Cockroaches

Ants? That has reminded me: After the cockroach greeting party that met us when we opened the door of our infested rental late in the evening, we killed as many as we could then headed for our favourite bar for a strong drink, leaving the 'bodies' there to deal with when we got back. Only they had gone when we got back!

Discussing this later with friends, their response was 'Oh, that will be the ants that have taken them'! Of course, our immediate thought was along the lines of, 'Bloody hell, you mean we are infested with ants too?'

To be honest, we later dismissed that theory, as we never saw a single ant in all the time we lived there. My guess is that cockroaches have cannibalistic tendencies.

Marilii and Barmey old bat and Greyduster-
I had the same experience in Singapore - opened the undersink cupboard and these huge creatures came running ou. Towards my feet
I can't remember what we did about it, except that there was some special shelf paper you could buy to deter the various bugs. Ants were bad too.

barmyoldbat DH used to hit them with his Army boot and they still got up and ran! Big beggars they were too!

OMG these pest bring back horrible memories from when I was a child living in Singapore. The boys at school use to take great delight, as boys do, of dropping one down the back of our dress and then trying to quash it with a thump on the back. Also standing in the kitchen in my nightie
with my sisters, watching dad use the flit gun on the inside drain and swarms of them came out running all over our feet. We were screaming and climbing onto the kitchen table with my dad shouting at us not to be so b........y stupid. Ugh, I couldn't stay.

It might also be worth checking with Environmental Health re the clean up.

Im sorry but if i were the mother of the baby i would of contacted childrens services, bcos if they would of seen it they would of gotten the baby and mother out of there in a flash even if it was temporary till it was fumigated.

You're absolutely right and reasonable, and if possible you should, as suggested, stay elsewhere and get the place fumigated. I live in a hot country where cockroaches are part of the great tapestry of life. It's not enough to whack the ones that appear, the problem is that they have already laid eggs in shady corners and only a good fumigation will nix them.

No you're not over reacting - I would be the same. They should report it to the landlord/council really as they spread disease and can trigger allergies like asthma.

They should nip it in the bud now before it becomes a bigger problem.

Marilii
I wish I had known that when I lived in Spain!

I live in the U.S. When I got married back in 1974 my husband and I moved into a small cottage on our college campus. I had never ever seen a cockroach before. Didn't even know about them. Imagine my horror when I opened up a kitchen drawer to put silverware into it - and bugs with wings began running out of the drawer, onto the countertops..... everywhere. I screamed! DH came running and began laughing when he realized I was freaking out over roaches. He then told me that every place has them and that they are just a way of life when one lives in a warmer climate. Well, they were NOT going to be a "way of life" for me. With much trial and error, I eventually discovered that any kitchen cleaner which has a good amount of pine oil in it will make those bugs leave the apartment and go elsewhere. Breath O' Pine was my cleaner of choice because it had 25% pine oil in it at that time. I'd fill spray bottles with it. No diluting it with water either. I used it "straight" from the bottle. It was wonderful as a bug killer. I'd zap every roach I found. It killed them fast. I'd spray the inside of all cabinets, drawers, the doorways, windowsills, all countertops.....you name it, I sprayed it. I'd clean and then rinse countertops, then spray them lightly again before I went to bed so a thin film would dry and remain on them all night long. Needless to say, I eventually had what I think was the only bug-free home in our town. The true test for me was when no bugs were seen when the light was turned on during the night. Cockroaches HATE the smell of pine oil. Made my home smell like a forest so I loved the way it smelled. The scent went well with "flowery" air fresheners too. If you can find pine oil where you are, buy some for your SIL and DD. Breath O'Pine now only has 9% pine oil in it, but that's still more than what other cleaners which purport to be "pine" have. I think you can buy Breath O' Pine online. Hope this post helps.

I’m itching reading this ?

Cockroaches can also come in from neighbouring properties especially if ‘attached’ to their rental.

rental yes definitely the landlord's responsibility.

Landlord’s responsibility. No question.

To get rid of cockroaches the place really needs to be fumigated to make sure they've all gone. But as it's a rental property that's the responsibility of the landlord not the tenants. I think I'd be asking for a rent rebate as well!!

As others have said, perhaps get them to come and stay with you at the hotel and get the place fumigated or persuade your son to use an insect bomb and clean the place out thoroughly before you, your DIL and the baby return to it.

I've seen lots of the little critters in Australia and still hate them - they scuttle so quickly!

When we bought our house and moved in, some four years ago, the place was clean but hopping with fleas! Must have spent a fortune on 'remedies' but in the end called in a fumigating company. That did the trick! They arrived in an unmarked van with all their gear, we just had to decamp elsewhere (we went to the cinema), when we got back some three hours later, everything was back in place and we havn't seen a flea since.

I would think your son and DIL should contact whoever they rented from in the first instance, if no luck with them, the local authority if in UK.

And no, you are not being unreasonable in thinking to stay elsewhere for your visit, as other posters have said, maybe invite them to join you or look after your GC while son and DIL have a cleaning purge.

Good luck. ?

I dont know if anyone has suggested this but i think you should contact the council asap. Even if its a private rental, they have a duty to ensure homes are appropriate especially as there is a baby involved. Good luck.

Stay in the motel and please do encourage your daughter and son-in-law to contact both the landlord and the health authorities.

On no account should they try any form of sprays or fumigation themselves with such a young child in the family.

No youre not.But- O.M.G! Why on earth would they take a letting like that at all- especially with a baby?How could it happen?if it were me- 1.id have taken my son&his family in rather than let them do that. 2.id definately report that to environmental health and housing aid 'shelter'.And yes -the fumigation thing /cleaning should have been taken care of BEFORE the move not after,if they really had no choice but to take that property! What on earth are you all thinking?you,as your sons parent,and they,as the babies parents,should not have let this happen,theres always a way round things.sorry to be harsh but my first thought would have been How to help them not how do i avoid sleeping there for 1 night,when theyre expected to be there every night! No i just wouldnt have let it happen.even if my home was bursting at the seams,id have taken them in rather than that happen.sorry.

You can't get rid of cockroaches fully as they are in the soil

People have criticised your son and DIL for taking the property but if the rental market is as bad with you as it is over here I presume they had little choice and just had to take what they could get

We lived in Germany in the seventies and worked in old army barracks. These old buildings were infested with cockroaches. We used to put on buffets sometimes. The cockroaches were everywhere and we just accepted it! They were in the old NAAFI supermarket too. Disgusting, but I didn't know any better when i was in my twenties. As for your family I would find out how to fumigate the place and pay to have it done.

Why would they move to a 'disgustingly dirty' new rental?
I gather that you're in the US by your use of the word 'motel', but rentals have to be a certain standard here in the UK and landlords can be reported for not being properly maintained.
Why take a new baby to a place like that? What was your son thinking?
If you have the phone number of hhe landlord/owner, I 'd get your son to phone him to get the place cleaned and fumigated, meanwhile, could they look for somewhere else while staying with you?
Good luck.

Yes do as MamaCaz suggests, take photos and send them to the landlord or the rental agency.