Christmas Cactus and Roaches?
 

I've noticed several large branches of my rather small Christmas catus on
the floor yesterday. Today I found one on the floor and it had a roach on
it. Do roaches eat Christmas cactus? It's like the roach was eating the
branch off at the joint. Needless to say this plant is now out in the
garage and the area it was in has been sprayed with bug spray. I figure the
roach came in on the plant or maybe on the Poinsettia it was sitting next
to. Any information is appreciated.

Shell

Christmas Cactus and Roaches?
 

On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 07:46:26 GMT, "Shell"
wrote:

I've noticed several large branches of my rather small Christmas catus on
the floor yesterday. Today I found one on the floor and it had a roach on
it. Do roaches eat Christmas cactus? It's like the roach was eating the
branch off at the joint. Needless to say this plant is now out in the
garage and the area it was in has been sprayed with bug spray. I figure the
roach came in on the plant or maybe on the Poinsettia it was sitting next
to. Any information is appreciated.

Shell



I'm sure there are many more tasty holiday crumbs around your dining
and kitchen area than a zygocactus stem. Boric acid powder is toxic
to roaches, fairly safe to humans and pets. If you have one roach,
there are many many more.

Christmas Cactus and Roaches?
 

Roaches on your Poinsettia? Afraid not.

Roaches eating your Christmas Cactus? Doubtful.

You have a serious roach problem that needs immediate attention.
You most likely were already infested before you got the plants.
You need to have your house fumigated because the critters do not stay in
one place.

Shell wrote in message
.. .
I've noticed several large branches of my rather small Christmas catus on
the floor yesterday. Today I found one on the floor and it had a roach on
it. Do roaches eat Christmas cactus? It's like the roach was eating the
branch off at the joint. Needless to say this plant is now out in the
garage and the area it was in has been sprayed with bug spray. I figure
the
roach came in on the plant or maybe on the Poinsettia it was sitting next
to. Any information is appreciated.

Shell

Christmas Cactus and Roaches?
 

On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 07:46:26 GMT, "Shell"
wrote:

I've noticed several large branches of my rather small Christmas catus on
the floor yesterday. Today I found one on the floor and it had a roach on
it. Do roaches eat Christmas cactus? It's like the roach was eating the
branch off at the joint. Needless to say this plant is now out in the
garage and the area it was in has been sprayed with bug spray. I figure the
roach came in on the plant or maybe on the Poinsettia it was sitting next
to. Any information is appreciated.

Shell


most likely the branch just came off either from overwatering or
something brushing against it. It's highly doubtful that the roach was
eating the cactus. According to research they can live on the grease
that gets on the walls from the steam in cooking. Three days on one
crumb. And we're not talking large crumb. I can't remember the
statistics on how long they can survive without their heads. But
every one with that tan "luggage" is an egg sack and they move slower
when they're trying to drop their kids off and that has 50 or so in
there and they're born alive. That's why when I had them I'd mash
them flat. Can't mutate from my hand like they can from sprays. You
should have let the piece of cactus dry for a day and then stuck into
the soil to reroot. The tip on boric acid is a good one. They eat it
and can't flatulate and pop. That's why sugar and boric acid works on
**** ants. Those sticky boards work too.

I have a good bug man but with the cold and two neighbors close by
that are crawling with the things, I get a few despite the poison
barrier that Bob has laid down in my house, and between sticky boards
and my mashing any I see, so far I haven't had the problems I did when
I lived in the city. But honey, they're in the country too. Just that
they'd survive radiation is enough to be daunting. Or that sprays
that land on unhatched eggs gives the hatchlings resistance to what
was used.

Get yourself a good bugman and lay out some boric acid (it's available
cheap at Dollar General or Dollar stores, and I've discovered Lowes
has boric acid powder too, and if all else fails, RoachPruf has boric
acid in it, it's just more expensive because of the name and
recommending by Paul Harvey a few years ago. Any little grocery store
might also carry it too. And be careful of using paper bags instead of
plastic, because eggs or even roaches LOVE and adore those paper bags.
Paper is their one passion to hide and thrive in for the layers and
flatness and ability to shut out light. My one neighbor hordes
newspapers and they love her for that one fault. ewwwwww. (you know
you have them bad when they're on the OUTSIDE of the house! this ain't
me, it's her)

Poinsettia's I wouldn't think would be something they'd eat either.
It's a type of Euphorbia with that milky sap. They've either just come
in from the cold from somewhere else, or hitchhiked in a paper bag or
sack of potato's. One year I got some of the bastages while living in
Nashville from a sack of potato's that I bought on sale because they'd
gotten them in bulk, thought I'd save by buying a 50 pound bag and
didn't think to check for spoiled ones or empty out the bag first
before bringing the thing inside and as I thumped it down, some ran
out of the mesh. Didn't expect it and didn't move quickly enough to
mash them and brought in one helluva infestation. Live and learn.

If you can't find boric acid, holler at me and I'll go pick some up at
my local Dollar store and send it to you.
madgardener

Christmas Cactus and Roaches?
 

"madgardener" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 07:46:26 GMT, "Shell"
wrote:

I've noticed several large branches of my rather small Christmas catus on
the floor yesterday. Today I found one on the floor and it had a roach
on
it. Do roaches eat Christmas cactus? It's like the roach was eating the
branch off at the joint. Needless to say this plant is now out in the
garage and the area it was in has been sprayed with bug spray. I figure
the
roach came in on the plant or maybe on the Poinsettia it was sitting next
to. Any information is appreciated.

Shell


most likely the branch just came off either from overwatering or
something brushing against it. It's highly doubtful that the roach was
eating the cactus. According to research they can live on the grease
that gets on the walls from the steam in cooking. Three days on one
crumb. And we're not talking large crumb. I can't remember the
statistics on how long they can survive without their heads.

I think it's 6 weeks or so.

But every one with that tan "luggage" is an egg sack and they move slower
when they're trying to drop their kids off and that has 50 or so in
there and they're born alive. That's why when I had them I'd mash
them flat. Can't mutate from my hand like they can from sprays. You
should have let the piece of cactus dry for a day and then stuck into
the soil to reroot. The tip on boric acid is a good one. They eat it
and can't flatulate and pop. That's why sugar and boric acid works on
**** ants. Those sticky boards work too.

We put out boric acid, especially in the bathrooms and kitchens under the
cabinets.
Sevin dust is pretty good too. Believe me we know about roaches here :)
Houston
is home of the monster roaches, the kind that run off after you step on
them.

I have a good bug man but with the cold and two neighbors close by
that are crawling with the things, I get a few despite the poison
barrier that Bob has laid down in my house, and between sticky boards
and my mashing any I see, so far I haven't had the problems I did when
I lived in the city. But honey, they're in the country too. Just that
they'd survive radiation is enough to be daunting. Or that sprays
that land on unhatched eggs gives the hatchlings resistance to what
was used.

Get yourself a good bugman and lay out some boric acid (it's available
cheap at Dollar General or Dollar stores, and I've discovered Lowes
has boric acid powder too, and if all else fails, RoachPruf has boric
acid in it, it's just more expensive because of the name and
recommending by Paul Harvey a few years ago. Any little grocery store
might also carry it too. And be careful of using paper bags instead of
plastic, because eggs or even roaches LOVE and adore those paper bags.
Paper is their one passion to hide and thrive in for the layers and
flatness and ability to shut out light. My one neighbor hordes
newspapers and they love her for that one fault. ewwwwww. (you know
you have them bad when they're on the OUTSIDE of the house! this ain't
me, it's her)

I'm figuring it came in on the plants maybe. Either that or they've been
living in the fish tank stand.
(The fish took the long ride on the porcelain waterway when the tank sprang
a leak.)

Poinsettia's I wouldn't think would be something they'd eat either.
It's a type of Euphorbia with that milky sap. They've either just come
in from the cold from somewhere else, or hitchhiked in a paper bag or
sack of potato's. One year I got some of the bastages while living in
Nashville from a sack of potato's that I bought on sale because they'd
gotten them in bulk, thought I'd save by buying a 50 pound bag and
didn't think to check for spoiled ones or empty out the bag first
before bringing the thing inside and as I thumped it down, some ran
out of the mesh. Didn't expect it and didn't move quickly enough to
mash them and brought in one helluva infestation. Live and learn.

If I remember right roaches can lay eggs for the rest of thier life after
mating once.
Yuck :P I hate roaches, they scuttle.

If you can't find boric acid, holler at me and I'll go pick some up at
my local Dollar store and send it to you.
madgardener

Thanks for the offer :) I live between three Lowe's and two Home Depot
stores.
Usually when we see a roach it's dead or dying. We have some wierd white
crystal like stuff that grows up out of
the garage floor and it seems to keep the bugs down. Living near the Brio
site (one of the 10 worst chemical dump sites
in the US, so bad it can't be cleaned and had to be cemented over.) New
attic insulation cleaned a lot out too. Now we're
having Spiney Backed Spiders moving in. Funky looking things :)

Shell

Christmas Cactus and Roaches?
 

That's the strange thing, this is the only place I've sen any roaches. We
put out boric acid under ll the kitchen and bathroom cabinets, closets,
pantry, all the nice dark places. The roach sure liked the cactus and
looked like it was eating it to me, but hey what do I know :)

Shell


"Phisherman" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 07:46:26 GMT, "Shell"
wrote:

I've noticed several large branches of my rather small Christmas catus on
the floor yesterday. Today I found one on the floor and it had a roach
on
it. Do roaches eat Christmas cactus? It's like the roach was eating the
branch off at the joint. Needless to say this plant is now out in the
garage and the area it was in has been sprayed with bug spray. I figure
the
roach came in on the plant or maybe on the Poinsettia it was sitting next
to. Any information is appreciated.

Shell



I'm sure there are many more tasty holiday crumbs around your dining
and kitchen area than a zygocactus stem. Boric acid powder is toxic
to roaches, fairly safe to humans and pets. If you have one roach,
there are many many more.

Christmas Cactus and Roaches?
 

"Shell" wrote in
:

I've noticed several large branches of my rather small Christmas catus
on the floor yesterday. Today I found one on the floor and it had a
roach on it. Do roaches eat Christmas cactus? It's like the roach
was eating the branch off at the joint. Needless to say this plant is
now out in the garage and the area it was in has been sprayed with bug
spray. I figure the roach came in on the plant or maybe on the
Poinsettia it was sitting next to. Any information is appreciated.

Shell

Hmm, if it's not the roaches chewing the branches off onto the floor, how
are they getting there? Maybe you have little elves living inside your
walls wanting a little Xmas Cactus branch to get in the holiday spirit and
ran off when they heard you coming. Quite possibly the roach was just
there at the wrong time.

Are these normal German/American cockroaches or some big honking palmetto
bug?

Maybe you could dust some of the broken branches with boric acid.

-- ST

Christmas Cactus and Roaches?
 

We not only have the German/American roches, there are the monster palmetto
bugs and Asian roaches here in Houston.

Shell


"Salty Thumb" wrote in message
...
"Shell" wrote in
:

I've noticed several large branches of my rather small Christmas catus
on the floor yesterday. Today I found one on the floor and it had a
roach on it. Do roaches eat Christmas cactus? It's like the roach
was eating the branch off at the joint. Needless to say this plant is
now out in the garage and the area it was in has been sprayed with bug
spray. I figure the roach came in on the plant or maybe on the
Poinsettia it was sitting next to. Any information is appreciated.

Shell

Hmm, if it's not the roaches chewing the branches off onto the floor, how
are they getting there? Maybe you have little elves living inside your
walls wanting a little Xmas Cactus branch to get in the holiday spirit and
ran off when they heard you coming. Quite possibly the roach was just
there at the wrong time.

Are these normal German/American cockroaches or some big honking palmetto
bug?

Maybe you could dust some of the broken branches with boric acid.

-- ST

Christmas Cactus and Roaches?
 

On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 08:30:27 GMT, Shell wrote:

We not only have the German/American roches, there are the monster
palmetto
bugs and Asian roaches here in Houston.

Oooh, and don't I know it.
/shudders

The worst thing I came across in England was the occassional large house
spider. I think I'm hardening up to the monster bugs here in Houston now as
I don't shriek as loudly as when I first saw them. That was in the
apartment I just moved from. You could hear the monsters scuttling and I
got super fast with grabbing a glass and capturing them before spraying
Raid through a crack at the bottom. One time doing this action, I wasn't
quite center and actually popped a pregnant spider and had zillions of
babies running everywhere. I was bashing them with my son's shoe, he was
freaking 'cus I was using his shoe (not on his foot - lol!). Oh, it was a
scene.

Before we moved into this house, we set off a bunch of bug bombs and apart
from a couple of dozy yellow jackets that I think came from the attic, I've
yet to see anything else alive...
/end of threadjack
--
Lynda

Christmas Cactus and Roaches?
 

"Lynda LeCompte" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 08:30:27 GMT, Shell wrote:

We not only have the German/American roches, there are the monster
palmetto
bugs and Asian roaches here in Houston.

Oooh, and don't I know it.
/shudders

The worst thing I came across in England was the occassional large house
spider. I think I'm hardening up to the monster bugs here in Houston now
as
I don't shriek as loudly as when I first saw them. That was in the
apartment I just moved from. You could hear the monsters scuttling and I
got super fast with grabbing a glass and capturing them before spraying
Raid through a crack at the bottom. One time doing this action, I wasn't
quite center and actually popped a pregnant spider and had zillions of
babies running everywhere. I was bashing them with my son's shoe, he was
freaking 'cus I was using his shoe (not on his foot - lol!). Oh, it was a
scene.

Before we moved into this house, we set off a bunch of bug bombs and apart
from a couple of dozy yellow jackets that I think came from the attic,
I've
yet to see anything else alive...
/end of threadjack
--
Lynda

LOL We have the big wolf spiders. I'm very handy with a flyswatter, rolled
up newspaper, magazine, shoe, whatever is handy :) Best thing in the world
are the bug bomb foggers. We usually go on a short weekend trip and set a
bunch off. Haven't seen any yellow jackets around just two or three species
of wasps and the occaisional bee. We have a creek/ditch behind our house
and a pasture with a couple of horses, our biggest worry is snakes which get
inside sometimes (the babies) and boy are they fast. We've had centipedes
inside though (yuck)

Shell

Christmas Cactus and Roaches?
 

All this talk of roaches leads me to include this small gem:

Scuttle, scuttle little roach-
How you run when I approach:
Up above the pantry shelf,
Hastening to secrete yourself.
Most adventureous of vermin,
How I wish I could determine
How you spend your hours of ease-
Perhaps reclining upon the cheese?
How delightful to suspect
All the places you have trekked:
Does your long antenna whisk its
Gentle tip across the biscuits?
Do you linger, little soul
Drawing in our sugar bowl?
Or, abandonment most utter,
Shake a shimmy on the butter?
Do you chant your simple tunes
While swimming in the baby's prunes?
Then, when dawn comes, do you slink
Homeward to the kitchen sink?
Timid roach, why be so shy?
We are brothers, you and I.
In the midnight, like yourself,
I too explore the pantry shelf! author unknown
This brings back the good ole days..........
I remember when I was about 10, in SoCal, I would go out
at dark, and sit under the jade plant and get ready to
be entertained by the "sound and light" show from our
next door neighbors. They would turn off all the lights
for a few minutes, then on would go the lights, and the
sounds of "bang, whack, thump, crash" would be heard.
"There he goes" "Get him" or "You missed"!!!
Then the lights would go off again. This went on for quite
awhile, as they lured cockroaches out to their doom!
(the BIG roaches)

Emilie NorCal

Emilie
NorCal

Christmas Cactus and Roaches?
 

On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 16:54:05 GMT, Shell wrote:
snippety snip
We have a creek/ditch behind our house
and a pasture with a couple of horses, our biggest worry is snakes

Aaghh - nobody told me about the snakes. We have a creek near our house
too, but hopefully far enough away that the little slimy critters won't
come this far. Actually, we have woods right opposite our house and I bet
there's a wealth of yuck right there. We do have some cute podgy grey and
red squirrels that use our garden as a playground. So much fun to watch
them, especially when they fall and hit the ground running.
--
Lynda

Christmas Cactus and Roaches?
 

LOL that's great :) I do remember one huge roach my mom was chasing. It
ran up her pants leg :) I've never seen her dance like that before or
since. My aunt and I laughed ourselves sick :) But the really funny thing
was it came out the other pants leg :)

Shell


"MLEBLANCA" wrote in message
...
All this talk of roaches leads me to include this small gem:

Scuttle, scuttle little roach-
How you run when I approach:
Up above the pantry shelf,
Hastening to secrete yourself.
Most adventureous of vermin,
How I wish I could determine
How you spend your hours of ease-
Perhaps reclining upon the cheese?
How delightful to suspect
All the places you have trekked:
Does your long antenna whisk its
Gentle tip across the biscuits?
Do you linger, little soul
Drawing in our sugar bowl?
Or, abandonment most utter,
Shake a shimmy on the butter?
Do you chant your simple tunes
While swimming in the baby's prunes?
Then, when dawn comes, do you slink
Homeward to the kitchen sink?
Timid roach, why be so shy?
We are brothers, you and I.
In the midnight, like yourself,
I too explore the pantry shelf! author unknown
This brings back the good ole days..........
I remember when I was about 10, in SoCal, I would go out
at dark, and sit under the jade plant and get ready to
be entertained by the "sound and light" show from our
next door neighbors. They would turn off all the lights
for a few minutes, then on would go the lights, and the
sounds of "bang, whack, thump, crash" would be heard.
"There he goes" "Get him" or "You missed"!!!
Then the lights would go off again. This went on for quite
awhile, as they lured cockroaches out to their doom!
(the BIG roaches)

Emilie NorCal

Emilie
NorCal

Christmas Cactus and Roaches?
 

I tend to leave the snakes alone unless they come inside (they take their
chances then) I did try to get one with the hoe, it chased my aunt around
the back porch :) It is a good idea to learn what the poisonous ones look
like though :)

I like to see toads, frogs and lizards around my house, it generally means
there are no snakes around

Shell


"Lynda LeCompte" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 16:54:05 GMT, Shell wrote:
snippety snip
We have a creek/ditch behind our house
and a pasture with a couple of horses, our biggest worry is snakes

Aaghh - nobody told me about the snakes. We have a creek near our house
too, but hopefully far enough away that the little slimy critters won't
come this far. Actually, we have woods right opposite our house and I bet
there's a wealth of yuck right there. We do have some cute podgy grey and
red squirrels that use our garden as a playground. So much fun to watch
them, especially when they fall and hit the ground running.
--
Lynda

Christmas Cactus and Roaches?
 

On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 20:09:07 GMT, Shell wrote:
snippers
I like to see toads, frogs and lizards around my house, it generally
means
there are no snakes around

Phew!
We've seen plenty of lizards around here so that bodes well.
--
Lynda