# New Apartment: Test for Roaches?



## gruegoo (Dec 28, 2004)

I just paid my deposit for my new apartment. Fortunately/unfortunately, it's right at Spadina and Dundas, in Toronto's Chinatown. Now I KNOW the building is old, so there are probably bugs in it. Good part is, it's above a bank and a travel agency, so no restaurant bugs directly below... maybe to the side though?

Anyways, before i move my stuff in, is there any way to test for roaches? I've looked at the place fairly carefully so I'm pretty sure I didn't see any mouse droppings.

Realistically, I know I'll never be totally free of bugs, but I'm hoping I can do stuff to reduce them before I move in. I'm already planning on sealing cracks and repainting the walls. Anything else I can do?

I want to test for bugs before I move in, so that if it's REALLY bad I can get something done before my furniture is in there. Any ideas?


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## guytoronto (Jun 25, 2005)

Put a strip of double sided tape on the floor all the way around the base boards.

Leave some food and water in the middle of the floor (in each room).

If there are roaches, they'll smell it, come scurrying, and you should capture a few on the double sided tape.

If you do this a couple of nights straight, and nothing shows up, you should be safe.


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## JumboJones (Feb 21, 2001)

I found they really liked my raison bran, at least until I got plastic containers for everything posible. I drew the line as soon as I saw a mouse run by me while on the can, I gave my notice right after I finished.


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## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

> raison bran


reason to be regular?

sorry, just couldn't resist


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## gruegoo (Dec 28, 2004)

Hmmm how about roach traps? Do they work?


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## IronMac (Sep 22, 2003)

gruegoo said:


> Hmmm how about roach traps? Do they work?


If they didn't they wouldn't have been sold for decades.


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## Lawrence (Mar 11, 2003)

If you find that you have roaches that you didn't detect before moving in, Then get a cat.
I used to live above a bakery in Kensington Market during my college years
and the cat used to eat them all.

(My rent back then was $225. a month for a bachelor, Heat and hydro included)


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## gruegoo (Dec 28, 2004)

IronMac said:


> If they didn't they wouldn't have been sold for decades.


Ok I should have seen that one coming 




dolawren said:


> If you find that you have roaches that you didn't detect before moving in, Then get a cat.
> I used to live above a bakery in Kensington Market during my college years
> and the cat used to eat them all.
> 
> (My rent back then was $225. a month for a bachelor, Heat and hydro included)


Cats... eat roaches?! That's so gross... also I'm allergic to cats.

How long ago did you live in kensington? I'm at $550+hydro right now for a 1 bedroom, which is pretty damn cheap for dundas/spadina these days.


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

roaches ewww that's just nasty... my finacee's place in Korea has roaches, poor her.

I've only seen one roach in my life back in grade 5 and being an elementary student I smashed it good. Roach, get up close and personal with my shoes.


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## guytoronto (Jun 25, 2005)

Yes, cats are good for keeping unwanted creepy crawlies out of any apartment or home. Our two cats regularly pounce on flies and spiders. Yum yum!


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## Lawrence (Mar 11, 2003)

gruegoo said:


> Cats... eat roaches?! That's so gross... also I'm allergic to cats.
> 
> How long ago did you live in kensington? I'm at $550+hydro right now for a
> 1 bedroom, which is pretty damn cheap for dundas/spadina these days.


I lived in the Kensington market area between 1976 - 1979,
I lived in Pietra Santa Italy for my last year of college 1979 - 1980
(The rent in Italy was $100. a month + heat and hydro)


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## IronMac (Sep 22, 2003)

gruegoo said:


> I'm at $550+hydro right now for a 1 bedroom, which is pretty damn cheap for dundas/spadina these days.


That's pretty cheap anywhere in Toronto! How big are we talking about here? And how quiet is it?

hrmm...tempted to check out this place now!


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## martman (May 5, 2005)

Three things:
1) Roaches are poisoned by the poisons we use on them so you should not let your cat eat them.
2) Raoch traps do work BUT: the ones that are the motels (ie with the glue inside) smell great to raoches and SHOULD ONLY BE USED IN DETACHED SINGLE FAMILLY DWELINGS!
You will attract your neighbours roaches with them. 
2) If you do have a roach infestation I find Impact works but you need to lay out twice as many as the directions say to really put them in their place. 
Impact does not smell, you have to place them where roaches like to be.


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## guytoronto (Jun 25, 2005)

martman said:


> Three things:
> 1) Roaches are poisoned by the poisons we use on them so you should not let your cat eat them.


We don't lay out any poisons.


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## martman (May 5, 2005)

No but your neighbours are likely to and if you live attached to your neighbours their poisonous roaches are likely to be your piosonous roaches.

I've actually had vets tell me this is a problem they encounter.


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## gruegoo (Dec 28, 2004)

IronMac said:


> That's pretty cheap anywhere in Toronto! How big are we talking about here? And how quiet is it?
> 
> hrmm...tempted to check out this place now!



its a 1 bedroom... i'd say roughly 450-500 sq ft total, but I'm no expert. in terms of how quiet, i have no idea since i haven't moved in yet. but the windows face the opposite direction from spadina so it was actually pretty quiet when i viewed the place.

as long as there are no killer roaches, i think I just lucked out...


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## IronMac (Sep 22, 2003)

One of my bros is paying about $650 for a basement apt in the same area. Clean as a whistle but it's not even a 1-bedroom.

Any cockroaches there?


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