I'm really sorry to hear about all the troubles that Greg has had since the
spraying of his apartment.  I thought I would share my experiences as a
student (and roommate to many a six-legger), with the hope that it might be
a help to someone else that finds themself about to be fogged.
 
My apartment was perviously known as "Jurrassic Park" on account of the
reptile population.  As well as being very sensitive to roach sprays, these
guys are also sensitive to one of the ingredients in pine floor cleaners;
the cats are sensitive to carboxylic acid (as in Lysol), so I had to do some
serious thinking when it came to cleaning and roach control.
 
In Ontario (Canada), you have a right to refuse to have your unit sprayed.
Also, even if your lease explicitly says "No Pets", you can have creatures
living with you if you 1) have a verbal agreement (landlord says o.k.) or 2)
the landlord is unable to prove that the pets bother other tenants (noise,
allergies) and they are not doing any damage to the unit--no problems, pets
stay, period.  Thus, if the pet situation is ok, you can refuse a spray on
the basis of having animals in the unit.  Otherwise, you have to say it
gives you a few weeks of severe headaches or asthma ;-) --both common
complaints.
 
Often units are sprayed between tenants.  You can tell from a weird, sweet
smell in the apartment.  Simply ;-) wash everything with dishwashing soap
and water.  I avoid floor products because I don't know exactly what's in
them.
 
That done, you still have a roach problem, and you will be getting many
visitors once the other units are sprayed, as the roaches flee the
afflicted areas.
 
You need to go to the hardware store and make a $CDN 10-15 investment.  Buy
a caulking gun ($5.95) and indoor caulking ($1.99/tube), and a piece of
weatherstripping.  How to know if you've got the right caulking: it should
say "indoor"; it should have a warning that it gives off fumes of acetic
acid (vinegar!) as it dries; a note saying that it is safe for use in
aquariums is also reassuring.  The weatherstripping is for the front door of
your unit.  The caulking is for filling in all the tiny cracks along the
baseboards.  This stuff dries chewy, so smooth out all the globs with a
finger or butterknife (which will clean easily when the caulking is dried on
it) just so the ferrets don't get any ideas.
 
Big gaps between the wall and floor should be filled with cheap pine trim
or duct tape, depending on your decor ;-)
 
Buy Borax.  You can find this in the laundry section of the supermarket.
Roaches don't like this, and you can sweep it under the door and into
cracks to prevent them from coming in, before or without sealing.
 
Roaches like a bit of moisture, so make sure your taps don't drip;  don't
leave dishes standing in water (it's better to let the food dry out on
them ;-) );  check out the pipes under the sink and "seal" them with
magical duct tape if neccessary.
 
The contents of the litterbox are highly nutritious to roaches.  Clean it
daily...before they decide to breed there.  Seal all goodies from the
litterbox and leftover food in knotted plastic grocery bags before you
toss them in the garbage.  You can also put a bit of borax in the litter.
 
Good air flow is a good weapon.  Keep a fan running, and keep your windows
open a crack when you can.  Roaches do not like the drying affect of a nice
breeze.
 
For ants, buy a bottle of fruit liqueur and a box of low-calorie sweetener.
Feed the ants small bowls of the liqueur (like flypaper when it dries out a
bit) and sweetener (they love it, but get no nutrition).
 
Good luck to the insect-afflicted: the battle can be won without pesticides!
I am a two-year past veteran of the building universally known in town as
the "Red Roach Motel"...good location, bad bugs; but with sealing and other
tricks I became roach-free.
 
Lynn.
[Posted in FML issue 1461]
[Posted in FML issue 1461]