" thread were saying. It seemed that according to the posts in that thread, it was a difficult item to find. (Something about its availability being banned in Thailand (for the most part) because too many unscrupulous meat venders were using to make old meat look fresh -- apparently an unhealthy thing to do.)

But you're saying that it's a common item in drug stores. So, if i visit the village drug store or Boots in Pattaya, will they'll have it? Failing that, does anyone know of a chemical supply shop in or around Pattaya?

Unless there is a 'real' governmental ban on the stuff, a drug chain such as Boots would certainly carry it. Or PharmaChoice. But I'd bet that your village shop has it too. It's just waaaay too common an item not to have it. It's as common as Hydrogen Peroxide.

This กรดบอริก 'could be' the Thai name for it. I just used 'Google Translate' for Boric Acid and it came up with that.

I am no expert (I don't yet live in Thailand - but hope to soon. I have been teaching myself to read Thai - so I may have it wrong but I think the Thai script reads: Grot (h) Borik - (Acid Boric).

[Deekcon]

Boric acid is sold by virtually every decent drug store in the world. It is NOT a difficult item to find but you might need to know the Thai name for it at some drug stores. For those who can't find drug stores, there are at least three chemical supply companies in Chiang Mai; two on Suthep Rd, on the same side as Wat Suan Dok, (one about one block east and another about 2-3 blocks east,) and another on the north side of Old City, facing the moat. The chemical supply houses will call it Boric Acid.

Boric acid can be used as an antiseptic for minor burns or cuts and is sometimes used in dressings or salves. Boric acid is applied in a very dilute solution as an eye wash. Dilute boric acid can be used as a vaginal douche to treat bacterial vaginosis due to excessive alkalinity.^[14] As an anti-bacterial compound, boric acid can also be used as an acne treatment. It is also used as prevention of athlete's foot, by inserting powder in the socks or stockings, and in solution can be used to treat some kinds of otitis externa (ear infection) in both humans and animals. The preservative in urine sample bottles (red cap) in the UK is boric acid.

It is toxic if taken internally in large quantities, i.e. about 10g per Kilo of body weight. A man weighing 90k would need to eat more than a pound of boric acid to be fatal.

Should be called Folkhero...... thanks mate.

Edited August 11, 2012 by Deekcon

[myshem]

On 8/8/2012 at 8:48 PM, ripstanley said:

I bought borax online from a company in Phuket. For 500 grams it was 260 baht including EMS postage to Phayao Here is the link http://www.healthfoo...s=borax&x=7&y=7

 

hello,

 

now it seems that they sell only 1kg for 495 thb.

But it seems that someone is honest on lazada. 99thb for 1 kg !

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/boric-acid-1kg-i262352790-s404029587.html

 

 

Edited May 7, 2019 by myshem

[hmficc]

Fool proof method.

only need two blocks of wood.

place roach on block A and smash down with block B.

repeat as needed.

100% effective.

[eyecatcher]

7 hours ago, myshem said:

 

hello,

 

now it seems that they sell only 1kg for 495 thb.

But it seems that someone is honest on lazada. 99thb for 1 kg !

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/boric-acid-1kg-i262352790-s404029587.html

 

 

They are even more honest in Chiang Mai, the chemical outlets sell it for about 40bt kilo