Wood Cockroaches and Box Elder Bugs

I've got a problem with both Wood Roaches (you know, the smaller, harmless, cleaner, diurnal relatives of house roaches), and Box Elder bugs. I live next to the woods, and these damned things wander into my house constantly, and I can't figure out where they're coming in at. I've looked at vents, doors, windors, etc, and I can't figure it out.

They are scaring the $#it out of my 2 and 4 year old, even though both species won't replicate in the house, and don't cause any harm. I still don't like having the little buggers around.

Any suggestions?? Are there any chemical barriers available?? Anyone else have this problem??

I screwed around for a couple of years trying to get rid of the ants around my house, to no avail. I called an exterminator last year, no more ants. Give the professionals a call, you won't be sorry.

I did a search on the internet about wood roaches, and most exterminator places suggested just putting up with them, as they never establish themselves indoors. A couple of places even suggested that treating firewood (breeding ground for these things) does no good, and isn't recommended. It still looks bad during a party when one of those brown suckers runs across the floor between all of your guests, and they instantaneously think you have a roach problem.

I know they make some sort of barrier spray for ants---I wonder if this would work for the wood roaches.

ok before I even start this is gona sound retarded but bear with me . . .

1. p1ss in a jug for about a week and save it. The older and worse it smells the better
2. take 1 cup of that p1ss
3. a cup of lemon scented dishsoap
4. a cup of tobaco juice (a GOOD pinch into a quart of boiling water steep until ya get everything ya can outa it)
5. fill a 20 gallon hose end sprayer about half full with water, other half with the mix of p1ss, juice, and soap
6. spray everything in your yard every week until they leave

I will make your grass green as all hell and grow like a SOB but works like a charm.

Roaches **shudder**. I had a nasty apartment with a major roach problem right after I got out of college. I only wish they had been wood roaches.

I don't know if there's anything you can do for box elder bugs. Every year we get a ton of them here.

Biermann said:

I've got a problem with both Wood Roaches (you know, the smaller, harmless, cleaner, diurnal relatives of house roaches), and Box Elder bugs. I live next to the woods, and these damned things wander into my house constantly, and I can't figure out where they're coming in at. I've looked at vents, doors, windors, etc, and I can't figure it out.

They are scaring the $#it out of my 2 and 4 year old, even though both species won't replicate in the house, and don't cause any harm. I still don't like having the little buggers around.

Any suggestions?? Are there any chemical barriers available?? Anyone else have this problem??

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Do you have bird feeders around? All I know is, we dont have a box elder bug problem and the name of my street is Box Elder Arch and these trees line the street. But we have tons of birds everywhere, maybe they eat them...

John's right Bier. If the kids are getting freaked by em' screw it and hire someone to take the little bastards out.

Before I had this house I had an apartment that was LOVED by wasps. I'd find corpses all the time but never saw em' moving. The kicker came one morning though as I was trying to get my eldest (he was 3 at the time) out the door and he said "Look daddy, a fly" as I see this bugger hovering over his head... That was it. Phone call+Landlord+Exterminator=End of Story.

I tolertate insect life outside to a point. But come into my space? Dead bug.

Ize

Both my parents are entomologists and I will ask if they have any suggestions. However, give your local university extension a call, chances are they get calls like this all the time.

Pumbaa said:

ok before I even start this is gona sound retarded but bear with me . . .

1. p1ss in a jug for about a week and save it. The older and worse it smells the better
2. take 1 cup of that p1ss
3. a cup of lemon scented dishsoap
4. a cup of tobaco juice (a GOOD pinch into a quart of boiling water steep until ya get everything ya can outa it)
5. fill a 20 gallon hose end sprayer about half full with water, other half with the mix of p1ss, juice, and soap
6. spray everything in your yard every week until they leave

I will make your grass green as all hell and grow like a SOB but works like a charm.

Click to expand...

How in the hell would you ever think to concoct such a nasty combo of ingredients? Does this actually work and have you done it yourself, or are you just seeing if someone would actually make this, spray it around their house, and own up to it?

There are so many ways they can get in. Vents in your roof, through the door when you open it, holes in window screens, where wires enter your house...

Get a kitten. Nothing more fun for a kitten than killing box elder bugs. My flame-point siamese stabs them with his claw, bites them, flips them over, and watches their legs flail in the air until they die.

My black siamese mix just catches and eats them. Spiders too.

Otherwise, I've used wasp spray on the places they (box elder bugs) like to hang out, like the 1" gap between my wood fence and my house.

AleHole said:

How in the hell would you ever think to concoct such a nasty combo of ingredients? Does this actually work and have you done it yourself, or are you just seeing if someone would actually make this, spray it around their house, and own up to it?

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its from a guy I listen ot on the radio on my way to and way from work on Sunday mornings. yes it works and it works on ANY bugs. I use it every year for ants and those lady bug things as well as using it on my roses and hops for aphids. The guys name is Jerry Baker, has a crap ton of books out and all the wierd stuff he says to do actually works great. Spray it on EVERYTHING up to and including the foundation of the house. A 20 gallon sprayer should cover about 5000sqfeet

BTW he sells tons of stuff off his site but if ya listen to his radio show you can save yourself the cash and follow his old time tonics(he gives out the recipies like a dozen freeking times a show). Everything he sells is basicly a comercial version of the old school stuff.

BTW here are the 2 basic toniccs that will solve 90% of any yard problems you have. 1 WARNING IF YOU USE THEM BE PREPARED TO MOW YOUR YARD LIKE YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU WOULD MOW BEFORE the stuff in the ( ) is what he says on the radio and will save ya money. BTW if ya go with the p1ss route use a HEAVY DUTY JUG or the stink will leach out, and yes the p1ss works better then the amonia I dunno why Also if ya add the absolute hottest hot sauce you can find (I use one thats rated at like 250,000 skoval units) and castor oil it works great on keeping dogs, cats, deer, and anything else on 4 legs outa where ever ya spray it

All-Season Green-Up Tonic
1 can of beer,
1 cup of ammonia (or human urine if ya listen to his radio show)
1/2 cup of Plant Shampoo (equal parts Murpheys oil soap, lemon scented dish soap and baby shampoo)
1/2 cup of Liquid Lawn Food (fish emulsion)
1/2 cup molasses or corn syrup (1 can of any NON diet cola)
Mix all of the ingredients in a bucket, and pour into your 20 gallon hose-end sprayer. Apply to everything in your yard to the point or run-off every 3 weeks, in the morning, throughout the growing season.

All-Season Clean-Up Tonic
1 cup of Plant Shampoo (See Above)
1 cup of antiseptic mouthwash (any cheep Listerne type stuff)
1 cup of chewing tobacco tea*
Mix all of the ingredients in your 20 gallon hose-end sprayer, filling the balance of the sprayer jar with warm water. Apply to your entire yard to the point of run-off every 2 weeks, in the evening, to discourage insects and prevent disease

*Chewing Tobacco Tea
* To make tobacco tea, place half a handful of chewing tobacco in an old nylon stocking and soak it in a gallon of hot water until the mixture is dark brown.

Wow, all good suggestions. I might just give the pi$$ thing a try (I shouldn't let SWMBO find about it though).

I hate cats, or else I'd get a kitten.

First thing, I think I'm going to buy some wasp killer, and some ant barrier spray, and spray around the entrances and vents to preven these things from coming in.

Tomorrow, I'm declaring war on the box elder bugs, and I'm going to commit mass genocide, and leave their bodies lying around as a reminder. :rockin:

Vermicous said:

Both my parents are entomologists and I will ask if they have any suggestions. However, give your local university extension a call, chances are they get calls like this all the time.

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Let me know if they have anything to add.

Biermann said:

Tomorrow, I'm declaring war on the box elder bugs, and I'm going to commit mass genocide, and leave their bodies lying around as a reminder. :rockin:

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LMAO! Go get em'. :rockin:


Ize

Pumbaa said:

I use it every year for ants and those lady bug things as well as using it on my roses and hops for aphids.

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I guess as long as it's pre boil it's ok right?

Those damned box elder bugs are something! They invade our house every fall. The last couple of years, they somehow got into my big-screen projection TV. Yes, INSIDE it! It's the weirdest thing when you see one of these little fcukers crawling across the screen and you can't squash it because it's between the glass and the picture screen!


I don't think I can use Pumbaa's concoction inside my big-screen TV, though......

Today I attacked with a vengeance. With a sneak attack around the right flank of my garage, I took them completely by surprise, and hit them with an all out aerial assault utilizing the finest in chemical warfare.

I estimate approximately 2500 box elder bug casualties, 2000 dead, 250 seriously injured, and 250 routed/missing/flying back to the neighbor's yard. In addition, one adult wood roach was killed trying to sneak in the back door. Any potential hiding spots were doused in organophosphates. The back doors, window sills, vents, and foundation were sprayed with barrier spray.

Biermann said:

Today I attacked with a vengeance. With a sneak attack around the right flank of my garage, I took them completely by surprise, and hit them with an all out aerial assault utilizing the finest in chemical warfare.

I estimate approximately 2500 box elder bug casualties, 2000 dead, 250 seriously injured, and 250 routed/missing/flying back to the neighbor's yard. In addition, one adult wood roach was killed trying to sneak in the back door. Any potential hiding spots were doused in organophosphates. The back doors, window sills, vents, and foundation were sprayed with barrier spray.

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Ya da MAN! You are smarter than the bugs. You are bigger and stronger. You'll show them!

I hate box elder bugs- I know they're harmless but I still hate them.

Press the attack man! Give them NO QUARTER! Destroy them! Kill the old, the young, the males and females (remember the pregnant count for 2)! Leave NONE standing . . .

The battle has just begun . . .

You should introduce cane toads...

As for the ants, I read somewhere that they don't (can't ?) cross over chalk.

quick update--

A few insurgent box elder bugs have been rounded up and summarily executed publicly. Their numbers have been drastically reduced, however, and there are no longer any swarms on the outside of my house. BTW, wasp killer works great on these things.

There has been no further incursion by wood roaches since I sprayed all possible entry points. I've also seemed to have taken care of the relatively minor earwig problem using these techniques.

Now I just need to get geared up for the impending Japanese beetle invasion sure to happen later this spring.