Keeping a cat away from roach killer stuff?

[bryce]

Well, I bought a mattress off of craigslist and when we got it in the house we started seeing water bugs or roaches every few days. I don't know if it is the mattress, but we were going to lay some stuff down to get rid of everything. What should we do with our cat? Would she get into it or are they pretty good about leaving this stuff alone?

 

[strange_wings]

Cats aren't good at leaving anything alone, IMO. If you're going to be spraying out in the open areas of the home, the cats need to be out. Now you can treat inside of cabinets (that cats can't get into), on the bottom of drawers, inside dressers, etc with a paste. You can also put the roach traps in those areas or underthings that a cat could never move.

 

[bryce]

I'm thinking the best thing would just let someone in the family look after her for a week while we spray, etc.

 

[strange_wings]

Probably. Still, do follow up with the paste in the areas mentioned. It will help get any left.

 

[Primula]

Originally Posted by Bryce

Well, I bought a mattress off of craigslist and when we got it in the house we started seeing water bugs or roaches every few days.

Return that mattress ASAP! Those must be bedbugs and your whole place will become infested!!! No new mattress should have any kind of bugs!!!

 

[strange_wings]

Just because it's a mattress doesn't automatically mean it would be bedbugs. Roaches could hide in them, too. This is really the reason I wouldn't buy anything like that second hand.

 

[Primula]

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Just because it's a mattress doesn't automatically mean it would be bedbugs. Roaches could hide in them, too. This is really the reason I wouldn't buy anything like that second hand.

You're right. I would never in a million years buy a used mattress.

 

[bryce]

The mattress is brand new, bought less than a year ago. Nice house, neighborhood, etc.

We'll figure out something, if worse comes to worse, then yes, we'll get rid of the mattress.

Could they be coming from a hole in the wall?

EDIT: My brother also hunts a lot, so could he be bringing them in without knowing on his hunting stuff?

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

Have you considered putting the mattress and your box spring in the zip up bags. Then if it is roaches or bedbugs, they will die. However, you do still need to spray for bugs at your house.

 

[Primula]

Originally Posted by Bryce

EDIT: My brother also hunts a lot, so could he be bringing them in without knowing on his hunting stuff?

I definitely don't want to be an alarmist, but bedbugs are becoming a HUGE problem in Connecticut. It's a nightmare for landlords.

Take a look at this wiki article. I had roaches in my NYC apartment (everybody does) and that was a nightmare too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedbugs

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

Bedbugs are becoming a problem all over the country. They look almost like a roach, but they are smaller. If you didn't have this problem until you got the mattress it very well could be bedbugs. If nothing else, catch one or two of them, put in a jar and take to an exterminating company. If it is bedbugs, then you can't get rid of them with canned spray. The sooner you find out the better before the get everywhere.

 

[strange_wings]

Originally Posted by Bryce

The mattress is brand new, bought less than a year ago. Nice house, neighborhood, etc.

We'll figure out something, if worse comes to worse, then yes, we'll get rid of the mattress.

They could have been keeping it in a garage, hence why they wouldn't have known anything was in it.

Try catching one of the insects. You can't mistake a bedbug for a roach. The two species look nothing alike - all members of hemiptera have sucking mouth parts. From aphids, to assassin bugs, to cicadas, and yes even bedbugs. While a roach will be fast, your hemipteras don't run quite so well.

 

[bryce]

It looked just like a roach, oval shape, medium sized, brown. I hit it a few times and it was on it's back after not moving so I went to get something to get rid of it and it was gone when I got back =/.

And the bed was setup in their bedroom when I got it. So, they've been sleeping on it.

 

[strange_wings]

Originally Posted by Bryce

And the bed was setup in their bedroom when I got it. So, they've been sleeping on it.

Ew.

And yes, you can whack roaches repeatedly and not completely kill them. I don't know how they survive it.

So your roach may still be half alive somewhere.. that or a cat ate it.