So I moved into a new apartment in Chiba, and been here a few weeks, and it’s cold here, and the 2 days ago I saw a little bug about the size of a 10 yen coin crawling on my tatami mat floor in my bed room. I took a pic of it and then sqashed it with a paper towel and flushed it.
I uploaded it to a bug identifier app, and it says it’s a smokey brown roach. I was thinking it looks like a roach, and read they are commin in Japan, so felt it was accurate.
I haven’t seen anymore, and it’s winter, so I was a shock to see a roach in the winter. And then I read online that where there is one roach there is more, and that they carry diseases.
Anyway, shocked at the fact I have roaches, I’m wondering what to do about it. Yesterday I bought a kind of bait trap called Combat and put it in various places in all rooms.
I also bought some tape that doesn’t damage walls and am thinking to tape up every crack in the place, around pipes and windows and anywhere a roach can come in, and will go nuts with the tape until everything is all taped up. My tatami floor has a lot of cracks, so will try to tape it all up.
I’m freaking out, and not sure what else to do about this roach problem. Worried when it gets warm that thousands will pop up.
What do people usually do here when they move into a new place and discover a roach?
I don’t want to just up and move out, cause I paid a fortune on fees ro move in. But I’m considering it.
Any advice?
9 comments
Theres plenty of threads on this topic, black cap seems to be popular and effective. Taping up the cracks is a good idea too.
Just go with the roach bait traps placed around your apartment. We have two feisty terriers that take out anything they see crawling across the floor but that’s probably not a practical extermination system for most people.
You can also do smoke bomb what kills all nasty things from your apartment. You get them from pharmacy example, we have done this always before we start carrying stuff in new place. Can be done with later as well.
The combat traps work well, but it will take a bit of time. Keep your drains clean, and use drain basket net in the kitchen. There’s foam strip insulation at the home center, put that on the window/sliding door edges and you’ll improve insulation and keep bugs out.
Moving is only option I am afraid. Combat will reduce the number but it won’t completely illiminate the problem, nothing will.
If you see the bigger roaches (thumb size), they’re the ones that usually come up through your drain pipes…those things fly right into your face when threatened.
I once saw a roach in my new apartment and never saw it again. Accidents happen I suppose.
We live in a 50 year old house. When we moved in we did some smoke bombs and went out for the day. Zapped a few roaches, and we were worried it was going to be trouble. Haven’t seen any since though touchwood.
I’ve lived in several apartments, and people say when you find one then there’s possibly an infestation nearby. But in my experience, I’ll see a few and then not again for ages (although granted they might not be seen).
Buy the stuff ready for them, but I wouldn’t freak out just yet.
When people say that if you see one, there are hundreds of others, they mean in regard to restaurants, filthy/old homes, or apartments located above restaurants. Large roaches will find their way in every now and then through mailbox slots, cracked windows, doors, etc but it’s usually a one off. That being said, it’s never a bad idea to have some black cap around and a can of gokijet on hand if you ever encounter any more.