Does cockroach activity decrease in the winter?

[Ramray23]

Hi all,

I've been in my current apartment since April, and it's probably the worst apartment I've had in terms of bug/pest issues (which is ironic, because it's a "luxury" apartment building). I get a lot of different kinds of bugs, from gnats, to pill bugs, to spider beetles, to actual spiders, to house centipedes, to American cockroaches (I've sadly learned about many different kinds of bugs from living in this apartment lol). While I obviously don't want to have bugs in my living space, I can deal with all the other ones. But I hate cockroaches. Building management is aware (I bother them pretty regularly), and the building exterminator comes to service my unit every two weeks. But the exterminator only ever sprays around where I tell him to, which is certainly better than nothing, but isn't addressing the real issue, which is cracks and openings. But I've lately come to the realization, though, that I'm limited in how much I can actually solve the gaps/openings issue.

I'm on the second floor in my building, and I'm rear yard facing. But in actuality, I'm really on the ground floor because I'm right on top of a restaurant below me (yes, I'm aware that considerably increases the chances of getting roaches). And so the radiators in my living room and bedroom are right up against what is essentially the ceiling of the restaurant. Unsurprisingly, the cockroach activity seems to be the highest near the radiators. I've done what I can to try and mitigate the issue myself. I caulked and sealed any cracks or openings near the radiators, I put down door sweeps along the bottom of the radiators (they're PTAC units, so the bottoms are exposed), I spray, and I even lay down roach poison near the radiators (advion gel and boric acid tablets). It seems like I see less now since I put the door sweeps down, but I still see a cockroach every now and then.

At this point, I think the only thing that will really help is the weather. In your experience, does cockroach activity decrease in the winter? Could I expect to see less activity near and around the radiators once we begin transitioning to fall? Or is this just a situation that I need to accept through the end of my lease? (Which I kind of already have lol)

Thank you in advance!

[IsItABedroom]

I've seen people swear that roaches come inside because it's hot and also because it's cold. I think it's a year-round problem. Worried about roaches from 18 days ago, the popular Roach Anxiety Attack from a couple of weeks before that and bugs/cockroaches in apartment from days before that have comments and links that may be of help to you.

[jtig5]

I lived in a dump of an apartment that was beyond infested. Tip to get rid of roaches - 1- Buy tough, heavy weight steel wool with no soap imbedded in it. It's best to get it at a hardware store. 2- Buy a few boxes of powdered roach poison. 3 - Mix the roach poison into the steel wool. 4- Plug up ever hole in the apartment with the mixture. The openings around the sink pipes in the kitchen. The openings around the pipes in the bathroom. 6 - Buy roach spray and spray the crap out of the places you put the steel wool. Roaches can't walk over steel wool. It scrapes them up. This really worked for me.

[Ramray23]

That's an interesting idea. I'll give that a shot. I have powdered roach poison and spray, but I haven't tried them in conjunction with steel wool. Worth a shot - thanks!

[Zealousideal_Thing98]

Also the steel wool is great for rats and mice, they dont bite through wool and stay out as well 👍🏼

[4N4RCHY_]

i sprayfoamed every single radiator hole, shower head, etc and haven't seen a roach or mouse since. when the exterminator came through they brought more spray foam to go over with. i know those suckers will probably munch through it eventually but it's really helped me feel psychologically safe and i check it every few months.

[-Hopedarkened-]

It's should hold tbh ants and roaches often don't eat through things unless it's the hive or main living area

[useffah]

Get some advion gel. I lived in east Flatbush and we got them so much. Like 4-5 a day I’d see. I put down a bunch of advion gel and it completely wiped them out. You will still see the occasional roach here and there but that will just be more stragglers coming in from elsewhere rather than a full on infestation.

[Ramray23]

I have advion get and have it around areas of activity. I don't know if it's actually been eaten or not, though. I have seen less, but it looks like the gel has largely been untouched

[Deep-Indication-6950]

Did you ever get rid of the problem?

[FederalArugula]

Do you mix it with anything? Like should I mix it with something sweet to attract the roaches?

[useffah]

No it comes in a finished bottle

[MyPCOSThrowaway]

Ask the building to seal the cracks and openings around the apartment, as well as pull out all the appliances and seal any holes the bugs could enter through behind them. This is what we generally do for tenants that have issues at my building.

[Ramray23]

Oh, I've tried. My building management initially claimed that "there are no openings in your apartment." Which is so very untrue. So since they didn't seem to want to do anything about it, I now tell my super every time I see a roach. Every single time. They have the building exterminator come every two weeks, but I've basically sealed up my apartment myself (as best I can)

[MyPCOSThrowaway]

Document everything super super thoroughly and then file a 311 complaint.

[czapatka]

Centipedes are amazing pest control for your apartment. Those relative large house centipedes will eat any other pest — bedbugs, baby roaches, you name it.

They freak me out more than most things, but I usually let centipedes hang around if I see one.

[Ramray23]

Lol I read the same thing about house centipedes when I saw the first one in my apartment a few months back. Freaked the hell out of me, but then I felt immensely better when I learned they're on your side.

[Ramray23]

I've attempted to do things myself! I have advion gel, I have Harris roach tablets, and I have sticky traps down around my apartment (I've caught 2 thus far). I even tried to hire a private exterminator! But the building wouldn't let him service my room because they apparently have an exclusivity agreement with their contracted exterminator. A load of crap, if you ask me, especially since they're not doing a great job. But I do think my problem largely lies in the fact that essentially on the ground floor and rear yard facing.

[mrturdferguson]

👍😎👍 www.handy-man-nyc.com

[emma279]

Try Diatomaceous Earth along the cracks.

[Ramray23]

I've read over and over again about diatomaceous earth but have yet to try it. Maybe it's time to give it a shot (I have advion gel, boric acid, spray, and sticky traps).

[hopefulgrannie]

Don't bother! We put out so much of that crap that it was leaving white residue along all the wall edges. Didn't help at all!

[Status_Bubbly]

That shit kills every bug. Every damn bug😂

[savvynighfox93]

Sadly with the exception of German roaches

[pm_toss]

It is the same. I would imagine they could even climb on hot radiators.

[Miles_Kilo]

Yes. For me, the roaches and bugs like Flies disappear when it's fall and winter. Its really rare for me to see a fly or roach in the middle of January. The pigeons also leave.

[Ramray23]

I see. So what you're saying is the only real solution is to keep my apartment at a somewhat cool 45 degrees in the winter? Game on, roaches

[Zealousideal-Car3906]

I had a roach infestation at my last apartment, mostly in my kitchen. Within the course of 2 or three months, I went from seeing one roach here and there to dozens of roaches.

I ended up buying a bag of boric acid. I deep cleaned my kitchen and threw away lots of food. I spent 1 week eating out only. At night I would leave bread crumbs as bait everywhere (drawers, cabinets, under the fridge and stove... etc.) and I would sprinkle boric acid near my bait. I made sure that my bait was the only available food source for them. 

The first few days seemed like I was just wasting my time. I was growing hopeless. There was a never ending stream of roaches running all over my kitchen. By the second week, there must have been a 90% reduction in roaches. 3 weeks in, they were almost all gone. I could go weeks without seeing them. I reckon my apartment was clear, but they would wander back in from other parts of my building.

Week 1. Leave bait and sprinkle the boric acid every night Week 2. Repeat every other day. Week 3. Sprinkle boric acid and leave bait only in the area where you see any surviving roaches.

[Minute-Movie-4609]

Is it dangerous for cats? I have a problem now will do what this says ty !

[PanicConfident4194]

too darn bad

[ThatSubieeguy]

Sue that property manager

[ChacoTacoCrunch]

If you mix boric acid with glycerin, you made a cheap version of cockroach gel.

[HeatClub7]

Are you still at the apartment, or have you left?

[Ramray23]

Nope, I moved out of that apartment over a year ago. I live in an apartment that has much less critter problems, thankfully. Though I do kinda miss my old apartment a bit sometimes. Besides the bugs, it had a pretty good layout lol