- Apr 9, 2014
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We are on the Space Coast of Florida and have a massive roach problem in the big enclosed outside run and a somewhat big population inside the hen house. We clean the poop boards under the roosts EVERY day without fail. We just cleaned the entire house and put down 4" of new large pine shavings from TSC like we always do. After the house was cleaned of all pine shavings and swept and blown out with a leaf blower, we put DE around the entire perimeter inside of the house against the walls. We also mixed DE in with the new pine shavings.
It seems to have not put even a small dent in the roach population inside and certainly not outside. I can see them on the cameras at night outside and inside the house. Outside there are hundreds where the goat troth feeder was during the day. Thats what we use to feed the girls as they can feed from both sides at the same time. There is always a fresh layer of PDZ under the roost boards on the poop boards to make sure theres no smell or ammonia issues in the house.
It would appear that DE does nothing to roaches. We have them in ALL sizes from spec sized to full grown 1.5 inch adults. We do not want to use poison around our girls but have no idea where to go from here to irradiate the vermin roaches. I know this is Florida and getting rid of them forever is not realistic but we need to thin the heard in a big way.
I don’t know if seven dust is safe or if it kills roaches or if boric acid is safe around the chickens.
There is NEVER food or water in their house unless theres a hurricane and we have to leave the girls locked up in their house.
There is NEVER food or water in their outside run after dark. But you can never get all the scattered food up or scratch that has not been eaten.
As a side note, we bought this orange oil mixture and it kills fire ants, carpenter ants, spiders and almost any bug that flies on contact when mixed 2ozs per gallon in a sprayer. - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071WXXXQ1/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Its unknown if it will work as a repellant or not but I have certainly observed it killing on contact.
We captured a 1" roach and sprayed it with this mixture and it did not kill it. When sprayed, the roach acted confused, turned in circles, would not run and then snapped out of it. It may kill roaches on contact in a stronger solution. As soon as the sprayer is empty, i will make a double strength gallon to try on roaches.
All that being said, is there anyone out there that has had this type of problem in this type of climate that has successively controlled them ?
It seems to have not put even a small dent in the roach population inside and certainly not outside. I can see them on the cameras at night outside and inside the house. Outside there are hundreds where the goat troth feeder was during the day. Thats what we use to feed the girls as they can feed from both sides at the same time. There is always a fresh layer of PDZ under the roost boards on the poop boards to make sure theres no smell or ammonia issues in the house.
It would appear that DE does nothing to roaches. We have them in ALL sizes from spec sized to full grown 1.5 inch adults. We do not want to use poison around our girls but have no idea where to go from here to irradiate the vermin roaches. I know this is Florida and getting rid of them forever is not realistic but we need to thin the heard in a big way.
I don’t know if seven dust is safe or if it kills roaches or if boric acid is safe around the chickens.
There is NEVER food or water in their house unless theres a hurricane and we have to leave the girls locked up in their house.
There is NEVER food or water in their outside run after dark. But you can never get all the scattered food up or scratch that has not been eaten.
As a side note, we bought this orange oil mixture and it kills fire ants, carpenter ants, spiders and almost any bug that flies on contact when mixed 2ozs per gallon in a sprayer. - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071WXXXQ1/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Its unknown if it will work as a repellant or not but I have certainly observed it killing on contact.
We captured a 1" roach and sprayed it with this mixture and it did not kill it. When sprayed, the roach acted confused, turned in circles, would not run and then snapped out of it. It may kill roaches on contact in a stronger solution. As soon as the sprayer is empty, i will make a double strength gallon to try on roaches.
All that being said, is there anyone out there that has had this type of problem in this type of climate that has successively controlled them ?
