HELP! I found 3 roaches in my stand

[sirrealism]

HELP! Last night I was under my 90g tank and found 3 live roaches. I need to get rid of them before my wife see's them or my hobby is over. I buy lots of used equipment and never had an issue. I want to get a jump on this before it gets out of hand. I live in FL so roaches are everywhere but we pay a company to spray our house for bugs as my wife would lose her mind if she saw any kind of a bug and a roach would be the worst. The company that sprays the house I wont let in the room with my tanks "maybe I should have" But I am always afraid of what ever chemicals they use hurting my tanks. So I need to know what everyone would use and be safe for my tanks. I am sure I am not the only person who has been through this. My home is not dirty "Maybe a little cluttered with tank stuff" but not dirty. The cats box was right next to the tank and I found one in there 2. I also know the old statement of if there is one you can see there are 100 you cant. I put down a couple of the Raid bait houses kind of thing but we all know how well the over the counter stuff works. I thought about boric acid but I am worried about any getting in the tank. I have a large Do it yourself pest control place up the street from my home but I dont know what to get. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

from a google search... looks like borax may work... check this post out

http://agreenliving.net/organic-ways-to-get-rid-of-cockroaches/

Googled... green way to kill roaches

 

[Coraljunkie]

Sorry I wish I could help but I don't have any experience with this. Good luck, i'm sure you'll fix it

 

[DianaKay]

I would use boric acid....There is a product called RoachPrufe & there are several others that are 99% boric acid power. It sticks to the roaches and they carry it back to the rest of their friends & family before they die.
Read here:
http://www.beyondpesticides.org/inf...sheets/leasttoxic/boricacid_borates_borax.php

Copied from that page:
Ecological Effects
Boric acid is practically nontoxic to birds, fish, aquatic invertebrates, and relatively nontoxic to beneficial insects. It’s noncrop herbicidal use may harm endangered or threatened plants, and therefore EPA is requiring three phytotoxicity studies to assess these risks (U.S. EPA 1993).

We use it at our Pawn Shop because roaches come in with pawn items & it works! Just a little put down in areas that aren't accessible to kids & pets. We've been using it for years with no troubles. It definitely works for getting rid of heavy roach population. We also had a rent house (thankfully we sold it, LOL!) that was EAT UP with roaches....put the RoachPrufe down, came back to clean it up 2 weeks later & NO ROACHES. Sold me for life on it's effectiveness.

 

[Pat24601]

The big thing is, I don't know if it's possible to do it without your wife finding out. I'm assuming from your post you are talking about indoor roaches that probably have a nest somewhere in your house that you don't know about. I live in Georgia and we spray exterior four times a year. We see some of the biggest roaches known to man in the house occasionally, but they are outdoor roaches typically trying to get in from cold and almost always dead or dying from the pesticide. Other than freaking my wife out, these really aren't a big deal though because they don't even want to be in the house.

With indoor roaches and a nest, I think bait they will take back to their nest is really the best thing. If you know where there nest is you can spray it, but that's pretty unusual. (I did that once in an apt I was subletting over summer in college and I have nightmares about it to this day, but I digress).

There really isn't anything I'm aware of in bait terms an exterminator can do you can't except know where to place it perhaps, but that can be a pretty big deal.

I don't know the science, but I don't think I'd worry about bait getting in your tank because it isn't airborne.

If it were me, I'd call an exterminator, but that means the wife finding out for sure. Might try the bait thing on your own and see what happens. Don't blame me if your fish die or if your problem gets worse, though. This advice is worth what you paid for it.

EDIT: Dianas post on boric acid rendered this last paragraph moot.

 

[Pat24601]

I would use boric acid....There is a product called RoachPrufe & there are several others that are 99% boric acid power. It sticks to the roaches and they carry it back to the rest of their friends & family before they die.
Read here:
http://www.beyondpesticides.org/inf...sheets/leasttoxic/boricacid_borates_borax.php

Copied from that page:
Ecological Effects
Boric acid is practically nontoxic to birds, fish, aquatic invertebrates, and relatively nontoxic to beneficial insects. It’s noncrop herbicidal use may harm endangered or threatened plants, and therefore EPA is requiring three phytotoxicity studies to assess these risks (U.S. EPA 1993).

We use it at our Pawn Shop because roaches come in with pawn items & it works! Just a little put down in areas that aren't accessible to kids & pets. We've been using it for years with no troubles. It definitely works for getting rid of heavy roach population. We also had a rent house (thankfully we sold it, LOL!) that was EAT UP with roaches....put the RoachPrufe down, came back to clean it up 2 weeks later & NO ROACHES. Sold me for life on it's effectiveness.

I guess this answers my last question much better than I could.

 

[Oxylebius]

Diana, the toxicity and ecological affects paragraphs on the page you posted are contradictory.

From the same page: http://www.beyondpesticides.org/inf...sheets/leasttoxic/boricacid_borates_borax.php
EPA’s reregistration document states that a subchronic borax feeding study using dogs resulted in blood and metabolism disorders as well as effects to the testes, endocrine system, brain weight, and size ratios among various organs and glands. In chronic oncogenicity studies using mice, rats and beagle dogs, boric acid and borax were found not to be carcinogenic; however, testicular effects and decreases in body weight resulted at high dose levels. EPA has classified boric acid as a “Group E” carcinogen, indicating that it shows “evidence of noncarcinogenicity” for humans. In reproductive and developmental toxicity studies using rats, mice and rabbits, maternal liver and kidney effects and decreased weight gain as well as decreased fetal body weights were observed. In two studies, at the highest dose levels, no litters were produced. Prenatal mortality occurred at the highest dose levels in the rabbit study. Boric acid does not cause mutagenicity (U.S. EPA 1993).

I'd be careful with that stuff, here is the msds for boric acid: http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9927105

I'd use nitrile gloves when handling it and try not to get it all over the place. And since you mentioned the cat box next to the tank, I'd try to place it away from where your cat can get into it (or smell it).

 

[DianaKay]

I just think it might be the lesser of evils & I know 1st hand that it eliminates roaches. Been where they were jumping out of empty cabinets during broad daylight & after 2 weeks of it being used, they were GONE.
I think everything that would work to get rid of them will have some pre-cautions to it's use. IT DOES WORK, I swear to that.

 

[Oxylebius]

I don't doubt it works.

I'm just highlighting caution w/its use. Would hate to see the cat affected by it. Agree better then any airborne pesticide, particularly around the tank.

 

[Pat24601]

Why am I reading about cockroach baiting at 10:30 at night? Ewwww.

Anyway, this Wikipedia article is fairly good.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roach_bait

I don't see a really non-toxic way to do this. All the effective methods seem to be not safe for pets and kids.

On the other hand, all the effective methods seem to be baits, such as gels, which would really seem to be pretty safe for your tank not being airborne? I'm thinking a fish isn't going to get out and eat the bait and I can't think of a way it would spread to your tank?

So, Boric Acid is certainly on the list.

Also, something like this?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ACMBJK/?tag=reefsanc-20

 

[sirrealism]

Thanks everyone. Yes I am going to use a bait and boric acid. The wife found out!!!!! I could not keep it from her. Yes she freaked out! Yes all new equipment will be sprayed before coming in the house! yes ! yes! Yes dear!!!!! LOL So I am stopping at the DIY pest store in a couple hours and will explain the situation to the guy at the store. I know him as I buy my flea meds from him. I have lived in FL most of my life and I know what kind of roaches these are and they are one of the simpler ones to get rid of. "Not the German ones" These are the short fat ones. Gross I know. Pat the ones you are talking about that fly are called palmetto bugs and can fly. They normally live in palm trees and are super big but dont hurt anything. Just scary as hell. LOL
I know most of the items suggested but I think my biggest worry was that most poisons make them look for water like when you bait rats. If they go looking for water well they have a lot of water right there in the sump.
On another note I moved the cat box and all other items for the cat to another room. First I cleaned everything very well.

 

[DianaKay]

Good Luck, I know the feeling of PANIC it's easy to do, the situation will be under control very soon with no terrible side effects. You got this, just keep it simple and don't let the guy at the LBS (local bug store, LOL!) sell you a bunch of stuff you don't need .
Very anti-buggy BEST WISHES.....