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Roaches in Mulch? Help!
#1
S
successfulwife
S
successfulwife
Hi can anyone give me info. I just purchased a home that is about 4 years old. I asked my landscaper to please put down black mulch. They did a great job. After the job was done they told me about their mulch and to make sure I turn it over ever 3 months because I will find beds and beds of Roaches. They stated they live not far from my home and every three months when they turn it over there are tons of Roaches. I have had black mulch in the last 2 of my home and never had this. I have turned over mulch I can't count how many times. Did I just ruin my home and what can I put in the mulch if anything that will kill the Roaches I don't want them to get in the home and I love my flowers. Am I doomed? Thank you for anything you can help me with in advance. I really appreciate it.
#2
AVB
AVB
It depends which type roaches they are as getting into your home. If wood roaches they don't tend get into homes. It is the German roaches that you got to worry about. I would use some liquid Sevin or Premithrin spray over the mulch and this should kill most of the insects. Another solution for me was chickens. They love these little monsters but they scratch out the mulch so it is constant work putting it back.
For German roaches in my home I have always used Boric Acid mix with margarine on aluminum sheets in my cabinets out the reach of pets and kids. Now if I can keep the kinfolks out I don't see any new infestations. Btw I can't stand roaches either.
For German roaches in my home I have always used Boric Acid mix with margarine on aluminum sheets in my cabinets out the reach of pets and kids. Now if I can keep the kinfolks out I don't see any new infestations. Btw I can't stand roaches either.
#3
tom3
tom3
I used to fight termites in that black mulch too. Just a standard wood shredded and dyed seems like. I dug it all out and replaced the mulch with crushed red clay tile stuff, looks good and no pests. And the leaf blower vac. attachment won't suck up the rock when I vacuum up leaves in the fall.
#4
B
bertsmobile1
B
bertsmobile1
In nature roaches help break down forest floor debris and recycle the nutrients to the soil
Their excrement is a very rich fertiizer
If you are worried about them getting into your house then use some barrier spray / powder around your house.
If you want a greenish solution then get some running birds ( chickens even ) and they will clean up excess cockroaches in no time flat.
Ground dwelling spiders also like the odd cockkie or 2000
Do some research on cockroaches.
They are a very high benefit insect.
It is just unfortunate that they look so ugly to humans.
When I was a kid my a'hole uncle showed me a trick with cockroaces & huntsman spiders .
He tossed a huntsman into the bath tub and then a couple of cockroaches.
We watched as the cockies desperately tried to get out because it was too light for them
And every time they got to 1 spiders length away from the huntsman it leaped across , stuck its feeding tube into the cockroaches, sucked their inside out then returned to it's original position.
This all happens faster than a human eye can follow.
The idea was to embarass my mother.
However it cured both my sister's fear of both spiders & cockroaches as they now became play things.
And of course at college we used to play cockroach football on the kitchen table .
Excessive amounts of cockroaches shows there is a problem with the way they process their compost.
It is not getting hot enough to kill the cockroach eggs which means it is also not getting hot enough to kill harmful bacteria , other pathogens and more importantly WEED SEEDS .
I would not buy any more compost from them.
Make your own it is very easy to do I make about 50 yards a year using some old compost bins that were throw outs,
I do have to buy in some chicken poop and when the tree munchers are in the area I get them to dump a load of shredded trees out front.
The tree shredings get tossed with fresh horse / cow dung & I relieve myself on the pile .
The more squeemish can buy urea fertilizer.
keeping the pile acid discourages cockies from living there, that like alkaline soils.
Currently I have 9 bins in operation & the compost gets tossed from one to the other.
In summer it takes about 10 days to get to safe mulch state ( brown compost ) and some gets used like that & the rest goes into bigger bins that do not get tossed but i add water and worms to that bin.
In around 3 months that bin is black compost and has been reduced to about 1/3 the volume and that is what goes around the flowers & veggies.
It takes about 3 minutes to toss each bin so around a 1/2 hour of pleasent light work.
made even better by the native birds than come & stand by my legs waiting for curl grubs or cockies that are disturbed during the toss.
Their excrement is a very rich fertiizer
If you are worried about them getting into your house then use some barrier spray / powder around your house.
If you want a greenish solution then get some running birds ( chickens even ) and they will clean up excess cockroaches in no time flat.
Ground dwelling spiders also like the odd cockkie or 2000
Do some research on cockroaches.
They are a very high benefit insect.
It is just unfortunate that they look so ugly to humans.
When I was a kid my a'hole uncle showed me a trick with cockroaces & huntsman spiders .
He tossed a huntsman into the bath tub and then a couple of cockroaches.
We watched as the cockies desperately tried to get out because it was too light for them
And every time they got to 1 spiders length away from the huntsman it leaped across , stuck its feeding tube into the cockroaches, sucked their inside out then returned to it's original position.
This all happens faster than a human eye can follow.
The idea was to embarass my mother.
However it cured both my sister's fear of both spiders & cockroaches as they now became play things.
And of course at college we used to play cockroach football on the kitchen table .
Excessive amounts of cockroaches shows there is a problem with the way they process their compost.
It is not getting hot enough to kill the cockroach eggs which means it is also not getting hot enough to kill harmful bacteria , other pathogens and more importantly WEED SEEDS .
I would not buy any more compost from them.
Make your own it is very easy to do I make about 50 yards a year using some old compost bins that were throw outs,
I do have to buy in some chicken poop and when the tree munchers are in the area I get them to dump a load of shredded trees out front.
The tree shredings get tossed with fresh horse / cow dung & I relieve myself on the pile .
The more squeemish can buy urea fertilizer.
keeping the pile acid discourages cockies from living there, that like alkaline soils.
Currently I have 9 bins in operation & the compost gets tossed from one to the other.
In summer it takes about 10 days to get to safe mulch state ( brown compost ) and some gets used like that & the rest goes into bigger bins that do not get tossed but i add water and worms to that bin.
In around 3 months that bin is black compost and has been reduced to about 1/3 the volume and that is what goes around the flowers & veggies.
It takes about 3 minutes to toss each bin so around a 1/2 hour of pleasent light work.
made even better by the native birds than come & stand by my legs waiting for curl grubs or cockies that are disturbed during the toss.
#5
D
Darryl G
D
Darryl G
I recommend getting undyed mulch made from forest products rather than the dyed stuff which is often made from construction and demolition wastes. They dye it and grind it fine for a reason - it's junk!
Cedar bark mulch is my favorite because it has natural insect repelling qualities.
Cedar bark mulch is my favorite because it has natural insect repelling qualities.
#6
S
successfulwife
S
successfulwife
Update, absolutely love your reply, thank you.It depends which type roaches they are as getting into your home. If wood roaches they don't tend get into homes. It is the German roaches that you got to worry about. I would use some liquid Sevin or Premithrin spray over the mulch and this should kill most of the insects. Another solution for me was chickens. They love these little monsters but they scratch out the mulch so it is constant work putting it back.
For German roaches in my home I have always used Boric Acid mix with margarine on aluminum sheets in my cabinets out the reach of pets and kids. Now if I can keep the kinfolks out I don't see any new infestations. Btw I can't stand roaches either.
#7
S
successfulwife
S
successfulwife
Update, thank you so much for being so detailed. Thank you.In nature roaches help break down forest floor debris and recycle the nutrients to the soil
Their excrement is a very rich fertiizer
If you are worried about them getting into your house then use some barrier spray / powder around your house.
If you want a greenish solution then get some running birds ( chickens even ) and they will clean up excess cockroaches in no time flat.
Ground dwelling spiders also like the odd cockkie or 2000
Do some research on cockroaches.
They are a very high benefit insect.
It is just unfortunate that they look so ugly to humans.
When I was a kid my a'hole uncle showed me a trick with cockroaces & huntsman spiders .
He tossed a huntsman into the bath tub and then a couple of cockroaches.
We watched as the cockies desperately tried to get out because it was too light for them
And every time they got to 1 spiders length away from the huntsman it leaped across , stuck its feeding tube into the cockroaches, sucked their inside out then returned to it's original position.
This all happens faster than a human eye can follow.
The idea was to embarass my mother.
However it cured both my sister's fear of both spiders & cockroaches as they now became play things.
And of course at college we used to play cockroach football on the kitchen table .
Excessive amounts of cockroaches shows there is a problem with the way they process their compost.
It is not getting hot enough to kill the cockroach eggs which means it is also not getting hot enough to kill harmful bacteria , other pathogens and more importantly WEED SEEDS .
I would not buy any more compost from them.
Make your own it is very easy to do I make about 50 yards a year using some old compost bins that were throw outs,
I do have to buy in some chicken poop and when the tree munchers are in the area I get them to dump a load of shredded trees out front.
The tree shredings get tossed with fresh horse / cow dung & I relieve myself on the pile .
The more squeemish can buy urea fertilizer.
keeping the pile acid discourages cockies from living there, that like alkaline soils.
Currently I have 9 bins in operation & the compost gets tossed from one to the other.
In summer it takes about 10 days to get to safe mulch state ( brown compost ) and some gets used like that & the rest goes into bigger bins that do not get tossed but i add water and worms to that bin.
In around 3 months that bin is black compost and has been reduced to about 1/3 the volume and that is what goes around the flowers & veggies.
It takes about 3 minutes to toss each bin so around a 1/2 hour of pleasent light work.
made even better by the native birds than come & stand by my legs waiting for curl grubs or cockies that are disturbed during the toss.
#8
S
successfulwife
S
successfulwife
Update, absolutely love your reply, thank you.
Update. Thank you so much everyone for your replies. I am off to Home Depot and Lowes today to get the suggestions. Praying to God this works for us. Would like to stop trouble before it starts. Thank you.Hi can anyone give me info. I just purchased a home that is about 4 years old. I asked my landscaper to please put down black mulch. They did a great job. After the job was done they told me about their mulch and to make sure I turn it over ever 3 months because I will find beds and beds of Roaches. They stated they live not far from my home and every three months when they turn it over there are tons of Roaches. I have had black mulch in the last 2 of my home and never had this. I have turned over mulch I can't count how many times. Did I just ruin my home and what can I put in the mulch if anything that will kill the Roaches I don't want them to get in the home and I love my flowers. Am I doomed? Thank you for anything you can help me with in advance. I really appreciate it.
#9
7394
7394
They also make mulch outta ground up automobile tires, costs more initially, but never needs replaced.
Just throwing it out there.
Just throwing it out there.
#10
R
rohitkhan
R
rohitkhan
I recently came across this thread and wanted to share my experience with a similar pest problem. I had a serious issue with pests in my own home, and it was really stressful trying to find a solution. However, I was lucky enough to discover a great pest control service that helped me solve my problem. If you're still struggling with roaches in your mulch, I highly recommend checking out their website at https://ajverminatorpestcontrol.com/wasp-pest-control-sunderland
I know it can be really frustrating dealing with pests, especially when you want to protect your home and your flowers. It sounds like your landscaper gave you some good advice about turning over the mulch every few months to keep the roaches away. But if you're still having trouble, it might be worth reaching out to a professional pest control service to see if they have any recommendations.
I know it can be really frustrating dealing with pests, especially when you want to protect your home and your flowers. It sounds like your landscaper gave you some good advice about turning over the mulch every few months to keep the roaches away. But if you're still having trouble, it might be worth reaching out to a professional pest control service to see if they have any recommendations.
#11
M
MParr
M
MParr
Mulch that you buy at Big Box stores is likely to have any number of invasive species in the bags.
We never had Geckos at our house until my wife bought bagged mulch from Lowe’s.
If you want something like mulch, buy pine straw or hay locally.
We never had Geckos at our house until my wife bought bagged mulch from Lowe’s.
If you want something like mulch, buy pine straw or hay locally.
#12
B
bertsmobile1
Pests become a problem because what ever controls their numbers is missing
So the controllers posion the bigs and the few remaining preditors eat the posioned bugs and they die
So initially the bugs vanish then in a short time they come back worse than ever so you call the pest controllers again.
To use an example
We have a very dangerous spider called the Funnel Web which is common right along the entire East coast .
It is a ground living spider and was conrolled in nature by small mammals, large lizzards & running birds like bower birds & brush turkeys.
Then we build houses and dring in dogs & cats who wipe out / scare off all of the spiders natural preditors .
However keeping hens was common & the hens did a reasonable job of cleaning up the spiders because we have removed a lot of their food source as well.
Then the rich subburbs banned the keeping of hens and suddenly we had a problem called "the North Shore Funnel Web Spider Plague "
The north shore of the harbour being the wealthy area .
Millions was spent on trying to fix this problem before it became obvious that we were the problem, not the spiders .
The rich developed the habbit of installing white carpet so shoes had to be removed and many left them in racks either outside or just inside the doors .
During mating seasons the males go a sex rampage then look for some where cool , moist and dark to die ( the shoes ) and most people were being bitten when they put their shoes on or when gardening with bare hands .
I was 20 before I realized that those funny webs I saw everywhere at home were funnel web spider nests , but we had hens and lino floor covering.
B
bertsmobile1
Most pest controllers are the cause of infestations, not the solutionI recently came across this thread and wanted to share my experience with a similar pest problem. I had a serious issue with pests in my own home, and it was really stressful trying to find a solution. However, I was lucky enough to discover a great pest control service that helped me solve my problem.
Pests become a problem because what ever controls their numbers is missing
So the controllers posion the bigs and the few remaining preditors eat the posioned bugs and they die
So initially the bugs vanish then in a short time they come back worse than ever so you call the pest controllers again.
To use an example
We have a very dangerous spider called the Funnel Web which is common right along the entire East coast .
It is a ground living spider and was conrolled in nature by small mammals, large lizzards & running birds like bower birds & brush turkeys.
Then we build houses and dring in dogs & cats who wipe out / scare off all of the spiders natural preditors .
However keeping hens was common & the hens did a reasonable job of cleaning up the spiders because we have removed a lot of their food source as well.
Then the rich subburbs banned the keeping of hens and suddenly we had a problem called "the North Shore Funnel Web Spider Plague "
The north shore of the harbour being the wealthy area .
Millions was spent on trying to fix this problem before it became obvious that we were the problem, not the spiders .
The rich developed the habbit of installing white carpet so shoes had to be removed and many left them in racks either outside or just inside the doors .
During mating seasons the males go a sex rampage then look for some where cool , moist and dark to die ( the shoes ) and most people were being bitten when they put their shoes on or when gardening with bare hands .
I was 20 before I realized that those funny webs I saw everywhere at home were funnel web spider nests , but we had hens and lino floor covering.
#13
B
bertsmobile1
They could have come in with bulk mulch delivered by a tip truck
Cockroaces yes they can coe in bagged mulch
More likely was there used to be gekkos before the house was built & gardens laid out so they lost their habitat or food supply so they left
B
bertsmobile1
I doubt that the gekko eggs came in with the mulch if it was baggedMulch that you buy at Big Box stores is likely to have any number of invasive species in the bags.
We never had Geckos at our house until my wife bought bagged mulch from Lowe’s.
If you want something like mulch, buy pine straw or hay locally.
They could have come in with bulk mulch delivered by a tip truck
Cockroaces yes they can coe in bagged mulch
More likely was there used to be gekkos before the house was built & gardens laid out so they lost their habitat or food supply so they left
#14
M
MParr
M
MParr
Nope, there were no Geckos before my wife bought the mulch. I'm glad that we sold that house. Thankfully, we didn't bring any with us to our new home. She's also forbidden from buying mulch from Big Box stores.