Blattella mutherfuckeris

[sharplittleteeth]

The repairman just came and fixed our washing machine.

It was cockroaches. Living in the circuit boards, where it's damp and warm.

Little fuckers.

Technically this isn't covered by the warranty. But it was only a couple of cockroaches, and the guy was leaving the company in two weeks, so he swapped the circuit board over for free.

He was a chatty guy, the way repairmen often are. He told me how he got a call to repair a fridge once. The wiring was crawling with thousands of roaches. So he told the owner that it wasn't covered by warranty, but if the owner got some bug-spray, he'd come back in a week and fix it for free. The owner refused. He wanted cold beer and he wanted it now. So the repairman changed the circuits and charged him a hundred dollars plus parts. And three months later the owner called back with the same problem.

I'm about to head down to the supermarket now, buy a megaton of insect killer, and rain death down on those six-legged motherfuckers.


(And look, I don't need to say this, but just in case: this guy did me a favour, yeah? Don't no-one go dobbing him in.)

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/raven_/]

Ugh - bomb the critters.

[txxxpxx.livejournal.com]

*shudder* I hate cockroaches. I'd be calling Rentokill.

[http://users.livejournal.com/raven_/]

They don't got pets - it'd be easy enough to just bomb the flat.

And then call the landlord and make THEM call rentakill.

You'd have to leave the place for a day if you bombed it, but it's fairly effective.

[andricongirl.livejournal.com]

I doubt the landlord would do anything. they didnt really do much about the mould

[http://users.livejournal.com/raven_/]

That is the suck.

Maybe it's worth writing them a letter. ANd checking what can be done with the tenancy board. That way it's all in writing.

:-/

[anjellaroessler.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately bug killing comes under tenant responsibilities. I had to research that matter when we had a house crawling with whitetails. Sucks.

[damien-wise.livejournal.com]

Ditto that!
Ugh. :(

My dad's a refrigeration mechanic / appliance serviceman.
He's got a bunch of similar stories.
Actually, I used to be his "apprentice" on Saturday mornings years ago [he needed a hand and I wasn't going to say no to the pocket-money. And, the experience has come in handy when fixing/replacing bits in gear for myself/housemates (thermostat, shelf, switches, element, etc...and at cost-price.)] and got to see a few odd things myself.
Some refrigerators, you look at them and have to ask "You eat what comes out of this?!"

Generally, they're an easy-going bunch, not the dodgey folks that Today Tonight would have you believe. Cost of parts can be hideous (a hundred bucks for one circuit-board is getting off lightly) and the cost for time is on a par with tradies.

[baralier.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear you found a sympathetic repairman.

I might have to investigate some Baygon around the appliances myself. No sign of bugs but if I can make sure they don't turn up all the better.

[damien-wise.livejournal.com]

Eep, you've reminded me -- when you're planning on killing critteres, plan on cleaning-up their little corpses a few days later. It sounds obvious but some people don't seem to consider it.
There are few things worse than finding the reason the refrigerator's bit quieter and giving-off a strange smell is that there's a decomposing rat wedged in a fan. :-P~

[andricongirl.livejournal.com]

im not sure how we can get them out of the other appliances though :[
I'm sure i've seen them go In to the microwave too :[

I think a bug bomb is in order :[

[baralier.livejournal.com]

I'm sure i've seen them go In to the microwave too :[

Probably for a bit of solarium work.

[andricongirl.livejournal.com]

yeah i hear the eggs can still come out and can hatch after the roach is dead :[

[txxxpxx.livejournal.com]

This thread is turning into a car accident, totally horrible but I just can't look away. *shudder* *roaches*

[frou-frou.livejournal.com]

you can get those roach hotel things: they slide very nicely under appliances and are wonderful things. Cockies love living under fridges and washing machines: anything warm where they're left alone to eat and breed.

I once moved out of an old house where the fridge had been in one place for many years....when we moved it there was a sea of thousands (and I mean thousands) of the big black beasties piled up underneath, suddenly running for cover. Pretty much the grossest thing I've seen.

We're all very lucky in Melbourne not to have the cockroach problems that warmer cities have. It's one of the things I don't miss about Sydney and Perth.

[sharplittlteeth.livejournal.com]

The local supermarkets don't stock roach motels. Damn nuisance.

I've got bug-spray and I've got bombs. But bombing the flat will be a major operation. I want everything wrapped up or packed away first. The last thing I want is to be slowly poisoning myself with pesticide every time I pick up a book or CD.

[andricongirl.livejournal.com]

whats it say on the can about the pesticide ?
'cos if you pack stuff up, it may miss some roaches?

the hardware store may have the roach motels ?

[futurelegend.livejournal.com]

Cockroaches eat circuits? Ew. Fight the good fight!

(Btw, before you get wierded out, the random girl asking after you at work the other day was me - was passing through :)

[sharplittlteeth.livejournal.com]

I don't think they eat them. Just short-circuit them. Hence, the good fight was fought.

I shall endevour not to be freaked out. You were in town this week, weren't you? And I missed you.

Damn.