Alternative pest control?

[Stylopidae]

One of my old teachers is having a problem with german cockroaches.

We know what they're feeding on...it's high protien pelleted fish food. The teacher keeps the room as clean as she can but is now desperate to overcome the problem.

We can't bugbomb the room, as there are $25,000 worth of animals that can't be moved.

These are sharks, coral and...well, you get the picture

Any ideas?

 

[ROACHMAN]

the worlds best roach control !!!!!!!!

tokay gecko's take from me they are the best insect control there is :clap: :clap: :clap:

 

[Dark Raptor]

You won't wipe them out, but "beer traps" can reduce their number.
You have to prepare deep dish filled with beer (you can also add fruit juice ect.). Next, put "platforms" which will lead roaches to their destiny ;P
Ethanol is very toxic for Blattaria species.

 

[Stylopidae]

You won't wipe them out, but "beer traps" can reduce their number.
You have to prepare deep dish filled with beer (you can also add fruit juice ect.). Next, put "platforms" which will lead roaches to their destiny ;P
Ethanol is very toxic for Blattaria species.

I was thinking of telling her that, but this is a high school classroom and I don't quite know if that would fly.

Other conventional bait traps wouldn't work (in my opinion) for three reasons.
1) the infestation is out of hand now. We're probably talking thousands per square foot, German AND American

2) some of the fish are designed to eat crusteaceans, which means that if a roach falls into the tank already gutloaded with insecticide, it could end very bad for the fish (or octopus, or squid), the fish dies, secretes ammonia and kills another sensitive animal (say, a $1000 head of coral), which then starts to secrete ammonia and start off a very unfortunate, and very expensive chain reaction. She stopped using bait after a frog died for this very reason

3) Roaches tend to build up a tolerance for these poisions, which makes the scenario in reason #2 all the more likely to happen

I don't know of any other substance that is extremely toxic to roaches, but not so much so to fish or other critters.

I told her that mantids might work, as well as platymeris but they wouldn't be any match for an infestation fueled by fish food.

I don't think we'll get them gone, I think the goal is more to not get them not visible. IE not seeing several hundred scattering every time you turn the light on.

The room is very humid and may get up to some decent temps during the summer...is there a species of gecko that breeds readily in that sort of condition and would be able to eat a large number of insects in a short amount of time?

 

[Wade]

I've found the cockroach bait stations to be very effective, especially the "combat superbait" (the one in the metallic gold box). They only kill bugs that actually eat the bait.

Wade

 

[Wade]

OK, I posted my reply before I saw your last post. A fish eating a poisoned roach could be a real problem.

Boric acid may be effective, as it isn't a poison exactly, but works by cutting and dessicating cockroches that come into contact with it. It comes as a powder and can be dusted into cracks and crevices.

Along the same lines is diatomaceous earth. This poweder is made from crushed up diatoms and the tiny, jagged shards are fatal for insects because they cut into the thin areas between the joints of the limbs. This might be around anyway, as it is used in some types of saltwater aquarium filters as a media.

Also, gue traps like roach motels may be helful, but may not catch the numbers you need.

 

[JoshS]

diatomaceous earth

To add to what Wade mentioned you can find diatomaceous earth in most garden centers nowadays as it is quite popular if people dont want to use poisons in their gardens.

 

[mantid]

Maybe she could remove the fish food from the room, put it in an uninfested room and then remove all organic material or things that include organic material such as garbage cans etc.

or, you could release ten million mites into the rooms and wait for all the roaches to die.(Don't actually do this, joking)

 

[ROACHMAN]

Listen To Me !!!!

the only way to get them is by TOKAY GECKO"S they will take care of everything and you will never see them because they only come out at nite when the roaches come out

 

[gphx]

Sticky traps can be hugely effective.

Unfortunately they are also effective at trapping geckos, something that occurs naturally in our neighborhood, indoors and out. There are designs that prevent their entry.

Cheers,
Darrin Vernier
Golden Phoenix Exotica