Friday, October 19, 2007

Charlotte and the Exterminator

We have used an exterminator on a regular basis since moving to this house, surrounded by towering pine trees, which bring with them great big Wood Roaches.

It's about time for a visit, but then I realized ...

The exterminator sprays outside the house, too.

He sprays in the garden where Ariadne and Cassandra live.

No, no, that won't do! They are still spinning gorgeous webs everyday, thrilling us with their brilliance.

So, we're holding off. And I'm looking for better ways to not have roaches roaming the house. Will take suggestions, IF you've tried them yourself. Don't just google a recipe for roach cookies.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, those roaches. The only thing I don't miss about the Southwest. Only time I've ever heard my husband scream was when we heard this rustling outside after moving into our first house together in AZ. It was dark, he took the flashlight outside to see what was making the noise: the house had been empty for a year (repo), and all the oranges had fallen to the ground and rotted there. And covering all the rotten fruit? Roaches! I still have nightmares and I never went out once I heard him scream!

No recipes, just sympathies. Good luck!

Chalicechick said...

My cat used to catch them. It wasn't perfect, but it helped.

CC

Stephanie said...

Did you try diatomaceous earth? It's sold at gardening stores and isn't poisonous (but it's lethal to insects).

Steven Rowe said...

there's a reason we call them Palmetto bugs..... (I need to state to some that SC is the Palmetto state). I have to agree with CC about cats - although my old cats must be better than hers....(of course Ive seen cats kill snakes).


but wouldn't it be easier just to ask the company to spray inside but not out?
do you have a contract?

Anonymous said...

Boric acid. It works, it's cheap and if used properly, it's safe. It IS toxic, but not to the same degree as the stuff the exterminator uses. Just be sure to put it in out of the way places the children and animals can't get to. Behind the fridge, the stove, the backs of non food storage cupboards etc.