January
1997
Quit
Bugging Me! Suggestions for a Roach Free Life
By Julie Hughes
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The majority of us have had experiences
with the notorious cockroach. Especially in major cities -
New York City leaps to mind - where congestion and large amounts
of trash and rubbish abound, these vermin are sure to make
an appearance. The roach is the most ancient of insects; their
species existed before the dinosaurs. These are hearty creatures
who need few requirements to make suitable homes for themselves.
Roaches have almost no natural enemies with the exception of
extreme cold, which they cannot withstand. There are 3,500
species of roach, but only 50 of these are household pests.
Most humans still lack the reverence and respect of which these
creatures are, perhaps, worthy. Here, Satya offers a few cruelty-
and toxic-free ways to rid your home of these resilient bugs.
Cleanliness is Next to Buglessness
The most effective way to ensure that your home remains virtually roach-free
is to keep it impeccably clean. Most experts agree on the preventive
methods one should use to roach-proof a house:
Keep your home clean and free of food particles and the like.
Wash dishes thoroughly to remove grease stains from all kitchen utensils.
Close up any crevice in which roaches may be able to hide.
Leave no water source whatsoever - roaches can survive without food
for a while, but not water. That means fixing dripping taps and not
over-watering houseplants, since soil is a great place for roaches
to sip water.
Eat in only one or two easily-cleanable rooms.
Place open bags or boxes - of chips, tea, cereal, etc. - in glass jars
with screw-on lids.
Keep compost as far from the house as possible, and keep your trash
in a container with a very tight lid.
Take your recycling out promptly and avoid letting old food cans or
newspaper and magazine stacks pile up.
Seal up common roach entryways by filling in holes where pipes disappear
into walls with steel wool or caulk. When you move apartments, check
all your bags and containers. You may be carrying roaches from one
apartment to the other.
The
Big Chill
Lower the temperature in your home. This causes roaches to have slower
growth rates and extended gestation periods.
The Smell of Victory
Try herbal remedies. Certain herbs smell horrible to the average cockroach.
According to David George Gordon, author of The Compleat Cockroach,
liquid extracts of lemon grass, peppermint, basil, lavender, citronella,
and angelica herbs inhibit a cockroach's foraging. Another herbal repellent
is the yellow-green fruit of the Osage orange tree. Gordon recommends
dabbing some of these herbs - sold in oil form - in crevices, corners
or wherever you may have spotted these creatures in the past. However,
the effect may be temporary. Perhaps a better method is to place whole
bay leaves in several locations around infested rooms, including inside
kitchen cabinets. Roaches can't stand bay leaves.
If, after employing these methods, your tiny roommates remain, it may
be time to accept their presence in your life. They have been around
for just about forever and will continue to thrive and adapt to whatever
conditions the earth bestows upon them.
Sources: The Compleat Cockroach, by David George Gordon,
TenSpeed Press: Berkeley (1996), and "Safe and Natural Solutions
to Insects" by Alison Green, PETA Staff Writer.
Weird Roach Facts
The world's largest roach lives in South America and is six inches
long with a one-foot wingspan.
Cockroaches have six hairy legs, at least 18 knees, and spend three-quarters
of their time resting.
Cockroaches have been used as cough syrup, to treat dropsy, irregular
urination, poultices to reduce inflammation after being stung, and
to cure indigestion.
