This is a new one for me. I will need to check around.

ooo that’s awful, I’m sorry you’re suffering with them,

I am not a roach expert, and I’m hoping BB will find some good ideas to share. I wasn’t able to find much info online, but my first thought is that the non-chemical methods will certainly be a safer bet for your bunny.

It seems unlikely your bunny will eat one by accident.

Awww, I’m sorry you and the buns have to deal with roaches – I had them pre-rabbit, when I lived in the city with a bunch of dirty male college students (ewww!)

I used to use Borax, instead of any “pest killer” and it worked well – it is even recommended on this page http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/groom.html#Fleas (For environmental flea control, sprays and “bombs” are not recommended, as they may leave harmful residue that the rabbit can ingest. Safer alternatives include borax and diatomaceous earth, worked into the carpet where fleas leave their eggs.) even though they are talking about flea control. It does work the same on roaches. However, I would put the Borax in areas where the bunny doesn’t normally go, as it can irritate their skin. Under the fridge, behind the sofa, even behind the rabbit cage – if you can apply it while the buns are out of their cages. Borax is a powder, and can be purchased at any supermarket or Wal-Mart type store in the laundry section.

I also agree with Gravehearted – it is very unlikely your rabbits will try to eat roaches. Where rabbits are herbivores, they are not attracted by moving “food”.

  I am cringing and getting the willies yes they are a pain in the butt. used to have a problem b4 I moved. some came with us eeeeeww.

I have some of that gel i put down where buns can’t get it like and it attracts the roaches they eat it and take some back to the nest and share and die. works pretty good. but nothign like spraying. can you spray certain areas and do the roach baits in boxes near the buns at nite like was suggested and pick them up in the morning. and the ants used to drive me nuts too.    a lady told me when she moves in the removes all the plus in and light switches and puts roach killer in there and puts the covers back on and holes under the sinks where pipes are too. I and sending die roaches vibes for I hate those things too. some nites I get up and see 5 of diff sizes in the kitchen other nites none. we get a spray dude in once a month at the apt. complex and we have to let him in which i am happy about. some neighbors can be nasty you know.   Oh also I have pulled out the stove and frigie and found an entrance or next area and put that gel down in those corners by the uhhh that trim tween the floor and the wall there. killed them good too it was I think combat I used  not raid or black flag does not do the job those 2. let me go see if i can find it yes combat I had one b4 a clear gel too worked real good dont’ remember the name tho darn. the borax didn’t work for me.  for the fleas strike did but I can’t find it anymore Strike spray

What a drag.  Can you contact the apt manager and complain and have them treat the outside apt areas?  I really don’t know much about roaches but they must start from the outside unless they are multipying on the inside!  Ick!  I’m sorry you have to deal with this.

ew.  i’m sorry you have to deal with that.  that is yucky.

i had a friend (out of state) who was living in an apt building and he had exterminators out, they treated his place, and within a short time they were coming back.  he called the exterminators back to say “hey!  what’s up with this?!”  and they said unless the whole building gets treated, there’s nothing that can stop them coming back.  also, he didn’t realize in his lease that there is a clause saying that the landloard will not pay for extermination.  so every resident would have to pay for theirs themselves.  he moved as soon as the lease was up.

i have no clue what to tell you about your rabbit.  i don’t think she would eat one b/c like was said, they are herbivores.  i am wondering if they carry some kind of disease tho?  i’d be concerned about that as well.

Ewe… I raise cockroaches for a living in our research lab and they’re yucky!

Vaccuuum! Be really really clean about everything. All the hay bits and other food scraps should be vacuumed before you put down the sticky traps. Put all of the food and hay into rubbermaid containers. Mainly just cut off all of their sources of harborage, places to hide. Pick up after yourself and the bunny. Make sure that they can’t easily get near any water. If your sink drips, get the landlord to fix it.

Are they German Cockroaches or American Cockroaches? (Small or Large)
If they’re small, german, then you’ll want to look out for them living in your elecrtonics. you can always vacuum and immediatly freeze the bag or canister.

If the landlord gets someone to come in and treat again, get the rabbit out of there for at least 24 hours. Out of the building. Get yourself out of their too, and clean really really well before you leave. Food crocks, and all other rabbit things put in baggies.

I’d make a barrier all the way around the cage with glueboards. You can go to a garden supply store and buy stuff called “Tangle Trap” or “Tangle Foot” and spread it onto tagboard pieces…. If you get it on yourself you can wash it off with mineral oil and dish soap. It stains clothing but it does the job to catch all sorts of bugs. (Use a plastic knife and rubber gloves)

If you have any more questions email me via my profile.

Hey New Obsession – my high school years were spent in Houston. I feel your pain! One year My dad even got a Christmas present from the Cock roaches.

Roaches are notorious for just moving from one apartment to another when exterminators are called.

It sounds like BunnyTowne and Erbear2200 have some great suggestions. Also with soapy water & lemon you know it wont hurt the buns.
A friend of mine used bay leaves to get rid of an ant problem – she has cats. She put several bay leaves any place she found the ants coming into the house. It worked well. I’m guessing that is what you would have to do with the catnip. That sounds like a lot of catnip!

Even if a bun accidentially ingests an insect, it won’t kill them (unless said insect is poisonous – which roaches aren’t). Although herbavores, wild buns do sometimes munch up ants and so on while enjoying their grass.

Luckily, living in California, many of the exterminators use environmentally friendly and very non-toxic pesticides. I still take my bun away for a day if they spray in my apartment though.

Don’t worry about ‘eggs’. You may see oothecas, egg capsules, they look like hollow beans. These are where the baby cockroaches hatch from. These are like little sealed chambers, whenever we treat for cockroaches we always treat again two days, one week and two weeks after the initial visit because the oothecas cannot be penetrated by pesticides. So you may have killed all of the adults the first time, then the oothecas hatched and you were not able to see them again until they were adults looking for food.

As for the ingesting an insect thing…. we eat them all the time or parts of them and don’t know it. A little extra protien never hurt anything.

Radar likes squishing baby crickets when they escape from the lizard cage. I’ve never seen her eat them but she’s getting good at smacking them with her front paws. I don’t think that rabbits are built for chasing down things to eat them.

*I had to take care of something in the lab so my last post got cut short. Hope it helps!

God, I hate roaches! I used to have a cat that would catch and crunch them, now I have one that will chase them down and flip them over and sit by it until I come by and take care of the problem. I have an older house, but instead of lots of little cockroaches, I have a few really, really big ones.

Good luck! Kathy

Hi Ester

I am currently experiencing the same thing with my rabbit, Alfie. I am PETRIFIED of roaches and Alfie lives in my room. His cage is on the floor and after living in this apartment in NY for 5 months, I have found a few roaches around the house. The exterminator told me today that they are coming out of the AC vent, which is right next to Alfie’s cage, and attracted to his food (the food in the cage and the food in the storage container which is also on the ground)

Do you have any suggestions or reccomendations that helped you? I am thinking of getting a table to put Alfies age on. However, I am aware that these American roaches fly….ewww! Now I am even more convinced that there really is no fix to the problem- even if I put his cage up on a table they will fly in !!

Please help! I am so grossed out !!!!

Alfie and Casey

Alfiethebun, this is a very old thread from 2008. We ask members not to revive old threads but rather start new ones on the same subjects.
So please create a thread of your own, that way you’ll get many more answers.
To start a new thread you click the Add Topic button in the upper left corner in your sub-forum of choice. If you can’t make it work, PM me and I’ll help.
I’m locking this thread now.