Ugh!

[KatharineAnn]

I second all those who said it is a problem that is usually found in the WHOLE building. My last apartment was INFESTED when I moved in. We are talking my first night there I walk into the kitchen and run out screaming because I saw at least 15 or 20 crawling on every surface. This is what happens when the previous renters decided that it wasnt necessary to 'spray poison all over their apartment'. Luckily our building had monthly fumigations, and the fumigators didn't try to run away from us too often, and within 3 or 4 months we had the problem under control (less than 1 cuca per week), and by the time we moved we hadn't seen a single one in months. But we did often see them crawling in the hallway around our neighbors' doors. Guess we know who wasn't fumigating, then.

This is usually a bigger problem the bigger the building is. This building was a 18 story tower with some 8 apartments per floor. This means there's a whole lot of apartments that are probably not getting fumigated, and a whole lot of infestations. It's really impossible to control if you don't spread that poison. Or you can move to a smaller building or house where people take care of their living space

 

[syngirl]

Do the same rules apply to rental houses as well?

I would swear that our cucarachas are coming in from the sewer or whatever that dang stinky area is with the metal top outside in our laundry area. Maybe even coming up from the drains or something? Most are in my wife's bathroom (great...) which is right next to that area.

I feel like such an idiot asking this but... who do we call to come clean that thing out (it smells really bad), maybe seal everything off including drains on floor, and spray for bugs?

Hey Mark -- I remember looking it up online some time how to clean that thing out... I wish I could remember what it's called now in spanish -- I want to say escapa or something like that, I'll try and remember.

Anyway I don't know exactly why they are exposed, but generally speaking there is a valve in there and the water is supposed to drain through without too many hairs and yucky stuff going through into the pipes. Sounds like what you've got is a clog of yuck.


When we first moved into our apartment I think the water had been standing there for months and it just STANK. We had an adventurous cleaning lady at the time that did an initial clean of it, but it still didn't clean up the smell completely... I ended up taking off the grate and with the cleaning gloves on up to the elbows set about the nasty nasty task of cleaning it out. I ended up using a hanger as my friend... Then you'll need to flush it out with a mixture of hot water and vinegar. A few liters should activate the safety drain mechanism.

It's a horrible task, and maybe I sound insane for doing it, but I remember seeing online the whole procedure of what to do... Now that mines clean I just make sure to flush it every once in awhile with a hotwater / vinegar mix to keep it clean.

If yours is near your wife's bathroom I wouldn't be surprised if it is the escape for the water from both the laundry and her shower, which means shampoo and hair and soap etc all forming a horrible mess in the hole.

Why do they have these things? Why? Does it have something to do with old plumbing in the majority of the city?

Good luck!

 

[markbsas]

Hey Mark -- I remember looking it up online some time how to clean that thing out... I wish I could remember what it's called now in spanish -- I want to say escapa or something like that, I'll try and remember.

When we first moved into our apartment I think the water had been standing there for months and it just STANK...

It's a horrible task, and maybe I sound insane for doing it, but I remember seeing online the whole procedure of what to do... Good luck!

Syngirl,

I don't think you sound insane, actually I'm impressed and you are my new hero. I will admit I'm probably going to pay someone who can do this for me, I'm such a wimp. But at least now I know what we are talking about.

Anyway, I've been asking around and my family has been saying "oh that is normal and the smell of the city blah blah blah". Uh Nooo! Not going to be normal in my house!

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

Mark

 

[AAinBA_Hey!]

Well, after going out looking for alterative methods to the Carachas madness. We ended up buying something that looked like little black houses roach houses.. Since then, I haven't seen one.. Well, I saw one but it was dead. LOL, So I think, we are sorta back to normal.. hopefully..