Green Moms
apr 30

Battling Roaches Without Pesticides

First the good news. At least we don't have mice. My two clean, lovely cats cover that beat. But cockroaches, we're not so lucky. A few months ago, our family spent a couple of weeks out of town. That's when the nasty bugs moved in. Lot's of them. They enjoyed the warm weather, the daily cat food refills. They also were fond of the safe haven that Apartment 15 E provided. We don't spray.

And since our neighbors all around us do, brigades of bugs found microscopic pathways and tunnels (what do they need, 1/16th of an inch to squeeze through?) into our home. Our clean, debris-free, non-toxic home. Yech!

smallroachNot only are roaches really gross, they also cause asthma attacks. And they carry bacteria and disease organisms around on their little feet, and in their little roach turds. But what can I do? I am surrounded by sprayers. The first Wednesday of every month, there's that trusty exterminator man in the elevator with his shiny canister.  It seems like everyone else is signed up for the poison plan! Should I too take the easy route and spray my apartment, or figure out a less toxic solution?


For me, pesticides always top the list of things to avoid. With children, the path from surface to mouth is direct, and frequent.


So how does one get rid of those nasty bugs without harming their family?

I discussed my situation with the exterminator. He chuckled at my concerns, saying he had used the stuff for years. "Perfectly safe." I told him about my venture into dusting, namely dabs of boric acid behind the sink, where the cats and the kids can't reach it. He couldn't believe it. He would never use that. "Much too toxic."  Told me I was fighting a losing battle and I should just spray like everyone else. Join us.


That made me even more determined to stop this problem on my own terms. Found a great website, Beyond Pesticides, http://www.beyondpesticides.org/, and boned up on "IPM" - Integrated Pest Management. Who knew that bug products don't have to disclose all their ingredients. And the site offered no info on specific products, just suggestions on types of products to try. Good stuff. But I was in my pro-active mood, needing to buy!  


Back to the trusty Internet, found a site called: http://www.battlethosebugs.com/. Bought me some Battle. (the product is actually called that.) "Long lasting" "non toxic" ...talk to me, bug killers.


So? I found it little messy. Left a white film everywhere. Seemed to get rid of the bugs but my surfaces were all dusted. Not ideal.


I thought about sticky traps, but those just bummed me out. I do have a curious mind, but I don't want to view dying cockroaches on a strip of tape. Not for me.


So now I am trying boric acid gel, which seems to leave no residue.  I have also been diligently caulking up all crevices to keep the roaches out.  


I now have a nightly ritual of cleaning out all dishes from the sink, emptying the garbage can, putting away the cat food and wiping down the counter tops. No open bags of food get left out.

This do-it-myself approach seems to be working. It takes a little more work than that shiny spray bottle filled with poisons, but it is a lot safer for my family.



by Francesca Olivieri, as told to Viki Psihoyos


MinuteMorningMonth
  • Clean spills immediately. Sit and use plates, don't wander around eating and spilling crumbs.
  • Lay out boric acid in crevices and places where children and pets won't come into contact with it, wipe down all surfaces of spills and crumbs, even stove grease.
  • Wipe down your pantry and shelves if there is evidence of roach activity there. Get out the caulk and seal all cracks around water pipes, electrical fixtures and outlets, baseboards, etc. Vacuum under and behind the refrigerator, in addition to any other nooks and crannies where crumbs might have drifted.


sageIn 2006, friends Francesca Olivieri and Susan Gluck Pappajohn started their company, sage baby, an online eco-friendly baby store offering everything from organic clothes and skincare to furniture. They continue to watch their green business grow, while seeking to apply their values to their own home and families. Not always easy, as these urban moms strive to keep it green, whatever that can mean. Witness Francesca (mother of a 7, 5 and 2-year-old) and Susan (lively boys, 9 and 6) navigate the waters (clean, we hope!)




Comments (6)
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1. 05/08/2008 02:02:13 PM
Do you have a philosophical objection to the small pest-control units which plug into any standard electrical outlet? (The best ones are under $50, cover an entire apartment/small home, and last for years.) I am an apartment dweller who hasn't had a problem with roaches (or any other pest) since plugging in my first one more than a decade ago.
Written by Alita (Guest)
2. 05/08/2008 02:19:03 PM
Anybody interested in getting rid of ants? I get swarms of them every couple of years from the terrace upstairs. Baking soda gets rid of them, looks messy, but sprinkle it in their pathway and they disappear. Takes a few days, but they go
Written by jpconnolly (Guest)
3. 05/08/2008 04:10:45 PM
Ghost ants - there are such things and what annoying pests. It got so bad, they were climbing on and checking out the clean plates I had set out waiting for dinner to finish cooking. Then I read somewhere handy advice which has worked: 
 
When you see ants, don't kill them right away. Watch them. If they're scouting, they move in all directions. But at some point they return to the nest and Queen Mama. That's when you can discover their trails. 
 
 
Next, mix up a batch of the following and put in tiny containers like bottle caps, either on or near their trails: 
 
1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup water, and one teaspoon of boric acid powder. Heat and stir until boric acid powder has thoroughly disappeared into the wet mix. Cool and add to small containers. Keep unused portion in refrigerator in clearly labeled 
container. (You may want to put container into a larger one in case of spills by rambunctious refrigerator gropers.) 
 
Ants will take this liquid back to the nest and share with others - yay! - but ghost ants die more quickly so you may want to change their containers occasionally. 
 
Filling cracks where their trails lead helps. Also 
making sure shrubbery and trees (especially coconut trees if you live in the south) don't touch the house. Those leaves can be a highway for all sorts of bugs. 
 
Good luck!
Written by lizzy (Guest)
4. 05/08/2008 09:11:45 PM
Borax, mixed with a little sugar and sprinkled near ant trails, or put in small bottle caps (neater) will get rid of any and all ants. But not instantly, they are attracted to the sugar, and while eating the sugar, get the borax on their feet and body and carry the borax back to the nests, where all other ants will succumb, but sometimes it takes a day or 2. I have used this on big black ants and tiny light brown ants and it has never failed to work.
Written by Nannymule (Guest)
5. 05/28/2008 01:13:28 AM
What do you have for me for RATS! Lots of them, so far, only outside in our yard, but all around our dog house, shed, rabbit hutch, and daughter\'s play areas, toys and sandbox. We\'re using old fashioned traps, but last go-round we netted 7 of them in 2 weeks. EEEEEEKKKKKK!
Written by ekomom (Guest)
6. 06/09/2008 12:46:25 PM
How about an alternative to flea/tick collars for cats? We live in the country and have one cat that goes outdoors - during tick season brings dozens of ticks into the house. We live in an area where Lyme disease is prominent, and I have already contracted it once so far this season. Before trying to keep the cat indoors (we would have to put him in a cage), my husband wants to try using a flea/tick collar which I have heard are very toxic and really do not want in my home.
Written by sandy (Guest)

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