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Thursday, August 21, 2008

An excerpt from a recent Q and A with Home's Jura Koncius:

Bethesda: My son has been dealing with a bad roach infestation in a New York City sublet. Now he is ready to move to his own apartment. How can he make sure the bugs are not in the books, clothes and bedding he will be transporting? He heard that he might try to put everything in plastic zip-lock bags -- or the freezer, but for how long? Not much fits in the freezer.

Koncius: He should get rid of as much paper as he can: no newspapers, magazines or shopping bag collections, as roaches love to hang out in paper. Freezing stuff is a great idea, but as you say, the freezer is small. He might take all his clothes directly to a laundromat and wash them in hot water before moving them into the new place. Other tips?

Roaches: Get rid of cardboard boxes, too. Have him pack as much as possible in plastic bins with tight-fitting lids. Roaches and their eggs travel in boxes and eat the glue. Also try boric acid (Borax) in the old and new places. They eat it, then crawl off to die.