Ewwwww Gross!!!!!

[mayreee]

Okay my friend was moving here and I let her store some boxes in my apartment. Ever since then I have been seeing roaches. Man this sucks so bad. That is all besides the point.

My question is I need to bomb what shall I do with my tanks? I know I should turn the air pumps off and maybe cover them with something. What should I use to cover the tanks? Thanks.

 

[hashbaz]

While I have no specific experience with the subject, I can tell you this: poisoning the air near a creature sensitive enough to be killed by temperature changes is not a good idea.

My first suggestion is to look very carefully into all other possibilities before bombing. Are they large tanks or could they be reasonably relocated for a short time?

If you do chose to cover the tanks you will need to make the cover air tight or it won't help much. You might use large trash bags taped around the tanks. And then oxygen for your fish is an issue. Lots of live plants will help but it's hard to say for how long and to make matters worse they won't produce oxygen without light.

Good luck with your predicament. I'm thinking you will need it.

 

[mayreee]

Shoot!!! Anyone have any other ideas so I don't have to bomb and hurt my fish?

 

[mayreee]

Would an exterminator be better?

 

[FawnN]

I would definitely move your tank out of the house before you bomb for roaches. Sounds like a PITA, but think of what you would be coming back to if you didn't.

Even if you think your tank is covered and the lid is tight, it doesn't take a whole lot of fumes/chemicals to kill fish. I wouldn't take the chance.

 

[madasafish]

An exterminator will likely spray the air, too. In this case, the same toxicity problem applies...

I'd recommend either relocating the tanks, or choosing another method of killing the roaches... Just as the others have said. Sorry there's no miracle solution that I can think of.

 

[chasgood]

The bombing will take what? About 2 or 3 hours? Turn off all pumps and filters. Cover the tanks with plastic trash bags. Tape it up to seal them. The fish should be fine for a few hours. Well vent the house before removing the plastic and turning things back on.

Good luck.

 

[chrism]

if you did it over night, it shouldnt make so much of a difference... right? cos the plants wouldnt be getting light anyway. then you could bomb, crack but lock! all the windows possible, and maybe some fans ( thinkin of the top of my head ) and then you should be done by the moring? I would have thought!

 

[deli_conker]

hmmm.

First off, get rid of the boxes. Second, if there are only a few roaches, get a roach motel or three. See if that helps. Make sure you keep your place spic and span while you wait this out.

Don't bother with bombs. If the bombs don't work, then you went through everything for nothing. Go with an exterminator. Make sure you get a warranty/guarantee. You could also call an exterminator, tell them you are just getting prices at the moment, and ask them about the tanks as well. Cross reference your info with us and then make an informed decision.

 

[austinsdad]

See this thread I started months ago. The consensus was not to bomb with the tank present. Check it out. Covered or not. See what you think.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=24072&highlight=

 

[Minze]

Many moons ago I was told by an exterminator to cover the tops of the tanks with Seran Wrap before he came over to bomb the house (wicked case of fleas at the time). Anyway, we covered the tank, he exterminated the house. He used bomb type poisons as we had to leave the house for a few hours with all the windows and door closed. The seran wrap worked. If you have a large tank, there are larger sheets of seran wrap that may be wide enough to cover an entire tank.

 

[millipede]

mayreee, wait. I'll dig up as much as I can that might(might) help. I absolutely despise chemicals. Anything that someone sprays is going to be left behind on furniture, carpet, and other stuff. Anything that does dissipate will turn into air pollution and water pollution. All the chemicals we spend so much time spraying all over the world don't just dissapear. I know I sound like some nut to some of you but we really are killing our planet and I do all I can to avoid that. Now there are times when conventional methods will fail but I believe we owe it to ourselves and our planet to do everything we can to keep this place healthy. Anyway, enough rambling on that.

I'll dig up some helpful hints I have bookmarked but I agree that you should get rid of those boxes as soon as you can. Not only did they bring thos bugs in but cardboard is a breeding ground for all sorts of insects.

 

[millipede]

Here's a few links that have some helpful hints.

http://www.landofvos.com/articles/wingtips/safepest.html That has info on pesticides and some healthy ways of battling with several household pests including roahces.

http://www.victorpest.com/roach_home.htm this is a company that sells non-toxic pest control products.

One reason people use exterminators is they don't want to bother with things theirselves. Any of the above methods are your responsability, you do the work, but if you persist and try those things out you will figure out which things work best for you and if you ever have the problem again you'll know just what to do. You'll also be able to help other people and you'll be helping the planet... can't beat that.

 

[mayreee]

Thanks so much guys!!! You don't know how much your comments have helped.
Also I did get rid of the boxes like almost a month ago. Still trying to decide what to do though.

 

[revhtree]

I will talk to my brother in law, and see how he would treat. He is an exterminator. I know for regular control, they just spray around the bottoms of the walls.

 

[mayreee]

Thanks so much! That would help a lot.

 

[QTOFFER]

As an apartment dweller, I would highly recommend Raid Max Roach Bait Plus Egg Stoppers.
The poisoned bait stations kill the roaches you have, and the egg stopper cartridges contain an insect hormone that prevents female roaches from reproducing. You need to give the product about six weeks to completely eradicate the roaches, but it really works!


In the meantime, make life as uncomfortable for the roaches as possible.

Eliminate their food supply - seal ALL food in ziplock bags or tupperware containers, seal up all pet food, keep pet cages/beds/litterboxes clean, rinse dishes promptly, dispose of trash regularly

Limit their water supply - tighten all faucets and fix leaks, insulate cold water pipes to prevent condensation, empty refrigerator/AC/dehumidifier drip trays often

Eliminate nesting places - reduce clutter, discard cardboard/newspaper/brown grocery bags, seal up cracks and crevices, seal up electrical outlet/switch covers


If this doesn't work (very unlikely unless you have a major infestation), contact an exterminator. I would stay away from the do-it-yourself foggers and leave the application of pesticides to the pros. They shouldn't have to spray anywhere near your fish unless you have tanks in the BR and kitchen like me!

 

[Mothi]

When I had my house fumigated, I had to remove all pets (of course). The dogs and cats came home after a few hours of airing out, but my reptiles, birds, and fishes stayed at my mom's house for 2 weeks before I brought them home. This was a precaution given to me by the fumigating company... I consider bombing the same as when people paint their houses...fumes is the concern and it lingers in the air. The question is, when is it safe enough to return those pets sensitive to these chemical fumes back into the house. I strongly urge against using the bomb for the fishes sake unless you can move them else where temporarily for some time...

 

[mayreee]

Thanks everyone for your replies. Thanks QTOFFER I have decided to buy Raid Max Roach Bait Plus Egg Stoppers today or tomorrow. That seems like the best idea for me and my fish.