[Debbie]

Ok, I have spent the last 8 mths in NZ saying to everyone how great it was that there are so few 'critters' here only to see


1 whitetail spider :exit a couple of weeks ago
and this week I saw my first cockroach:exit and yes horror of horrors it was alive and in my house,(well untill it had half a can of raid sprayed on it).

Well, because of the bank hols I havent been able to sort out a sprayer for the house but I'm running out of bleach and I can't sleep because of nightmares that I'll see another one.

I know that a lot of you have had the bug man spray your houses and wanted an Auckland bases recommendation. I know Park city gave me a number in the summer for flies but I've lost it so if you are reading this please PM me. This is urgent as I have to arrange someone tomorrow as I need some sleep.

Ta loads, a very tired and nurotic Debbie

[Tia Maria]

I've PM'd you.

Cheers

Tia

[Sam B]

Ha! 2 days ago I was fumbling around getting dressed with my eyes half shut in the morning on a work day. I reached for my dress hanging over the back of the chair, and as I pulled it over my head, I heard the sound of something largish and scuttly dropping to the floor. My eyes sprung open just in time to see an ENORMOUS cockroach scuttling off under the mirror. Screamed the place down. My 10 year old removed it (with her bare hands - she's a freak). Have been haunted ever since by what would have happened if it HADN"T FALLEN OUT ....

[Lupin]

My kids catch ours and flush them down the loo. They don't bite or do anything other than look offensive, so I wouldn't worry too much.

Yet to see a white tail but my 9 yr old says her and her freinds found one at school and the local kids promptly showed her how to deal with them!

[Debbie]

Thanks Tia,
I called the lady and she asked me if it was an indoor or out door roach:no
"I didn't stop to look closley at it" I replied.
I am still in shock that I found this thing in my en-suit of all places:eek:

I have a concreat floor and non opening windows in there but a very large extractor fan outlet. The bug lady tells me they like it wet and warm!!

Does anyone know if you can get Detox, (smell & taint free disinfectant type thing) in NZ, my house smells like Jenola and pinefresh and Im driving OH mad with my neurosis.

Sam, I admire your and your daughters bravary but ......
Have to say, as an upside, I don't get out of bed in the night to use the bathroom any more.
Debbie (with a new cure for weak bladders:laugh )

[Tia Maria]

I think if you have cockroaches in the kitchen then you have to treat them, here is one of many descriptions I found on the internet of how cockroaches can affect you:

Since cockroaches spend a lot of time indoors they can remain active throughout the year. Cockroaches adversely affect human health in several ways: they sometimes bite feebly, especially gnawing the fingernails of sleeping children; they contaminate food, imparting an unpleasant odor and taste; and they may transmit disease organisms on their body parts.

In addition, cockroach excrement and discarded skins (dander) contain a number of allergens to which sensitive people may develop allergies. In fact, exposure to cockroach allergen early in life may actually contribute to the development of asthma in susceptible children. This means that a child with the predisposition for asthma could go for years without onset of asthma (under the right conditions). However, under other conditions such as living in, or going to school in, cockroach-infested buildings, the child may develop asthma. Asthma-related health problems can occur anywhere, but are most severe among children in inner-city areas. Cockroach-infested housing is at least partly to blame. In one study of 476 asthmatic inner-city children, one-half of the children's bedrooms had high levels of cockroach allergen in dust. That study also found that children who were both allergic to cockroach allergen and exposed to high levels of this allergen had 0.37 hospitalizations a year, as compared with 0.11 for other children.

Many human disease-causing organisms have been found on the legs, other body parts, or fecal pellets of cockroaches. Accordingly, most health officials consider cockroaches to be mechanical transmitters of disease agents and like to see them kept out of schools and school cafeterias. Several researchers have obtained data indicating that the insects may be most commonly implicated in the transmission of Salmonella.

(Found on: www.schoolpestfacts.com/goodard_cockroaches.htm )

I haven't had them here but I did when I was living in Florida, the worst thing was coming back late at night, turning on the light and watching them all scurrying for cover. They can have lots of babies so if you see one, chances are there are lots more. We use to have everything in tupperware and cereal bags 'clipped' as they still got in closed boxes.

The worst experience I had was when I was trying to sleep, no PJs, on top of the covers because it was so hot and I looked up to see a giant cockroach on the ceiling before I knew what had happened it got caught on the ceiling fan and landed right on me! :wah

I also saw a dead one outside the scan room of my local hospital, when I went back 3 weeks later it was still there.

Cheers

Tia

[Milliemoo]

Thanks, I didn't really have much of a problem with roaches until I read all that :exit

I find stamping on them more enviromentallly friendly than spraying :p

Milliemoo

[Lupin]

Feeling much less chilled about roaches since reading that!!!!!!!!!

Our rental was treated a short while before we moved in so we don't see many but I shall now treat them witha little more urgency :exit

[Tia Maria]

:laugh :laugh :laugh

Sorry about that!

Cheers

Tia

[Glo & Gil]

Ha! 2 days ago I was fumbling around getting dressed with my eyes half shut in the morning on a work day. I reached for my dress hanging over the back of the chair, and as I pulled it over my head, I heard the sound of something largish and scuttly dropping to the floor. My eyes sprung open just in time to see an ENORMOUS cockroach scuttling off under the mirror. Screamed the place down. My 10 year old removed it (with her bare hands - she's a freak). Have been haunted ever since by what would have happened if it HADN"T FALLEN OUT ....


HI

I am scared to death of c....., even scared to write it through. Here in Mauritius we do have them. I have a Target spray in one and every room so that I am armed in no time. if one is in the bedroom at night I awake on the spot , no kidding.

I think I am having second thought :exit


glo

[Sam B]

GNAWING ON CHILDREN@S FINGERNAILS WHILST THEY SLEEP!!!!!! OMG I'm going to be sick.

[spudulike]

I find stamping on them more enviromentallly friendly than spraying :p



Don't stamp on them - they carry their eggs underneath so if you stamp on them you get the eggs under your shoes etc and spread them all over the house!!

We regularly get cockroaches in the house if the windows are open on an evening - probably spray at least one a day. I've also found more white tailed spiders than I care to count. Apparently they don't spin webs themselves but stand on another spiders web to wobble it then wait for said spider to come and see if it's caught a juicy fly, and promptly eats it! Otherwise it is likely to seek refuge in the clothing you have thrown on the floor - we've found them in the arms of clothes, in the utility area etc.....

Weta's are the other interesting critter you'll find here -may also be found in wellies and clothing left outdoors!!

L :D

[Milliemoo]

Don't stamp on them - they carry their eggs underneath so if you stamp on them you get the eggs under your shoes etc and spread them all over the house!!



:eek::eek::eek:

*faints*

Milliemoo

[Sam B]

Off to the warehouse to buy 2 tonnes of tuppaware. Trying not to puke.

[Lupin]

Have just removed everything from pantry and scoured the shelves and put open packets in fridge.

Feel queasy :(

[Cardy]

We saw a few cockroaches when we moved in our house and there were tons of spiders so we had the house spiderproofed !! the stuff he used kills cockroaches to and he gaurantees it for 6 months Cost $170 !! well worth it:D

[Sam B]

But I don't like chemicals.... is there any other solution?

[Cardy]

But I don't like chemicals.... is there any other solution?

The old method BIG SLIPPER AS HARD AS YOU CAN :laugh :clap

[Lupin]

That's a mean looking duck Cardy :laugh

[Debbie P.]

Don't mind cockroaches so much (don't like them but can cope), but have a serious phobia of spiders. :exit How effective is it to get the house treated? I assume it's fairly effective as I know people in Australia have it done - with more reason too! And how often does the treatment have to be repeated?

[Moorf]

We're about to have our spiderproofing redone - we had it done just over a year ago, inside and out ($300) and it has appeared to work for all that time although it was only guaranteed for 6 mths. Only in the last couple of weeks have I see a live spider indoors, hence thoughts of getting it redone. I think my 2 robocan's have also, over the last year, contributed to the body count. I can only judge its effectiveness by the fact that I've seen perhaps 2 live spiders in the house since it was sprayed, and they were dead when I next saw them :D

You could also do the spraying yourself by buying the kits from Mitre10 / Bunnings etc, but I prefer to let someone else rummage in my undergrowth (with all the spiders...) :exit

Never seen a 'roach in NZ... hope it stays that way.... plenty of mice here though but they're easy to deal with ..... *SNAP* ...... :D

[speckythecky]

Used to work nights as security in a hospital and played football with the cockroaches. They always won because it was one against many but there was always lots of injurys and deaths on their team.

You can get traps for cockroaches which basically is an upturned piece of sticky tape that they get stuck to - not as effective as chemicals but the death toll in the morning can be high.

[Debbie P.]

You could also do the spraying yourself by buying the kits from Mitre10 / Bunnings etc, but I prefer to let someone else rummage in my undergrowth (with all the spiders...)


Couldn't agree more :eek:

It's a relief to know the stuff works. I'm such a wimp - can't even cope with the UK spiders... mind you, in the last couple of years, some of those house spiders have been whoppers :exit

[Juniper]

I had a hard time believing the fingernail eating thing...sounded like an urban legend, but after a little internet scoping it would appear to be true! Plus it's not just fingernails, and it's not just children. They also like hair and skin. But mainly fingernails, seemingly. I don't know why, although their wings are made of keratin, so maybe they are stocking up on some raw material....

GROSS.

Another little note, while checking on my favorite urban legend debunking site, I came across something that confirms you REALLY don't want to use too many bug bombs at once, at least not while you have a pilot light on...
http://www.snopes.com/humor/follies/bugbomb.asp

Critters are a big deal to me, I am a bit psyched out by what could sneak into NZ by way of Australian containers, since that seems to be the main source of arachnid nasties...

They seem to gravitate towards water sources, because they need water to survive. It doesn't mean they are getting in through the bathroom window or whatever...we used to find spiders in the shower periodically until we figured out they were coming in under the door between the office and the basement storage area, a couple rooms away! Now we always keep a towel stuffed under there.

What geographical areas are the roach sightings in, so far? I've never had to live with roaches before, not keen to start...

[Juniper]

oh yeah, here's my old thread about freakin out over bugs...ug

http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=6155

i'm sure you can find more with a search...maybe too much fuel for the fire, but i'd prefer that to "oh my god what IS that!"

[spudulike]

I prefer to let someone else rummage in my undergrowth (with all the spiders...)



Sounds uncomfortable, not to mention embarrassing if you have your bikini line done regularly :laugh :laugh

L

[Debbie]

Never seen a 'roach in NZ... hope it stays that way.... :D

That's because your country spiders are big enough to eat them:exit


Joking aside, I'm sure having poulty must help keep the nasty bugs down. When we had ducks as kids they used to eat everything smaller than them in the garden. I've read that there was an tradtional Maori gardeners trick of tethering a hungry seagull to your veg patch for pest control. It's kind to the enviroment and at last a usefully purpose for seagulls:)

Debbie

[Jules]

Sounds uncomfortable, not to mention embarrassing if you have your bikini line done regularly :laugh :laugh

L

:laugh :laugh

Jules

[Cindy]

stupid question #1

I know it helps to have a cats to deter small rodents but does it also work to deter insects?

stupid question #2

I've seen roaches in the States (also called water bugs). They are not only massive in size but they also fly. Do ones in NZ fly?

[Milliemoo]

stupid question #1

I've seen roaches in the States (also called water bugs). They are not only massive in size but they also fly. Do ones in NZ fly?

OMG that truely is the stuff of nightmares! :eek::eek::eek:

*promtly faints for the second time this week *

Milliemoo

[Cindy]

Milliemoo,

My husband had one fly from the ceiling to the back of his neck. I have never seen a grown man scream like a little girl 'til that night. He is from the midwest so he had never seen one 'til he moved to Los Angeles. After 7pm, when walking down Santa Monica Blvd in West LA, it is very difficult not to step on them for they are zig zagging under your shoes. Sounds like fortune cookies. I found one stow away from the office to my home in my briefcase. I never slip my shoes off while typing away at my desk. A co-worker sharing the office with me had an unpleasant surprise when she stuck her feet back in her shoes and felt a sickening crunch.

[Moorf]

Sounds uncomfortable, not to mention embarrassing if you have your bikini line done regularly :laugh :laugh

L

:laugh No spiderwebs there tho :laugh

Debbie - you could have hit on something there - since we've been here the chooks have been able to wander around the house and they're often along the foundations pecking away and scoffing bugs so perhaps they've helped a lot too!

Geographically speaking - has anyone in the South Island had roaches in the house - I'm rather hoping it's too cold for them down here - nearly 3 yrs, 3 houses and 3 South Island locations and I haven't seen one yet - even on our travels!

[Trigirl]

never seen them anywhere in NZ yet but the only place i've ever seen that had roach spray actually in the hotel rooms was maruia springs in SI. so it can't be completely immune.

[Moorf]

Oh b.b.b.bother.... :exit

Mind you, from what I've heard of that place the roaches are the only ones who stay there more than one night! :D

[Debbie]

Sorry Moorf,
I knew many people who had roach problems in their student rentals when I lived in East London, their flats mights have been marginally warmer than a south Island NZ home but not much in it.
Thing about roaches is that it's claimed they would be the only thing likly to live through nuclear fallout. They can live anywhere, will eat everything and breed like mad.
I inherited a phobia of them from my dad who as a young lad worked in a fizzy drink factory; they used to catch 2 roaches, stick them in an empty sterile bottle, pressurize it and cap it. The winner of the bet was the one with the most roaches in the bottle after a week.
I was also told not to stamp on them because of spreading the eggs.

YUK!

Booked my bug man, he's very busy ..... OH still thinks it's a lot of fuss for 1 roach which was probably an out door one caught indoors by mistake. Do I care:no , we are getting sprayed and I'll budget it in for next yr as well.

Debbie

[Moorf]

OH still thinks it's a lot of fuss for 1 roach which was probably an out door one caught indoors by mistake. Do I care:no , we are getting sprayed and I'll budget it in for next yr as well.

Believe me, after a few nights of you waking him to investigate the bedroom every time you hear something "scuttle" he'll be very pleased for you to have the house sprayed... weekly if necessary! :D

[Debbie]

Believe me, after a few nights of you waking him to investigate the bedroom every time you hear something "scuttle" he'll be very pleased for you to have the house sprayed... weekly if necessary! :D

:laugh :laugh

Debbie, (O' I wish Northshore would let me keep chooks, It would be so much easier)

[Juniper]

Definitely worth the peace of mind, if you can abide the chemicals. Otherwise you'll be a wreck, wondering what's just out of sight! As with all pests, you want to catch them before they breed a ton.

Here's the 4 species found in NZ, the "German" one is the kind that carries eggs instead of dropping them immediately, and is also the classic kitchen pest that best loves the indoors. At least they are smaller than the outdoor ones...

http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/biosystematics/invertebrates/invertid/listpage.asp?Ca_ID=47

Here's a pic of their different life stages/genders, roughly life size (German one):
http://www.naturalsciences.org/conservation/invasives/photos/roaches.jpg

Pleasant, isn't it...

I am totally with you on the phobia, although it's spiders for me. Sometimes when I am half-asleep, I hallucinate seeing a spider on the pillow or dropping down. When I wake up (immediately of course) and hit the lamp, I realize there is nothing there, and there wasn't even enough light for me to see anything in the first place.

So spray away, whatever helps you sleep!!


(http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/biosystematics/invertebrates/invertid/listpage.asp?Ca_ID=47)

[Sam B]

I like the way they have pins stuck in them - it's a good look for a roach. Mine was a large American I think.

[Juniper]

The same thing crossed my mind about the pins!:laugh

[Milliemoo]

I like the way they have pins stuck in them - it's a good look for a roach.

LOL I had to look twice at that.... I thought they'd morphed into some evil roach/Dalek hybrid :D

Milliemoo

[Debbie]

I like the way they have pins stuck in them - it's a good look for a roach. .

It's the only way I want to see another roach.:D

Debbie

[kanatakiwi]

still worth it using the traps in between the spraying, its amazing how many can get in the trap and since we used the traps (8 months ago)
we havent seen ... touch wood, fingers crossed. .

[Moorf]

In today's paper... more Aussie imports...

Thanks to my hubby for pointing this out to me :exitWould someone please get ready to catch Milliemoo - I see a faint coming on... :D

The spiders are known to catch small birds.http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4040588a7693.html

[zardell]

Quote - "it would probably be undesireable to be bitten" !!!!!!!

Too right it would !!!!!

I could never get close enough to be bitten in the first place....


:exit


Julie

xx

[jubjub]

Hubby was reading about the spiders too Moorf... inventive little critters arent they?? MAF need to start doing helicopter patrols!

[Milliemoo]

In today's paper... more Aussie imports...

Thanks to my hubby for pointing this out to me :exitWould someone please get ready to catch Milliemoo - I see a faint coming on... :D

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4040588a7693.html

*thud*

Milliemoo

[jubjub]

*Waves smelling salts*

[Milliemoo]

*reaches for the single malt*

Milliemoo

[thezorbster]

Spiders are my absolute phobia so thanks all for these lovely posts!

On holiday in Belize a few years ago we did a blackwater rafting trip which involves paddling and floating on big inflatable tubes along a river and through some caves. There was a fallen tree across the river, very low to the water that we had to negotiate our way under and just as we were merrily approaching it the guide said 'watch out for the fish spiders on the tree'. Well guess who freaked out! I fell off my tube at the thought of 'fish spiders' and the fact that I had to negotiate my way under them, inches from my head. It took me ages to pluck up the courage to get past them but I was finally very, very brave! We then entered the cave (I didn't dare think of the fish spiders that may be lurking inside) but then fell off again when the current pushed me into the wall of the cave and I disturbed a roost of bats that started flying around my head! I don't actually mind bats - it was just the shock!

[Juniper]

do they catch fish, or are they the SIZE of fish???

[Debbie P.]

Here's a link to a page about the golden orbweb (and similar spiders), so we can all freak out further :eek:

http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/orb_weaving_spiders.htm

[speckythecky]

Get a wasps nest inthe house again, 3 yrs on the trot. This time is is in the cavity wall and not sure how to get rid. Have blocked up 2 entry routes much to the annoyance of the little &^%$#@! but can't get to 1 other entrance, not sure if they have found any other ways in yet.

Last year used ant powder as part of the removal process but don't want to leave white powder on walls this year as it doesn't look good for the rental market,

Any hints?

[thezorbster]

do they catch fish, or are they the SIZE of fish???

Both! Enormous and furry!:exit

[aberdian]

Any hints?

Rentokil?

[Magsnags]

OMG eek eek, I hate creepy crawlies, but I was laughing all the way through reading these posts - probably a reaction to the fear!!
Hope you've all recovered from the shocks now?
Maggie

[DrPhred]

I'm ok with spiders. I live in an old house (135 years old) and I get spiders and other guests.
But cockroaches I can't deal with. When I was a poor guy right out of college I lived in some sub-standard housing that was infested. Used to wake up when one would run across me in my sleep. I said never again.
I hope they aren't to common in NZ. They might keep me away!

[clg]

The sprays bother me much more than the bugs do. We have not seen any roaches around, I would put out bait if we did, but we do have a lot of spiders around the house. I ignore the spiders (except the odd white tail which I smash), and let them build away since I figure they help control things like flies and other bugs which bother me more. I like to see what they can catch in their webs they are quite effective at catching things!

My 4 year old daughter will pat a spider that I catch!

Chris

[Juniper]

I am bothered by the idea of constantly spraying, too. Especially those ones that let out little bursts of poison periodically, keeping the whole house blanketed. Effective, probably, but doesn't that mean the humans and pets are taking a dose as well? Can't be good in the long term.

[Tia Maria]

Speckythecky wrote:

Get a wasps nest inthe house again, 3 yrs on the trot. This time is is in the cavity wall and not sure how to get rid. Have blocked up 2 entry routes much to the annoyance of the little buggers but can't get to 1 other entrance, not sure if they have found any other ways in yet.

When we had a wasp nest in the UK we got somone round to spray and he offered a guarantee that if they came back within the next 2 years he would come back and spray for free.

They never came back and I suspect if the job is done well, they won't for a couple of years.

He sprayed the nest and a couple of other areas he considered trouble spots.

As the spraying can make them angry I paid him first, hid in the house and waved goodbye to him through the closed windows! :o

Cheers

Tia

[Moorf]

I am bothered by the idea of constantly spraying, too. Especially those ones that let out little bursts of poison periodically, keeping the whole house blanketed. Effective, probably, but doesn't that mean the humans and pets are taking a dose as well? Can't be good in the long term.

I have 2 of the poison-puffers around this place, and have done for 1.5 yrs and they're in constant use. I suspect my house is nicely covered with a layer of pyrethrins (sp) - however I decided it was a) better for my mental health and b) I've traded off car fumes and city air so I'm hoping I've got my toxic input in balance :D

[Juniper]

I guess you gotta choose your evil... :(

[Debbie]

Well I've calmed down a lot since seeing that roach. I've been brave enogh to check all the bathroom cupboards and cistren and hot water cupboard and glad to say NO more roaches to be found.

But now I'm a bit calmer I have decided that it's best to check out this spray with my son's allergy consultant as I don't want that making him ill. We have the timer cans but have let the batteries run out on them as the summer flies have past. The thing that worries me is if he has a reaction to the industrial stuff it's stuck with us for at least 6mths. With the robocans he was fine but if there was a problem you could just remove them. Also, I've been advised that you should advoid hoovering for 2 weeks after the industrial spray to get the best use from it. For roaches because it's 2 applications a fortnight apart it would mean no hoovering for a month:exit That's as likley to make my son ill because of all the dust as anything.

I've got an apt tomorrow with his consultant, I'll try and remember to let you all know what he has to say about the sprays.

Debbie

[speckythecky]

I've been advised that you should avoiid hoovering for 2 weeks after the industrial spray to get the best use from it. For roaches because it's 2 applications a fortnight apart it would mean no hoovering for a month
Debbie

Thats a great excuse for not doing any housework, shame about the effect of the dust on your son. Suppose you have to decide which is worse, the little critters or the effect of the dust / spray on the asthma

[Debbie]

Dr said that she had never treated anyone because they have had their house treated but there are lots of different versions of house spraying and she didn't know what effect the chemicals might have, (well I wouldn't have expected her to). However, not being able to hoover or wet dust would increase the exposure to dust and increase the risk to my son.
Debbie

[Moorf]

:exit

Doctor finds spiders in boy's ear

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1120AP_ODD_Spider_Boy.html?source=mypi

[willowshouse]

Nice little human interest story!!

We were at Piha over the Easter hols and my 11 year old spotted a small spider crawling into my 7 year old's ear .... luckily she shouted and I managed to get it out before it crawled right inside :)