Cockroach problem

Hi, can anybody help we have a cockroach problem, where the cockroachs climb up the washer pipe into the washer and into the apartment. How can stop them doing this. Was thinking about putting something on the end of the washer pipe like mesh. Help please

Are you referring to a washing machine if so unless it is very old it would be fited with a rubber impeller in the pump which a cockroach would not be able to pass.

Hi. Thanks for the reply. Don't think the washer is that ok but that's the only place they can get in. Within that room.

They can come through the smallest of gaps, around light fittings. I think mine come through the cooker extractor. I take the filter off, I turn it on and spray either ORO Or Zum in that area and then go outside open the vent and spray down there. Bloody horrible things

Slater39 wrote:Hi. Thanks for the reply. Don't think the washer is that ok but that's the only place they can get in. Within that room.

I think you should check where the washing machine waste hose is connected to the drain pipe this can be a multiple pipe connection and one of the ones not in use might not be blanked off

Thanks for both of your replies, I will pass them on to they guy is going to have a look for me. Driving me mad.

I am amazed, in the 18 years that I have been coming to Ciudad Quesada, first in rental properties, then to my own villa, I have never once encountered cockroaches, mosquitos yes, big black flying Beatles yes, wasps yes, even an evil looking green creature that looks like a locust, I even have some small lizards living in my garden. But not once ever have I seen a cockroach. Maybe I have been lucky, I’ve seen them in Tenerife, I’ve seen a few in Southern France, I’ve seen them in Turkey and Bulgaria, I even saw some in the USA, but never in mainland Spain. Maybe I’ve just been lucky. Maybe they know I’ll jump on them. Or set the wife on them. She goes to town, we had a spider in the house once, she hit it with her shoe, it was dead, but then she kept on hitting it at least another 30 times, I said, I do think it’s dead now. Maybe the cockroaches know something…..

Your best bet is to seal ANY gaps inside and outside your place. We don’t know for sure that they are coming in via the washing machine. Cockroaches leave droppings that are often mistaken for mice poo. Many years ago, when we arrived after months, I found what I believed to be mouse droppings in the saucepan cupboard. I got a chap to put a back onto the cupboard and never had anymore evidence of visitors.
Go around the house, pull out all furniture and fill any small gaps and do the same outside. You’d always be well advised to always put food away when not in use. Spray all around the the floors and doors with cockroach killer.
Is the a damp area under your house? Are you on one level? Sometimes, showers can pump water out into the ground if the pipe has split. Check that area eg if walls look flaky or damp or perhaps black outside that may be a sign.
If you are sure they are coming up from the washing machine, I’d pull the machine out and disconnect the water pipe. I’d pour bleach down the pipe and wait to see if any come up again.
Entry doors sometimes have a small gap below. Buy a plastic draft excluder and seal the gap.
Good luck. Keep all bungs in wash hand basins, baths, showers, sinks. Make it difficult for them to get in if coming up the drains. Keep pouring strong bleach into the overflows. I hate cockroaches and am thankful that we don’t get any. We removed our hedge a few years ago which definitely stopped a lot of insects etc.,nesting.
Please keep me updated. Think outside the box and look for any possible places that are likely to give these beasties the run of your home.

Thanks Mac3blade, yes we have done the things u have done and said they are definitely coming through the washer machine pipe. We will have to look at doing something with that. We will pit bleach down there and spray and see what happens. We thinking of putting some mesglh over the pipe before we put it into the waste pipe and will keep checking thelat it doesn't get blocked up with fabric fibers. Thanks for your reply.

The best solution depending on the location of the washing machine waste pipe would be to connect it to a siphon.
Depending on the age of your property most were built with utter disregard for effective waste water discharge to the mains.