Cockroaches !

[hellosailor]

Paul-
How many A&T's had departments of Astrophysics? Physics? Theoretical mathematics? Philology and Linguistics? Architecture? Nursing? Business Admin? Engineering? Any "tech" besides "auto tech" meaning "car repairs"?

I rest my case. A&T may be science, firm science, and real science. Even old science. But traditionally an A&T school was chartered to have a VERY narrow focus, and that's why they were looked down on as "farm schools".

The courses may be the same, the faculty may be the same, the quality of the education may be the same. But the charter of an A&T, and the scope of an A&T, is traditionally and intentionally limited. Which is prefectly good--if that's the information you need to master.

[GordMay]

I don’t think that an elitist critique of various institutions of higher learning, adds anything of value to the forum - and certainly not to a discussion centred on cockroaches. Neither do I believe it adds to the critic’s credibility and standing.

Never having graduated from any post-secondary school, I am offended on behalf of those who have achieved a graduate education - from whatever school.

Respectfully,
Gord May

[S/V Elusive]

Gord - MOST Aggies acknowledge the stereo-typical depiction of them ... but ALL KNOW that most Aggie schools are usually the best damn schools around and there ain't no slouches there. Howerever, the more recent "kidding" has been at how TECHNICAL they are and at how exacting they are. 'Taint easy getting in or through these 'Aggie' schools. But this doesn't stop the jokes that are prevelent ... even amongst the Aggies. Even they will admit that the female selection for dating are mighty slim.

[CaptainK]

And the members of the true Aggies are called "Future Farmers of America." Also known as the FFA!!

[hellosailor]

I think it was four years ago at Texas A&T that the students built a bonfire using telephone poles. Apparently an annual tradition and the tradition requires that each one be bigger and better. You know what's coming...That year the cables holding the poles together broke apart. Injuries, inquiry, lots of bad press.

You don't hear about that as often at MIT or CalTech. They just try to steal cannons from each other, or hoist cars onto the top of domed buildings.<G>

Formal education is only a piece of paper, Gord. If you drop out and make a lot of money, people will even GIVE you the paper afterwards. Like that Gates fellow got his.<G>

I had a friend who bemoaned getting sidetracked and neer going to college. At the time we were both doing the same kind of work for the same pay rates, and in some ways each of us was "better" at it but overall, same same. I told her to get over it, and consider herself a hundred grand ahead of the game because she'd been EARNING instead of PAYING for four years. Plenty of folks who built up on "easy A" courses and plenty of degrees that ain't worth the spit to stick 'em to the wall.
You got a degree? OK, you might have an education.
You got a set of foulies? OK, maybe you can sail in rough weather.

Same same. If someone wants to see something in writing...ask 'em what color you should print it in.<G>

[Wukong]

I have a Masters degree from the University of Arkansas (Fayetteville). As far as I'm concerned, I bought it fair and square.

[GordMay]

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE MEASURES AGAINST INSECTS AND OTHER ARTHROPODS OF MILITARY SIGNIFICANCE

AFPMB - Technical Guide 36:
Goto:
http://www.afpmb.org/coweb/guidance_.../TG36/TG36.htm

This guide has it all ...

[Gallivanters]

COCKROACHES

We had stowaway cockroaches all the way from Honolulu to Cairns, where I read about a simple method to irradicate the buggers in a copy of CRUISING HELMSMAN. The recipe got rid of the cockies once-and-for-all.

We mixed boric acid with sweetened condinsed milk into a cookie dough paste, shaped into marble-sized balls and distributed them throughout the roach-haven spaces of the vessel. The roaches were so attracted to the baits that they came out in broad daylight to devour them as I was placing them!

The roaches were all gone within three weeks... and they never came back.

Eight years and two tropical oceans later, we traded up to a bigger boat. We sold our old boat "roach free" but our new boat came infested with a disgustng population large Caribbean Cockroaches.

I believe we got a better price, on both transactions, due to the lack of... and because of - cockroaches.

I bought the Cockie Cookie ingredients for less than five bucks and made enough baits to do battle on our boat and again - the roaches were all gone within three weeks and they haven't come back in three years.

The dozen (or so) baits remain in place under cupboards, in the bilge, closets, tanks and other out of the way places. We've seen roaches fly thru hatches and crawl up the docklines on occasion... but they've never gotten a foot-hold aboard our boat ever since using this simple technique.

Stop your whining and go get rid of your cockroaches - once-and-for-all.

Kirk

[Talbot]

so post the recipe for us?

[Gallivanters]

To get rid of cockroaches aone-and-for-all

Purchase the following three items at a nearby grocery and / or hardware store:

Boric Acid Powder - about $3.50
Sweetened Condinsed Milk - about $1.00
Sheet Aluminum Foil - nada

------------------

Lay out sheet of aluminum foil (or any disposable mixing surface).

Pour about 4 inch dia puddle of sweetened condinsed milk onto foil.

Sprinkle boric acid powder onto puddle.

Mix.

Add milk or powder to achieve dough consistency which enables you to form into shape.

Place stratigically throughout vessel - out of common reach from children and pets. Behind cabinets, stove, dry bilge areas, tank spaces, etc.

Wash hands.

Have a beer.

----------------------

Aye found this recipe in a magazine in Australia - CRUISING HELMSMAN - and have treated two cockroach infested vessels (each on only one occasion) in the past ten years with this simple method.

In both instances the cockroaches were completely gone within three weeks... and they never came back to bother us. Ever.

Simple as that.

Capt Kirk ~~~_/) ~~~ s/v Gallivanter ~~~ St Thomas

[Intentional Drifter]

I know that boric acid powder is quite effective for flea infestations, too. The nice thing about Capt Kirk's method is that it will help to prevent reinfestation, too. Any new critters that happen to get on the boat will go right for the little balls and are likely to consume it before laying new eggs. Any eggs hatching that are brought on will go for them, too.

A pest guy once told me that the effect of boric acid on insects is almost sadistically pleasureable to think about. It seems that after they've eaten enough of it, it weakens their exoskeleton so that when they jump -- they explode. Would make me want to do a thorough vacuum job every now and then, though.

ID

[Intentional Drifter]

Oh, on the other matter at hand in this thread. As U of Texas grad, we know all about Aggies. They attend school at Texas A&M. Here's a link to their identifying characteristics: http://home.earthlink.net/~mike_scott/aggjoke.htm

ID

[Pblais]

I actually had good freinds from the Entomolgy department. They take their bugs seriously. Bugs at war vs bugs at sea. Sounds similar to me. It's not easy ridding a boat with bugs. A good bon fire works, but not always with the extra consequences.

[Knottygirlz]

Originally Posted by Louis Riel

your screens in, then burn an inch of mosquito coil stuck betweeen the tines of a fork, in your cabin,you'll kill any who have snuck aboard .

I have been using the coils in past summers and I find they work really well. I even like the smell of them - it sort of reminds me of a campfire. Rick, on the other hand, does not like the burning smell. Must be the family "fireman" gene kicking in. (Grandfather, father, uncle all served locally and he served on the ships)

Originally Posted by Louis Riel

Both roaches and mosquitoes hate the smell of catnip.

This sounded great and the only down-side I could see was detoxing the cat after our holidays this year. However, We currently have a problem with misquitos gathering at one of our upstairs windows and finding their way in through gaps in the screen, so I decided to test the catnip repellent. I found that holding the bin of catnip along the screen did make the mosquitoes go away, but just for a moment. I sprinkled a generous portion of catnip along the sill to see if that kept them from gathering, but it did not. They still gather at the window and some find their way inside. So I think, much to Shadow's dismay, that I will not be sprinkling catnip gererously around our boat's cabin this year and continue to use the coils and the new Off Lantern.

Lori, Rick and Shadow

[Feral Cement]

As a commercial sales rep for the 3rd largest residential pest control company in the USA, I have the good fortune to work with not one, but two people with Masters degrees in entomology. When I found roaches on my boat, I got the following advice:

I bought a 3-pac of those lock-and-leave little bug spray cannisters. The active ingredient is a pyrethoid compound that is bad for bugs, not for mammals. I set all three off (in a 28' boat!) as I left one Sunday, and I have not found one live roach since. The body count was impressive. Be sure to vacate the premises IMMEDIATELY! That stuff seems to displace the oxygen in the air and WILL hurt you if you hang around.

I like this routine since it kills every bug on the boat and you don't have to live with (and operate) a bait system of any sort. Now, if you are constantly acquiring new roaches, this might not work so well.

Also, "Palmetto Bugs" are just wood roaches - bigger and darker than German cockroaches (the nasty kind that multiplies in human environments) - and they are usually just lost when they come into your house or boat or houseboat.

John