They might not bite, but they are a health hazzard. They eat anything they can find, including faeces. They then in their hunt for food walk all over your worktops leaving all sorts of germs behind. On top of that, in places where cockroaches are a problem, they can exacerbate asthma symptoms in people. So yes, if you are quick enough (and brave enough)to catch of cockroach, you can just throw them out of the window, but there are known health risks assiciated with them, and I can't stand them.

Sharon

When in Tunisia in may this year, on the loo turned around to lift me loo roll and a huge cockroach was perched on the roll........... Thank God I spotted him Imagine I hadn't. Then while lying snoozing on the beach one flew at me and hit me on the bridge of my sunglasses, I tell you I woke up pretty damn quick, to hysterical 'friends'. I checked out my local hardware store, and they sell kybosh, which kills instantly and is coming back with me in November.

Citronella essential oil is good for cockroaches - just put a few drops in some spray water. You can spray some on yourself also, its got quite a strong smell though

Never thought to check my case ,thanks for the tip,
I will be checking it this year,for sure

Does any one know what time of year they fly in Cyprus. Will cancel my Hol if they fly in Nov

cockroaches are the things in the world I am most scared of. I have heard they can live without their heads for 2 weeks or something!!!!
I have never saw one in my apartment on holiday...yet only outside. I hate em!!!!!!!
Can they fly really !!

yep they can fly,i cant stand them.this year was my first holiday where i didnt see any previous three years i shared apt with them :cry:always check hotel reviews for any mention of them now

I was`nt going to reply to this, cos Iam sure the regulars on HT have heard it all before.

I went to Tenerife a couple of years ago, staying on the 8th floor of a 4* hotel.
The first night we had a big one in the bathroom, and then the same the next night, the hubby duly killed them and disposed down the loo.
Next day one half dead outside the door in the corridor, and on returning back into the room around 2pm, there was one that ran quicker than Linford Christie and disappeared into the patio door double glazing frame.

We had the room sprayed in the morning by the hotel staff, and they left us the can of Raid, so...we sprayed again in the evening before going out for a night in the resort....by this time we were choking on the stuff.

We got into bed around 1 am and just as I was drifting into a deep sleep.... I was awoke by a cockroach as big as a rat crawling on my face....I freaked BIG TIME
I actually thought I was going to have an heart attack I was gasping for air on the balcony at 2am, and to cut a long story short, I was so freaked, that we got a flight home....the thoughts of where that roach could have gone.

I have seen loads of cockroaches in Spain, and although I did`nt like them, just as long as they were in the street, I could cope.
I now have a full blown phobia of them, and it actually has stopped me going away for a while ..I`m going back to Spain soon, and don`t know how I am going to cope if I have one within 3 foot of me.

I have done a lot of research on the critters to try and overcome my phobia.....Yes, they are reported to be able to survive a nuclear explosion, yes, they do develop wings and fly at certain times of the year(mating season) and yes, they are usually looking for food and water and yes they spread disease.
A cockroach can live without its head for as long as 3-4 WEEKS. FACT

They don`t bite, but they will have a nibble at you.....a story I read whilst doing my research....
A couple noticed that their two kiddies were becoming very asthmatic, and then they noticed they were losing their eyebrows and their eyelashes were becoming sparse.....the mother got up one night and went into the kids bedrooms, and there were the cockroaches feeding off the kids eyebrows......nightmare movie scenario.

besos xxx
SanJi

That is so wrong errrrrrrr

Sanji, I know where you're coming from, my experience was along the same lines. I was in bed with the hubby watching tv and felt something on my leg. At first I thought the hubby was getting romantic but I quickly ruled that daft though out Then I felt something crawl up my leg and jumped out of bed. When I wafted the quilt back there was a big cockroach racing around on the mattress (god knows where it would have travelled to if I had been asleep :yikes) The hubby caught it a flushed it down the toilet (btw I'm shivering as I'm re-living this experience).
Since then we've had a couple of other 'sitings' and have roach traps around the house - to date we've not caught anything other than a snail and a spider! The bloke who came from the council said that we've got oriental roaches and we've probably brought them back in our cases from a holiday we've been on. We've been told that if the roach has laid eggs it can take up to 2 years for them to hatch depending on the temperatures in the house. Looks like we're going to be very cold this winter, because I aint putting the heating on!!! Also cockroaches can fly but the oriental ones aren't that great at flying so you tend to see them around your skirting boards (or in your bed). I think it's the German cockroach that you'll find on your ceilings and in your light fittings.
DISGUSTING CREATURES

That's it, I can't take it anymore. I am never going to read this topic again.

I am scared to open the suitcase and I feel like ripping off my eyebrows with sellotape.

I am itching now goodnight

thats it I am buying a straightjacket for my holidays to tenerife in two weeks see if they can get me then !!!

you could always turn them on their back, they cant turn back over, so they just lay there and die. a tip from a rep in tenerife was to blast them with hair spray.

I like that tip.......roll them on their backs so they can't get up.that must be amusing to watch....... ...........a bit like watching everyone down at my local on a friday night...

samx

Urh, this is my worst subject.

Having lived abroad for many years (including the Canaries where they are rife) I have had many experiences with cockroaches.

Believe me, they can (eventually) get up if turned on their back, i have witnessed it. In this position they also seem to trick people into thinking they are dead by remaining completely still.

I have also heard about the eyebrow eating scenarios!

The best way to deter them in the house is to buy the little traps that they sell in the supermarkets. Place these in the bathroom areas and kitchen areas, particular under the sinks as they often come up through the drains. Apparantly the roach will eat whatever is in the trap and take the poison back to its nest. These need replacing approx every 3 months. Use the traps along with a spray, Raid is a very good one, and you should have a much happier life.

Also people often forget the basics. Never leave food lying about and make sure that you take the rubbish out EVERY day.

When I lived in the Canaries I always made sure I shook my trainers before putting them on due to a bad experience. Always put handbags on chairs and not on the floor.

At the moment there are less on the Costa del Sol due to the time of year.
Although the mozzies are out in force as the evenings become damper.

Ah well, we cant have it all

stupid question but do you get them in greece?just booked the canary islands and i am having sleepless nights worriying now,dont know if i should change my booking.i am having panic attacks already

Hi boots,

Yes, you get cockroaches in Greece too - my mate once nearly brought one home in her suitcase from Crete. We eventually flipped it out the suitcase with a spatula and squished it (then threw the spatula out).

Elaine

hi boots
just to let you know we went to fuerteventura staying at lobos bahia in corralejo end of august for 11 days and the only insects we saw were very small ants.and they only appeared on the last 2 days of our stay.we did however have a lizard on the outside wall of our apartment 1 night and took a few photo,s of it.again it too was very small and was no trouble at all we sat watching whilst we had a drink or 2 and it never moved.
hope this helps

maybe lizzards eat them i dont mind watching lizzards but i,ve had a few holidays with cockroaches in the apt,lanza and majorca twice.think i will have to visist supermarket as soon as we get there,and buy some sprays.it might seem excessive to some but i really have a phobia