Cockroaches in hay?

Post Reply
CavyGirl04

Post   » Fri Jul 12, 2019 8:11 pm


I don't know if this is the right topic page for this question, so sorry if this is in the wrong place.

I recently found a few of what look like juvenile cockroaches around my room. They haven't been around the guinea pig cage, but my only idea for where they could have come from is from hay (we have never found any around our house/garage before now). Has anyone had issues with cockroaches in their hay? I use Small Pet Select.
Luckily, I'm leaving for a while so we're going to fumigate my room, but if there's any chance the hay is the issue I definitely want to know so I can buy something different and not risk reintroducing them.

User avatar
CuteGuineas

Post   » Fri Jul 12, 2019 8:31 pm


Eeek, that is horrifying! I have not had that but that is awful. Are you going to contact the company?

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Fri Jul 12, 2019 8:48 pm


There's no way to know if the hay is the issue. In all my years of having guinea pigs, I never had a roach in the hay, but I do frequently see them in my house, guinea pig or not.

And even if it is the hay, the problem may be where it was stored and not with the supplier.

Can you move the hay to the garage, open it up, and see if you find roaches?

But just as a recommendation, don't fumigate your room. Roaches are more easily killed by perimeter sprays around the edges of the room.

User avatar
ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Fri Jul 12, 2019 11:35 pm


More likely they came in cardboard boxes or paper bags. They get between the layers of boxes and are so flat they aren’t noticed. That’s how they end up traveling everywhere - we keep reusing the boxes and we have no idea where they were last.

CavyGirl04

Post   » Sat Jul 13, 2019 12:40 am


I didn't even think of cardboard boxes! Duh... we have been doing construction and have had a bunch around. Mystery (hopefully) solved!

And we're doing EVERYTHING to kill any roaches, including the perimeter sprays. We also have issues with moths in the closets so the fumigation is also to take care of them.

User avatar
ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Sat Jul 13, 2019 2:33 am


My friend had cockroaches in her apartment and that’s what the exterminator told her - they come in with cardboard boxes, especially boxes that had food in them. They’re scavengers so any little crumbs will attract them. And they are cold blooded so they love warm places.

User avatar
Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sat Jul 13, 2019 10:07 am


Ditto. We suddenly had roaches a few years ago at our former residence, and I couldn't figure out how or why they had gotten in. Then one day I actually saw one in a paper grocery bag that I had just brought home from the store. The store where I shopped apparently had roaches, and they were coming in via the grocery bags.

WICharlie

Post   » Sat Jul 13, 2019 10:31 am


I think what others have said here is probably true. Any bugs that I have found packaged with hay (it happens occasionally) are dead bugs.

Post Reply