Hints From Heloise

Recipe for Roach Removal

Dear Heloise: Could you please REPRINT THE ROACH RECIPE? It has helped me in the past. Thanks for all you do. -- Trish in Houston

Trish, this question comes in over and over from readers plagued by roach problems. The "recipe" is to kill them, not cook them!

Roaches feed on kitchen scraps, crumbs, garbage, bookbinding, soap, paper, paint chips, wallpaper paste and other glued items. They are extremely hardy and can live without water for up to three weeks! They will be here long after we are all gone.

To banish roaches:

Clean under sinks and get rid of old, unused boxes.

Clean and check closet water heaters and areas behind and inside appliances (including washers, dryers, radios, wall clocks, TVs and stereos).

Check furniture or other things that have glue on them. Roaches love glue and can hang out on bookshelves, behind wallpaper or even inside pianos or organs.

Check your draperies, especially in the folds and pleats at the top.

Be careful to watch for roaches when you bring home groceries in sacks or boxes.

If you have an infestation, first use a long-lasting insecticide spray, treating the bases of your walls and appliances, underneath sinks, in cupboards or on draperies.

Next, use a fogger product designed to kill cockroaches, following the directions exactly and placing the can on newspaper to protect carpets and floors