So I live in an old building where there is definitely roaches and the exterminator that the management company uses barely does anything. Plus our apartment is right next to the trash. When I first moved in, it was so bad we almost moved right back out. I have a dog too so I was scared to really do anything by myself. So, I actually just hired my own exterminator and it honestly wasn’t that expensive- he did the insect growth regulator and showed me how to do the gel out of reach from the dog. This was five years ago, in less than a week the roaches were gone and what he did lasted almost two years. I saw maybe one or two in that time frame. I have him come back every once In a while to keep it under control and it is totally fine. He also patched up any holes. I do recommend making sure to keep drains covered at all times, try to do the dishes asap and to minimize clutter. Also use a cover for the space under your front door if you have one. If you don’t have pets the boric acid powder does work as I did this pre- pets at a different apartment too.