A thread on Park Slope Parents about waterbugs offered all kinds of interesting solutions to what can be a vexing and unpleasant problem:

Thanks to everyone for the advice about what to do with Gregor the Waterbug
and his friends.There were lots of suggestions, the most common being to
plug up ALL holes in the kitchen, get a cat, and remove any water source,
pretty much in that order.

The suggestions are pasted below. Following the suggestions are
recommendations from a very interesting website I found that has non-toxic
remedies for ANY pest, including bed bugs, ants, and even furry pests. I
pasted his suggestions for non-toxic baits for roaches, plus the link to the
website, as well. The site itself has more information than you will
probably ever need (and certainly ever want), but there were great ideas.
He does sell his own brand of non-toxic pest repellent but he has lots of
ideas besides his product. And at the very end is a recipe for roach bait
you can make yourself using boric acid. It is much less toxic than
pesticides but still can harm children or pets, so do be careful with that
one.

SUGGESTIONS:

–Buy some caulk and expanding foam sealer, and seal EVERY hole in your
kitchen. Plumbing cut outs, the hole in the wall to the stove, everything.
Then be sure never to leave puddles of water or wet sponges or dishes with
water in the sink. Mop up everything every night. They want water more than
food.

–An exterminator told us to pour bleach in our sink drains. This keeps them
from swimming up through the pipes. Also, I believe Diatomaceous earth can
be sprinkled around the floor. Apparently it abraids and dries their bodies
and kills them. The problem with it is it kills good insects too (like
spiders). It’s non toxic. You can buy it on line. I think Gardens Alive
has it.

–We also have a few of these dinosaur sized “visitors” each summer. Our last
one even took flight! I usually send the cat after them (if she’s not
already in pursuit), but apparently catnip and/or Osage orange both work as
roach repellent. The catnip can be placed in sachet bundles around target
areas, as can Osage orange halves. Neither is toxic, as far as I know, and
you can even make catnip tea for yourself if this issue has caused you to
have a nervous stomach! (I used to drink it before exams).

–If there’s any paper (newspapers, open recycling bin, in the kitchen, get
rid of it. They love paper.

–The small black, pepper-looking things are roach poo. If there’s a lot,
there’s a large colony in your house. Also, set your alarm for 4 AM and take
at look at your apartment. That’s when they are most active.

–I had a large infestation of waterbugs and roaches in my kitchen. They were
everywhere, especially behind the stove. We took everything – everything,
including the stove – out of the kitchen. Got non-toxic sealant in the
“grease gun” can and went to work. We sealed every hole and joint in the
room. It took almost three days (we had a kitchen with lots of cabinets),
but that effectively eliminated the roaches without poison. You may need
joint compound (comes in a tub of various sizes and is applied with a
trowel) for the larger holes. The exterminator won’t want to do this job, so
it’s best if you do it. It’ll cost less and you’ll do a better job.

–Years ago when I lived in Wash. Hts, I had many roaches. I learned to live
with them. Then one day I saw a mouse, too! That was too much. I bought
one of those sonar things to get rid of the mouse (ask at a hardware store.)
It worked, and, even better, it seemed to get rid of the roaches, too.

–Here is the website I found, and the recommendations for baits and
repellents:

http://www.stephentvedten.com/27_Roach_Control.pdf

–Make a roach dough by combining ½ c. powdered sugar and ¼ c. shortening or
bacon drippings. Add ½ c.

onions, ½ c. flour and 8 oz. baking soda. (Don’t forget to add some roach
droppings.) Add enough water

to make a dough-like consistency. Make balls of bait and put them wherever
you see roaches.

2. Mix one clove garlic, one onion, one tablespoon of cayenne pepper and 1
quart water. Steep for

one hour, strain, add a tablespoon of liquid soap and spray it around the
house for ant and/or roach control.

3. Place bay leaves or talcum powder or baking soda around cracks in rooms
or spray with diluted Safe

Solutions, Inc. Enzyme Cleaners.

4. If you find a roach infestation in a computer, radio, t.v., etc., simply
place the entire item/appliance in a

sealed plastic bag for 1 month. The roaches will die from dehydration. Or
simply put in a black bag in the

sun on a 70o F. day for a few hours.

5. Mix 1 c. borax and ¼ c. black pepper and ¼ c. shredded bay leaves;
sprinkle to repel roaches. *Keep this*

*mix off all food and/or dishes.*

*Roach Bait Comment: *Virtually any roach bait will continue to secondarily
kill cockroaches as they cannibalize

those that have died, eating the poisoned baits. This chain can continue for
some time, so one properly

placed (boric acid) bait can kill several dozen roaches.

**Safe Solutions products may be purchased online at:*

*http://www.safesolutionsinc.com*