(no subject)

[alexseanchai]

...suggestions for how to de-crawlybug the kitchen with prejudice, without risking Thea?

ETA 4/21 11:15p:

Things I did today:

* load and run dishwasher
* wash many dish
* sanitize sink
* sanitize counter to right of sink
* scrub gunk off stove burners
* soak stove under-burner drip-catcher things
* wipe off and sanitize stove top and oven front
* empty and sweep out cabinet under sink
* sanitize inside of cabinet under sink
* sweep kitchen floor
* take out trash and recycles
* email apartment complex property manager office to say, hey, can maintenance come caulk up the kitchen (see photos of where needed), 'cause we're trying to deal with a bug problem and those cracks are probably not helping

Things I did not do today but need to:

* empty, sweep out if necessary, and sanitize inside of cabinet next to sink
* empty, sweep out if necessary, and sanitize cabinet between stove and fridge
* empty, sweep out if necessary, and sanitize the three drawers above those two cabinets
* sanitize dishwasher front
* sanitize fridge front
* sanitize kitchen floor







Not the world's clearest photos, sorry. Obtained after sister-roommate said I'd better come to the kitchen have a look, and, when I was slow off the mark, told me she was looking at a fuckton of the little fuckers (I'm paraphrasing). Guess I pissed them off cleaning...

She's saying call an exterminator and, you know, that's probably a good idea. Hopefully, however, it is the apartment complex's responsibility to both call and pay for the exterminator!

Comments

[fred_mouse]

depends on the type of crawly, I suspect.

For example, cockroaches, there are two tricks -- find where they are nesting, and make sure that there is no water anywhere, ever, for them to drink from. Ants you have to put some kind of powder down (talc?) where their trails are.

[alexseanchai]

Well, they're not ants.

Thanks

[alexseanchai]

updated post with blurry photos etc

[fred_mouse]

I agree with comments below about roaches, and dealing with them.

My most successful solution with roaches has always been to work out what they live in, and deal with that. They like microwave casings and the backs of fridges. So checking those and specifically treating around them first if you are conserving spoons can be a high payoff option, after doing the no water and no food aspects.

[alexseanchai]

Noted, thanks. I doubt the microwave is part of the problem, as it's parked on plastic shelving and the roaches don't have a whole lot of hidey space, but the fridge—possibly.

[fred_mouse]

Not in the microwave is a Good Thing -- I've lost two microwaves to not realising we had a cockroach infestation in time, and having them short out the wiring (both in houses were there was an eternal cockroach problem, one because it was in a suburb that was particularly prone to them)