One Is Too Many !

We had a massive ant issue about 2 weeks ago and I bought some of the new Ortho Home Defense Max and sprayed all my baseboards, windows, and door frames. I haven't seen one since. It smelled a bit strong, but it dried in about 20 minutes. And it was pretty cheap too!

here is something i found awhile back when i had the same problem, just one roach siting every couple of months, i used boric acid with flour & used the dough balls & cucumber peels, i havent seen one in 6 months
(beware, make sure that you either use old throw away containers to mix boric acid in or sanitize thoroughly before using again.)

Roaches:
1) Mix equal parts boric acid with flour , sprinkle around cracks and crevices or
2) Mix equal parts boric acid with sugar, sprinkle around cracks and crevices or
3) Mix equal parts boric acid with corn meal, sprinkle around cracks and crevices or
4) Diatomaceous earth (pure silica): sprinkle around flours, cracks and crevices or
5) Cucumber peels: set out on counter tops overnight to repel roaches or
6) Mix Borax with a little brown sugar and flour and sprinkle behind appliances, under sink, and in corners. Cockroaches carry the mixture back to their nests or
7) Heloise's Famous Roach Recipe:
1/4 cup shortening
1/8 cup sugar
8 oz. boric acid
1/2 cup flour
Ample water to form a dough

Mix all, form small balls of dough and set out in open plastic sandwich bags (to retain moisture longer, when hardened, replace with new dough)

Is it one of the BIG waterbugs/tree roaches? I am in Texas and that is almost all I ever see in my house. It is not a matter of cleanliness and they are not colonizing like the smaller German cockroaches. They are outdoor insects and are usually coming in through unsealed doors and windows so check for any gaps in your weatherstripping.

I freaked out when I first moved to Houston and saw one of those monsters...I grew up in a colder climate and roaches only infested when things were truly filthy.

Fresh rosemary sprigs in your cabinets will help repel them...you could also soak cotton balls in rosemary oil and strategically place them around. Citrus oil is also a good repellent.

I have an Black and Decker Ultrasonic Pest Repeller and have seen a marked decrease in the number of critters I have running around my old house.

Most commercial inside sprays (like raid) aren't going to work on these guys unless you spray right on them. Applying an insecticide on the outside of your home around doors, windows and foundations may be more effective. Also, spray around any debris piles that you may have...they like decaying wood.

You can get an ultrasonic pest repellent that plugs into the outlet and WILL rid your house of any pest. It does work!! The only "downside" I've found is that 1 may not work for an entire floor, so you may need a few.
But, there are no harmful chemicals, no chemical odor, and peace reigns.
Good luck whatever you choose to do!!!

There's never 'just one'. Make sure your food is secured in the fridge and in tight sealed plastic storage boxes. I'd call the exterminator as many times as it took to get rid of them. And this may be hard if a neighbors house is infested and keeps re-infesting the neighborhood. If there are signs a neighbors house is a problem, call the county health dept and see if they can inspect the property. Your problem will keep coming back until the source is eliminated. They are coming in from somewhere. Good luck!

you cant stop them, they can eat wood. Its not your house thats attracting them, i run a tight ship and like you, once a month ill see one. I like bengal, it seems to get em.

We have a pest co. that comes out every other month. Our technician has educated me a lot. In the case of roaches, it has no reflection on your house keeping skills other than those houses who are a little more unkept hide them better. As far as getting in it has to do a lot with the rain. When we have a lot of rain their "homes' get flooded and they start looking for higher ground, i.e. your house. They also "jump" from shrubs & trees. We were told to trim back our bushes next to the house and trim an tree limbs that may be overhanging our decks and roof.

We rarely see any. I might see a dead one or two in the garage the day after the pest co. comes out and sprays.

Is it a small household roach or a waterbug? Waterbugs can't really be helped. We get one every once in a while but they are like those wolf spiders. They get in sometimes by accident.

My older son, who is a professional in the field of food safety, says that if you see an occasional roach, you may assume there are others hanging about that you don't see. He says the ones you see in the daytime are the ones who didn't get enough to eat the night before. Roaches do not enjoy the company of people.

But I also hear that the extermination profession offers more options these days, so ask your Alpharetta neighbors for recommendations, and talk to the people about what will happen to your house if they roach-hunt there.

Yes the boric acid and the fog bombers are the best! I suggest boric acid near the doors and any place that you see them the most. Remember roaches love to be near "water" and dirty dishes are a no, no. The fog bombers are strong and powerful. You have to clear the house and leave the bombs near the area you find most populated with roaches. When you return to the house the fog bomb will have dead roaches laying everywhere. These two products are life savers and I use them wherever I move because you never know what's hiding in your house. I live in Hawaii and there are flying roaches, geckos, water bugs and all kinds of funny looking critters. Better safe than sorry.......P.S. the plug ins are helpful also but not more than the other too products.

Is it the large ones or the small ones?

The small ones are way more insidious. I lived in NYC, which is full of roaches, and I can remember turning on the light in the middle of the night and cockroaches scurrying to all corners of the kitchen. Those were the little roaches, that breed in your home. (Don't blame me, it was my father's apartment and I was a kid. It was also the Chelsea Hotel. Known for its rockers and artists, not necessarily its cleanliness.)

The large roaches, however, tend to live and breed outdoors and occasionally find their way in. So if you are finding one of those here and there, simply remove it.

I don't think roaches ever travel solo!
Personally I would bomb the house with the foggers and then clean the surfaces really well to remove the residue.
I think they have those "roach motels" that you can place around the kitchen.