# A sensitive problem



## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I have a problem. I´ll start at the beginning. when we first oved to Spain we rented a rather large house with a basement. Obviously we stored a few boxes etc down there. However after a few days we realised the basement had a majort infestation of cockroaches, nothing to do with us, they were already there, they must have been! We tried everything to get rid of them, but the owner of the house laughed and said they werent a problem and all spanish houses have them.

Anyway, we moved from there partly due to the cockroaches that spread throughout the whole place. We moved to a lovely clean, newly decorated house. We have a room on the roof with a bathroom which we use for guests and storeage. and it seems we´ve brought some of these little friends the cockroaches with us?? maybe?? Cos since we´ve been here, we occasionally find the odd one or two up there. I´ve put traps down, sprayed special stuff, cleaned, bleached.... done all sorts, but they still appear. Its not a major infestation, but they keep appearing

Any tips or ideas as to how to get rid of them?? For good?! Is this something thats common in Spanish houses? The house isnt dirty and oddly there are none in the kitchen or anywhere else in the house. Its embarrasssing when we have visitors cos there is a bit of a stigma and I repeat, the house isnt dirty, inspite of my best efforts to be lazy LOL

Jo xxxx


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Don't know much about the prevalence of cockroaches in Spain, but I do know one good "cure" for them. Boric acid powder! (I leave it to you to translate that into Spanish - but probably available at a pharmacy.)

You have to sprinkle the stuff in the cupboards - usually under any shelf lining paper you normally use. Keep any kids or pets away from the stuff because it's a slow acting poison. The little ******s (the cockroaches, that is) track it back to their dens (nests, condos?) and then everyone gets a dose when they groom each other. (Cockroaches are apparently rather clean-freak little beasties.)

It takes a couple months, but ultimately they vanish and they don't seem to come back.
Cheers,
Bev


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## XTreme (May 17, 2008)

jojo said:


> Obviously we stored a few oxes etc down there.


You stored oxes in your basement?


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

XTreme said:


> You stored oxes in your basement?


BOXES, I meant boxes !!!

Jo xx


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

You were just getting XTreme excited - was donkeys and now oxen. 

Seriously, this is not an uncommon issue and there is a vicious spray that you can use. We found some in the bar once and I spoke to the neighbouring bar owner whose only surprise was that we were surprised! There is a VICIOUS spray available cheaply at Mercadona which will get rid of them for a while. BE CAREFUL and ensure you keep the dogs away as apparently they are quite taken by its taste!

Remember that when you have killed one it is vital to remove any trace as they seem to self-breed and any traces from a dead cockroach will be attractive to another one. Stamping on them and then spreading their remains through the house on the bottom of a shoe will give you a plague!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

SteveHall said:


> You were just getting XTreme excited - was donkeys and now oxen.
> 
> Seriously, this is not an uncommon issue and there is a vicious spray that you can use. We found some in the bar once and I spoke to the neighbouring bar owner whose only surprise was that we were surprised! There is a VICIOUS spray available cheaply at Mercadona which will get rid of them for a while. BE CAREFUL and ensure you keep the dogs away as apparently they are quite taken by its taste!


......... and the name of this VICIOUS spray is.........??????

Jo xxx


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## Chica (Mar 23, 2009)

I do feel for you Jo. Bloody things!!! Maybe Bev's advice will work. It isn't normal to to get them in spanish houses . Maybe they were hiding in your boxes???

They like warm, damp places like under/ behind fridges. Did you take your boxes upstairs to that bedroom? They are really hard to get rid of but I am sure you know not to tread on them 

Good luck with the exorcism!!!


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

I will go to find out. It really is evil stuff and I would recommend using a mask when you use it (NO, XTreme not her gimp mask!) As Chica and I have both said be very careful how you tread through the house. They seem to multiply.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Chica said:


> I do feel for you Jo. Bloody things!!! Maybe Bev's advice will work. It isn't normal to to get them in spanish houses . Maybe they were hiding in your boxes???
> 
> They like warm, damp places like under/ behind fridges. Did you take your boxes upstairs to that bedroom? They are really hard to get rid of but I am sure you know not to tread on them
> 
> Good luck with the exorcism!!!



I´ve no doubt we brought them in with the boxes and I have since removed them. What I cant understand is why there are still cockroaches in the room tho, its not damp, its not been warm and theres nothing much in there at all, its a lovely, bright clean room. I did wonder if they maybe living in the shower plug hole or summat??? Its not as tho there are lots of them, just say, once a month I go in there and they´ll be one or maybe two laying on the floor pretending to be dead. No I dont tread on them, I normally sweep them up and throw them over next doors garden 

My visitors found one in there the other week and my daughters friends have just found another two and have screamed the place down... hence my question really!

Jo xxx


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Someone once said to me that if there were ever a nuclear war and all living things were wiped out... cockroaches would survive!!!.......... and they´d be in my upstairs room partying !!!!

Jo


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## jkchawner (Dec 21, 2008)

jojo said:


> ......... and the name of this VICIOUS spray is.........??????
> 
> Jo xxx


HAD TO DO A TREADMILL TEST TODAY OH MY GOD STEVE SHOULD NO HOW KNACKERED YOU ARE AFTER DOING ONE I A[[ARANTLY THEY MAKE YOU DO ONE NOW AFTER HEART TROUBLE THOUGHT IT WOULD GIVE ME ANOTHER HEART ATTACK LOL 40 **** A DAY AND TREADMILLS DONT WORK I CAN ASSURE YOU,
I CAN ALWAYS BOTTLE SOME OF THE ARMPIT FLUID THATS STREAMING OFF ME AND SEND YOU SOME IF IT HELPS


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## Zimtony (Jun 28, 2008)

Jojo, you sure you haven't offended a Gitano and have received a bug curse??


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Zimtony said:


> Jojo, you sure you haven't offended a Gitano and have received a bug curse??



eeeek?? I might have LOL!! Its wierd, I went to up to the room on Sunday after my daughter and her friends had spent the night in there and trashed it and I found 6 very dead cockroaches... obviously 12 yo girls are the key!!!!! I just wish I could work out where they´re coming from???

Jo xxx


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

The 12 year old girls??? Did your mummy not tell you about storks and things?


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## Zimtony (Jun 28, 2008)

jojo said:


> eeeek?? I might have LOL!! Its wierd, I went to up to the room on Sunday after my daughter and her friends had spent the night in there and trashed it and I found 6 very dead cockroaches... obviously 12 yo girls are the key!!!!! I just wish I could work out where they´re coming from???
> 
> Jo xxx


I have a 12 year old son and periodically the cockroaches pack their bags and march en mass from his room! They may be brave, but even the hardiest, nuclear bomb surviving cockroach, is not brave enough to last it out in my son's room! Good luck on getting them out! If the poison from Steve doesn't work, let me know. I will lend you a photo of my mother-in-law, it has been great keeping the mice out of my garden shed!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Zimtony said:


> I have a 12 year old son and periodically the cockroaches pack their bags and march en mass from his room! They may be brave, but even the hardiest, nuclear bomb surviving cockroach, is not brave enough to last it out in my son's room! Good luck on getting them out! If the poison from Steve doesn't work, let me know. I will lend you a photo of my mother-in-law, it has been great keeping the mice out of my garden shed!


Where abouts do you live in El Grande Tony?? I ask cos I have a friend whos opening a coffee shop/cake shop I think near the sol bank????? Have you seen it?? is it easy to find?? I wanna pop in and visit them at some point?

Jo


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## Zimtony (Jun 28, 2008)

jojo said:


> Where abouts do you live in El Grande Tony?? I ask cos I have a friend whos opening a coffee shop/cake shop I think near the sol bank????? Have you seen it?? is it easy to find?? I wanna pop in and visit them at some point?
> 
> Jo


I live in the campo near Lauro Golf on the old back road to Malaga. Is the cake shop called Pikniks or something similar? I have seen it getting kitted out.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Zimtony said:


> I live in the campo near Lauro Golf on the old back road to Malaga. Is the cake shop called Pikniks or something similar? I have seen it getting kitted out.



I think thats it??? near to Sol bank??? is it easy to find?? You must be near my favouritist village in the whol of -spain Alqueria... I so wanna move there, just waiting for the right place to come up!!???

Jo xx


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## Zimtony (Jun 28, 2008)

jojo said:


> I think thats it??? near to Sol bank??? is it easy to find?? You must be near my favouritist village in the whol of -spain Alqueria... I so wanna move there, just waiting for the right place to come up!!???
> 
> Jo xx


Yep, i do live near Alqueria! My favourite watering hole is there, fondly known as "The GHas Bottle Bar" or to give it it's Spanish name, Torre la Vega! Are you after a rental or a purchase there? I know a lot of the locals in the village, so may be able to help you. If you want to, pm me what you are looking for and I will see if I can help - in a very non-estate agent way of course!!!


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## Zimtony (Jun 28, 2008)

BTW, the cake shop is very easy to find, but it is not close to Solbank. Are you still in El Romeral and would you come in on the top road? If so, it is about 200m after you come into town on your right hand side. You can't miss it, as it is quite visible with some eclectic colouring!!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Zimtony said:


> BTW, the cake shop is very easy to find, but it is not close to Solbank. Are you still in El Romeral and would you come in on the top road? If so, it is about 200m after you come into town on your right hand side. You can't miss it, as it is quite visible with some eclectic colouring!!


that´ll be it, that sounds like Kate!!! Yes still in El Romeral and yes, coming in on the top road. So near all the other "brit" bars??? OK, time for a drive over there!!

Jo xxx


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## Zimtony (Jun 28, 2008)

jojo said:


> that´ll be it, that sounds like Kate!!! Yes still in El Romeral and yes, coming in on the top road. So near all the other "brit" bars??? OK, time for a drive over there!!
> 
> Jo xxx


Enjoy the cakes!


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## SunnySpain (Jul 30, 2008)

Torrelavega is a town in Cantabria


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## magnolia (Jan 30, 2009)

We found this problem in SA,They come out usually at night time,so we didn't know.There they sell at shops china's chalk in small boxes,my husband drew lines everywhere/careful with pets and kids/and told me he found lots of dead insects.He did this few times and i don't remember having the problem later/or maybe he did the same sometime again and i didn't know/.


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