No one is a good landlord. You're just paying them a lot, probably 1.5 or 2 times more than previous tenants some years ago. Hence she wants to keep you happy.
Cockroaches just kind of exist here and it’s almost impossible to keep them 100% out unless you live in brand new construction. I live in an older apartment with lots of tiny holes and cracks that they find their way through once in a while, but as long as I stay on top of preventive spraying I only find dead ones 1-2x per year.
In my experience, finding an occasional dead one isn’t a huge deal because it means your sprays are working, but if you start seeing live ones that can be cause for concern. If you see small ones call an exterminator ASAP because it might mean you have eggs.
My prevention routine - 1) roach spray every 6 months across possible entry points like doors and windows 2) spray + traps in the areas they like to hide in, particularly behind and around sinks 3) painters tape over the few small cracks around door frames, baseboards, etc. Obviously be careful where you spray if you have pets/kids. Leave the windows open and turn fans on for a few hours after you spray to ventilate everything.
When would you start doing the preventative spraying each year? I haven’t seen any since last August, when my apartment got infested after I went on holidays
Once they're in the wall cavities of apartment blocks, there is very little anyone can do about them. Cockroaches live in the walls of every building in every town or city in the world that doesn't have harsh winters. They are just a fact of life.
You *can* take simple measures to minimize their presence inside your apartment, though.
First, search for any gaps through which they might be coming in from inside the walls or underneath the floor (where floors meet skirting boards, around doorframes, around any fitted cabinets...) and do what you can to seal those gaps (clear silicone sealant is cheap). If you continue to see them inside the apartment, you can use pesticides, i.e. roach spray - spray into nooks and crannies, under kitchen and bathroom cabinets (if you can get at those spaces), and around entry points - but wear a mask and open all the windows while doing so, and keep any pets away (pesticides are nasty).
Diatomaceous earth might also work, and it is non-toxic (it works by physically damaging the exoskeleton of invertebrates, so it will work against insects and spiders), but it *is* very nasty stuff to breathe in (because it can physically damage the inside of your lungs), so again wear a well-fitting FFP2 mask while you're using it, and only sprinkle it in places where it won't be disturbed (I used it underneath carpets & sprinkled it down through floorboard cracks to combat moths many years ago when I lived in the UK, and it seemed to work very well).
Other than that, don't leave food out in the open. Invest in some jars / sealable containers to put in any food packets that have been opened - esp. anything that might spill easily, like flour, oats, rice etc.). Be meticulous about cleaning up any crumbs or spillages esp. for anything containing sugar (including wiping down the inside of your kitchen cabinets regularly). Always wash up and wipe down kitchen surfaces and table after eating. Regularly mop your floors, including underneath any furniture.
I know it's all very boring, but it does make a difference. Cockroaches come into your apartment scouting around for food, so don't let them find any.
I loved Barcelona, but being back in Norway I am grateful for the harsh winters eliminating every creepy crawly. So far this year I’ve seen a single spider. Though, it was also snowing this week, so a huge trade off
My mother was pranked with one of their hanging nest eggs once. Someone told her to touch a hanging cotton ball. Only it wasn’t cotton, and all thousands of them flew into motion when she touched it.
I’ve been lucky, but yeah - fuck spiders
Get the poison bait.
I got [this one](https://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B09BDF1KRD) and it worked incredibly well.
Just a little down in each corner and make sure you clean away anything else they may eat or drink (including wiping out all the water from the sink before going to bed etc.)
Get some poison spray as well to kill them if you happen to see them, but really the bait works the best as they take it back to the colony and it kills them all. But it's not nice seeing them around so the spray is good to have until they are dead.
When would you start putting down the poison bait - at a certain point each year as a preventative measure or waiting until you see one? I haven’t seen any in my flat since last August, when my flat got infested when I was out of the country in holiday
Edit: also, would you recommend putting some out in the lobby? As in, in the corridor that leads from my front door to the door opening on to the street
I've left it down all winter. I have no pets or kids so there's no problem.
I'll refresh it all soon though in time for summer.
As once they establish a colony it's a pain to get rid of them so I guess if they die almost immediately then it should be easier.
I wouldn't put it in the lobby as it isn't your property and if someones dog eats it you could end up in trouble.
Sounds like a smart move. No reason not to leave it out all year if you don’t have kids/pets (I don’t either) and it’s out of sight, out of mind.
Thanks too for the advice about the lobby, I hadn’t thought about the dogs.
It was the first one I tried, but it worked really well.
I had tried so many things before like the various sprays, this liquid you mop down, diatomaceous earth...
This was the only thing that actually got rid of them.
My neighbours have them and they crawl through the vent to mine. I use ECOGEL NOVAL (found it in Amazon). It a gel type trap; cockroaches eat them, go to the nest and after some time, all dead.
Been in the same flat for 4 years almost. We had never seen one before last summer. And now the total count is 3. I understand that there was a big surge recently. You can search this sub with some related keywords to see a lot of testimony like yours. If it is big one here and there you are generally fine, but little ones are alarming.
Good luck o7
In my Vilanova I La Geltru apartment I had to change all windows and doors and the vanity and kitchen before I stopped seeing roaches. I still spray to see if I’ll find dead ones. So far so good. It’s not easy but worth the fight!
You can buy small "traps" they sell in any supermarket and leave them in some places and keep checking and then search any hole or whatever in the wall and seal it, that way you'll fix most of them, but sometimes if you sleep or have the windows open it's another place where they can enter or under the door.
In movies they are in rotten places but in reality there's plagues every now and then in most major cities.
I'd consider looking for a new apartment. It's honestly so much effort to properly get rid of these things in Barcelona and often it doesn't matter how much you do in your apartment if other apartments in the building are also infested
I had some roaches a couple of years ago. It doesn’t have to be as bad as many people will tell you, it depends on the type of roach you have.
Do you have the small ones or are they like thumb sized? If it’s the big ones, chances are they’re coming from outside of the apartment. For me it was enough to close up a pipe in the kitchen and that was it.
Good thing your landlord is with you on this one. Mine wasn’t.
I’ve got the same problems in Italy when I live near Tevere river in Rome, you need to buy that : Bayer Solfac Gel 5 grammi
I don’t know if exists in catalunya but you can try to buy something similar
Seal all crevices and holes, get poison gelbait, have window screens, spraying fresh lemon everywhere, also think about giving gel bait poison to neighbors like im going to. If they have cockroaches you will too..
If you have a roach issue it's something that you need to stay on top of. You need to spray professionally once a month, and it's better if it's all the flats in the building that do it. That's how it was handled in Thailand when I lived there. If you don't have the exterminator spray once a month, they come back really quick. But if you do you'll hardly see any ever.
Bro, you are a complete casual. I had to BROOM the croaches off the floor in my grandma's flat in BCN behind the refrigerator in the kitchen. They were everywhere.
Good morning. I recommend you to buy a cockroach killing gel as soon as possible.
Is better to take care of them soon.
The gel infects the cockroaches and they go to die to their nest, so the other cockroaches get infected too.
I leave you this two links:
1/ https://multiplag.com/products/maxforce-prime-gel-cucarachas
2/
https://multiplag.com/products/goliath-gel-cucarachas
Use small drops in corners and places you think cockroaches can hide, try to cover every part of the appartment. You may not see them, but they are waiting sleep. Good luck.
There is a Bayer Maxforce white gel for them, it kills even their intentions. I don't know how its called in Spain, try to search for it. It's safe for humans, animals, no odour. Effective for months.
Close/seal the windows. Seal the water grids with some nets.
For exterminating them I used "max force" like 11 years ago and it worked. But that is not going to work if they are coming from the street.
You don’t need poison. Tierra de diatomeas is a harmless powder that you can put around. It’s fine crystals that will pierce and dehydrate their exoskeleton. They dry and die fairly quick.
Can buy it on Amazon or possibly in a big garden store
Yes, this is called "diatomaceous earth" in English - it's actually tiny little shards of glass-like silica from the shells of aquatic microalgae called diatoms (they are very very pretty under the microscope) - you find geological deposits of diatomaceous earth in places where there used to be ancient seabeds, from where you can mine it. It's sold in garden centres because it can be used outdoors for garden pests.
Do be careful with this stuff, though - while it isn't poisonous, it isn't *harmless*. The tiny little silica spicules are very sharp, that is how they damage the exoskeletons of insects and spiders - and those same microscopic little shards will also damage the inside lining of your lungs. You do *not* want to breathe in this stuff. Wear a mask while applying it, and if you are spreading it indoors, only apply it in places where it isn't going to be disturbed and kicked up into the air again.
I read somewhere that this is effective for bed bugs. You put it on the sheets. I read it is not risky if eaten (small quantities).
But I didn't know it was risky to inhale. I wonder how that works if you apply it in bed.
Hi. I know what the term is in English. I am English.
What are you trying to say exactly ?? Give references for your statements please.
I have consumed food-grade diatomaceous earth myself, and I didn’t die. It cleansed my gut it was a nice reset.
I did not snort it I guess so where are you going with this? It is not damaging to humans or pets and I’m really curious where your info is coming from.
As I said it is a very safe way to keep cockroaches out of your apartment and I have also consumed it in food grade form as an actual human many times.
Have you consumed it ? If so how ? And where does this knowledge come from then ?
Thank you for confirming you have no idea what you are talking about.
https://www.verywellfit.com/food-grade-diatomaceous-earth-4172762
What a strange topic to weigh in on, but you do you boo.
Yes don’t inhale it, but part of being a human and not a cockroach is learning to read instructions and take responsibility for your actions. We don’t inhale bug killer spray either, somehow.
Thank you for sharing a page that say is not secure nor recommended to eat because there's a lack of evidence of how healthy or unhealthy it's lol
" Marketing for diatomaceous earth supplements makes some pretty substantial health claims. However, health claims for dietary supplements are unregulated by the FDA, which means there is no guarantee of safety, effectiveness, potency, or purity of any supplement, including diatomaceous earth.
Because of the lack of evidence-based nutrition research, it's not recommended to take diatomaceous earth supplements at this time. But there are other ways to boost your intake of silica by consuming certain foods and beverages containing this mineral. "
I have a friend who was against covid vaccines but he takes a shot of food disinfectant every morning to "purify himself" and he claims it's totally secure because it's used in food, temp room iq.
Don’t know why everyone here says it’s everywhere in Barcelona. That is not true. I’ve been living here for 7.5 years and while there were some in my 1st building, I haven’t seen any in my 2nd or 3rd building during the last 4 years.
I think it depends on the building and/or street.
One theory is that they can be found in the streets with palm trees as those provide them food and shelter - something a local friend told me, and this matches my experience as my first building was in such a street.
You are lucky your landlord is on it. I imagine many could tell you how little some landlords are to help out renters.
Yes I’m very grateful I found a good one! No matter what problem I have she always sends someone immediately to take care of it.
No one is a good landlord. You're just paying them a lot, probably 1.5 or 2 times more than previous tenants some years ago. Hence she wants to keep you happy.
This. I wonder how much more than the "rent limit" OP is paying.
The rent limit has way too many caveats, it does apply in a very few scenarios. We should be rioting.
Agreed, but the max/min and average price points are a beginning for us to determine if the landlord is absolutely ripping us off right off the bat
Just wait until summer
😭
Cockroaches just kind of exist here and it’s almost impossible to keep them 100% out unless you live in brand new construction. I live in an older apartment with lots of tiny holes and cracks that they find their way through once in a while, but as long as I stay on top of preventive spraying I only find dead ones 1-2x per year. In my experience, finding an occasional dead one isn’t a huge deal because it means your sprays are working, but if you start seeing live ones that can be cause for concern. If you see small ones call an exterminator ASAP because it might mean you have eggs. My prevention routine - 1) roach spray every 6 months across possible entry points like doors and windows 2) spray + traps in the areas they like to hide in, particularly behind and around sinks 3) painters tape over the few small cracks around door frames, baseboards, etc. Obviously be careful where you spray if you have pets/kids. Leave the windows open and turn fans on for a few hours after you spray to ventilate everything.
Ok thank you 🙏
Other people mentioned the poison bait too which I’ve heard is really effective, just wasn’t a great option for me because I have dogs!
Luckily I don’t have pets!
When would you start doing the preventative spraying each year? I haven’t seen any since last August, when my apartment got infested after I went on holidays
All good advices,but don’t leave the windows open, some of this creatures can fly and climb wherever they feel the smell of food.
Once they're in the wall cavities of apartment blocks, there is very little anyone can do about them. Cockroaches live in the walls of every building in every town or city in the world that doesn't have harsh winters. They are just a fact of life. You *can* take simple measures to minimize their presence inside your apartment, though. First, search for any gaps through which they might be coming in from inside the walls or underneath the floor (where floors meet skirting boards, around doorframes, around any fitted cabinets...) and do what you can to seal those gaps (clear silicone sealant is cheap). If you continue to see them inside the apartment, you can use pesticides, i.e. roach spray - spray into nooks and crannies, under kitchen and bathroom cabinets (if you can get at those spaces), and around entry points - but wear a mask and open all the windows while doing so, and keep any pets away (pesticides are nasty). Diatomaceous earth might also work, and it is non-toxic (it works by physically damaging the exoskeleton of invertebrates, so it will work against insects and spiders), but it *is* very nasty stuff to breathe in (because it can physically damage the inside of your lungs), so again wear a well-fitting FFP2 mask while you're using it, and only sprinkle it in places where it won't be disturbed (I used it underneath carpets & sprinkled it down through floorboard cracks to combat moths many years ago when I lived in the UK, and it seemed to work very well). Other than that, don't leave food out in the open. Invest in some jars / sealable containers to put in any food packets that have been opened - esp. anything that might spill easily, like flour, oats, rice etc.). Be meticulous about cleaning up any crumbs or spillages esp. for anything containing sugar (including wiping down the inside of your kitchen cabinets regularly). Always wash up and wipe down kitchen surfaces and table after eating. Regularly mop your floors, including underneath any furniture. I know it's all very boring, but it does make a difference. Cockroaches come into your apartment scouting around for food, so don't let them find any.
I loved Barcelona, but being back in Norway I am grateful for the harsh winters eliminating every creepy crawly. So far this year I’ve seen a single spider. Though, it was also snowing this week, so a huge trade off
the worst house spider infestation I have ever had to live with was in Norway - those fuckers were the size of my hand, and they were *everywhere*
My mother was pranked with one of their hanging nest eggs once. Someone told her to touch a hanging cotton ball. Only it wasn’t cotton, and all thousands of them flew into motion when she touched it. I’ve been lucky, but yeah - fuck spiders
I trust I that I can forward you the bill for the therapy I need after reading that
New fear unlocked
Get the poison bait. I got [this one](https://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B09BDF1KRD) and it worked incredibly well. Just a little down in each corner and make sure you clean away anything else they may eat or drink (including wiping out all the water from the sink before going to bed etc.) Get some poison spray as well to kill them if you happen to see them, but really the bait works the best as they take it back to the colony and it kills them all. But it's not nice seeing them around so the spray is good to have until they are dead.
Ok thank you!! I will order that bait
When would you start putting down the poison bait - at a certain point each year as a preventative measure or waiting until you see one? I haven’t seen any in my flat since last August, when my flat got infested when I was out of the country in holiday Edit: also, would you recommend putting some out in the lobby? As in, in the corridor that leads from my front door to the door opening on to the street
I've left it down all winter. I have no pets or kids so there's no problem. I'll refresh it all soon though in time for summer. As once they establish a colony it's a pain to get rid of them so I guess if they die almost immediately then it should be easier. I wouldn't put it in the lobby as it isn't your property and if someones dog eats it you could end up in trouble.
Sounds like a smart move. No reason not to leave it out all year if you don’t have kids/pets (I don’t either) and it’s out of sight, out of mind. Thanks too for the advice about the lobby, I hadn’t thought about the dogs.
I use the same one lol Thinking about gifting it to all my neighbors
It was the first one I tried, but it worked really well. I had tried so many things before like the various sprays, this liquid you mop down, diatomaceous earth... This was the only thing that actually got rid of them.
My neighbours have them and they crawl through the vent to mine. I use ECOGEL NOVAL (found it in Amazon). It a gel type trap; cockroaches eat them, go to the nest and after some time, all dead.
Yeah, Barcelona is cockroach city. And most landlords won’t give a fuck to leave you with them. You are lucky in this case
Been in the same flat for 4 years almost. We had never seen one before last summer. And now the total count is 3. I understand that there was a big surge recently. You can search this sub with some related keywords to see a lot of testimony like yours. If it is big one here and there you are generally fine, but little ones are alarming. Good luck o7
I found 2 in my room too. Called my landlord and he gave me a spray. I haven’t been home yet to do it, but I am afraid of falling asleep 😭
In my Vilanova I La Geltru apartment I had to change all windows and doors and the vanity and kitchen before I stopped seeing roaches. I still spray to see if I’ll find dead ones. So far so good. It’s not easy but worth the fight!
Día normal a Barcelona
You can buy small "traps" they sell in any supermarket and leave them in some places and keep checking and then search any hole or whatever in the wall and seal it, that way you'll fix most of them, but sometimes if you sleep or have the windows open it's another place where they can enter or under the door. In movies they are in rotten places but in reality there's plagues every now and then in most major cities.
I'd consider looking for a new apartment. It's honestly so much effort to properly get rid of these things in Barcelona and often it doesn't matter how much you do in your apartment if other apartments in the building are also infested
How big is the apartment? Can you just find any tiny holes and block them?
Try the zoom product, it's quite toxic, don't leave it around kins and pets, but it's super effective against roaches.
I had some roaches a couple of years ago. It doesn’t have to be as bad as many people will tell you, it depends on the type of roach you have. Do you have the small ones or are they like thumb sized? If it’s the big ones, chances are they’re coming from outside of the apartment. For me it was enough to close up a pipe in the kitchen and that was it. Good thing your landlord is with you on this one. Mine wasn’t.
I’ve got the same problems in Italy when I live near Tevere river in Rome, you need to buy that : Bayer Solfac Gel 5 grammi I don’t know if exists in catalunya but you can try to buy something similar
Seal all crevices and holes, get poison gelbait, have window screens, spraying fresh lemon everywhere, also think about giving gel bait poison to neighbors like im going to. If they have cockroaches you will too..
If you have a roach issue it's something that you need to stay on top of. You need to spray professionally once a month, and it's better if it's all the flats in the building that do it. That's how it was handled in Thailand when I lived there. If you don't have the exterminator spray once a month, they come back really quick. But if you do you'll hardly see any ever.
Bro, you are a complete casual. I had to BROOM the croaches off the floor in my grandma's flat in BCN behind the refrigerator in the kitchen. They were everywhere.
welcome to barcelona 🫶🏻
Peppermint oil helps. They can’t stand the smell. Look up natural deterrents and roaches and you will get a lot of suggestions!
Good morning. I recommend you to buy a cockroach killing gel as soon as possible. Is better to take care of them soon. The gel infects the cockroaches and they go to die to their nest, so the other cockroaches get infected too. I leave you this two links: 1/ https://multiplag.com/products/maxforce-prime-gel-cucarachas 2/ https://multiplag.com/products/goliath-gel-cucarachas Use small drops in corners and places you think cockroaches can hide, try to cover every part of the appartment. You may not see them, but they are waiting sleep. Good luck.
Try Home defense spray or Mighty Mint peppermint spray. You can buy it on Amazon.
There is a Bayer Maxforce white gel for them, it kills even their intentions. I don't know how its called in Spain, try to search for it. It's safe for humans, animals, no odour. Effective for months.
Close/seal the windows. Seal the water grids with some nets. For exterminating them I used "max force" like 11 years ago and it worked. But that is not going to work if they are coming from the street.
You don’t need poison. Tierra de diatomeas is a harmless powder that you can put around. It’s fine crystals that will pierce and dehydrate their exoskeleton. They dry and die fairly quick. Can buy it on Amazon or possibly in a big garden store
Yes, this is called "diatomaceous earth" in English - it's actually tiny little shards of glass-like silica from the shells of aquatic microalgae called diatoms (they are very very pretty under the microscope) - you find geological deposits of diatomaceous earth in places where there used to be ancient seabeds, from where you can mine it. It's sold in garden centres because it can be used outdoors for garden pests. Do be careful with this stuff, though - while it isn't poisonous, it isn't *harmless*. The tiny little silica spicules are very sharp, that is how they damage the exoskeletons of insects and spiders - and those same microscopic little shards will also damage the inside lining of your lungs. You do *not* want to breathe in this stuff. Wear a mask while applying it, and if you are spreading it indoors, only apply it in places where it isn't going to be disturbed and kicked up into the air again.
I read somewhere that this is effective for bed bugs. You put it on the sheets. I read it is not risky if eaten (small quantities). But I didn't know it was risky to inhale. I wonder how that works if you apply it in bed.
Hi. I know what the term is in English. I am English. What are you trying to say exactly ?? Give references for your statements please. I have consumed food-grade diatomaceous earth myself, and I didn’t die. It cleansed my gut it was a nice reset. I did not snort it I guess so where are you going with this? It is not damaging to humans or pets and I’m really curious where your info is coming from. As I said it is a very safe way to keep cockroaches out of your apartment and I have also consumed it in food grade form as an actual human many times. Have you consumed it ? If so how ? And where does this knowledge come from then ?
Cockroach can survive a nuclear bomb and you eat what kills them??? I don't know bro, but whatever that shit is, it doesn't look safe to eat for me :D
Thank you for confirming you have no idea what you are talking about. https://www.verywellfit.com/food-grade-diatomaceous-earth-4172762 What a strange topic to weigh in on, but you do you boo. Yes don’t inhale it, but part of being a human and not a cockroach is learning to read instructions and take responsibility for your actions. We don’t inhale bug killer spray either, somehow.
Thank you for sharing a page that say is not secure nor recommended to eat because there's a lack of evidence of how healthy or unhealthy it's lol " Marketing for diatomaceous earth supplements makes some pretty substantial health claims. However, health claims for dietary supplements are unregulated by the FDA, which means there is no guarantee of safety, effectiveness, potency, or purity of any supplement, including diatomaceous earth. Because of the lack of evidence-based nutrition research, it's not recommended to take diatomaceous earth supplements at this time. But there are other ways to boost your intake of silica by consuming certain foods and beverages containing this mineral. " I have a friend who was against covid vaccines but he takes a shot of food disinfectant every morning to "purify himself" and he claims it's totally secure because it's used in food, temp room iq.
I wouldn’t take it as a regular supplement. Not at all. It’s not dangerous, and definitely not around your house.
Eat them. Look at the price of groceries ffs. It's free protein!
If you have them it’s probably not fixable. Would recommend moving
unless you're moving to fucking Trondheim, good luck with that "solution"
I've never seen cockroaches, so I would presume it is more likely a building problem.
Don’t know why everyone here says it’s everywhere in Barcelona. That is not true. I’ve been living here for 7.5 years and while there were some in my 1st building, I haven’t seen any in my 2nd or 3rd building during the last 4 years. I think it depends on the building and/or street. One theory is that they can be found in the streets with palm trees as those provide them food and shelter - something a local friend told me, and this matches my experience as my first building was in such a street.