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Old 15-10-2016, 10:34   #1
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cockroaches and deep freeze

I recently purchased a boat in FL. I did notice that it had cockroaches. I wouldn't call it massive infestation but I have no reference as I never had them. Boat has been trucked to RI, and i plan to shrink wrap it and store it for the winter with no heat. It will be out of the water. Will New England winter kill the roaches and eggs?
At first, i though they would not survive the winter but then I understand that the damn things survived the ice age.
i am noticing that they hibernate. Just this morning there was a large one floating(appeared dead) in the very cold water trapped in chain locker. We had the first frost advisory and i've been seeing frost on decks. Well I put it on the toerail and few minutes later as the sun warmed it up, it started wiggling. Thank god i noticed it and squished it immediately. I did the same with 2 other smaller floating ones, and they all started moving.
Next one I find that is hibernating, i will put in a jar and leave in the freezer for few days and repeat the experiment.
Common sense suggests that if they need water to survive, they have some kind of water based liquid in them. Deep freeze will expand the water, and I figured as long as whatever liquid they are comprised of can freeze and expand, it should shatter their tissue.
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Old 15-10-2016, 10:57   #2
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Re: cockroaches and deep freeze

Do a full roach extermination.
Twice.
Remove everything and spray, then spray again.
Spray everything that you removed before putting back..

In Florida they come in from paper bags from the Stores... oh yes, ask for plastic.

Spray is the word you need etched in memory...
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Old 15-10-2016, 11:24   #3
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Re: cockroaches and deep freeze

Cockroaches on boats is a common problem.

Here are many comments in many threads or previous discussions of what to do.
Good luck!

https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=011403...ach&gsc.page=1
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Old 15-10-2016, 12:29   #4
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Re: cockroaches and deep freeze

Mix boric acid, sweetened condensed milk, and powdered sugar until you have a peanut butter consistency mixture. Spoon out onto wax paper or foil and allow it to dry overnight. Then place the small size cookies (1.5" in diameter) in the boat, in cabinets and hidey holes and say good bye to roaches, ants and all other sorts of bugs. Really has worked great for me here in FL.
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Old 15-10-2016, 12:43   #5
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Re: cockroaches and deep freeze

Got a roach infestation BAD twice... Followed all the baloney advice about Boric Acid, Borax, Bay leaves, spraying and even bug bombing... NOTHING WORKED (german roaches, small with 2 black stripes)... Until a good friend suggested "Advion". A week and a half after applying it, no roaches. Reapplied at 2 weeks and never saw a roach again. 3 months later we got infested again (f'n docks). Same procedure, same result.

Go ahead, try all the other stuff, when it fails, head over to Amazon and buy some Advion. $25 will buy you enough to treat your boat about 10 times. We won't cruise without it.
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Old 15-10-2016, 12:58   #6
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Re: cockroaches and deep freeze

In Queensland, we were told that for every cockroach you see there are a thousand more hiding on your boat. We did not count, them, but in one spraying attempt (they were living in the cutout for a cockpit compass, where there was a gap in the plywood core) hundreds came seething out! It was majorly yucky.

Exterminate them. After that, the boric acid cocky cookies do work, we never had one while we were using them, through Mexico, and the South Pacific, till we got to Oz. They come and munch and die. We bombed the boat twice, a couple of weeks apart. (Bag your dishes and flatware). If you're careful about keeping the poison inside the boat (plug hawse hole, dorades, cockpit drains, etc) and airing the boat before you take up residence, twice should do it. You really want to kill the eggs. They are laid in neat little packets, don't mistake their granular feces for eggs.

Imo, in RI, if you do a good extermination, you will not get re-infested in the dead of winter. However, all it takes is a gravid female aboard to start the whole cycle over. And the little devils can fly in from elsewhere! They are good swimmers. You can train yourself to smash them on sight, using your hand. Use a flashlight to hunt them down.
But you really, really have to use the bug bombs, and it will take at least twice, ime.

pita.

Ann

PS, they're only beetles, after all, a highly successful life form.
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Old 15-10-2016, 13:03   #7
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Re: cockroaches and deep freeze

Quote:
Originally Posted by phorvati View Post
I recently purchased a boat in FL. I did notice that it had cockroaches. I wouldn't call it massive infestation but I have no reference as I never had them. Boat has been trucked to RI, and i plan to shrink wrap it and store it for the winter with no heat. It will be out of the water. Will New England winter kill the roaches and eggs?
At first, i though they would not survive the winter but then I understand that the damn things survived the ice age.
i am noticing that they hibernate. Just this morning there was a large one floating(appeared dead) in the very cold water trapped in chain locker. We had the first frost advisory and i've been seeing frost on decks. Well I put it on the toerail and few minutes later as the sun warmed it up, it started wiggling. Thank god i noticed it and squished it immediately. I did the same with 2 other smaller floating ones, and they all started moving.
Next one I find that is hibernating, i will put in a jar and leave in the freezer for few days and repeat the experiment.
Common sense suggests that if they need water to survive, they have some kind of water based liquid in them. Deep freeze will expand the water, and I figured as long as whatever liquid they are comprised of can freeze and expand, it should shatter their tissue.
I don't know about roaches.

I did a study while ago renegading preservation of rice and grains on boats. Moth and weevil eggs are killed, or at least rendered non-viable, at about 15F for a long period or 0F over night. I'm guessing a few single digit nights will do it, but a long ~ freezing winter will not. I don't know your temps, but the shrink wrap may keep it too warm. You need some sustained 0F.
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Old 15-10-2016, 13:09   #8
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Re: cockroaches and deep freeze

I don't need to know about poisons etc, I'm not asking how to get rid of them. I am wondering about how cold and for how long before they die. Shrink wrap or not it will get to single digits for consecutive nights/days this winter. Some nights might see below 0F. I will monitor temps with IR thermomenter throughout the winter. Particularly in those hard to reach places.

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Old 15-10-2016, 13:10   #9
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Re: cockroaches and deep freeze

Quote:
Originally Posted by DDabs View Post
Mix boric acid, sweetened condensed milk, and powdered sugar until you have a peanut butter consistency mixture. Spoon out onto wax paper or foil and allow it to dry overnight. Then place the small size cookies (1.5" in diameter) in the boat, in cabinets and hidey holes and say good bye to roaches, ants and all other sorts of bugs. Really has worked great for me here in FL.
I use 20 Mule Team Borax, which is a lot cheaper than boric acid. I keep a cheese shaker filled with it and sprinkle in damp sinks nightly. Commercial roach tablets never worked for me so I think your "cookies" are a much better idea.
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Old 15-10-2016, 13:13   #10
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Re: cockroaches and deep freeze

Thanks thinwater, hope you're right.

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Old 15-10-2016, 13:37   #11
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Re: cockroaches and deep freeze

Quote:
Originally Posted by phorvati View Post
I don't need to know about poisons etc, I'm not asking how to get rid of them. I am wondering about how cold and for how long before they die. Shrink wrap or not it will get to single digits for consecutive nights/days this winter. Some nights might see below 0F. I will monitor temps with IR thermomenter throughout the winter. Particularly in those hard to reach places.

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They dont die unless you kill them. They are biologically equipped for cold, heat, water and nuclear explosions. After 14 years in Florida, the only thing I found to be sure is nasty rotten chemicals. Natural methods just prolong the time between waiting for freezing or nature to fail...

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Old 15-10-2016, 13:37   #12
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Re: cockroaches and deep freeze

Quote:
Originally Posted by travellerw View Post
Got a roach infestation BAD twice... Followed all the baloney advice about Boric Acid, Borax, Bay leaves, spraying and even bug bombing... NOTHING WORKED (german roaches, small with 2 black stripes)... Until a good friend suggested "Advion". A week and a half after applying it, no roaches. Reapplied at 2 weeks and never saw a roach again. 3 months later we got infested again (f'n docks). Same procedure, same result.

Go ahead, try all the other stuff, when it fails, head over to Amazon and buy some Advion. $25 will buy you enough to treat your boat about 10 times. We won't cruise without it.
+1 for this method. The boric acid powder worked, but then they just avoided it anD came back. Mae baits, the whole bit. Used the advion and never seen another roach. BTW. NO CARDBOARD ON THE BOAT EVER..
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Old 15-10-2016, 14:18   #13
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Re: cockroaches and deep freeze

If you want to terminate with prejudice your roaches, the first thing you need to understand is you must break the breeding cycle.

What I use (and is the one used by many professional exterminators) is Alpine Gel Bait. I've used ortho boric acid, and it works for the short term, but if it gets any moisture in it, its kaput.

With the gel bait (you only need a tiny dot of it), when the new brood hatches and nibbles the gel bait, its off to cockroach heaven. No worry about moisture or high humidity.

I buy mine here. There are a few other gel baits, and I've used them too. However, I've settled on Alpine. It works and at a good price.

And, I am not associated in any way with the seller - just like their service and prices (better than Amazon, who I also use).
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Old 15-10-2016, 14:21   #14
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Re: cockroaches and deep freeze

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Originally Posted by Jsta_Rebel View Post
+1 for this method. The boric acid powder worked, but then they just avoided it anD came back. Mae baits, the whole bit. Used the advion and never seen another roach. BTW. NO CARDBOARD ON THE BOAT EVER..
Advion Gel is great stuff too! I wouldn't use the liquid. Just my preference.
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Old 15-10-2016, 14:30   #15
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Re: cockroaches and deep freeze

Those are Palmento Bugs...lol, roaches. There is a reason you do not see those bugs in RI. It is called winter. I think the cold will kill them.
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