Cockroaches in PC - need removal recommendation.

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#2588063 20-Oct-2020 04:25

Kol12:
gbwelly:

sdavisnz: If you do open the psu, be careful as they can kill you

I believe all the cockroach species endemic to NZ are non venomous.

Will also void warranty so won't be doing that. Best I can do is blow it out.

Your cockroaches came with a warranty?

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#2588076 20-Oct-2020 06:52

What about an insect bomb such as this?

https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/mortein-control-bomb-3x125g/R1368696.html?gclsrc=aw.ds&ds_rl=1268368&ds_rl=1268368&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8rT8BRCbARIsALWiOvT80r5rKO46Kb8PyVsGKDSUuXgudSHbh06yOuJ22IVKgynNrXO137kaAvkaEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Never used one but if you bomb the room and have PC open, and the bomb near the PC that should do a good job. Maybe re do in a week as won't kills eggs, but it takes a while for new ones to breed so a few bombs may eradicate.

Lias

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#2588077 20-Oct-2020 06:55

Also worth checking what type of cockroaches they are.

https://www.rentokil.com/nz/cockroaches/species/

If they appear to be German or American, you might want to consider professional pest control.

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MikeAqua

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#2588082 20-Oct-2020 07:33

Just use debugging software.

Mike

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#2588083 20-Oct-2020 07:34

On as serious note, if it was me I would take the PC to a professional and have it disassembled and cleaned.

I'm surprised critical components like PSU aren't insect proofed.

Mike

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#2588088 20-Oct-2020 08:17

MikeAqua:
I'm surprised critical components like PSU aren't insect proofed.

Any fine mesh screens would soon get blocked by dust.

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#2588102 20-Oct-2020 08:55

Put it in the freezer .
If it wont fit , remove the PSU & DVD & freeze that , then blow out everything else with alot of compresssed air
There is allways some risk in freezing electronics though .

I had this when repairing a customers laptop . A non stop stream of tiny roaches out of every tiny hole (and no fly spray to kill them as they emerged en masse). Even after some days , they were still coming out.
It left the workshop with a roach infestation , luckily we moved out soon after .

Ive had an ants nest in my home PC . These things happen.
If you have a garden , you will have roaches coming in from outside .

PC Repair shops wont want your roach infested PC , and you run the risk of them just using fly spray on it (not good)

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#2588109 20-Oct-2020 09:29

Bung: Any fine mesh screens would soon get blocked by dust.

Easier to remove than roach eggs inside the PSU though!

Mike

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#2588113 20-Oct-2020 09:40

Lias:

Also worth checking what type of cockroaches they are.

https://www.rentokil.com/nz/cockroaches/species/

If they appear to be German or American, you might want to consider professional pest control.

+1 to find out which type of cockroach so you know the size of the problem.

The Gisborne cockroach - apparently came from Australia but first found in Gisborne - and the native NZ cockroach are less likely to establish themselves indoors and are not as much of a health problem as the German or American types. A useful method to tell what type is to see if it hides when discovered or the light is turned on - they mostly come out at night 11pm-2am or so - then it is probably the worse type. The Gisborne cockroach will freeze because outdoor cockroaches are mainly avoiding birds, frogs and other animals that detect movement.

pih: I suggest you get cockroach bait and stick it around your house. Don't buy the sticky roach traps (sort of like fly paper but for roaches), they don't work in my experience, try the Raid baits or get a professional to bait them with the commercial stuff.

+1 for commercial products because work a lot better to eradicate infestation.

The sticky cockroach traps are designed for different types of cockroaches so they don't usually work with all types. I bought the ones that are best for German/American cockroaches. It didn't matter that I didn't trap any because it helped to confirm that I only had Gisborne cockroaches.

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#2588131 20-Oct-2020 10:02

pih:

On a serious note, tackling the source of the problem: I suggest you get cockroach bait and stick it around your house. Don't buy the sticky roach traps (sort of like fly paper but for roaches), they don't work in my experience, try the Raid baits or get a professional to bait them with the commercial stuff.

Sticky traps are handy for detection, bait for eradication.

Mike

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#2588343 20-Oct-2020 13:36

Coat the non-electronic inside parts with anything ending in -methrin (permethrin, tetramethrin, deltamethrin, etc), leave for a few days while they come into contact with it and die, then vaccuum/blow them out. Leave another coat of *methrin to prevent future occupation.

The *methrins are standard components of almost all types of fly spray, get one with a good mix of types rather than just a single ingredient, but for things other than flies anything will drop them quickly on contact so it's not criticial.

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#2588344 20-Oct-2020 13:38

Hammerer: problem as the German or American types.

They're easy to tell apart, get a magnifying glass, if they're wearing lederhosen they're German, if they're fat they're American. If they make a noise like "chur, bro" they're locals.

Zeon

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#2588435 20-Oct-2020 15:35

sdavisnz: If you do open the psu, be careful as they can kill you, even when unplugged.

After all these warnings I haven't come accross low voltage PSUs with capacitors at high voltages when unplugged.....

Speedtest 2019-10-14

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#2589409 20-Oct-2020 15:54

Zeon:
After all these warnings I haven't come accross low voltage PSUs with capacitors at high voltages when unplugged.....

Switchmode supplies will have a reservoir capacitor that you really don't want to touch for some time after it's unplugged. The small X- and Y-rated filter capacitors will discharge very quickly, but the larger reservoir can hold a dangerous charge for quite some time. I've got a travel adapter that has enough stored charge to run its power LED for between fifteen and thirty seconds after it's unplugged, and that's when it's actively driving a load.

Kol12

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#2589516 20-Oct-2020 20:27

So just to update: I found one of the baby (2-3mm) roaches on the ceiling this morning. I've given the PC case and the PSU another good blow out and can't get anymore to come out. There may be none left... If there is they are well hidden. The PC is operating normally. I picked up some cockroach gel bait this afternoon and a preventive spray. Will the bait sort this out for good?

Edit: Forgot to mention that I did capture the laying Cockroach about one week ago. It was almost black so I think it might have been a Gisborne roach. Edit: I hate talking cockroaches, so creepy.

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