Frequently asked questions about
the German cockroach video
Q. Are any of the products you use to eliminate German cockroaches harmful to pets, like cats and dogs?
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A. As a general rule, the answer is no, but it's not a good idea to allow pets to lie down in Nibor-D. So, if your pet has a favorite spot where they routinely lay down, then do not treat that area. It's fine for dogs and cats to walk over Nibor-D, you just don't want them to get it all over their fur because they may lick it off. This is particularly true with cats. Dust should only be applied where it cannot be disturbed by people, pets, or air currents. All other products are safe for children to play on after they dry, so it's fine for your pets to lay down on them after they dry. Pets should be kept in a different room when you are applying all of these materials. It is safe for them to come out after everything is dry.
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Q. How long should I wait between phase 1 and phase 2?
A. There is no hard, fast rule on this. The purpose of phase one is to achieve a quick knock down of the population. I find that you reach maximum effect in about 30 days, but you can do phase 2 sooner than that if you like. Do not wait longer than 90 days to do phase 2 over the phase 1 areas. Remember that phase 1 is usually only done in the kitchen and bathrooms, so you can start phase 2 in all other areas of the home, just as soon as phase 1 is completed in the kitchen and bathrooms. By the time you get finished with phase 2 in the rest of the house, 30 days has probably gone by already, so you can start on phase 2 over the phase 1 areas. If you finish phase 2 early in the rest of the house, then you can go over the phase 1 areas just as soon as the population is reduced to an acceptable level. So, it's kind of a judgement call on your part.
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Q. After I complete phase 1 and phase 2, how long will it take for all the cockroaches to be eliminated?
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A. You should see a significant reduction in the population within 30 days. As time goes on, you will see the population drop to the point where you are not seeing them anymore. How long this takes depends upon how bad the infestation is at the time you finished phase 2. As a general rule though, if you did a thorough job, and you left no stone unturned, then you should not be seeing roaches after about 60 to 90 days. Don't be fooled though. This does not mean they are gone. You cannot treat appliances and electronics with pesticides, so you are relying mostly on the Gentrol IGR disks. Those things can take up to a year to wipe out the roaches. This is why you must replace them every 90 days. During that year, it is possible to see a roach leave an appliance, TV, computer, and that sort of thing, but it will die within a few days, because you have everything treated with boric acid and Nibor-D. Most of the time you will never see another roach after about 9 months. Again, don't be fooled. The biggest mistake anyone can make with German cockroaches is to underestimate them. It is imperative to keep treating for 12 months, after you finish phase 2. So, you should regard this as a one-year treatment plan. You can stop treating after a year, but keep the boric acid and Nibor-D in place as a preventive measure to guard against future infestations. At least leave it in place in areas where it cannot be seen, such as inside cabinets and furniture. It is also a good idea to leave the baseboards treated as well.
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Q. What is the correct dilution rate for Nibor-D?
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A. Nibor-D gets mixed 2.5 cups per gallon of water for mopping floors and spraying carpets. It gets mixed 7.5 cups per gallon of water for all other applications. For small jobs, you can mix 1 cup of Nibor-D to 16 ounces of water in a small bucket and apply it with a handheld spray bottle or a sponge. Never mix more Nibor-D than you are going to use in two hours.
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Q. Can I mix Nibor-D with a detergent to mop floors or should I mop first with a detergent and then mop on the Nibor-D.
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A. You want the Nibor-D to leave a residue behind when it dries. Nibor-D does this because the powder does not mix with the water to create a solution. However, the powder will eventually dissolve in the water and that is NOT what you want. So, never mix more than you will use in two hours. If you mix Nibor-D with a detergent, then the detergent may break down the powder much faster, rendering the product ineffective. Therefore, Guy always recommends that you mop the floors first with a detergent and then apply the Nibor-D.
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Q. The Nibor-D looks really bad when it is applied to some surfaces, such as wood. Is there any way to make it look better?
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A. You can't do much about floors, but you can make it look a lot better if you apply it with a sponge instead of a spray bottle or pump-up garden sprayer. That makes the coat go on much more evenly, so it looks better. Also, you can just spray surfaces that you can't see. For example, just spray the inside of kitchen cabinets, and do not spray the outside of the doors. This way, nobody will notice that the product was even applied.
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Q. I applied Nibor-D on everything, but when the roaches cross it, they don't seem at all bothered by it at all. Am I doing something wrong? Why aren't the roaches dying?
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A. Nibor-D is a borate, just like boric acid, but formulated to get mixed with water. Like all borates, it kills very slowly. It can take several days for death to occur. We all know folks love to see the bugs flip right over and die fast with their feet kicking in the air, and that does feel really rewarding, but that is not what you want with roaches. The reason we use borates is because they last forever, and the roaches cannot become resistant to them. If a roach steps on Nibor-D or boric acid, then it just signed its own death warrant. It may take a few days, but death is a certainty. Treating German roaches is not a sprint. It's a marathon. This is why we do phase 1. Those products will kill within hours to get a quick knockdown of the population. We use phase 2 to finish them off, but those products work slowly.
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Q. What is the difference between Nibor-D and Temprid FX? Why do I need both?
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A. Temprid FX is a quick kill product that works on the nervous system of the roaches, so death occurs in a matter of hours. The problem is though that the roaches will become resistant to it, so you should only use it one time during phase 1. After that, don't use it anymore. Also, Temprid FX only lasts for about 90 days and then it stops working. Nibor-D does not work on the nervous system. It kills mechanically. Roaches hate to have anything on their feet, and the Nibor-D will stick to their feet, just like boric acid will. The roaches will consume the Nibor-D or boric acid to remove it from their feet. These products will cut holes in the roach's stomach, and it will dehydrate to death. It's a slow but certain death. Nibor-D and boric acid also have the advantage that they last forever, so they never need to be reapplied, unless you remove them.
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Q. What is the difference between D-Fense dust and boric acid? Why do I need both?
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A. D-Fense dust is a quick kill product that works on the nervous system of the roaches, so death occurs in a matter of hours. The problem is though that the roaches will become resistant to it, so you should only use it one time during phase 1. After that, don't use it anymore. Also, D-Fense dust only lasts for about 9 months and then it stops working. Boric acid does not work on the nervous system. It kills mechanically. Roaches hate to have anything on their feet, and the boric acid will stick to their feet. The roaches will consume the boric acid to remove it from their feet. It will cut holes in the roach's stomach, and it will dehydrate to death. It's a slow but certain death. Boric acid also has the advantage that it lasts forever, so it never needs to be reapplied, unless you remove it. Nibor-D works the same way.
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Q. What is the difference between Nibor-D and boric acid?
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A. Nibor-D and boric acid are very similar products. Both can be used as a dust, but only Nibor-D can be mixed with water. Manufacturers claim that you can mix boric acid with water, but Guy has found that not to be the case. Nibor-D is a better choice for wet applications. Boric acid is a bit less expensive than Nibor-D and it works fine for dry applications.
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Q. Can I use diatomaceous earth instead of boric acid and Nibor-D?
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A. Most likely, diatomaceous earth (DE) will work well as a dust and can be used instead of boric acid, but Guy has not field tested it. So, while it will probably work great, Guy cannot guarantee success with it. DE may also work when mixed with water, offering a cheaper solution than Nibor-D, but again, Guy has not field tested it. Some people claim that DE works well when mixed with water, while others disagree. Since it is unclear if DE works well when mixed with water, it is probably best to stick with Nibor-D whenever possible. That said, if you cannot afford Nibor-D, or you live in a place where Nibor-D is unavailable, then DE may be worth trying.
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Q. Why do I need the Gentrol Point Source IGR Disks and how do they work? Why do I need to replace them every 90 days?
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A. The IGR disks are even slower than borates. You must replace them every 90 days for a year because they don't kill roaches at all. They simply stop the roaches from breeding. German roaches have a 100-day life cycle, and it can take up to 3 life cycles for them to be totally eliminated. Unfortunately, the only way to treat appliances and electronics is with IGR disks, and the disks only last 90 days. So, you need to see this as a one-year treatment plan. If you do a good job with the Nibor-D, and you appl it on all surfaces under and around appliances and electronics, then any roaches that try to move to another area of your home will die. If they remain where they are, they will not be able to breed and they will die out in about a year.
Q. I completed both phase 1 and phase 2, but I am still seeing roaches. What's going on with that? Did I do something wrong?
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A. Phase 1 will knock out a lot of roaches and you will see the population go down fast, but there are lots more roaches that you are not seeing. Phase 2 will kill those roaches, but you may still see some coming out over the next few months. There will be less and less of them until they are totally wiped out. If you are still seeing roaches after about 6 months, then you may have missed a void somewhere. This is very easy to do. Even the best of us can miss a void. If this happens, simply place IGR disks near where you are seeing the activity and change them out every 90 days for a year. Keep in mind that, if you did a good job with the Nibor-D, those roaches are going to die when they cross that material. So, you do have them isolated now. The IGR disks should finish them off within a year.
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Q. I have not seen any roaches for a couple of months. Can I just stop the treatment early?
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A. The biggest mistake that people make, even the pros, is they underestimate German roaches, and that the main reason why they fail. You may have reduced the population by 99%, but if even one female roach survives, or just one egg sac, then the infestation can start up again if you remove the phase 2 protections. This is especially true for the IGR disks. It is very important to replace the disks every 90 days for an entire year.
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Q. Why do I need to treat the wall voids? Drilling all those holes in the walls seems really excessive. How did the roaches get into the walls anyway?
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A. If you see fecal matter around the outlets or wall switches, then there are roaches inside those outlet or switch boxes. There are holes in those boxes that allow the wires to enter the box. The roaches can escape through those holes into the wall void. Almost every stud in every wall has a hole in it to allow the wiring to pass through. The roaches use these holes to travel from one wall void to another and from one room to another. Also, if you have pipes going into the wall under the sinks, then the roaches can use the space around those pipes to enter the walls as well. After they are in the walls, they can breed unchecked and go wherever they wish.
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Q. How do I treat insulated walls? Won't the insulation get in the way of the boric acid dust?
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A. If you have insulated walls, the best way to apply the dust is to use an electric duster. This was not included in the video because electric dusters are very expensive. However, Guy has now figured out a way to make an electric duster out of a cheap shop vac. There is a link to that video below. If you watch the video, you will see that there is a reducer that you can get for the end of the vacuum hose that will allow you to make a small hole in the wall. The problem with that reducer is that it greatly restricts the amount of dust that comes out. It reduces it so much that it would take several minutes to treat the wall void. Guy has now come up with a solution for that. This is not in the video because he had not thought of it yet. First, cut the end off the reducer to make the exit hole about 1/4 inch wide. Simply remove the reducer from the end of the vacuum hose, put about a tablespoon of boric acid into the end of the hose, replace the reducer, insert it into the hole in the wall, and turn on the vacuum. The dust in the hose will immediately be blown right into the wall. ​​​​​
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Keep in mind that you do not want the dust to fall back into the vacuum when you add it to the vacuum hose. To avoid this, you can make kind of a circle in the vacuum hose, as shown in the photo below. Simply tie the hose together in a circle with a piece of string.
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When treating insulated walls, drill the hole near the ceiling, so that it is in a steep downward angle. This way the dust will blow past the insulation, and not into it. The greater the angle of the hole, the better it will work. If there is a horizontal cross member in the wall, then you would also need to drill a second hole just below that cross member.
The shop vac duster also works great for treating walls that are not insulated, and for treating attics as well.
Video on how to make an electric duster out of a cheap shop vac: https://youtu.be/6n_TwL77BDU​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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Q. I understand that I need to treat the wall voids with boric acid, but I have a two-story house. Do I need to treat above the ceiling on the first floor? If so, how do I go about doing that?
A. Yes, you do need to treat the ceiling voids. Unfortunately, treating above a ceiling can be somewhat problematic. It can be difficult to get enough dust above the ceiling to be effective. Therefore, the best way to do it is to use an electric duster. This was not included in the video because electric dusters are very expensive. However, Guy has now figured out a way to make an electric duster out of a cheap shop vac. There is a link to that video below. If you watch the video, you will see that there is a reducer that you can get for the end of the vacuum hose that will allow you to make a small hole in the ceiling. The problem with that reducer is that it greatly restricts the amount of dust that comes out. It reduces it so much that it would take several minutes to treat the ceiling void. Guy has now come up with a solution for that. This is not in the video because he had not thought of it yet. Simply remove the reducer from the end of the vacuum hose, put about a tablespoon of boric acid into the end of the hose, replace the reducer, insert it into the hole in the ceiling, and turn on the vacuum. The dust in the hose will immediately be blown right into the ceiling. You need to do this 3 or 4 times in the same hole, to ensure that you get a lot of dust in the ceiling void.
Keep in mind that you do not want the dust to fall back into the vacuum when you add it to the vacuum hose. To avoid this, you can make kind of a circle in the vacuum hose, as shown in the photo below. Simply tie the hose together in a circle with a piece of string.
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Just like with walls, where you need to find the studs, you need to find the ceiling joists. You can do this with the same stud finder that you used on the walls. Keep in mind that ceilings usually have cross members between the ceiling joists. Sometimes these cross members are solid, and sometimes they are actually just brackets that will allow the dust to pass by. Most of the time, newer homes will use the brackets that allow the dust to pass by, but older homes may have the solid cross members. If the cross members are solid, then you will probably get a reading on the stud finder. If that is the case, then you need to drill another hole on the other side of the crossmember, to ensure that the dust is going to cover all areas of the ceiling voids. It is probably a good idea to apply the dust from both sides of the room. That means you need to drill a minimum of two holes per void. The holes do not necessarily need to be near the walls. If you drill the holes away from the walls a few feet, then you will get more coverage from the dust. For small rooms, you may get away with drilling just one hole near the center of the room. For large rooms though, drilling two holes per void is probably a good idea.
The Shop-Vac duster also works great for treating walls, particularly walls that are insulated. Unlike ceiling voids though, you only need to use one tablespoon of dust.​ When treating insulated walls, drill the hole near the ceiling, so that it is in a steep downward angle. This way the dust will blow past the insulation, and not into it. The greater the angle of the hole, the better it will work. If there is a horizontal cross member in the wall, then you would also need to drill a second hole just below that cross member.
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Video on how to make an electric duster out of a cheap shop vac: https://youtu.be/6n_TwL77BDU
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Q. I have a very clean home, and I never leave food or water out. Won't the roaches just starve to death if they have nothing to eat? How can they breed in the walls and other voids if they have no food and water.
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A. Roaches are cannibalistic. One dead roach can feed many live roaches because they don't eat very much. Roaches contain fluids as well. Anyone who has ever stepped on a roach can vouch for that. Roaches have a 100-day life cycle, so there are lots of roaches dying in the walls every day that will provide lots of food for all those hungry roaches breeding in your walls.
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Q. If roaches can survive and breed, even though I don't let them have food, then why should I bother keeping food and water away from them?
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A. While it is true that the roaches do not require your food or water to survive and breed, eating roaches does not taste as good as leftover food that is on you dishes in the sink. Also, roaches do prefer actual water as well. So, even though keeping the house squeaky clean will not stop them, there is no sense making it easy for them either. While we are on the subject, you should have a rule that nobody eats anywhere but the kitchen and dining room. Never eat in the living room or bedrooms. You do not want to attract roaches to your couch, recliner, or bed.
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Q. Can exposing German roaches to cold temperatures kill them?
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A. We know that German cockroaches do not like cold weather. German cockroaches do not breed when the temperature is below about 40° Fahrenheit, so for example, if a car sits in that temperature for a really long time, then that can end the infestation. Unfortunately, we are talking about months, and it is likely that spring will arrive before all the cockroaches are dead. It only takes one egg sac to survive, and you will offer the races again. For cockroaches to actually die from the cold the temperature would probably need to be below zero degrees Fahrenheit for at least several days. Exactly how long this temperature would need to be maintained is unclear, but the colder the better and the longer the better. This will probably work best in very cold climates like Maine, Vermont, North and South Dakota, Alaska, and places like that, where you often see temperatures drop below zero for an extended period of time. It is possible, if a car is sitting outside for a long weekend when the temperature is something like 20 or 30° below zero, that the roaches are not going to survive. So, while parking your car outside is always a good idea, it is probably not an effective way to eliminate the roaches. It certainly will help, but you're also going to need to use pesticides as well. You may be able to freeze roaches to death in homes as well in those very cold climates, but you must drain all water pipes first.
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Q. Can German cockroaches survive high temperatures? I was told that I could put really good heaters in the house and get the temperature high enough to eliminate the roaches. Is this true?
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A. The answer to that question is "maybe." German cockroaches will not survive for long if they are exposed to temperatures above 130 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, death may occur within minutes at that temperature. Sounds good. Right? Well, not so fast. The roaches are usually living in the walls, so you need to get the inside of the wall voids to reach the desired temperature. While it is somewhat easy to get the inside air in the house above 130 degrees, the walls are a bit more difficult. Drywall is an insulator, so it needs to get really hot in the house before the temperature in the walls gets hot enough to kill the roaches and the egg sacs. So, while it is possible for this treatment to work, it is not a sure thing. All it takes is for one egg sac to survive and you have another infestation. This is why Guy does not recommend heat treatments to eliminate a German cockroach infestation.
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Q. I live in a high-rise apartment building. How do you treat a trash chute?
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A. If this is this an apartment building, then there really isn't a lot that you can do. If the trash shoot is located inside your apartment, then you can spray Nibor-D in the trash chute on all areas that you can reach. You can also use a piece of thick double face tape to attach a Gentrol IGR disc in the shoot. Make sure that you replace it every 90 days. The idea is that you want to kill any cockroaches that come up the trash shoot. Now, Nibor-D is a very slow killing pesticide, so the roaches are not going to cross it and be able to survive, but death is not instant. However, they will die over the next several days, before they have the opportunity to reproduce. If a female drops an egg sac in your apartment the nymphs will need to cross the other pesticides that you put down in Phase 2, so they will die within a few days as well. That will not give them enough time to reach maturity, so they cannot reproduce. If the trash shoot is located in a common area in the apartment building, then there really isn't much you can do. You are not supposed to apply pesticides where they will come in contact with other people. Even though it is perfectly safe, you would be doing that without a license. I know folks who have done it anyway and did not get arrested by the pest control police, but I do need to advise you that you're not supposed to do it. If you do decide to do it, then the treatment would be the same as I already described, except you may want to also treat the room that the trash chute is in, if there is one. You would treat that room the same way as any room in your apartment using Phase 2.
Please read the modification that I wrote for apartments. I will give you the link below. The modification will provide a lot of information that you need to know.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Apartment modification link: https://www.guyspestsolutions.com/apartment-video-modification
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