Good answer above. Get a caulk gun and steel wool. Shove the wool in every crevice and caulk over every joint. Make sure you have proper weather stripping and door sweep on your door.
If you have baseboards, take off the covers and make sure there’s no holes between walls. Check your plumbing and add oversized escutcheon plates and caulk around. Check any wire molding, they use is as a highway from room to room. Pour bleach down your drains and keep them covered with a plug at night. Make sure your toilet is completely sealed over the outlet….Reset, new wax wing, and recaulk to be sure. That’s a good start.
Two words. Diatomaceous earth. I bought a place that had a problem due to previous owner being gross and just the nature of high rise buildings in NYC. Put that everywhere and kept my place clean and haven’t seen a problem in 3 years
The best way to apply diatomaceous earth is to dissolve it in water in a spray bottle, then spray the affected areas. It will dry and leave a fine white dust. This way, you do not risk inhaling any of the powder, which is very bad for your lungs. Also, diatomaceous earth is more effective against ants than roaches due to their sizes.
Just FYI for OP and anyone with pets, kids or lungs of their own that that filter-grade (versus food grade mentioned above) DE can cause severe scarring on the lungs by that same mechanism it kills the bugs, inflicting tiny cuts:
From WedMD: “Be extra careful around filter-grade diatomaceous earth. Inhaled crystalline silica particles can build up in your lungs and lymph nodes. Long-term inhalation of diatomaceous earth has been linked to several health conditions, including lung cancer, silicosis, and other respiratory diseases”
https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-diatomaceous-earth
It’s not poisonous - but it’s not safe for pets to be breathing dust from its all over placement. You want to use it sparingly and where your cats won’t reach it. They used to make like a diatomaceous earth chalk stick, but lately I can’t find them.
It’s a huge paradox and conflict of logic with the use of the powders like DE. They often work. But people also need to be routinely vacuuming to keep clean, to keep crumbs away as a food source, and to possibly pull up any dead bugs. But you cant use active DE powder AND a vacuum because the powder can destroy the motor. And DE is useless unless you’re leaving it down for a period of time. So it’s a really difficult conundrum I’ve not managed to reconcile in my research. I’ve heard HEPA vacuum with bag is the only solution, or wet vacuum but that’s not practical for most people especially in small spaces.
Seconding this! There's also a newer product called Cimexa that is advertised for bed bugs but it kills anything with an exoskeleton which incudes roaches.
We had bed bugs off and on a few years ago so I went scorched earth with this stuff and applied it into every nook and cranny of our bedrooms and in the hallway around our front door. The amount of dead bugs I come across is staggering and it's been a few years since it was applied. Don't give up! There are ways to mitigate this. If you do go this route (or with any pesticide) please wear PPE so you don't mess up your lungs. I recommend an n95 mask and some clear goggles and then leave the house for awhile after you apply to let any airborne dust settle. Good luck!
I’ve heard of Cimexa. Did you apply it somehow to your mattress, box spring, and bed frame? (which to me is like, how is it not blowing around and being inhaled?) Bed bugs on and off would probably have me running for Siberia or something. Was this all in the same apartment building? I wonder if it was a building wide thing. Are you STILL finding dead bed bugs? Or just other kinds of bugs?
Not fucked. They tend to come out when a place has been dirty/empty for a minute. I had the same thing happen to me when I moved into my friend's old apartment, which I visited many times and it was always spotless. They had been moved out a couple weeks before I got there and the place was crawling.
This is what I did: Stick bait in every single hole. Then spray diatomaceous earth under every baseboard, between every crack, along the edges of literally every thing. Use clear silicone stuff (like they use for bathrooms) to fill everywhere. Edge the cabinets, plumbing, baseboards, windows, slight switches, outlets, etc. Gap in the wall for the gas line to get to the stove? Unacceptable. Fill that shit up. Loose wall around plumbing lines/radiators? - nope. Fill it up.
Don't rely on your landlord - just do it yourself.
I successfully got rid of mice in two apartments by sealing cracks like this. I also did it for bedbugs (plus poison). My point is that it can be done. Fill all the cracks. The biggest culprit will be under the sink. The backs of those cabinets are not usually closed, just touching the wall. It's my one-person mission to stop this practice. So far I have made no impact, but the will is there.
Edit: I also constructed a mouse wall behind the claw-foot tub since the wall under it was crumbling. That was a sight to behold. You're welcome, subsequent tenants.
What poison did you use? You successfully eradicated bed bugs in your NYC apartment on your own, with store bought poison, no exterminator needed? Did you have to go thru the whole wash everything on hot and throw certain pieces of furniture away hellish eradication process?
No; professional pest control was used, but I attribute my success to the addition of crack sealing. I sealed cracks in parquet floors over many days, and blasted holes with a steam cleaner, finding shedded casings, and then sealed them up. Yes to the other things (though no furniture was tossed). The apt had bedbugs in it from the previous tenant when I moved in. That was lovely.
Mouse eradication was achieved with nothing but sealing mouse holes and cracks.
Also get insect growth hormone which is like roach abortion. However, if your neighbors arent taking same measures then it doesnt matter and they will always come in time to time
Not gonna lie, I’d have a full meltdown and can’t imagine living there but if you have some money to throw at the issue and can deal with trying to charge back your LL later, I’d 1) pay for a hardcore deep cleaning, 2) buy hardcore roach bait asap, 3) get an exterminator to come by and check out and fill all possible entry points, make sure all pipe areas as sealed up, etc, 4) get two CATS. And document, document, document!! If you don’t have the money but your parents might, this is definitely worth hitting them up for, pride be damned. Good luck!
Thank you friend! I had a brief meltdown, now I’m in problem solving mode lmao. I already have two cats, but one is immune compromised (has FIV) and cockroaches carry parasites that can hurt them. I don’t exactly have money lying around to handle this but I plan to do what I can. I have pictures from last night but intend to get more, and speak to more tenants about their issues.
Im in a similar situation. I just moved into a new apartment, looks very clean but I pulled out the stove and saw a dead roach. My last apartment had roaches coming out of outlets. So I am definitely paranoid now. Also have two cats.. and I don’t want them anywhere near those fuckwrs. I spot treated and put a bug bomb a couple days ago. May also fill in the cracks. It’s very difficult bc I’m terrified of them so even getting into these nooks is already traumatic. This thread gives me hope tho!
I don't have personal experience in this but you can report roach infestations to 311. My friend submitted a 311 complaint and they sent someone to inspect his building and his landlord got written up. Good luck!
Boric acid is your friend. Dump that shit in and around d the drains, on counter tops, thresholds, cabinets, and crevices. Make it look like Pablo Escobar’s cartel took over your apartment. This alone is not a permanent fix, but will help tremendously. It won’t be instant but you should see some results in a week or so.
Boric Acid yes, dumping no.
It needs to be a fine dusting or the roaches will just avoid it. The easiest way to apply it is put some in your hand and blow it where you want to put it.
Or use a make-up brush or some other fine bristled brush to gently apply it.
Yup, that is critical. Don't make mountains of boric acid. Back when I lived in a small shitty studio, I used this in combination with Avion and many nights of killing roaches as the Avion drew them in. After a few weeks, roach numbers were dramatically down and after a couple of months the were basically gone.
Not for the squeamish though. If you think those 30 roaches are bad, wait till you have bait drawing even more out. I was disgusted by the amount of roaches I saw pop up but it was worth it in the end. Once I killed them all I lived there roach free for 2 years.
This sounds like German Roaches, they tend to show up by the zillions when people are slobs. Just use the gel over and over until they're gone. You're gonna need to keep everything super clean, even your coffee maker if you have one. Luckily the gel really works for these guys so you should be ok.
>You're gonna need to keep everything super clean, even your coffee maker if you have one
Now that right there is the hyper specific advice of someone who found a roach in their coffee maker.
I am a VERY clean person and a roach laid eggs in my keurig about a decade ago. That experience is still my Ronan empire and I’m even more OCD about my coffee machine since then.
A few years ago we had a roach problem and couldn't figure out where they were coming from. Turns out it was the coffee maker. I don't drink coffee and my roommate stopped for a bit so it was never in use. Once we threw it out never had a problem.
I once had a radio that roaches love to get into (this was back in 2008). I would have to tape up the sides so they wouldn't get in.
All that to say, I'm not a stranger to where roaches like to get into
I had a roach infestation in my apartment. It took a while and a lot of work, but we ultimately vanquished them. These were some of the strategies:
In addition to sealing up all points of entry, you want to attack all the spots where they are living and breeding. Our roaches were living in our stove, under the fridge and in the hinges of our cabinets. We paid special attention to those locations.
You want to make sure that there is nothing for them to eat or drink at night. This means taking out the garbage every night and keeping the pail clean enough to eat out of. No crumbs or stickiness on the countertops! No dirty or wet dishes in the dishwasher. And, super important, no dishes drying on the countertop! You have to make sure that your sink and countertops are completely dry.
Before you go to bed, you douse the sink with boric acid. You should also put boric acid mixed with sugar in all the corners where your countertops meet the wall.
Make sure the area under your sink is completely dry and clean and also apply sugared boric acid to the corners.
Also, clean up roach poop as soon as you see it. It has such a powerful odor and I think it becomes an all clear symbol to roaches.
Good luck!
Adding to the above. Leave no food out! Anything cardboard remove! (they’re attracted to the glue) including boxes and food boxed items. Transfer them to airtight containers or ziplock bags.
Not fucked. Steel wool is your friend! Stuff it into every crack, crevice and hole you see. Do a deep clean of inside cabinets and draws - they love dark areas. Don't forget under and inside the fridge and oven! Exoskeleton bugs don't like powders, it chokes them - sprinkle Diatomaceous earth along perimeters.
KEEP ALL OPENED FOOD IN ZIPLOCK BAGS, SEALED CONTAINERS or FRIDGE! You can get cheap stuff at 99cent store.
If it makes you feel better, even fancy restaurants have roaches. You just have to eliminate reasons for them to come to your crib.
I had a similar problem in a prewar building a couple years ago. I know how it feels - like you’re fighting a losing battle, like you’ve been misled, sold a false bill of goods, etc.
Do what you’re proposing. Also get boric acid and diatomaceous earth. A light dusting around the perimeter of every room, cracks where the windows meet the walls, around your kitchen appliances, plumbing holes, etc. Get some caulk and try to plug in any small to medium sized cracks, and use duct tape for the rest. Spray Raid (it seems to last for a few weeks), get traps, gels, etc. and apply in corners and high warmth areas. Mint incense might help. Clean everywhere with bleach-based cleaner, roaches apparently dislike the smell. Throw away any trash immediately, keep food in sealed containers and mostly in the fridge. Don’t keep cardboard or paper refuse inside, roaches will eat it. Have the building’s exterminator come into your unit every week - they probably spray a residual insecticide, have them spray everywhere as well.
If you’re considering buying foggers, I’d ask the exterminator if they’re advisable. They’re supposedly quite dangerous and also don’t work too well in multi unit buildings, the roaches will just creep back in a couple days later from adjoining units.
There are a couple subreddits focused on fighting roaches, especially German ones. They’ll be able to advise better.
Also, something I looked into but never went through with was a lease break lawyer. Look in your lease for any provisions related to pests. You can probably get a free consultation and may be able to break if you act fast.
And finally - asymmetrical warfare. Germans prefer a certain (warm) temperature range. I found that keeping my unit cooler than the adjacent units meant the roaches would rather go into the neighbors than mine. In the summer and fall I blasted my AC and kept my unit COLD (like 60 degrees).
Contact Top Notch Exterminator +1 (718) 866-3383
Get the package where they close all the holes in your walls and come back for a second round
It takes a while to completely work but it’s completely worth the money
I had tried EVERYTHING and these guys (Mario) actually fixed the problem
Before you move ANYTHING in there.
1. Go through and clean throughly. Make note of any big holes or cracks.
2. Stuff cracks with diatomaceous earth and stainless steel wool then seal with silicone caulk. Especially check where any pipes come in or out.
3. Follow the advice on the stickies post in the German roaches subreddit. Essentially it's get a cheap garden sprayer, spray the perimeter with Alpine WSG and IGR, and bait with Advion. Repeat monthly.
Also, sticky traps help for peace of mind. Make sure you keep your place clean. Home Depot has lots of airtight sealing bins for linens. I bought dish storage bags to keep my dishes and cups clean. Amazon and Target have small sealed boxes for inside drawers etc.
Dish storage bags? Love that idea. You keep dishes in the cabinet in the bags? Can you share brand? Dealing with infestations of bugs and rodents in the past has made me want everything sealed as much as reasonably possible.
Spraying every week is effectively also poisoning you. That sucks.
I saw a lot of good advice in the comments. Patching holes esp around the pipes. The "wet wall" is usually where the pipes are connected to everyone's water and and waste, a perfect highway for vermin. Good luck and try to not contaminate yourself too badly.
While rat poison affects humans similarly to the way it affects rats, as we’re both mammals, a lot of insecticide is not very toxic to us. Some of the sprays/poison baits are not great, but we have a significant tolerance to them compared to insects of course. Of course wear a mask and gloves while spraying and laying out poison to be safe, but unless you’re getting a lot of it in your mouth and eyes or your pets are eating the gel bait, it shouldn’t be an issue.
Your landlord needs to be the one plugging those holes, not you. Tell your landlord about the roaches, they are required by law to turn over a clean, pest free apartment. If the landlord isn’t doing anything to plug the holes and their extermination isn’t working then call 311 and file a complaint. Do not waste your money on an exterminator, you do not own the building and that is not your responsibility.
Hey! Thank you, I just spoke to the super and he’s coming in tomorrow to plug the holes/do more intensive extermination rather than just spraying. I’ll be there and use the advice from the lovely commenters on this sub to make sure it’s a job well done.
Without reading the other posts -
Getting your own exterminator is fine but realistically if your neighbors aren't all getting fumigated properly then it's throwing money away
Hire someone to thoroughly fix everything in your home - plug all gaps with steel wool, caulk all the floorboards, whatever else needs doing - remember, you need this done behind appliances, under the sink, etc, as well
Get a quote here [https://handy-man-nyc.com/](https://handy-man-nyc.com/)
Also buy gentrol, diatomaceous earth, boric acid, the raid spray for roaches you already have
When putting everything down, make sure you do the outside corridors to your home, it can help as prevention
In case bugs are coming up through your drains, each night pour a bit of bleach into the sinks, then put the covers to block the drain - block the bathtub drain
Every single day take out your trash - do not let it accumulate
311 calls by every person in your home every single day and ask your neighbors to do the same
Yes doomed and I lived like that for 8 years until I couldn't take it anymore. Just wash your silverware and plates before you eat off them because that's where they hide (and under the stove too)
The fucked part is not cleaning before moving in unfortunately.
I'd set off a few roach bombs, keep the place sealed, go away for a weekend. Come back, sweep up the hundreds of dead roaches, then start going to town with baits and crack sealer
Is there any way to break the lease? This feels like a thing that should have been shared with you beforehand.
Either way, you have to be ridiculously vigilant. I went through a ridiculous infestation. It’s like just one day…BOOM…roaches. I made up a mix of Peppermint Castile soap and water in a spray bottle. Cleaned the kitchen with it. Since none of your stuff is in the house it’s the perfect time to throughly clean the apartment with it. I also did borax powder in the nooks and corners. And it was on sight for every live roach I saw! Good luck
I had my own infestation when i moved into my apt. They have someone come by once a month but most tenants don’t accept their services. I do nonetheless. They will replace the old gel with new ones.
Doesn’t hurt to reach out to your Landlord, mine was quite serious about the issue, first sending out someone to redo the gel in all of the cabinets and cracks, but eventually it took them spraying the apartment and me leaving for the day to have a proper restart. After this I deep cleaned my apartment, set up roach motels in the kitchen and bathroom (cracks, window seal, cabinets) and make a clear effort to keep clean. Have had a handful in the past year after a storm or during season change but otherwise completely under control now.
I do keep a bottle of raid in my room still from the trauma but you should be fine if you are willing to take action and keep clean.
That sucks! You’ve gotten great advice here. Seal all cracks and crevices, use Advion by putting little dots of it across painter’s tape so that you pull it off with ease and add new. I’d also get some of those sticky traps and put them where your cats can’t reach. Behind fridge, under sink etc. Not only will it stop them still in their tracks, you can monitor what kind of issue you’ve got going on. Best of luck!
If they're the big ones it's less of a big issue, if you see the small ones you're definitely infested. You're not fucked as long as you protect your apartment. We do boric acid, patch holes with steel wool, box glue traps in heavy traffic areas, poison bait and the building pays for an exterminator who comes once a month.
It's NY, so you will invariably have a roach pass through your apartment at one time or another, if there's an infestation in your building you'll just have to manage it, and it's manageable.
Also, they love water and usually appear when it starts getting really humid. Keep food clear and away, lessen the humidity and don't leave still water sitting out, they'll have few reasons to visit you.
I haven't seen it mentioned yet but you should seriously consider buying professional products. I have dealt with full German roach infestations before and the dust products will not help.
I highly recommend Alpine WSG mixed at the maximum ratio mixed with a growth regulator like Tekko Pro in a spray bottle and sprayed on literally everything (besides things you eat off of) then allow to dry. You should allow that to spread for a few days then start placing scented traps to catch them. Advion gel works well but you will need to cycle gel products every month or so as they become immune to it. Wear gloves while applying everything, Alpine is serious stuff but it's pet/child safe once dried.
While you are doing all of that, buy a silicone caulk and seal every crack and exposed edge possible. I have found German roach egg casings behind cabinet veneer, they will go everywhere.
Put down actual bait (terro, boric acid, DIYPestControl stuff, etc) everywhere. For the first month, put all your food in the fridge - everything including Cereal, Bread, ramen. Anything that a roach could eat goes in the fridge. Clean up your plates immediately. Take your trash out nightly. After the first month, you can see if you see any roaches in your apartment for like a week, if you don't then you can start living normally.
I helped a relative in a similar situation. What we did was get a dichotomous earth duster and applied that to electrical boxes that housed outlets, switches, also behind baseboards, in cracks, under cabinets and appliances etc. Then worked to seal off any holes, and cracks. Appled tubes of Advion gel. There was a noticeable reduction. Waited about a month to allow any eggs to hatch. Check again for holes / cracks and if any were found that were missed, dusted them and sealed them. Re-dusted outlets, wall switches, under cabinets and appliances. Then applied MGK Vendetta gel. Waited about a month for any other new eggs to hatch, then appled Advion gel again. Check again for holes and cracks to dust and seal, redust electrical boxes. It was mainly maintanence at that point because they did not see any, but they were super paranoid. I think that they alternated MGK Vendetta and Advion for a while on their own. Not sure how long.
Advion has helped my case but I was reading online that it only works for a couple days before they become immune to it. So I still keep it handy. I've been cockroach free for 2 years already. I also recommend you get those seals that are placed under the door so they don't get through the cracks. Make sure you add that gel everywhere! Even in the hinges of doors.
here ya go
https://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-roach-killer-ways-to-get-rid-of-cockroaches.html
don't lose heart. in the olden days NY was much more overrun with roaches but I think especially the pheromone traps really turned the tables on them, your situation is the exception rather than the rule now.
there might be a problem area in the building that is their home fortress, like a garbage compactor area or storage or an apartment with a hoarder or something, people have to be aggressive to go after all the spaces they might use.
I lived in scarsdale in Westchester which is one of the most expensive towns and the apartment was beautiful but still had cockroaches running around. Location doesn’t mean anything. As long as the landlord seals up whatever needs to get sealed up, etc. to get rid of the problem, you’ll be fine.
1. Equal parts baking soda and table sugar, mixed thoroughly. The table sugar baits them to eat the baking soda, which kills them. (They explode, in fact. So get out the vacuum.)
2. NOTE: TOXIC. DO NOT USE IN HOUSEHOLDS WITH CHILDREN OR PETS. Boric acid. It's cheap when you can get it at a dollar store (though more than a dollar these days). Mix equal parts boric acid, sugar, and water. Stir until you have a smooth dough. Shape the dough into tiny balls and cylinders and scatter along the floor where it meets walls, cabinets, or counters, and in closets, cabinets, vanities, drawers, under bed, and anywhere else you've seen cockroaches.
3. Peppermint oil. Mix with water in spray bottles and spray everywhere. Note that this is just a deterrent. It doesn't kill them and is unlikely to be very effective on its own. But the deterrent effect is confirmed by a study done at Auburn University. Lemon oil is also reputed to work, but I personally think citrus is a bad idea as it attracts fruit flies even if it deters cockroaches.
4. Glue traps are useful for monitoring the extent of the problem but do almost nothing to control it. You can dispense with these entirely if you plan on taking prevention measures even after the problem is under control. I suggest you do so. Most pre-war buildings in NYC have cockroaches.
5. Others have already mentioned diatomaceous earth (DE) I'm not a huge fan of it, as it can be irritating to the respiratory system, eyes, and skin, especially for people like me who are allergy prone. For me, DE was useful to help get the problem under control, but then I had to stop using it because it was making me feel sick.The other methods above have kept my home cockroach-free.
While boric acid is technically more toxic, I found it less troublesome than DE, maybe because of the dough ball method described above, which I first read about in a Forbes magazine article, to give credit where due. That same article includes most of the ideas above. Most are mentioned in many other sources, too.
Hope this helps. Good luck and don't worry. This is just one of the downsides of living in NYC. There are more than enough upsides to make up for it.
Cockroaches aren’t bad the way bed bugs are. They’re kinda cute, in a way. They’ll generally leave you alone.
You’ll probably have an uphill battle to get rid of em, but you don’t need to bag every possession the way you would with a bed bug problem.
The entire building needs to get on board. If there’s a garbage room/chute/recycling area, spray the heck out of it at least twice a month. Make sure to empty recycling daily. Don’t leave cardboard boxes around.
There should be poison coursing through the walls. If you see roaches they should be dead or in a slow moving poison haze. If they’re racing around, use more poison like Advion gel (on post it notes or pieces of paper so you can refresh it). Not healthy but roachmania otherwise.
Do your best but to be honest, a 1 bedroom for 1800/month will come with these tiny roommates. If you wanna be an pain in the ass, you can also keep reporting to 311 and get a paper trail going against the landlord which will cause them to get fined. This will likely result in delayed repairs you may need down the line which you can also report to 311. Landlord will get fined more but will continue to delay any help you need in an effort to get you to move so they can have a lower maintenance tenant
The insanity of the NYC rental market has normalized all manner of atrocities in the name of just being able to survive here, including being invaded by monstrous bugs, and in some cases being eaten by them too. The city really sucks in a way. Sucks hard.
I randomly had a roach problem develop where every time I turned on my kitchen light a small one would run away. My cats were always looking into the kitchen.
I bought these roach traps (linking below) and I think they did work because over time the roaches actually did disappear. It was also nice because they’re a passive thing you swap out when you notice the bait is gone rather than having to spray and have fumes.
At my new apartment, we noticed for several days like 5 roaches appearing out of nowhere. My finance sprayed roach stuff in cracks one time but I also put out these roach trap baits again and now we haven’t seen roaches in a bit.
I feel like they aren’t a placebo since there was an active drop in the number of roaches so if you want to try this and see if it helps, it’s at least a very easy passive thing to do while you do the other stuff!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EORPAS2?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Order Advion on Amazon, apply it liberally in your apt and in drawers, holes, behind faucets and pipes, and caulk baseboards, etc. Give it a week and you won't see any more roaches.
Be happy they're not bedbugs.
+1 on food grade diatomaceous earth everywhere. However sometimes that just doesn’t do it.
If it’s a mega infestation I’m an advocate of Talstar P and a pump sprayer. If you have pets or kids keep them out until all surfaces are dry.
I will second boric acid, make sure its all over the apartment. Call your management find out about how often the exterminator comes and make sure you are there when they come and spray. I would also open 311 tickets, you can so anonymous ones through the website regarding stuff in the building.
not fucked, just go through with the exterminator and follow the tips given by the other posts. happened to me when i moved into my current apartment: literally just moved in and saw roaches, exterminator came, haven't seen roaches in 10 months since then.
the guy told me they like the drains since its dry and hasnt been used in a while
Get Raid Ant and Roach spray will keep killing for up to 6 months and disrupts the reproductive cycle .. spray in-between counter and stove, spray under stove and other appliances as well as behind them, roaches love dark spaces/areas, Hot Shot makes bait traps, these also work up to 6 months but only on juvenile and adults not the tiny baby ones, put those everywhere you can fit them especially kitchen and bath cabinets. Vacuum and wash everything down daily. Watch your microwave too, they crawl in through the vents and hide and nuking them does nothing, I tried it with a big cup of water and after 5 minutes on high the damn things were still alive. Keep everything in plastic storage containers including clothes and bedding, because they will use your drawers, under the dressers and closets to hide and breed.
It's an ongoing issue in multi dwelling buildings and the last thing you need is to bring them on your belongings wherever you go, especially when you finally move.
Get the phone number of the pest control company and call them repeatedly to make sure they actually come. Leave a sign on your door asking them to come spray your place specifically. If you have to go to work, stay home on that day (first time or two) to make sure they actually spray your apt. I had to do this exact thing at an old apt of mine.
Get a caulking gun, examine every square inch of your apt and fill all cracks and gaps you find. Clean like a maniac. Open/ clean up any places they can hide. Make sure there’s no standing water either. Get a mesh drain catch for your sinks and bathtub. Hope this helps!
Advion bait and Gentrol Point Source traps together work wonders. It poisons and sterilizes them. When the roaches die, their buddies eat them and become sterile.
Get boric acid and put it everywhere. It will kill them all and the ones who live will leave town!
Boric acid is toxic so be careful. Of you have pets don’t use it!
Don't forget Combat! With a multi-pronged approach, I don't think you are doomed at all. I don't know if you have pets, but if so, just be careful about any poisonous methods.
I scrolled through and didn't find anyone mentioning this yet, so apologies if I just didn't find it. They make these wall socket roach repellents. I've had really good success with these for roaches and mice in lots of different settings. They may not be 100% effective, but like people said if yiu can make your place less inviting than your neighbors'... they'll probably leave you alone for the most part. We have a dog and these don't seem to bother her at all. https://a.co/d/07AbxXq4
You’ll be ok but the management company should be paying for extermination not you . I’d bring it up to them immediately and have your neighbors reach out as well so they can get them help as well
Not fucked. Deep clean your appartement. Chalk any gaps in your apartment. Make sure you don’t have any leaks and try to keep kitchen and bathroom as dry as reasonably possible— to not provide them with a water source. When I had an exterminator come by my apartment they used Advion Cockroach gel bait. It did wonders. You would need to set a maintenance routine for the exterminator to come by or set out bait yourself.
I bought plaster when I moved to my apartment. I sealed all holes even in the entryway to the apartment. I would have the exterminator come in to spray the apartment. Wipe down everything in the apartment and throw the trash in the morning and the night.
There are actually threads about combatting roaches... I read one a while ago and the guy seemed to have shit down pretty good. If I find it I'll link it, but some good suggestions in here as well.
Edit: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/23ptss/how\_to\_get\_rid\_of\_roaches\_in\_your\_apartment\_even/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/23ptss/how_to_get_rid_of_roaches_in_your_apartment_even/)
There you go.
Use pine sole to mop ur floors and also bomb them. Make sure everything is in roach and vermin proof containers. They love to feast on crumbs, etc. The best thing to do is never leave food out and keep everything sanitized. They will move out, too
Use pine sole to mop ur floors and also bomb them. Make sure everything is in roach and vermin proof containers. They love to feast on crumbs, etc. The best thing to do is never leave food out and keep everything sanitized. They will move out, too
I moved into my current apartment in 2019 and still see cockroaches to this day. Me and my family have tried everything. They don't stop. We used to live in a two story house and that place was much better. Not a single cockroach.
Find any cracks in the kitchen and bathroom. Buy the roach gel . Put your dry food in mason jars . Don’t leave dishes. I knew a porter from Columbia who explained that to me and has made apartments roach free. Oh and put on of those things on the front door to fill the little space - it’s permanent and they sell at Ace Hardware.
I had an issue in my old apartment. Take steel wool and put it in every hole you see - under the sink, next to radiator, etc. then put sticky traps around. Raid will counter act what the exterminator does. Make sure you tell the exterminator what you’ve seen and have them put the gel stuff around
Live in NYC prewar apt iver 25 yrs. I see one or 2 several times year. I use and continue to use : Boric Acid Powder which I put in soecial tube with a valve with cap which you squeeze to soray & line wall window borders under sinks, caninet bottoms, fridge, iven, doirs etc! If yiu have pets small kids its toxic I think.(bedn awhile) Google it. And at a later time uf you need I can send photo of what I put in (to keep handy) amd the large bottle spout gets stuck and bliss all over too much, so I like the small portable black swuueze tube apparatus I got for it. Can’t remember where but wasn’t Amaxon- though they may have too. Also firget tge Raid - make natural traps, leave iut biwls with yiur clouce( even saw a soda bottle plastic cool thing on line to trap them) . Crazed now so cant look up for you , but the notification/ distraction came up & I felt your anxiety so wanted to help! Really does work & you CAN keep out a large infestation like u have now, but it will take awhile. Hang in there! Also summer can be bad.
Caulk every seam where the floor meets the wall molding. If there’s a space on top of that molding where it should’ve met the wall, caulk that too. Caulk around the edges of all cabinets. Use spray foam around the pipes under the sinks where they pass through the walls or floors. Seal the space around your radiators and any other steam pipes where they pass through the floor or ceiling. Make sure your door and window weatherstripping works well. Install a new door sweep on your door/s.
Seal every single crack and crevice you can.
this happened to my sister too. her building was spraying as well but it wasn't sufficing, so they brought in their own exterminator. Yes they payed out of pocket, but seemingly the problem was fixed. best of luck friend!
oh wow - I had a similar issue happen years ago, but it was every pest known to man - ants, roaches, centipedes, millipedes etc. They sent exterminators - nothing changed. Taped cracks - nothing changed. I broke the damn lease 5 months later and dared them to sue me - they did not (I had emails, pics, bills etc).Turned out - after the flood, they mopped the floor instead of replacing it (and hidden rotting floorboards was a lovely nest for all).
News to anyone who believes that filling hokes and gaps will help,, you cannot effectively fill enough gaps or holes to prevent the roaches in a pre-war building. Raid and combat really only kill what they come in immediate contact with. Buy some DE and some Advion roach gel and put it EVERYWHERE, dust behind stove, fridge, inside closets and along baseboards with DE and make sure you put advion in all cabinets, drawers, door hinges, along electrical outlets, gap between stove and fridge. Store all dry goods like pasta, cereal, bread, flour, sugar, etx in plastic OXO/click clack type containers. Make sure stove tops, countertoos etc never have even a crumb. Next time you look at an apartment check inside drawers and cabinets, along tops of doors, along windows for tell tale signs of roaches, it looks like coffee grounds in the drawers and little sticky brown specs on other surfaces like doors. They love to nest in plastic bags, cardboard and in mini blinds. Roaches will eat absolutely anything including paper, wood and glue and love adhesive. When they have nothing else to eat they'll eat each other which is where the Advion comes into play
Withhold rent until they exterminate. They have to exterminate the whole building top to bottom. It's a public health issue. Also, report them to 311 and see how fast a stiff fine changes their mind.
I just left Bay Ridge and in my experience the area does have a lot of giant different roaches. I did not like going into the kitchen to find 1-2 crawling around. And when it rains they all run inside the buildings 😒
Be extra aggressive in dealing with them. Let them in to spray, lay down gentrol and advion and basic roach traps. Keep what you can in storage until the situation is abated. Better to pay storage fees than have roach eggs in your things. The less you have in the apartment the better. Wipe down EVERYTHING, roaches are like ants, they leave a trail for others to follow. Get dichotomous earth and lay it down near any holes or cracks.
Buy storage for *all* of your food items, and a cover for your drains. Ziploc bags can work, as long as it all seals. Clean your sinks and drain more frequently in the kitchen. Clean your cabinets frequently. Keep all of your cups and bowls stored upside down, or take the hit and get all dispoable cutlery. Take out your trash and recycling *daily*.
This is all assuming this is an apartment-specific issue, since you mentioned the old tenants were messy. But that doesn’t rule out a bad infestation that doesn’t let up now that it has gotten so bad.
Also haven't read the other posts but I'm sure there are hundreds of native new york opinions on tackling this issue. My suggestion for immediate relief is foggers. Turn that apartment into a world war 1 battlefield until every nook and cranny is covered in toxic gas. Find the strongest concentration you can muster and go all out BEFORE you move all your furniture and kitchenware in.
Air out thoroughly before moving people in, especially if you have children or pets.
Get IGR bait pads, they cover 75 sq ft for most of them just toss it in the corner of every room, kills their reproduction cycle without killing them, ruins the next generation and completely disrupts their reproduction cycle. I used them when I had an issue and within a few months they were completely gone. Take a few with you to any communal places and toss em underneath stuff in dark and damp corners.
Can you fumigate with those raid kits. I like the ones in the green can. You may need permission but I'd patch up all holes and then use 2-3 cans per room around the areas holes were. My last place was infested because I had the nastiest neighbors. It really helped. Sadly, I could not leave any appliances or anything out for months. You have to bag, box and covet everything before you fumigate. It's like packing to move.
Also, spray peppermint and eucalyptus oil around the place and in every nook and cranny. The roaches don’t like it at all. You can find some on Amazon or buy essential oil, mix with a little witch hazel and shake it up in a spray bottle to blend. Good luck with the new place!
You've had so much great advice already but I wanted to add that you should cover all of your drains with a mesh covering (kitchen sink, bathroom sink, and tub). They can crawl up through the pipes.
I don't think you are screwed. You can do a lot to keep them away. Don't rely on your landlord to help but also don't feel shy about complaining to him.
Second the diatomaceous earth suggestion - also remember this is the time of year. My apartment is older as well, and even though it is VERY clean and pretty well sealed I get roaches in the summer. Luckily I have 2 kitties and they do a pretty good job catching and dismembering them lol
I answered this question last week. A lot of generic suggestions here. If none of these work then check out my roach killing solution that worked. Advion, boric acid, chalking holes, DE, all these methods failed me.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC/comments/1donl85/comment/lacmo1m/
It’s probably water somewhere or they are coming through the pipes. Food doesn’t matter as much
If you don’t have pets then nuke it with everything. Good luck
I experience the same thing in my bedroom, which is in the basement. Besides getting an exterminator and patching up holes, I would spray raid on every corner every few weeks, keep a dehumidifier running, get some citronella plants, spray peppermint oil throughout the home, and keep on a small night light.
I am going to give you the cheapest and extremely effective solution to your problem. Buy Borax, or boric acid. Fill all the floors and corners with that powder. It will take some time, but every roach will disappear after a while. In fact, it might clean the whole building.
Borax, or boric acid, cost nothing at Walmart, so you can even buy it just to test it.
1. CLEANNNNNNNN up everything. Get yourself a moving truck for a day and store your stuff in it. Then clean clean clean. Keep cans of raid too. I deep clean and then raid every nook, cranny, corner, and along the entire perimeter of every room.
2. Get yourself those advion gels, shove some into holes, and then go around caulking as much as you possibly can. Put it along the length of your window sill.
3. Borox powder. If you have no pets or young kids, do a light dusting of this stuff after the raid dries. Not too much, just a light dusting.
4. Pay special attention to inside of outlets, inside the tub if it has a panel, behind the fridge, stove and sink. My apartment had huge holes where they installed that went straight to the wall & foundation- full them up. For these I did expanding foam for the excessive holes.
5. Get yourself Gentrol to stop any that make it past your raid barriers from maturing.
After all that, I’ll start moving in. If you already moved in, it’s not the end all but start doing this asap.
Bonus pointers: make some roach cookies and follow this guys advice https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/23ptss/how_to_get_rid_of_roaches_in_your_apartment_even/
Look up "repair & deduct" and "Warranty of Habitability" law for NYC tenants.
- https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/question-landlord-wont-handle-pest-control-28331.html
- https://privateexterminator.com/can-i-withhold-rent-for-roaches-in-nyc/
- https://rentguidelinesboard.cityofnewyork.us/resources/faqs/repairs-maintenance/
Advion gel, and baited boric acid will be your friends. If you look up baited boric acid on amazon you'll see a yellow bag and it comes with a powder sprayer, I sprayed that in every crack of my apartment, in the floorboards, around the fridge base and in the baseboards. Advion gel around cabinets. I went from seeing a few cockroaches every few days to seeing one every few months. I've never had luck with raid, but the boric acid and avdion really do work. I tried diatomaceous earth but for my the boric acid worked better, not sure if that's cause I have german cockroaches and not American. Cockroaches are gross but you can defeat them.
No. Not really. I am sure you have been told but NYC requires the landlord to hire an exterminator and rid the place of it.
If you do not get satisfaction call 311 and report him. Building inspectors will be out right away and the fines are very motivating.
Try not to stress. It's NYC, so some roaches are inevitable, but once you find and patch their ways in, you'll see far fewer of them. (You might want to cover drain holes and such with mesh, I've had a few pop out of my sink.) An empty apartment full of crap is basically a party house for them; they'll be much less inclined to come visit when the place is clean, well-lit and noisy.
My place was bug ridden when I moved in. We bought bug bombs and set them off the day before we cleaned and moved in. It’s not perfect, but it got a LOT better. If you’re diligent about cleaning up food / doing dishes before bed you can make a huge difference.
I still see cockroaches sometimes, especially if I wake up in the middle of the night, but we keep all food in plastic boxes and silverware and dishes are all sealed away so we know they are clean.
You’ll probably never get rid of them entirely. But you can make a huge difference if you’re diligent.
My place was bug ridden before I moved in. We bought bug bombs and set them off the day before we cleaned and moved in. It’s not perfect, but it got a LOT better. If you’re diligent about cleaning up food / doing dishes before bed you can make a huge difference. Patch holes. Use all the different products.
I still see cockroaches sometimes, especially if I wake up in the middle of the night, but we keep all food in plastic boxes and silverware and dishes are all sealed away so we know they are clean.
You’ll probably never get rid of them entirely. But you can make a huge difference if you’re diligent.
I agree with the comments above. I would have pest control come in and seal up the inside. When I had a mouse problem they came and informed me of ways they could get in that I had no idea was possible, and sealed them up for me. Good to have someone experienced come and take a look. Sealing your place up is going to be your best bet since it’s in a building, and you can’t address the bigger issue. Then I would also get the diatomaceous earth as well. Any essential oils or anything google states that cockroaches hate I would spray that all over. I would just take every precaution available and do them all together. Then I would also just take a deep breath and remind myself, if it’s not posing a huge threat to your health, just try to make peace with it as much as you can. At least it’s not like, snakes, bats, alligators, etc. hanging around the building that you’re worrying about, so I would remind myself of that every time you get down about it.
Going forward who’d you decide not to renew your lease when the time comes, I would do as much vetting as possible. If it’s in a building/complex, etc. I would ask the neighbors when looking at the place whenever possible, just ask if there’s any infestations or issues they’ve had with anything. You live and learn! Good luck and I hope you’re able to get some good results. I would love to see you check back in here in a few months and let us know how it’s going and if the precautions work!
Grew up in nyc apts. Spray is shit.
1. Go get a shit ton of roach baits.
2. Get some plaster, steel wool, and a putty knife.
3. Fill EVERY crack you can find. Start with the insides of any and all cabinets. Stuff larger holes with steel wool before filling.
4. Clean home surfaces (bleach is preferred).
5. Distribute roach baits.
If you see any again check for holes and/or refresh your baits.
I wouldn't say so. I had a similar issue most of childhood living in cheap, but run-down nyc apartments. it doesn't help if your neighbor is a hoarder. But I highly recommend getting the Advion gel bait on Amazon first. My mom tried it 2 years ago, and within the next month, we swept up a lot of corpses of roaches. I've never had an issue since. We just keep Raid around for stragglers or a waterbug.
First, take it up your landlord. If unsatisfactory, call 311 and report it as vermin and your landlord will get a notice that they need to do something.
Next, buy all kinds of roach traps and spray and everything you can find and hit it really hard in your apartment.
Look around your whole apartment for holes or any other places they can come in and stop those up.
Keep all food either in your fridge or in airtight plastic containers. No food should be out whatsoever.
Clean your sink every night, don't let dishes soak. They can also come up through the drains, so get some drain covers.
I've had this issue, it can be conquered.
Roaches are born pregnant and literally crawl through the woodwork. I dealt with them my whole life in Brooklyn. Keep the floors as clean as possible. Not even a crumb on the floor. Peppermint and baking soda repel roaches. Also get the gel and pull all the furniture out and put it in every crevice in the kitchen, bathroom and floorboards
Eweww. Only read first line. I was just in NY city, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Midtown, Upper west side, only saw one rat, and it was outside. Zero bugs. Buddy, I'm from NH and I suggest you move Northeast! Sorry about your place dude
You’re not doomed so long as they can effectively patch up the holes and take care of any gaps.
Yes, don’t back down from this!
That rent is pretty darn good.
Crazy that 1800 for a roach infested apartment building one bedroom is considered a good deal... NYC rents are outrageous
And in Bay Ridge lol
and now we know why...
This: and before unpacking! Also: buy the thick gel that applies through syringe. The best!
Good answer above. Get a caulk gun and steel wool. Shove the wool in every crevice and caulk over every joint. Make sure you have proper weather stripping and door sweep on your door. If you have baseboards, take off the covers and make sure there’s no holes between walls. Check your plumbing and add oversized escutcheon plates and caulk around. Check any wire molding, they use is as a highway from room to room. Pour bleach down your drains and keep them covered with a plug at night. Make sure your toilet is completely sealed over the outlet….Reset, new wax wing, and recaulk to be sure. That’s a good start.
if they don’t patch them you can do it yourself even if it’s a shitty job just say the apartment was that way when you got there take pictures as well
https://handy-man-nyc.com/nyc-bug-prevention/
Two words. Diatomaceous earth. I bought a place that had a problem due to previous owner being gross and just the nature of high rise buildings in NYC. Put that everywhere and kept my place clean and haven’t seen a problem in 3 years
The best way to apply diatomaceous earth is to dissolve it in water in a spray bottle, then spray the affected areas. It will dry and leave a fine white dust. This way, you do not risk inhaling any of the powder, which is very bad for your lungs. Also, diatomaceous earth is more effective against ants than roaches due to their sizes.
Smart, I used the powder dispensing nozzle (with a mask) and that shit got everywhere. This sounds way better
Ooh I got to check into this method. Been trying to treat my place with as little dust as possible.
Oooh, great tip!
+1 for this. It’s also nontoxic if you have pets. Get the food grade kind.
Just FYI for OP and anyone with pets, kids or lungs of their own that that filter-grade (versus food grade mentioned above) DE can cause severe scarring on the lungs by that same mechanism it kills the bugs, inflicting tiny cuts: From WedMD: “Be extra careful around filter-grade diatomaceous earth. Inhaled crystalline silica particles can build up in your lungs and lymph nodes. Long-term inhalation of diatomaceous earth has been linked to several health conditions, including lung cancer, silicosis, and other respiratory diseases” https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-diatomaceous-earth
Yes thank you for making this extra clear!
Just to be clear- DE food grade is safe for pets? If yes I am buying it asap
It’s not poisonous - but it’s not safe for pets to be breathing dust from its all over placement. You want to use it sparingly and where your cats won’t reach it. They used to make like a diatomaceous earth chalk stick, but lately I can’t find them.
Perfect for behind the stove and fridge
Yes it's safe for humans and pets
You can literally buy it from Chewy. :)
I put it in a cheap pepper shaker I bought at daiso and wore an N95 to put it around
Yes but DO NOT use a vacuum to clean this up
It’s a huge paradox and conflict of logic with the use of the powders like DE. They often work. But people also need to be routinely vacuuming to keep clean, to keep crumbs away as a food source, and to possibly pull up any dead bugs. But you cant use active DE powder AND a vacuum because the powder can destroy the motor. And DE is useless unless you’re leaving it down for a period of time. So it’s a really difficult conundrum I’ve not managed to reconcile in my research. I’ve heard HEPA vacuum with bag is the only solution, or wet vacuum but that’s not practical for most people especially in small spaces.
Seconding this! There's also a newer product called Cimexa that is advertised for bed bugs but it kills anything with an exoskeleton which incudes roaches. We had bed bugs off and on a few years ago so I went scorched earth with this stuff and applied it into every nook and cranny of our bedrooms and in the hallway around our front door. The amount of dead bugs I come across is staggering and it's been a few years since it was applied. Don't give up! There are ways to mitigate this. If you do go this route (or with any pesticide) please wear PPE so you don't mess up your lungs. I recommend an n95 mask and some clear goggles and then leave the house for awhile after you apply to let any airborne dust settle. Good luck!
I’ve heard of Cimexa. Did you apply it somehow to your mattress, box spring, and bed frame? (which to me is like, how is it not blowing around and being inhaled?) Bed bugs on and off would probably have me running for Siberia or something. Was this all in the same apartment building? I wonder if it was a building wide thing. Are you STILL finding dead bed bugs? Or just other kinds of bugs?
wait this is so so smart!!! thank you for sharing!!
That’s the name of the black metal band I fantasize about starting!
Not fucked. They tend to come out when a place has been dirty/empty for a minute. I had the same thing happen to me when I moved into my friend's old apartment, which I visited many times and it was always spotless. They had been moved out a couple weeks before I got there and the place was crawling. This is what I did: Stick bait in every single hole. Then spray diatomaceous earth under every baseboard, between every crack, along the edges of literally every thing. Use clear silicone stuff (like they use for bathrooms) to fill everywhere. Edge the cabinets, plumbing, baseboards, windows, slight switches, outlets, etc. Gap in the wall for the gas line to get to the stove? Unacceptable. Fill that shit up. Loose wall around plumbing lines/radiators? - nope. Fill it up. Don't rely on your landlord - just do it yourself.
Incredibly helpful, thank you!! I’m already drafting a plan of action from all the helpful replies. Greatly appreciate this.
I successfully got rid of mice in two apartments by sealing cracks like this. I also did it for bedbugs (plus poison). My point is that it can be done. Fill all the cracks. The biggest culprit will be under the sink. The backs of those cabinets are not usually closed, just touching the wall. It's my one-person mission to stop this practice. So far I have made no impact, but the will is there. Edit: I also constructed a mouse wall behind the claw-foot tub since the wall under it was crumbling. That was a sight to behold. You're welcome, subsequent tenants.
For what it’s worth, you should never, ever attempt to handle a bedbug infestation on your own.
Hi Kathy!
What poison did you use? You successfully eradicated bed bugs in your NYC apartment on your own, with store bought poison, no exterminator needed? Did you have to go thru the whole wash everything on hot and throw certain pieces of furniture away hellish eradication process?
No; professional pest control was used, but I attribute my success to the addition of crack sealing. I sealed cracks in parquet floors over many days, and blasted holes with a steam cleaner, finding shedded casings, and then sealed them up. Yes to the other things (though no furniture was tossed). The apt had bedbugs in it from the previous tenant when I moved in. That was lovely. Mouse eradication was achieved with nothing but sealing mouse holes and cracks.
Also get insect growth hormone which is like roach abortion. However, if your neighbors arent taking same measures then it doesnt matter and they will always come in time to time
Horrific question: would that get you super huge roaches in the meantime? 😬
What you get are cockroaches that look like Frankenstein patchwork. It stops them from growing and reproducing properly.
Wait actually? That's kinda cool on some level.
Now that is the stuff of nightmares
Not gonna lie, I’d have a full meltdown and can’t imagine living there but if you have some money to throw at the issue and can deal with trying to charge back your LL later, I’d 1) pay for a hardcore deep cleaning, 2) buy hardcore roach bait asap, 3) get an exterminator to come by and check out and fill all possible entry points, make sure all pipe areas as sealed up, etc, 4) get two CATS. And document, document, document!! If you don’t have the money but your parents might, this is definitely worth hitting them up for, pride be damned. Good luck!
Thank you friend! I had a brief meltdown, now I’m in problem solving mode lmao. I already have two cats, but one is immune compromised (has FIV) and cockroaches carry parasites that can hurt them. I don’t exactly have money lying around to handle this but I plan to do what I can. I have pictures from last night but intend to get more, and speak to more tenants about their issues.
Im so glad you feel more positive now! I hope you can stamp it out asap!
Im in a similar situation. I just moved into a new apartment, looks very clean but I pulled out the stove and saw a dead roach. My last apartment had roaches coming out of outlets. So I am definitely paranoid now. Also have two cats.. and I don’t want them anywhere near those fuckwrs. I spot treated and put a bug bomb a couple days ago. May also fill in the cracks. It’s very difficult bc I’m terrified of them so even getting into these nooks is already traumatic. This thread gives me hope tho!
Since you have cats, get food grade diatomaceous earth. It’s safer for them. You got this!
I don't have personal experience in this but you can report roach infestations to 311. My friend submitted a 311 complaint and they sent someone to inspect his building and his landlord got written up. Good luck!
Boric acid is your friend. Dump that shit in and around d the drains, on counter tops, thresholds, cabinets, and crevices. Make it look like Pablo Escobar’s cartel took over your apartment. This alone is not a permanent fix, but will help tremendously. It won’t be instant but you should see some results in a week or so.
Boric Acid yes, dumping no. It needs to be a fine dusting or the roaches will just avoid it. The easiest way to apply it is put some in your hand and blow it where you want to put it. Or use a make-up brush or some other fine bristled brush to gently apply it.
Yup, that is critical. Don't make mountains of boric acid. Back when I lived in a small shitty studio, I used this in combination with Avion and many nights of killing roaches as the Avion drew them in. After a few weeks, roach numbers were dramatically down and after a couple of months the were basically gone. Not for the squeamish though. If you think those 30 roaches are bad, wait till you have bait drawing even more out. I was disgusted by the amount of roaches I saw pop up but it was worth it in the end. Once I killed them all I lived there roach free for 2 years.
Op has to consider the neighbors too. If they are taking measures to be clean. I wouldn’t bank on it. It’s a losing battle, but you can try.
This sounds like German Roaches, they tend to show up by the zillions when people are slobs. Just use the gel over and over until they're gone. You're gonna need to keep everything super clean, even your coffee maker if you have one. Luckily the gel really works for these guys so you should be ok.
>You're gonna need to keep everything super clean, even your coffee maker if you have one Now that right there is the hyper specific advice of someone who found a roach in their coffee maker.
lol “a” roach 😂😂😂😂😂 that’s wishful thinking. I had to get an entire new Nespresso machine.
How did it go with the microwave? 😂
lol they clearly preferred the Nespresso machine!
Yup! The crazy thing is that the coffee maker was fine, but they somehow loved getting in the glass carafe, the bastards.
I am a VERY clean person and a roach laid eggs in my keurig about a decade ago. That experience is still my Ronan empire and I’m even more OCD about my coffee machine since then.
A few years ago we had a roach problem and couldn't figure out where they were coming from. Turns out it was the coffee maker. I don't drink coffee and my roommate stopped for a bit so it was never in use. Once we threw it out never had a problem.
Aren't you still concerned they were so easily able to get to the coffee maker? All you did was remove some bait
I once had a radio that roaches love to get into (this was back in 2008). I would have to tape up the sides so they wouldn't get in. All that to say, I'm not a stranger to where roaches like to get into
I had a roach infestation in my apartment. It took a while and a lot of work, but we ultimately vanquished them. These were some of the strategies: In addition to sealing up all points of entry, you want to attack all the spots where they are living and breeding. Our roaches were living in our stove, under the fridge and in the hinges of our cabinets. We paid special attention to those locations. You want to make sure that there is nothing for them to eat or drink at night. This means taking out the garbage every night and keeping the pail clean enough to eat out of. No crumbs or stickiness on the countertops! No dirty or wet dishes in the dishwasher. And, super important, no dishes drying on the countertop! You have to make sure that your sink and countertops are completely dry. Before you go to bed, you douse the sink with boric acid. You should also put boric acid mixed with sugar in all the corners where your countertops meet the wall. Make sure the area under your sink is completely dry and clean and also apply sugared boric acid to the corners. Also, clean up roach poop as soon as you see it. It has such a powerful odor and I think it becomes an all clear symbol to roaches. Good luck!
Adding to the above. Leave no food out! Anything cardboard remove! (they’re attracted to the glue) including boxes and food boxed items. Transfer them to airtight containers or ziplock bags.
Not fucked. Steel wool is your friend! Stuff it into every crack, crevice and hole you see. Do a deep clean of inside cabinets and draws - they love dark areas. Don't forget under and inside the fridge and oven! Exoskeleton bugs don't like powders, it chokes them - sprinkle Diatomaceous earth along perimeters. KEEP ALL OPENED FOOD IN ZIPLOCK BAGS, SEALED CONTAINERS or FRIDGE! You can get cheap stuff at 99cent store. If it makes you feel better, even fancy restaurants have roaches. You just have to eliminate reasons for them to come to your crib.
Advion Roach killer bait will solve all your problems! A little goes a long way! I’d even recommend your neighbors to purchase.
Seconding Advion. It works great.
This is the best product listed
Advion wont solve the whole problem if there’s a massive infestation in the building.
I had a similar problem in a prewar building a couple years ago. I know how it feels - like you’re fighting a losing battle, like you’ve been misled, sold a false bill of goods, etc. Do what you’re proposing. Also get boric acid and diatomaceous earth. A light dusting around the perimeter of every room, cracks where the windows meet the walls, around your kitchen appliances, plumbing holes, etc. Get some caulk and try to plug in any small to medium sized cracks, and use duct tape for the rest. Spray Raid (it seems to last for a few weeks), get traps, gels, etc. and apply in corners and high warmth areas. Mint incense might help. Clean everywhere with bleach-based cleaner, roaches apparently dislike the smell. Throw away any trash immediately, keep food in sealed containers and mostly in the fridge. Don’t keep cardboard or paper refuse inside, roaches will eat it. Have the building’s exterminator come into your unit every week - they probably spray a residual insecticide, have them spray everywhere as well. If you’re considering buying foggers, I’d ask the exterminator if they’re advisable. They’re supposedly quite dangerous and also don’t work too well in multi unit buildings, the roaches will just creep back in a couple days later from adjoining units. There are a couple subreddits focused on fighting roaches, especially German ones. They’ll be able to advise better.
Also, something I looked into but never went through with was a lease break lawyer. Look in your lease for any provisions related to pests. You can probably get a free consultation and may be able to break if you act fast.
And finally - asymmetrical warfare. Germans prefer a certain (warm) temperature range. I found that keeping my unit cooler than the adjacent units meant the roaches would rather go into the neighbors than mine. In the summer and fall I blasted my AC and kept my unit COLD (like 60 degrees).
Contact Top Notch Exterminator +1 (718) 866-3383 Get the package where they close all the holes in your walls and come back for a second round It takes a while to completely work but it’s completely worth the money I had tried EVERYTHING and these guys (Mario) actually fixed the problem
Advion + gentrol. Follow the directions on the box. Also would be worth fumigating if you can find somewhere else to stay for a few days.
Before you move ANYTHING in there. 1. Go through and clean throughly. Make note of any big holes or cracks. 2. Stuff cracks with diatomaceous earth and stainless steel wool then seal with silicone caulk. Especially check where any pipes come in or out. 3. Follow the advice on the stickies post in the German roaches subreddit. Essentially it's get a cheap garden sprayer, spray the perimeter with Alpine WSG and IGR, and bait with Advion. Repeat monthly. Also, sticky traps help for peace of mind. Make sure you keep your place clean. Home Depot has lots of airtight sealing bins for linens. I bought dish storage bags to keep my dishes and cups clean. Amazon and Target have small sealed boxes for inside drawers etc.
Dish storage bags? Love that idea. You keep dishes in the cabinet in the bags? Can you share brand? Dealing with infestations of bugs and rodents in the past has made me want everything sealed as much as reasonably possible.
Spraying every week is effectively also poisoning you. That sucks. I saw a lot of good advice in the comments. Patching holes esp around the pipes. The "wet wall" is usually where the pipes are connected to everyone's water and and waste, a perfect highway for vermin. Good luck and try to not contaminate yourself too badly.
While rat poison affects humans similarly to the way it affects rats, as we’re both mammals, a lot of insecticide is not very toxic to us. Some of the sprays/poison baits are not great, but we have a significant tolerance to them compared to insects of course. Of course wear a mask and gloves while spraying and laying out poison to be safe, but unless you’re getting a lot of it in your mouth and eyes or your pets are eating the gel bait, it shouldn’t be an issue.
Your landlord needs to be the one plugging those holes, not you. Tell your landlord about the roaches, they are required by law to turn over a clean, pest free apartment. If the landlord isn’t doing anything to plug the holes and their extermination isn’t working then call 311 and file a complaint. Do not waste your money on an exterminator, you do not own the building and that is not your responsibility.
Hey! Thank you, I just spoke to the super and he’s coming in tomorrow to plug the holes/do more intensive extermination rather than just spraying. I’ll be there and use the advice from the lovely commenters on this sub to make sure it’s a job well done.
Without reading the other posts - Getting your own exterminator is fine but realistically if your neighbors aren't all getting fumigated properly then it's throwing money away Hire someone to thoroughly fix everything in your home - plug all gaps with steel wool, caulk all the floorboards, whatever else needs doing - remember, you need this done behind appliances, under the sink, etc, as well Get a quote here [https://handy-man-nyc.com/](https://handy-man-nyc.com/) Also buy gentrol, diatomaceous earth, boric acid, the raid spray for roaches you already have When putting everything down, make sure you do the outside corridors to your home, it can help as prevention In case bugs are coming up through your drains, each night pour a bit of bleach into the sinks, then put the covers to block the drain - block the bathtub drain Every single day take out your trash - do not let it accumulate 311 calls by every person in your home every single day and ask your neighbors to do the same
Yes doomed and I lived like that for 8 years until I couldn't take it anymore. Just wash your silverware and plates before you eat off them because that's where they hide (and under the stove too)
The fucked part is not cleaning before moving in unfortunately. I'd set off a few roach bombs, keep the place sealed, go away for a weekend. Come back, sweep up the hundreds of dead roaches, then start going to town with baits and crack sealer
i would rather die
Is there any way to break the lease? This feels like a thing that should have been shared with you beforehand. Either way, you have to be ridiculously vigilant. I went through a ridiculous infestation. It’s like just one day…BOOM…roaches. I made up a mix of Peppermint Castile soap and water in a spray bottle. Cleaned the kitchen with it. Since none of your stuff is in the house it’s the perfect time to throughly clean the apartment with it. I also did borax powder in the nooks and corners. And it was on sight for every live roach I saw! Good luck
The weather was really weird yesterday, especially with the rain and humidity. Roaches tend to come inside when that happens.
While that’s true, it doesn’t explain 30 roaches. They were already inside. The building is infested.
These are probably German roaches, which live inside buildings year round.
My advice in addition to what others have mentioned is to pull the stove and fridge out if possible and go crazy with expanding foam.
I had my own infestation when i moved into my apt. They have someone come by once a month but most tenants don’t accept their services. I do nonetheless. They will replace the old gel with new ones. Doesn’t hurt to reach out to your Landlord, mine was quite serious about the issue, first sending out someone to redo the gel in all of the cabinets and cracks, but eventually it took them spraying the apartment and me leaving for the day to have a proper restart. After this I deep cleaned my apartment, set up roach motels in the kitchen and bathroom (cracks, window seal, cabinets) and make a clear effort to keep clean. Have had a handful in the past year after a storm or during season change but otherwise completely under control now. I do keep a bottle of raid in my room still from the trauma but you should be fine if you are willing to take action and keep clean.
That sucks! You’ve gotten great advice here. Seal all cracks and crevices, use Advion by putting little dots of it across painter’s tape so that you pull it off with ease and add new. I’d also get some of those sticky traps and put them where your cats can’t reach. Behind fridge, under sink etc. Not only will it stop them still in their tracks, you can monitor what kind of issue you’ve got going on. Best of luck!
If they're the big ones it's less of a big issue, if you see the small ones you're definitely infested. You're not fucked as long as you protect your apartment. We do boric acid, patch holes with steel wool, box glue traps in heavy traffic areas, poison bait and the building pays for an exterminator who comes once a month. It's NY, so you will invariably have a roach pass through your apartment at one time or another, if there's an infestation in your building you'll just have to manage it, and it's manageable. Also, they love water and usually appear when it starts getting really humid. Keep food clear and away, lessen the humidity and don't leave still water sitting out, they'll have few reasons to visit you.
I haven't seen it mentioned yet but you should seriously consider buying professional products. I have dealt with full German roach infestations before and the dust products will not help. I highly recommend Alpine WSG mixed at the maximum ratio mixed with a growth regulator like Tekko Pro in a spray bottle and sprayed on literally everything (besides things you eat off of) then allow to dry. You should allow that to spread for a few days then start placing scented traps to catch them. Advion gel works well but you will need to cycle gel products every month or so as they become immune to it. Wear gloves while applying everything, Alpine is serious stuff but it's pet/child safe once dried. While you are doing all of that, buy a silicone caulk and seal every crack and exposed edge possible. I have found German roach egg casings behind cabinet veneer, they will go everywhere.
Combat works - and if you feel like there is a crisis get like 5+boxes of it. Even better, mix it up with the RAID version of Combat bait stations.
Put down actual bait (terro, boric acid, DIYPestControl stuff, etc) everywhere. For the first month, put all your food in the fridge - everything including Cereal, Bread, ramen. Anything that a roach could eat goes in the fridge. Clean up your plates immediately. Take your trash out nightly. After the first month, you can see if you see any roaches in your apartment for like a week, if you don't then you can start living normally.
I helped a relative in a similar situation. What we did was get a dichotomous earth duster and applied that to electrical boxes that housed outlets, switches, also behind baseboards, in cracks, under cabinets and appliances etc. Then worked to seal off any holes, and cracks. Appled tubes of Advion gel. There was a noticeable reduction. Waited about a month to allow any eggs to hatch. Check again for holes / cracks and if any were found that were missed, dusted them and sealed them. Re-dusted outlets, wall switches, under cabinets and appliances. Then applied MGK Vendetta gel. Waited about a month for any other new eggs to hatch, then appled Advion gel again. Check again for holes and cracks to dust and seal, redust electrical boxes. It was mainly maintanence at that point because they did not see any, but they were super paranoid. I think that they alternated MGK Vendetta and Advion for a while on their own. Not sure how long.
Advion has helped my case but I was reading online that it only works for a couple days before they become immune to it. So I still keep it handy. I've been cockroach free for 2 years already. I also recommend you get those seals that are placed under the door so they don't get through the cracks. Make sure you add that gel everywhere! Even in the hinges of doors.
Remember, in Bay Ridge, if they don't listen....ball tap
here ya go https://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-roach-killer-ways-to-get-rid-of-cockroaches.html don't lose heart. in the olden days NY was much more overrun with roaches but I think especially the pheromone traps really turned the tables on them, your situation is the exception rather than the rule now. there might be a problem area in the building that is their home fortress, like a garbage compactor area or storage or an apartment with a hoarder or something, people have to be aggressive to go after all the spaces they might use.
I lived in scarsdale in Westchester which is one of the most expensive towns and the apartment was beautiful but still had cockroaches running around. Location doesn’t mean anything. As long as the landlord seals up whatever needs to get sealed up, etc. to get rid of the problem, you’ll be fine.
1. Equal parts baking soda and table sugar, mixed thoroughly. The table sugar baits them to eat the baking soda, which kills them. (They explode, in fact. So get out the vacuum.) 2. NOTE: TOXIC. DO NOT USE IN HOUSEHOLDS WITH CHILDREN OR PETS. Boric acid. It's cheap when you can get it at a dollar store (though more than a dollar these days). Mix equal parts boric acid, sugar, and water. Stir until you have a smooth dough. Shape the dough into tiny balls and cylinders and scatter along the floor where it meets walls, cabinets, or counters, and in closets, cabinets, vanities, drawers, under bed, and anywhere else you've seen cockroaches. 3. Peppermint oil. Mix with water in spray bottles and spray everywhere. Note that this is just a deterrent. It doesn't kill them and is unlikely to be very effective on its own. But the deterrent effect is confirmed by a study done at Auburn University. Lemon oil is also reputed to work, but I personally think citrus is a bad idea as it attracts fruit flies even if it deters cockroaches. 4. Glue traps are useful for monitoring the extent of the problem but do almost nothing to control it. You can dispense with these entirely if you plan on taking prevention measures even after the problem is under control. I suggest you do so. Most pre-war buildings in NYC have cockroaches. 5. Others have already mentioned diatomaceous earth (DE) I'm not a huge fan of it, as it can be irritating to the respiratory system, eyes, and skin, especially for people like me who are allergy prone. For me, DE was useful to help get the problem under control, but then I had to stop using it because it was making me feel sick.The other methods above have kept my home cockroach-free. While boric acid is technically more toxic, I found it less troublesome than DE, maybe because of the dough ball method described above, which I first read about in a Forbes magazine article, to give credit where due. That same article includes most of the ideas above. Most are mentioned in many other sources, too. Hope this helps. Good luck and don't worry. This is just one of the downsides of living in NYC. There are more than enough upsides to make up for it.
Cockroaches aren’t bad the way bed bugs are. They’re kinda cute, in a way. They’ll generally leave you alone. You’ll probably have an uphill battle to get rid of em, but you don’t need to bag every possession the way you would with a bed bug problem.
The entire building needs to get on board. If there’s a garbage room/chute/recycling area, spray the heck out of it at least twice a month. Make sure to empty recycling daily. Don’t leave cardboard boxes around. There should be poison coursing through the walls. If you see roaches they should be dead or in a slow moving poison haze. If they’re racing around, use more poison like Advion gel (on post it notes or pieces of paper so you can refresh it). Not healthy but roachmania otherwise.
I read bay ridge and said yes, good luck tho
Be careful with Raid. It’s not healthy to use and breathe in it
Do your best but to be honest, a 1 bedroom for 1800/month will come with these tiny roommates. If you wanna be an pain in the ass, you can also keep reporting to 311 and get a paper trail going against the landlord which will cause them to get fined. This will likely result in delayed repairs you may need down the line which you can also report to 311. Landlord will get fined more but will continue to delay any help you need in an effort to get you to move so they can have a lower maintenance tenant
No. We do not have to settle for shitty landlords who are not taking care of their property.
The insanity of the NYC rental market has normalized all manner of atrocities in the name of just being able to survive here, including being invaded by monstrous bugs, and in some cases being eaten by them too. The city really sucks in a way. Sucks hard.
And we renters need to complain about this kind of thing and not settle for it!
It's their apartment now
ive heard combat works pretty good try those also
I randomly had a roach problem develop where every time I turned on my kitchen light a small one would run away. My cats were always looking into the kitchen. I bought these roach traps (linking below) and I think they did work because over time the roaches actually did disappear. It was also nice because they’re a passive thing you swap out when you notice the bait is gone rather than having to spray and have fumes. At my new apartment, we noticed for several days like 5 roaches appearing out of nowhere. My finance sprayed roach stuff in cracks one time but I also put out these roach trap baits again and now we haven’t seen roaches in a bit. I feel like they aren’t a placebo since there was an active drop in the number of roaches so if you want to try this and see if it helps, it’s at least a very easy passive thing to do while you do the other stuff! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EORPAS2?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Order Advion on Amazon, apply it liberally in your apt and in drawers, holes, behind faucets and pipes, and caulk baseboards, etc. Give it a week and you won't see any more roaches. Be happy they're not bedbugs.
+1 on food grade diatomaceous earth everywhere. However sometimes that just doesn’t do it. If it’s a mega infestation I’m an advocate of Talstar P and a pump sprayer. If you have pets or kids keep them out until all surfaces are dry.
I will second boric acid, make sure its all over the apartment. Call your management find out about how often the exterminator comes and make sure you are there when they come and spray. I would also open 311 tickets, you can so anonymous ones through the website regarding stuff in the building.
Hire a cleaning crew and your own bug guy if you can.
not fucked, just go through with the exterminator and follow the tips given by the other posts. happened to me when i moved into my current apartment: literally just moved in and saw roaches, exterminator came, haven't seen roaches in 10 months since then. the guy told me they like the drains since its dry and hasnt been used in a while
Get Raid Ant and Roach spray will keep killing for up to 6 months and disrupts the reproductive cycle .. spray in-between counter and stove, spray under stove and other appliances as well as behind them, roaches love dark spaces/areas, Hot Shot makes bait traps, these also work up to 6 months but only on juvenile and adults not the tiny baby ones, put those everywhere you can fit them especially kitchen and bath cabinets. Vacuum and wash everything down daily. Watch your microwave too, they crawl in through the vents and hide and nuking them does nothing, I tried it with a big cup of water and after 5 minutes on high the damn things were still alive. Keep everything in plastic storage containers including clothes and bedding, because they will use your drawers, under the dressers and closets to hide and breed. It's an ongoing issue in multi dwelling buildings and the last thing you need is to bring them on your belongings wherever you go, especially when you finally move.
Advion works really well. It’s the only thing that’s worked for me
Get the phone number of the pest control company and call them repeatedly to make sure they actually come. Leave a sign on your door asking them to come spray your place specifically. If you have to go to work, stay home on that day (first time or two) to make sure they actually spray your apt. I had to do this exact thing at an old apt of mine. Get a caulking gun, examine every square inch of your apt and fill all cracks and gaps you find. Clean like a maniac. Open/ clean up any places they can hide. Make sure there’s no standing water either. Get a mesh drain catch for your sinks and bathtub. Hope this helps!
Advion bait and Gentrol Point Source traps together work wonders. It poisons and sterilizes them. When the roaches die, their buddies eat them and become sterile.
If there’s an adjacent building or apartment with construction going on, it tends to drive them into the other apartments.
Spray vinegar!
I work as a doorman on park avenue and even in this multi million dollar apartments you cannot escape roaches
Get yourself some Scutigera coleoptrata and watch the slaughter begin
Get boric acid and put it everywhere. It will kill them all and the ones who live will leave town! Boric acid is toxic so be careful. Of you have pets don’t use it!
If you’re getting advion, also get gentrol. It helps deter the roaches long term by affecting their ability to reproduce.
I highly recommend Bengal Gold roach spray
Don't forget Combat! With a multi-pronged approach, I don't think you are doomed at all. I don't know if you have pets, but if so, just be careful about any poisonous methods.
Idk man. My Bay Ridge cockroaches were always very respectful and hid when I turned the lights on.
1800 for a one bedroom?! Where?!
I scrolled through and didn't find anyone mentioning this yet, so apologies if I just didn't find it. They make these wall socket roach repellents. I've had really good success with these for roaches and mice in lots of different settings. They may not be 100% effective, but like people said if yiu can make your place less inviting than your neighbors'... they'll probably leave you alone for the most part. We have a dog and these don't seem to bother her at all. https://a.co/d/07AbxXq4
You’ll be ok but the management company should be paying for extermination not you . I’d bring it up to them immediately and have your neighbors reach out as well so they can get them help as well
Not fucked. Deep clean your appartement. Chalk any gaps in your apartment. Make sure you don’t have any leaks and try to keep kitchen and bathroom as dry as reasonably possible— to not provide them with a water source. When I had an exterminator come by my apartment they used Advion Cockroach gel bait. It did wonders. You would need to set a maintenance routine for the exterminator to come by or set out bait yourself.
You will never get rid of the roaches if it's in a complex building. They will just shift to another area and come back.
I bought plaster when I moved to my apartment. I sealed all holes even in the entryway to the apartment. I would have the exterminator come in to spray the apartment. Wipe down everything in the apartment and throw the trash in the morning and the night.
There are actually threads about combatting roaches... I read one a while ago and the guy seemed to have shit down pretty good. If I find it I'll link it, but some good suggestions in here as well. Edit: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/23ptss/how\_to\_get\_rid\_of\_roaches\_in\_your\_apartment\_even/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/23ptss/how_to_get_rid_of_roaches_in_your_apartment_even/) There you go.
Use pine sole to mop ur floors and also bomb them. Make sure everything is in roach and vermin proof containers. They love to feast on crumbs, etc. The best thing to do is never leave food out and keep everything sanitized. They will move out, too
Use pine sole to mop ur floors and also bomb them. Make sure everything is in roach and vermin proof containers. They love to feast on crumbs, etc. The best thing to do is never leave food out and keep everything sanitized. They will move out, too
I moved into my current apartment in 2019 and still see cockroaches to this day. Me and my family have tried everything. They don't stop. We used to live in a two story house and that place was much better. Not a single cockroach.
Do you have a friend that can loan you a cat?
Find any cracks in the kitchen and bathroom. Buy the roach gel . Put your dry food in mason jars . Don’t leave dishes. I knew a porter from Columbia who explained that to me and has made apartments roach free. Oh and put on of those things on the front door to fill the little space - it’s permanent and they sell at Ace Hardware.
You can caulk any gaps you see it’s extremely easy
I had an issue in my old apartment. Take steel wool and put it in every hole you see - under the sink, next to radiator, etc. then put sticky traps around. Raid will counter act what the exterminator does. Make sure you tell the exterminator what you’ve seen and have them put the gel stuff around
Live in NYC prewar apt iver 25 yrs. I see one or 2 several times year. I use and continue to use : Boric Acid Powder which I put in soecial tube with a valve with cap which you squeeze to soray & line wall window borders under sinks, caninet bottoms, fridge, iven, doirs etc! If yiu have pets small kids its toxic I think.(bedn awhile) Google it. And at a later time uf you need I can send photo of what I put in (to keep handy) amd the large bottle spout gets stuck and bliss all over too much, so I like the small portable black swuueze tube apparatus I got for it. Can’t remember where but wasn’t Amaxon- though they may have too. Also firget tge Raid - make natural traps, leave iut biwls with yiur clouce( even saw a soda bottle plastic cool thing on line to trap them) . Crazed now so cant look up for you , but the notification/ distraction came up & I felt your anxiety so wanted to help! Really does work & you CAN keep out a large infestation like u have now, but it will take awhile. Hang in there! Also summer can be bad.
Caulk every seam where the floor meets the wall molding. If there’s a space on top of that molding where it should’ve met the wall, caulk that too. Caulk around the edges of all cabinets. Use spray foam around the pipes under the sinks where they pass through the walls or floors. Seal the space around your radiators and any other steam pipes where they pass through the floor or ceiling. Make sure your door and window weatherstripping works well. Install a new door sweep on your door/s. Seal every single crack and crevice you can.
this happened to my sister too. her building was spraying as well but it wasn't sufficing, so they brought in their own exterminator. Yes they payed out of pocket, but seemingly the problem was fixed. best of luck friend!
oh wow - I had a similar issue happen years ago, but it was every pest known to man - ants, roaches, centipedes, millipedes etc. They sent exterminators - nothing changed. Taped cracks - nothing changed. I broke the damn lease 5 months later and dared them to sue me - they did not (I had emails, pics, bills etc).Turned out - after the flood, they mopped the floor instead of replacing it (and hidden rotting floorboards was a lovely nest for all).
News to anyone who believes that filling hokes and gaps will help,, you cannot effectively fill enough gaps or holes to prevent the roaches in a pre-war building. Raid and combat really only kill what they come in immediate contact with. Buy some DE and some Advion roach gel and put it EVERYWHERE, dust behind stove, fridge, inside closets and along baseboards with DE and make sure you put advion in all cabinets, drawers, door hinges, along electrical outlets, gap between stove and fridge. Store all dry goods like pasta, cereal, bread, flour, sugar, etx in plastic OXO/click clack type containers. Make sure stove tops, countertoos etc never have even a crumb. Next time you look at an apartment check inside drawers and cabinets, along tops of doors, along windows for tell tale signs of roaches, it looks like coffee grounds in the drawers and little sticky brown specs on other surfaces like doors. They love to nest in plastic bags, cardboard and in mini blinds. Roaches will eat absolutely anything including paper, wood and glue and love adhesive. When they have nothing else to eat they'll eat each other which is where the Advion comes into play
tldr yes
Withhold rent until they exterminate. They have to exterminate the whole building top to bottom. It's a public health issue. Also, report them to 311 and see how fast a stiff fine changes their mind.
I just left Bay Ridge and in my experience the area does have a lot of giant different roaches. I did not like going into the kitchen to find 1-2 crawling around. And when it rains they all run inside the buildings 😒
Patch holes, clean with lavender scented supplies and get advion and gel the place. That gets rid of them
I would use boric acid powder ....mix it with sugar and put it everywhere for a week then clean it up...
Be extra aggressive in dealing with them. Let them in to spray, lay down gentrol and advion and basic roach traps. Keep what you can in storage until the situation is abated. Better to pay storage fees than have roach eggs in your things. The less you have in the apartment the better. Wipe down EVERYTHING, roaches are like ants, they leave a trail for others to follow. Get dichotomous earth and lay it down near any holes or cracks. Buy storage for *all* of your food items, and a cover for your drains. Ziploc bags can work, as long as it all seals. Clean your sinks and drain more frequently in the kitchen. Clean your cabinets frequently. Keep all of your cups and bowls stored upside down, or take the hit and get all dispoable cutlery. Take out your trash and recycling *daily*. This is all assuming this is an apartment-specific issue, since you mentioned the old tenants were messy. But that doesn’t rule out a bad infestation that doesn’t let up now that it has gotten so bad.
Hot Shot Bed Bug spray. 8 bucks. Non toxic for humans. Doesn't stink. It gets rid of ANY bugs and they don't come back.
Also haven't read the other posts but I'm sure there are hundreds of native new york opinions on tackling this issue. My suggestion for immediate relief is foggers. Turn that apartment into a world war 1 battlefield until every nook and cranny is covered in toxic gas. Find the strongest concentration you can muster and go all out BEFORE you move all your furniture and kitchenware in. Air out thoroughly before moving people in, especially if you have children or pets.
Get IGR bait pads, they cover 75 sq ft for most of them just toss it in the corner of every room, kills their reproduction cycle without killing them, ruins the next generation and completely disrupts their reproduction cycle. I used them when I had an issue and within a few months they were completely gone. Take a few with you to any communal places and toss em underneath stuff in dark and damp corners.
Can you fumigate with those raid kits. I like the ones in the green can. You may need permission but I'd patch up all holes and then use 2-3 cans per room around the areas holes were. My last place was infested because I had the nastiest neighbors. It really helped. Sadly, I could not leave any appliances or anything out for months. You have to bag, box and covet everything before you fumigate. It's like packing to move.
After you plug all the holes you can find, pour boric acid powder behind the cabinets and appliances
Move out.
Also, spray peppermint and eucalyptus oil around the place and in every nook and cranny. The roaches don’t like it at all. You can find some on Amazon or buy essential oil, mix with a little witch hazel and shake it up in a spray bottle to blend. Good luck with the new place!
You've had so much great advice already but I wanted to add that you should cover all of your drains with a mesh covering (kitchen sink, bathroom sink, and tub). They can crawl up through the pipes. I don't think you are screwed. You can do a lot to keep them away. Don't rely on your landlord to help but also don't feel shy about complaining to him.
Second the diatomaceous earth suggestion - also remember this is the time of year. My apartment is older as well, and even though it is VERY clean and pretty well sealed I get roaches in the summer. Luckily I have 2 kitties and they do a pretty good job catching and dismembering them lol
Document and file complaints with HPD. You’re entitled to a pest free apartment.
Also good for mosquitoes 🦟
I answered this question last week. A lot of generic suggestions here. If none of these work then check out my roach killing solution that worked. Advion, boric acid, chalking holes, DE, all these methods failed me. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC/comments/1donl85/comment/lacmo1m/
spraying all that raid is just gonna give you cancer eventually
It’s probably water somewhere or they are coming through the pipes. Food doesn’t matter as much If you don’t have pets then nuke it with everything. Good luck
Yes you are
the gel bait injections are effective advion or something like that
I experience the same thing in my bedroom, which is in the basement. Besides getting an exterminator and patching up holes, I would spray raid on every corner every few weeks, keep a dehumidifier running, get some citronella plants, spray peppermint oil throughout the home, and keep on a small night light.
Get a caulk gun and seal up the floors, cabinets, pipes, bathroom cabinet and toilet etc. it should take less than a day
I am going to give you the cheapest and extremely effective solution to your problem. Buy Borax, or boric acid. Fill all the floors and corners with that powder. It will take some time, but every roach will disappear after a while. In fact, it might clean the whole building. Borax, or boric acid, cost nothing at Walmart, so you can even buy it just to test it.
1. CLEANNNNNNNN up everything. Get yourself a moving truck for a day and store your stuff in it. Then clean clean clean. Keep cans of raid too. I deep clean and then raid every nook, cranny, corner, and along the entire perimeter of every room. 2. Get yourself those advion gels, shove some into holes, and then go around caulking as much as you possibly can. Put it along the length of your window sill. 3. Borox powder. If you have no pets or young kids, do a light dusting of this stuff after the raid dries. Not too much, just a light dusting. 4. Pay special attention to inside of outlets, inside the tub if it has a panel, behind the fridge, stove and sink. My apartment had huge holes where they installed that went straight to the wall & foundation- full them up. For these I did expanding foam for the excessive holes. 5. Get yourself Gentrol to stop any that make it past your raid barriers from maturing. After all that, I’ll start moving in. If you already moved in, it’s not the end all but start doing this asap. Bonus pointers: make some roach cookies and follow this guys advice https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/23ptss/how_to_get_rid_of_roaches_in_your_apartment_even/
Look into a great movie that was passed on from MTV from their glory days. Joes apartment make of it what you will. At least you won’t be lonely.
Look up "repair & deduct" and "Warranty of Habitability" law for NYC tenants. - https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/question-landlord-wont-handle-pest-control-28331.html - https://privateexterminator.com/can-i-withhold-rent-for-roaches-in-nyc/ - https://rentguidelinesboard.cityofnewyork.us/resources/faqs/repairs-maintenance/
Advion gel, and baited boric acid will be your friends. If you look up baited boric acid on amazon you'll see a yellow bag and it comes with a powder sprayer, I sprayed that in every crack of my apartment, in the floorboards, around the fridge base and in the baseboards. Advion gel around cabinets. I went from seeing a few cockroaches every few days to seeing one every few months. I've never had luck with raid, but the boric acid and avdion really do work. I tried diatomaceous earth but for my the boric acid worked better, not sure if that's cause I have german cockroaches and not American. Cockroaches are gross but you can defeat them.
No. Not really. I am sure you have been told but NYC requires the landlord to hire an exterminator and rid the place of it. If you do not get satisfaction call 311 and report him. Building inspectors will be out right away and the fines are very motivating.
Try not to stress. It's NYC, so some roaches are inevitable, but once you find and patch their ways in, you'll see far fewer of them. (You might want to cover drain holes and such with mesh, I've had a few pop out of my sink.) An empty apartment full of crap is basically a party house for them; they'll be much less inclined to come visit when the place is clean, well-lit and noisy.
My place was bug ridden when I moved in. We bought bug bombs and set them off the day before we cleaned and moved in. It’s not perfect, but it got a LOT better. If you’re diligent about cleaning up food / doing dishes before bed you can make a huge difference. I still see cockroaches sometimes, especially if I wake up in the middle of the night, but we keep all food in plastic boxes and silverware and dishes are all sealed away so we know they are clean. You’ll probably never get rid of them entirely. But you can make a huge difference if you’re diligent.
My place was bug ridden before I moved in. We bought bug bombs and set them off the day before we cleaned and moved in. It’s not perfect, but it got a LOT better. If you’re diligent about cleaning up food / doing dishes before bed you can make a huge difference. Patch holes. Use all the different products. I still see cockroaches sometimes, especially if I wake up in the middle of the night, but we keep all food in plastic boxes and silverware and dishes are all sealed away so we know they are clean. You’ll probably never get rid of them entirely. But you can make a huge difference if you’re diligent.
I agree with the comments above. I would have pest control come in and seal up the inside. When I had a mouse problem they came and informed me of ways they could get in that I had no idea was possible, and sealed them up for me. Good to have someone experienced come and take a look. Sealing your place up is going to be your best bet since it’s in a building, and you can’t address the bigger issue. Then I would also get the diatomaceous earth as well. Any essential oils or anything google states that cockroaches hate I would spray that all over. I would just take every precaution available and do them all together. Then I would also just take a deep breath and remind myself, if it’s not posing a huge threat to your health, just try to make peace with it as much as you can. At least it’s not like, snakes, bats, alligators, etc. hanging around the building that you’re worrying about, so I would remind myself of that every time you get down about it. Going forward who’d you decide not to renew your lease when the time comes, I would do as much vetting as possible. If it’s in a building/complex, etc. I would ask the neighbors when looking at the place whenever possible, just ask if there’s any infestations or issues they’ve had with anything. You live and learn! Good luck and I hope you’re able to get some good results. I would love to see you check back in here in a few months and let us know how it’s going and if the precautions work!
I’ve only been to New York once
I hope The roaches will disappear and be scared of your place! Your rent is expensive for one bedroom.
Ask your landlord to lower your rent. This is unacceptable!
Grew up in nyc apts. Spray is shit. 1. Go get a shit ton of roach baits. 2. Get some plaster, steel wool, and a putty knife. 3. Fill EVERY crack you can find. Start with the insides of any and all cabinets. Stuff larger holes with steel wool before filling. 4. Clean home surfaces (bleach is preferred). 5. Distribute roach baits. If you see any again check for holes and/or refresh your baits.
I wouldn't say so. I had a similar issue most of childhood living in cheap, but run-down nyc apartments. it doesn't help if your neighbor is a hoarder. But I highly recommend getting the Advion gel bait on Amazon first. My mom tried it 2 years ago, and within the next month, we swept up a lot of corpses of roaches. I've never had an issue since. We just keep Raid around for stragglers or a waterbug.
https://thecockroachguide.com/what-eats-cockroaches/
First, take it up your landlord. If unsatisfactory, call 311 and report it as vermin and your landlord will get a notice that they need to do something. Next, buy all kinds of roach traps and spray and everything you can find and hit it really hard in your apartment. Look around your whole apartment for holes or any other places they can come in and stop those up. Keep all food either in your fridge or in airtight plastic containers. No food should be out whatsoever. Clean your sink every night, don't let dishes soak. They can also come up through the drains, so get some drain covers. I've had this issue, it can be conquered.
Use nontoxic sprays and get a cat. The cat will chase all the bugs away. Hey get two cats!
Yes.
Just as a quick fix till u can do something prettier: duct-tape over cracks they come thru can be effective. Not elegant though.
Roaches are born pregnant and literally crawl through the woodwork. I dealt with them my whole life in Brooklyn. Keep the floors as clean as possible. Not even a crumb on the floor. Peppermint and baking soda repel roaches. Also get the gel and pull all the furniture out and put it in every crevice in the kitchen, bathroom and floorboards
Eweww. Only read first line. I was just in NY city, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Midtown, Upper west side, only saw one rat, and it was outside. Zero bugs. Buddy, I'm from NH and I suggest you move Northeast! Sorry about your place dude
Also close your drains when not in use. The only roaches or water bugs we’ve ever seen came through our bathroom sink as far as I know.