I’m collecting as many pictures of bugs and roaches around the apartment building (room, lobby, laundry room, etc.) as I can to eventually take to the management company.
(Background: When I moved in, there were spiders all in the cabinets. I got them cleaned out but when the management company asked the landlord to spray my room, he refused claiming “it never works.” We live near a river in the city, but my ex’s old apartment is around the corner (literally) and he never had a problem when he lived there. The apartment is pretty cheap and a bunch of foreigners live here too.)
In the meantime, I try to keep my apartment clean as much as I can. I sprayed store bought stuff in cracks and dark places. I’ve covered as much as I can (holes, drains, the a/c hose outside, etc.). I take out my small trash bag every other day. Clean cans immediately after use. I still manage to find some kind of small bug once a weekish.
Is there anything else I can do? It’s pretty clear the whole building is having a problem. I’d move but I’ve just started some new jobs and we all know how expensive that is. I have a bunch of books and papers since I’m basically working from home/am a dispatch teacher. Would some plastic storage bins discourage them? Am I just screwed until I finally can break lease and move out?
I never had this problem in my last apartment and I did basically no preventive care. I was there for 6 years and found a silverfish once.
4 comments
Have you tried a smoke solution like 虫コロリ？ That can get into the cracks and lasts longer.
I have used this kind of thing before: [https://www.earth.jp/products/mushi-korori-nonsmoke-9-12/](https://www.earth.jp/products/mushi-korori-nonsmoke-9-12/)
You need to cover smoke anything electric (outlets too) and close and leave the room when you start it. But it is supposedly stronger than just spraying where you see insects.
There are also insect repellent sheets in plastic cases to hang at door and windows, usually pretty effective (if the insects are coming from outside).
My solution is to leave everything to the jumping spiders. They need some time to settle back in after each deep clean, so having those black plastic traps with cockroach poison helps, too.
Method only works if you do not mind the little spiders, of course, and do not use any poison sprays that might kill them.
Or a Carnivorous plant, but not sure if you would need one in each room? I used to have one in the kitchen and thought it worked well and it’s natural 🙂