Roaches (a rant and plea for help)

[wakingdreams53]

Argh!!! Seeing as its merely text, I cannot even begin to be able to convey the sounds that I emit when I see a roach. I live in South Florida, where, apparently, the roach is considered the state bird. They're f***ing everywhere!

I've always had a crazy fear of bugs, but roaches are a whole different story. I try to be a pacifist, not kill anything, not bring harm to anything. For all intents and purposes, I can't even justify killing a roach.... except when it encroaches on my personal space!

I'm not someone who goes camping. Why? Because if there are bugs outside I can't complain about it because THEY BELONG THERE! It's their home. I won't go outside and go out of my way and start killing things. That's ridiculous -- to me. However, they don't reciprocate. Not that I can particularly communicate with them to ensure a peaceful resolution of them not entering my home and scaring the sh!t out of me, alas.

This rant is coming after the 7th roach this month. We keep track. I hate September right now. I had a panic attack. I honestly can't deal with it and have contemplated moving over a hundred times, but FI has hope in the place. The tenants before us said they had mice too -- I live in paradise, clearly. What's funny is that I actually do-- I live in one of the best areas in one of the most beautiful places in the USA. This roach thing is genuinely killing me though. Imagine a woman hysterically crying and spraying raid everywhere -- that's me.

Comments, concerns, suggestions and especially solutions would be greatly appreciated. Maybe some natural exterminator too since I don't think Raid is particularly good to breathe in.

Thanks!

 

[TooPatient]

Get a pest control service. NOW!

Ick!!!!!

You can get a service that uses natural oils instead of harmful chemicals. They can treat inside your house and just around the outside of your house so that all bugs that stay OUT can live but anything that tries to move in dies.
I try to be generous and let the whole natural system work. I understand you need bugs for healthy other life. Got that. But they can't come in my house!

 

[tyty333]

I'm trying not to laugh (because I know your fear is real) but the picture of you crying/screaming and firing
Raid at anything that moves is quite comical!

But seriously, I feel your pain. I also live in the land of giant cockroaches (FL) . I find they
are worse when it rains a lot. I think they hate getting wet. The only thing I can suggest is to
Have someone come and spray. My parents have their place sprayed and they usually
end up finding a couple dead ones.

My solution is to call my DH. If he's not here, I'll go after them myself. They are
Pretty gross but they don't really bother me until they head my direction then I'm
Up on a piece of furniture like Ive seen a mouse or something!

Good luck!

 

[wakingdreams53]

Thank you ladies! Yes TooPatient, I think its time for something a little more professional than Raid. Problem is that it's an 2 floor apartment building and they can still "reappear" thanks to sh!tty neighbors.

Tyty, you're in FL too! So you know that I'm not making this up! lol, yes it is comical when from hindsight (and about 30 meters and a few beers away). For a funnier image, I throw rubbing alcohol at the little ones and cover them with a plastic cap for FI to dispose of when he comes home. Problem is that he works late and roaches are mostly nocturnal a**holes, so I usually end up panicking all alone

I used to run to the nearest bar when I'd see one, but now that school has started I can't justify drinking on a school night. It happened so often that the bartender would see me and automatically know that I ran away from a roach. I've gotten more tolerant... I'm not running out of the apartment screaming... Just solemnly crying and spraying. FYI I did kill it, which is huge for me and it was the biggest one that I've ever killed... but thats thanks to it being near the sink and I could drown it.

Spraying, suffocating and drowning... yup, pacifist alright.

 

[Gypsy]

I can't stand roaches too, I can hear that you are just frustrated and upset and man, can I understand that. We had a few once in our first apartment here in CA. Got them to come and spray twice with pet friendly chemicals and it seemed to make them go away.

Definitely get a professional exterminator in. One with a guarantee (and you need to read the thing and make sure you know what the loopholes are), and have them spray everywhere.

Do you have or want pets? My cats love eating bugs. Well, a couple of them do, the rest just like chasing bugs and doing bodily harm to my lamps. Still and all though... maybe see if having a cat or a dog would help? Or a bird? Birds like bugs.

((HUGS)))

 

[kenny]

I lived in Florida for a year.
I remember the HUGE roaches.
If you tried to step on them they'd grab your foot and throw you across the room.

I'm no help, I know.
Sorry you have to deal with this.

Gypsy has a good idea with a bug-eating pet.
Let a few lizards and snakes free in your home.

 

[kenny]

Many helpful suggestions here:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ig082

 

[momhappy]

If you live in an apartment building, do you have a landlord or building superintendent? If so, perhaps you could call and request pest control service?

 

[wakingdreams53]

Gypsy, your bodily harm to lamps made me laugh out loud Thank you for that. Unfortunately a pet isn't the most viable option. The previous tenants actually got cats to get rid of the mice, which worked, but pets are an addition to the family, not just bug-repellent and I don't think we're ready yet. We'll definitely get a pet eventually, but not for this situation. Much appreciated advice though!!

Kenny, LOL! I'm glad you understand. I actually like lizards a lot, but I'm not sure how happy I'll be witnessing Miami Roach vs. Mini Godzilla in my 7x10 studio kitchen! ETA: great suggestion page, too many pictures though!

ETA:

Momhappy, yes we've told the landlord. She just said to contact the management which we did. They take FOREVER to get back to us. We had to threaten them with small claims court to respond about the leaking roof :/

 

[Ellen]

I feel for you. We had a (very) minor infestation a few years ago when my son brought home a TV from some kids house. It took a few days and about 4-6 roach sitings to figure out where they were coming from. My hubby had gotten some powder which he now can't remember the name of, but I'm pretty sure it was this.

http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4884782_boric-acid-kill-roaches.html

He had sprinkled that all over, and it probably would have worked, had I given it time. But when I saw the two critters in the kitchen, I went straight to a professional. He sprayed the whole house and then put little roach motels down everywhere. That did the trick. And that's what I would recommend, calling in a pro, as did Gypsy.

 

[Gypsy]

Diatomaceous earth is another solution to kill insects without pesticides. You have to keep it dry.

I'm happy you got a laugh about the lamps. With 6 cats all it takes for us to tremble in fear is a single fly.

I just want to say how refreshing your viewpoint about pets being family members is. I totally agree that if you aren't ready. then it is best to wait.

Even a gecko can live up to 15 years. So... totally agree. Thank you for being so responsible.


Good luck!

 

[justginger]

I lived in Florida for a year.
I remember the HUGE roaches.
If you tried to step on them they'd grab your foot and throw you across the room.

I'm no help, I know.
Sorry you have to deal with this.

Gypsy has a good idea with a bug-eating pet.
Let a few lizards and snakes free in your home.

 

[iLander]

Do exactly this, and you will be roach free in 1 week;

Go to home depot.

Buy Combat large roach and small roach traps. NOT Raid traps, they don't work.

Buy boric acid powder. GOBS of it, in the container with the pointy tip.

Buy Roach tablets. They are more boric acid, but in handy tablet form.

Go home.

Put the traps anywhere you have seen a roach. Especially under things, behind the toilet, behind the washer, under the couch, etc.

Boric acid is yummy to roaches and it kills them. Pull out your dishwasher, put the tablets in between the dishwasher and cabinets. Put a bead of the acid in the back of your cabinets behind the dishes, throw tablets behind the fridge, in the bottom of the trash can, you get the idea. Anywhere dark.

Never leave cat food, dog food, or anything with MEAT out over night. Take your kitchen trash to the dumpster before you go to bed.

The first few days you will see roaches staggering around, dying. But soon, they will go to your neighbors and the food they left out.

But really your landlord should take care of this with a professional exterminator. Because I got news for you, in Florida, chances are, those aren't mice. And if by some freak of nature, they are mice, if you've seen 1, there are dozens more hiding. Mice and rats like to chew electrical wires and can cause fires. Tell your landlord you've seen rats in the building and you're calling the health department, that should get his attention.

 

[Wednesday]

I once lived in an apartment building with some level of infestation. Raid wil just stink up the place with chemicals, in my experience - one time, I sprayed a roach and it played dead. I went to grab a paper towel and when I returned, it was gone!

I sealed all cracks I could find with caulk, sprinkled a light amount of boric acid in problem areas (bathroom and kitchen), and put sticky traps in a few places to track progress. I kept everything clean, didn't leave crumbs. I had a garbage can with a tight-fitting lid. The building had extermination service, but it was not mandatory, it was only if a tenant wanted to allow the exterminator in.

Which brings me to address a real issue here: your neighbors. I am afraid that no matter what you do, you may never be rid of the roaches so long as your neighbors do not clean up (on an ongoing basis) and get the exterminator. There was a time in that building where I went from seeing almost no bugs to multiple bugs daily, and I could not figure out why, despite my stepped up efforts to keep them away. Several months later, I heard what sounded like a wrecking ball in an adjacent apartment, which shook the substantial structure. I asked about the noise/construction and it turned out that my neighbors and their dogs absolutely destroyed the place, and it was so disgusting that the apartment needed to be gutted before someone new could move in. No wonder I had such a bad bug problem. Gross. Once they left, I had no more problems. After that experience, I'd recommend moving if it looks like the problem neighbors are not going anywhere.

 

[soxfan]

Do exactly this, and you will be roach free in 1 week;

Go to home depot.

Buy Combat large roach and small roach traps. NOT Raid traps, they don't work.

Buy boric acid powder. GOBS of it, in the container with the pointy tip.

Buy Roach tablets. They are more boric acid, but in handy tablet form.

Go home.

Put the traps anywhere you have seen a roach. Especially under things, behind the toilet, behind the washer, under the couch, etc.

Boric acid is yummy to roaches and it kills them. Pull out your dishwasher, put the tablets in between the dishwasher and cabinets. Put a bead of the acid in the back of your cabinets behind the dishes, throw tablets behind the fridge, in the bottom of the trash can, you get the idea. Anywhere dark.

Never leave cat food, dog food, or anything with MEAT out over night. Take your kitchen trash to the dumpster before you go to bed.

The first few days you will see roaches staggering around, dying. But soon, they will go to your neighbors and the food they left out.

But really your landlord should take care of this with a professional exterminator. Because I got news for you, in Florida, chances are, those aren't mice. And if by some freak of nature, they are mice, if you've seen 1, there are dozens more hiding. Mice and rats like to chew electrical wires and can cause fires. Tell your landlord you've seen rats in the building and you're calling the health department, that should get his attention.

This. Boric acid is awesome for all kinds of infestations. I knew when I had sugar ants, they told me to RESIST the urge to kill them and let them come in DROVES. I had a one inch line of ants lining up to eat. They ALL took that shit back to the nest. And I NEVER saw another ant again. Ever. I wonder if the roaches will bring it back to the nest too?

I grew up in Florida. My mother HATED roaches. Even worse were the palmetto bugs. (Look just like giant roaches.) My mom used to have an afro in the 70's. One flew in her hair and got stuck and she almost killed herself trying to get it out. I am laughing my a** off right now just thinking about it.

 

[dragonfly411]

I'm sorry you're going through this. They are everywhere.

This takes a LOT for me to fess up to, so no making fun of me. We have a skinkz and two geckos living in our home. We are not removing them. Why? Because despite pest control, they still make it in. They can apparently come through your chimney, and sometimes the tiny ones fly in when we let the dogs in and out. We have no internal infestations, I have already had that checked. The problem is that they live outside in the leaves and mulch, and we live in the country with about 1 acre worth of woods on our property. Bugs are inevitable. We get spiders too. So, we let the little reptiles keep their place. They ensure that things that get past us get eaten. They apparently are surviving (let's face it, the spiders are probably the biggest reason they are still alive, we DO have quite a few of those).

Don't have a panic attack over them.

 

[JewelFreak]

If you tried to step on them they'd grab your foot and throw you across the room.

Too true!

We have them here in the Carolinas too & I HATE THEM. The darned things are big enough to rope & ride around. I keep one of DH's big shoes nearby to club them. I hate having to get used to them. I know so much how you feel, WD & sympathize completely. iLander's advice sounds good -- or seriously, think about moving if your neighbors are the draw for them.

Cats & dogs are no help, at least in my family. 2 of each, & all are pacifists, live & let live. Grrrr. We see them mainly when it rains heavily -- 4 in the last couple of weeks. I shriek loudly enough to crack plaster when I spy one.

I too do not like to kill anything, but my philosophy: all of nature is territorial. Go into a tiger's property & he's gonna eat you; it's expected. Why should I be any different? Come into my territory, roaches or spiders, and it's curtains, the law of nature. You have all of outdoors. Stay there or die!

--- Laurie

 

[Octavia]

Ick. I once had to deal with roaches and mice in an apartment, both of which mysteriously appeared shortly after a particular set of neighbors moved in. The on-site property manager basically didn't believe us when we complained because the neighbors weren't complaining (umm...hello!) and she had never seen anything in her apartment (she was the only person allowed to have a pet -- a cat -- but didn't understand why that made any difference). We finally dragged her into our apartment to see the evidence, and that we were clean and NOT the source of the problem, and she called an exterminator. Which did nothing for the roaches. The only thing that worked was tricking them into eating something toxic to them. I would imagine boric acid would work, as has been suggested, but I didn't have any so I used a quick-fix solution and mixed 1 part sugar with 2 parts baking soda. I left it in little dishes around the apartment. The sugar is sweet and lures them in, the baking soda reacts with the acid in their stomachs to literally explode them from within (think elementary school science project vinegar-and-baking soda volcano style). We did have to sweep up their carcasses for awhile, but it was just the clear outer shell and not nearly as gross as I feared it would be, and then they were gone. I did keep the dishes of exploding roach powder out until we got out of that place, just inG case they ever decided to come back, but we never noticed them again.

 

[Sky56]

A big roach flew over my head while I was watching TV. I didn't know roaches could fly! It was in NYC, a major roach habitat.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

EEEeeeWWWwww roachnado!

Are different species harder to kill? While recently in Hawaii--I found those fellas easily crunchable under foot. But the ones in Palm Springs--like Kenny said--they fight back!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Skippy123]

HI:

EEEeeeWWWwww roachnado!

Are different species harder to kill? While recently in Hawaii--I found those fellas easily crunchable under foot. But the ones in Palm Springs--like Kenny said--they fight back!

cheers--Sharon

I saw one in Hawaii as big as my kids foot! YUCK. I am not a fan of flying roaches; thank goodness they don't fly here I hate roaches more than spiders or crickets.

 

[NTave]

Im sorry. I don't know what else you can do...I lived in Miami for a bit..the apartment management had a company that came either every month or every other month, I forget. The grounds were immaculate..my apartment was as well. Between the giant Palmetto bugs outside and the little kitchen cockroaches I went out of my mind. It was very hard to digest that they just showed up. I also sprayed Raid around the perimeter, especially the doorways. I kept the shower drains closed because I think they came up through the drain..I combed the rugs for legs or pieces of roach when I vacuumed..I kept all my food in Tupperware or in the fridge. There was nothing for those little jerks to eat. It got to a point where I slept with the lights on in the bedroom..even though I only saw a couple while I was living there, I could not stand the thought of them crawling around while I slept. I feel that I may have come back a little dumber from the Raid fumes...the Palmetto bugs really aren't a threat..but they scared me just as much because they were so big.

 

[wakingdreams53]

Thank you everyone!! The sad part is that the rant I posted yesterday was NOT the worst part of my evening. An 8th roach appeared right next to me and I flipped the f!@k out. Hysterics and everything. Ran out of my apartment. Paced around until a neighbor came home (this was around midnight) and begged them to come over and kill it. They came in but it had already hidden, and then the paranoia began. They found my fear completely hilarious which was just offensive. I know my fear is irrational-- that's why it's a fear. I know it can't hurt me, but I can't help it -- not a reason to laugh . Paced for about 2 hours with a can of Raid until FI came home. Having him home made me at least be able to go to sleep. This morning he told me that it came out after I fell asleep, trying to run for the door and he got it.

Gypsy, yes, I love animals, but it's a huge responsibility. Thanks for the acknowledgement!!! Damn, 6 cats... still laughing about the fly.

iLander, we will do all that you suggested! Thank you so much for writing that all out. Boric acid here I come!

Wednesday, that's kind of what I'm afraid of... my neighbor isn't the cleanliest and they started reappearing more frequently after they moved in... We were here first! As much as I tend to hate on this little place, we put a lot of work and love into it to make it work.

Soxfan, ugh we have ants too, but they don't induce such panic, just annoyance. Definitely will try this to get rid of them all! LMAO about your mom, that's basically me, without the fro'!

Dragonfly, your post is literally the reason that I do not "do" woods/country/camping. It's where they all are and there isn't much one can do. I might as well live in a bubble though. I need to get past this fear, it's truly debilitating. What a skinkz?

Laurie, ugh! Thank you for the sympathy. They really really suck LOL @ the plaster cracking, I'm exactly the same way.

Octavia, exploding roaches with things I already have in my kitchen!!! Love it. Well... sort of... sounds icky, but totally worth it. When FI came home he checked under the bed and found one -- that wasn't even the one I had seen!!! Thank you for the suggestion!!!

Sky, that happened to me in Mexico when I studied abroad! A roach flew into the house and we started screaming. My Spanish was very limited at the time and I just started yelling "Cucaracha!!! Cucaracha!" The housemom laughed at us and asked, "No cucarachas en nueva york?" And I just started at her and mimed "NOT ONES THAT FLY!!!" Frightening to think that the flying ones are in NYC too. My FI "enlightened" me and said that they can all fly, they just choose not to-- I think that's obscene and choose to think it false.

 

[wakingdreams53]

Im sorry. I don't know what else you can do...I lived in Miami for a bit..the apartment management had a company that came either every month or every other month, I forget. The grounds were immaculate..my apartment was as well. Between the giant Palmetto bugs outside and the little kitchen cockroaches I went out of my mind. It was very hard to digest that they just showed up. I also sprayed Raid around the perimeter, especially the doorways. I kept the shower drains closed because I think they came up through the drain..I combed the rugs for legs or pieces of roach when I vacuumed..I kept all my food in Tupperware or in the fridge. There was nothing for those little jerks to eat. It got to a point where I slept with the lights on in the bedroom..even though I only saw a couple while I was living there, I could not stand the thought of them crawling around while I slept. I feel that I may have come back a little dumber from the Raid fumes...the Palmetto bugs really aren't a threat..but they scared me just as much because they were so big.

Exactly. They just show up regardless. We take the trash out daily, keep the place clean. No pets, therefore no pet food or any foot lying around. Everything is sealed and put away. They don't care. The worst part for me is that they show up when I'm in the mood to clean! Which in turn completely kills my desire to do anything. I swear sometimes I feel like I'm manifesting them with my mind-- that's how often they show up. Those 2 yesterday were just too much!

 

[Amber St. Clare]

When I lived in NYC they were a never ending problem. My exterminator told me to walk around eachroom and check that the bottom of the wall or molding had no space between. Then get stome steel wool and plug up any space. It worked, combined with monthly visits from him.

I so feel your pain. One night a roach came out and it was so big my cat was afraid of it!

 

[SandyCheeks]

I completely feel your anxiety and anguish, I effing hate effing cockroaches!!! Last year I was in charge of counting box tops from my kids school (families cut from cereal boxes etc and send in to raise money for school) I had mounds of box tops in plastic bags in my house and before I knew it I had small German cockroaches in my kitchen---I know 100% it came from one of those plastic bags that had been sent in by someone who had roaches. I've lived in my house for 15 years never a problem with roaches maybe the ocassional ant but never ever a roach! I was not going to even mess around with home remedies I called our bug guy (I have outside perimeter of the home service every 3 months after I saw a black widow on my back porch while kids were playing on said porch). He had us remove every single item from our kitchen cabinets and counter tops, I left the house for a good 6 hours while he did his thing and let the medication dry and I haven't seen a single effing cockroach since. Now I'm not sure how well your giant roaches in Florida would respond to treatment, you may need some follow ups. When I lived in Japan we had flying cockroaches that had no fear of humans and would charge at you if provoked. I highly suggested professional help. I wish you luck!!

 

[Aerix]

I'm terrified of roaches. Absolutely, irrationally, afraid of them. I only manage to kill them by drowning them with rubbing alcohol or shampoo (if they're in the bathroom.) I can kill small to medium sized ones, but forget the big ones! I have a few childhood traumas involving one crawling on my arm, while I was helping my grandparents unpack during a move, but one experience sticks out among the rest. My ex-H and I used to live in this apartment and it was obvious that the former tenants hadn't taken care of the place. One morning, he went to work and I was alone in the kitchen doing dishes. I felt something tickle my arm and thought it was a loose strand of hair (I have long hair.) Ohhhh, boy was I wrong! I looked down and there was a HUMONGOUS roach ON MY ARM!!! I screamed, jumped up and down, left the water running in the kitchen, ran to the bedroom and tossed my clothes off making sure it wasn't on me, and cried frantically then called my husband at the time (who was almost halfway to work and had a coworker carpooling with him) to come back and kill it. I was hysterical. I think it took maybe 10 mins or so (after completely losing it and still shaking) then I grabbed the rubbing alcohol and scoped out the kitchen (I needed to turn the faucet off, afterall.) I saw the roach and thankfully, it was a slow fat (but BIG) one. I ended up hosing it down with the rubbing alcohol and it died. Called my H back and told him I killed it so, no need for him to come back. I ended up putting a plastic cup over it and let him clean it up after he got home from work (I can't even touch them when they're dead!) I don't have any advice on how to get rid of them, but the boric acid sounds like a good idea.

 

[missy]

Ugh, just stopped by to commiserate and send lots of hugs and anti roach dust. I absolutely hate hate hate them with a passion I don't think rivals anything else I have ever felt for anything else. (Except the love I feel for my dh but that's a good passion so doesn't count. I'm talking bad passion here. )

I also happen to be terrified of them. Really really really scared. Keep in mind I have seen roaches bigger than my hand. NO exaggeration I promise! I can kill smaller ones too and as long as I kill them I am OK. It's the ones that get away that terrify me. Where are they? Are they going to crawl into my ears while I am sleeping? I saw a medical mystery show once where a roach went into a man's ear and the pain was so intense he stopped speaking. I don't know how long it took the ER docs to diagnose him but that episode just confirmed one of my worst fears.

I never even saw a roach until I was in college living in the freshman dorms. The screams that came out of my mouth well, let's just say I didn't even know I could make such sounds LOL. And the whole floor came running to help me. Talk about camaraderie and freshman bonding. But I digress.

I concur with the boric acid recs and the regular exterminator visits and everything iLander posted. She is a smart woman with a diverse knowledge base. As are many PSers that's for sure! Thankfully I have no such problem since my school days. Now the worst bug issue I have to deal with is an occasional spider or unidentifiable bug in the suburbs and ofc the dreaded blood sucking mosquito though my homemade essential oil spray really prevented me from getting any bites this summer. Not sure if it was just a slow mosquito season or if the oils really worked. No matter it's the results that count and all was good on that front.

Good luck wakingdreams!!!! Sending tons and tons of ANTI-roach dust your way!!!!

 

[HollyS]

What you are seeing are waterbugs or Palmetto bugs, a big and ugly cousin to the cockroach. I live in Texas and I have seen these things so big they cast a shadow. And I hate them, too.

You will need to get a professional to spray your home. The can of Raid is merely a way to kill one at a time. Oh, and a spritz of hairspray will help slow one down so you can squash it.

Ummmm, you do realize that you live in a state KNOWN for its massive quantities of these pests?? Good luck. But don't expect to never see one again.

 

[msop04]

Thank you ladies! Yes TooPatient, I think its time for something a little more professional than Raid. Problem is that it's an 2 floor apartment building and they can still "reappear" thanks to sh!tty neighbors.

Tyty, you're in FL too! So you know that I'm not making this up! lol, yes it is comical when from hindsight (and about 30 meters and a few beers away). For a funnier image, I throw rubbing alcohol at the little ones and cover them with a plastic cap for FI to dispose of when he comes home. Problem is that he works late and roaches are mostly nocturnal a**holes, so I usually end up panicking all alone

I used to run to the nearest bar when I'd see one, but now that school has started I can't justify drinking on a school night. It happened so often that the bartender would see me and automatically know that I ran away from a roach. I've gotten more tolerant... I'm not running out of the apartment screaming... Just solemnly crying and spraying. FYI I did kill it, which is huge for me and it was the biggest one that I've ever killed... but thats thanks to it being near the sink and I could drown it.

Spraying, suffocating and drowning... yup, pacifist alright.

I know this thread isn't meant to be funny, but I've been laughing my a** off!! I feel for you, OP -- I'm the same way about bugs... except I don't hesitate to kill them. I totally lose my sh!t if a bug catches my eye, especially when they run really fast!!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I loved the bolded above!!!! I am so grossed out by bugs that I can't stand the sound and feeling of stepping on them. I have a completely irrational fear of all bugs! I can literally feel my anxiety level rise as I type this.

When I see a bug (usually in my bathroom), I will get an industrial-sized bottle of shampoo and pour it all over said creepy-crawly creature until it can't breathe anymore and is not moving... I'm embarrassed to admit just how much money I've wasted with this method. I now keep a cheap bottle of shampoo in each bathroom dedicated to this purpose. After I am positive it's dead (usually after a couple hours of checking on it from several feet away to make sure it hasn't moved), I will bunch up about 4 feet of toilet paper and proceed to pick it up. I can't do this without my heart literally beating out of my chest and fighting to hold back tears or have an absolute and utter conniption.

I will only throw it in my toilet, so I know I can flush it and it'll be long gone -- out of my house, keeping me safe. I flush twice to make sure. I cannot tell you how many times I've stopped up my toilet doing this, upon which I wait until someone can unstop it for me, because I have an irrational fear of the bug coming back to life to seek revenge. IT COULD HAPPEN! I will frequent another bathroom until this happens. After I feel it's safe and the bug is gone, I'll get some heavy duty paper towels and clean up the rest of the shampoo, being careful not to let any of it get on me. I have to make sure none of it touches me, because it could have bug juice in it.