Looked at a vacant/empty property considering buying. Its had all the carpets removed and has sat empty for awhile. Sinks and toilets removed, its a definite fixer upper. May be able to get for a low price to renovate and a low price is all I can afford.

But also unfortunately, lots of roach droppings in closets and on bathroom walls, around trim, etc. Also some dead ones. Definitely looks like german roaches. The realtor says, "I've seen worse", and she's probably telling the truth. But, its a lot imo.

So the question is.... how long must a property sit vacant, before it could be considered, roach-dead?

I'm not a wimp in these matters, can wash the walls with borax or baking soda, etc. But is this a deal breaker? I don't want to do all the renovation work and then have them coming out of the bones of the house just as soon as someone moves in, or to walk into something chronic.

I want to add that every house in the budget range has something.

One had termites which had literally caused the attached garage to collapse. Another was ridden with bedbugs and still had renters- which I consider an impossible situation.

A 3rd had a water leak under the foundation, and was slab (this one also had Satan's toilet, which smelled so horrible for some reason you needed a spacesuit to go upstairs).

A fourth had a basement that was dank and moldy as a crypt, and also looked as if it might collapse.

Definitely seems a find the best of worse situation, for those without a lot of cash!

Usually, if I'm in an active roach infestation, you can hang out in the building for 5 minutes and see one or two. If you're in a really bad infestation, you can hang out for 5 minutes and see 20 or 100. (Ewwwwww...)

When you get to the point where you can spend 30-60 minutes in a place, and maybe see one live one... you know you've got a good handle on the problem.

Advion is good for getting rid of roaches today. You can monitor the bead of bait to see whether it's being actively eaten, or whether it sits there untouched. Gentrol Point Source is good for the ones you don't catch with the Advion. It interferes with their ability to reproduce, so that that generation is the last generation. You can tell it's working by the curled wings on adults. And I like to use a combination of Optimate and Pivot in my pump sprayers for normal, routine pest control maintenance.

This place may have been vacant a year. Have been out there twice and haven't seen a single live roach.

Lots of dead ones in the bath but they look petrified.

There was a small dead crow upstairs on the floor, and someone felt the need to hang a rosary in the room. I don't know what the hell that's all about lol. Probably trying to scare off other buyers?

Seems like there's always something like that in these vacant houses. A pile of poo just inside some door, a loaded toilet with the plumbing off or an animal carcass.

A long term tenant moved out of a house we planned to sell. It was infested with German roaches. We tore everything out of the property and sat back for six weeks while the pest control company treated the place. They are the hardest to get rid of and do the most damage mainly because they multiply faster than any other roach.

Tri,

Smells like money to me! Time for huge discounts. We made a fortune by snatching up these properties that no one would even walk thru.

Bought em cheap! It's all cleanable and fixable.

At one time I told some realtors "If it's dirty and stinky call me!" Got some fantastic deals.

How long do roaches live? Forever. They don't need much to eat, just a crumb and just a drop of water...and they are cannibals (eat their own dead) so they never run out of food.

The odor of roach poo behind paneling is impossible to eliminate without removing the paneling and cleaning the wall.

BRAD

I'm not a neat freak by a long shot but I never leave food out overnight especially in the sink. Always in the fridge or in sealed containers.

Dog food goes in the fridge after dark and dog food bags in a metal lid can (plastic ones, mice will eat an access hole thru). Chip bags go in microwave.

Rinse your dishes off before putting them in the dishwasher, and keep lid on garbage can in house. There's my roach defense plan.

I think practically every house has a few, whether you know it or not- they will come from the sewer drain if anywhere- but luckily I've never had the German. Start feeding them, and you'll have a lot more...

If you're goal is to make money,

If this house is the worst house on a nice block,

If this house has a roach problem, not a termite problem,

If you're not afraid of blood, sweat and tears...

You may have struck gold.

Remember "location, location, location"?

Charlie,