Cockroaches
Sep 24th, 2005, 10:00 PM
#22
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Jorr, that's not so bad. It's when I find HALF a cockroach that I get worried!
I moonlight at a hotel (right now) and I don't know why hotels don't refuse to allow food taken from the restaurants, especially the "free" breakfast buffets. I see people spill things all the time on their way back to rooms.
Also strange is that many businesses tell pest control services to use an unmarked vehicle when providing service. I feel better eating in a place I *KNOW* has Orkin (or anyother company) in periodically than I do when I don't know if they ever get treatments. All restaurants have problems, just to varying degrees.
I moonlight at a hotel (right now) and I don't know why hotels don't refuse to allow food taken from the restaurants, especially the "free" breakfast buffets. I see people spill things all the time on their way back to rooms.
Also strange is that many businesses tell pest control services to use an unmarked vehicle when providing service. I feel better eating in a place I *KNOW* has Orkin (or anyother company) in periodically than I do when I don't know if they ever get treatments. All restaurants have problems, just to varying degrees.
Sep 25th, 2005, 02:58 AM
#23
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When my kids were little and they saw there first Palmetto bug in Florida I gave them the "survival of the fittest" speech and incorporated some info about these bugs dating back to prehistoric time.
They thought I meant each bug was millions of years old - now that I reconsider, maybe each bug actually does, since they seem indestructible.
They thought I meant each bug was millions of years old - now that I reconsider, maybe each bug actually does, since they seem indestructible.
Sep 25th, 2005, 07:17 AM
#25
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Fact of life here in the south -- I was mortified this week end when I sold a covered metal bucket which, when the customer opened the lid, had two Palmettos dancing merrily on the bottom.
The customer, thank goodness, was from North Carolina, laughed her behind off, and took it anyway (sans the bugs). She was totally amused, and told me when she picked it up that she couldn't find my booth but was hesitant to have them announce "have the dealer with the can with the bugs in it come to the information counter."
I do travel and stay in motels all through the south, but very rarely have I ever seen one -- even in the modest chain ones. One sighting does not constitute an epidemic -- but if there are reports of multiple critters, I might be a bit leery of basic spraying standards.
B/
The customer, thank goodness, was from North Carolina, laughed her behind off, and took it anyway (sans the bugs). She was totally amused, and told me when she picked it up that she couldn't find my booth but was hesitant to have them announce "have the dealer with the can with the bugs in it come to the information counter."
I do travel and stay in motels all through the south, but very rarely have I ever seen one -- even in the modest chain ones. One sighting does not constitute an epidemic -- but if there are reports of multiple critters, I might be a bit leery of basic spraying standards.
B/
Sep 25th, 2005, 07:28 AM
#26
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Actually, there really are no such things palmetto bugs in Florida. It's really just rumors started by the native Floridians to scare away the excess tourists and yankees looking for a good place to retire. (LOL)
Sep 25th, 2005, 08:52 AM
#27
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back in my college years in Minneapolis I had a room mate from Georgia. One day I saw my first cockroach in my 19 years. I asked him what it was and he was laughing so hard because be couldn't believe I had never seen a cockroach before. I am from northern MN where there are no roaches. After my mother heard about this she was perinoid that I might be bringing roaches into the house in my laundry which never got brought back home again!
Another bugs in the food story. I back packed with a friend through Isreal, the Sinai desert and into Egypt. In Egypt as in many other countries they sell small loaves of bread. For many days I noticed small black things baked into the inside of the bread which I thought were poppy seeds. One day I looked at it closer and discovered it was dead bugs baked into the bread. My friend who thought he was Moses told me "so you finally figured it out". I continued to eat the bug bread the rest of the trip anyway.
Another bugs in the food story. I back packed with a friend through Isreal, the Sinai desert and into Egypt. In Egypt as in many other countries they sell small loaves of bread. For many days I noticed small black things baked into the inside of the bread which I thought were poppy seeds. One day I looked at it closer and discovered it was dead bugs baked into the bread. My friend who thought he was Moses told me "so you finally figured it out". I continued to eat the bug bread the rest of the trip anyway.
Sep 25th, 2005, 09:12 AM
#28
Several years ago I was staying in a very nice hotel in Bermuda. One night I looked up and saw a HUGE Palmetto bug on the wall near the ceiling. I was paralyzed by the sight of it. We called housekeeping, but by the time they got there, the critter had disappeared under the crown molding. I was beside myself. The woman from housekeeping was laughing at me, but sprayed our room. From that moment until we left, we kept the airconditioning in our room turned as cold as we could figuring the roaches like warmth. We were freezing, but saw no more bugs!
Sep 25th, 2005, 11:57 AM
#29
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Oh boy, I hate them so, but yes, they are down here in FL everywhere..we spray meticulously, but there was one on the ceiling recently, mocking me....EAAWWWW, I will pick up snakes, bats, even spiders, but I cannot stand cockroaches/palmetto bugs...even dead ones...I shiver even now thinking of them. Enjoy your trip
Oct 22nd, 2005, 07:01 PM
#30
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I'm a Cdn living in Bermuda and sadly must tell you that there are roaches everywhere. I don't mean that you can't take a step without hitting one, but they do exist. We have been to many happy hours at a number of the hotels and have stayed at Elbow Beach Hotel (very pricey). I saw roaches outside of Elbow, but none in the rooms. I have been here four years and still scream when I see the buggers...but try not to let it ruin your trip. It is possible that you may never see once, especially in October when the weather starts to cool a bit.
Oct 22nd, 2005, 10:46 PM
#32
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My friends in Honolulu got totally used to them. I saw a big one crawling across friend's sleeping body. He (the friend, not the roach) didn't bat an eyelash or miss a snore.
Crawling ones I can live with (lots of 'em in NYC ). But the flying ones? Ewwwww...shiver me timbers!!!!!
Serious question: Is it true you can kill roaches by leaving out a bowl of beer for them?
Crawling ones I can live with (lots of 'em in NYC ). But the flying ones? Ewwwww...shiver me timbers!!!!!
Serious question: Is it true you can kill roaches by leaving out a bowl of beer for them?
Oct 23rd, 2005, 12:21 PM
#36
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We don't have such bugs in Colorado, either, thank goodness. Must be the frost kills them. The first time our kids went to Hawaii with us, my five-year-old daughter used the bathroom in the middle of the night. We woke to her screaming. She swore a cockroach was "marching back and forth" in front of the door and refusing to let her leave the bathroom! It was funny (after the fact, of course).
Oct 23rd, 2005, 01:47 PM
#37
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Boy I feel very lucky!! I have never encountered a cockroach or Palmetto bug in all the various trips I have taken to Florida or Hawaii. But maybe that is because I always sleep through the night without waking up? Or if I wake up I don't get out of bed.
But I do remember getting rather hysterical while staying with family on McDill AFB (Tampa). There was a black moth in my bedroom that was gigantic! And even the smallest moth freeks me out, LOL. I screamed and screamed as this monster flew around the room. I ran out into the hallway, slamming the door shut behind me. The orderlies that had duty in the house came running upstairs with a look of horror on their faces. They probably thought a rapist was in my room, LOL.
Later it was explained to me that bugs etc. in Florida are very big. That IMO was the understatement of the century!
But I do remember getting rather hysterical while staying with family on McDill AFB (Tampa). There was a black moth in my bedroom that was gigantic! And even the smallest moth freeks me out, LOL. I screamed and screamed as this monster flew around the room. I ran out into the hallway, slamming the door shut behind me. The orderlies that had duty in the house came running upstairs with a look of horror on their faces. They probably thought a rapist was in my room, LOL.
Later it was explained to me that bugs etc. in Florida are very big. That IMO was the understatement of the century!
Oct 23rd, 2005, 03:14 PM
#38
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CaliNurse: Yuck! 
I can't believe ANYONE can get USED to the cockroach! Being from Mobile and Louisiana, I have nutured a lifelong hatred of the awful things!
However, I don't run far before I return to take revenge...sometimes, yes, STEPPING on them (shoes on of course!), but that is my least favorite way to make them meet their demise...hate that smushy feeling under my shoe...shiver!
Yes the roach motel works! I prefer the cardboard sticky boards that fold into a tent shape, because you can actually SEE if somethings in there! I have them in strategic places and by the garage entry, which helps with any bug. Our biggest war is with spiders and wasps, but ants have seen a recent resurgence.
Actually, we don't often have cockroaches at our present location, but the straw we mulch with brings what is called Asian roaches (similar to the German ones, lighter and smaller). So, I'm ever vigilant...in fact, just got through throwing some deterent into the straw mulch outside just this afternoon!
So, yes, take the roach motels or card/sticky boards AND a bug spray, and you should be 'set'.
Belle
I can't believe ANYONE can get USED to the cockroach! Being from Mobile and Louisiana, I have nutured a lifelong hatred of the awful things! However, I don't run far before I return to take revenge...sometimes, yes, STEPPING on them (shoes on of course!), but that is my least favorite way to make them meet their demise...hate that smushy feeling under my shoe...shiver!
Yes the roach motel works! I prefer the cardboard sticky boards that fold into a tent shape, because you can actually SEE if somethings in there! I have them in strategic places and by the garage entry, which helps with any bug. Our biggest war is with spiders and wasps, but ants have seen a recent resurgence.
Actually, we don't often have cockroaches at our present location, but the straw we mulch with brings what is called Asian roaches (similar to the German ones, lighter and smaller). So, I'm ever vigilant...in fact, just got through throwing some deterent into the straw mulch outside just this afternoon!
So, yes, take the roach motels or card/sticky boards AND a bug spray, and you should be 'set'.
Belle
Oct 23rd, 2005, 03:18 PM
#39
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I see them all the time living in Florida now but they were much more prevalent in Hawaii. Unfortunately, Patrick, I never turned on the bathroom light when I got up in the middle of the night in Hawaii - UNTIL I reached for the toilet paper and there was a big one sitting on top of it! (No, I didn't get to kill him, but my scream might have scared him to death!)
