Elliott -- I have wondered that same question over the years! I know the standard answer is: range=food=roaches. But Is wear they cluster outside near gas plumbing too. I don't know the answer but I'd wonder about it. Perhaps the heat too....?

In my case it wouldn't be the heat, since I'm not using the stove at all (yet). In fact when I turn on the burners or the oven to test, that's when they all run out (for their own safety I suppose).

I don't think it's the gas. But you could turn the oven on high for a few hours.

Recommendation: buy some diatomaceous earth and run a line along baseboards, at the backs of cupboards, under appliances, etc. Nontoxic and effective.

Old fridges often become infested with nesting cockroaches - very common in rentals in a former city where I lived. I would put the fridge outside for a few weeks and see if it might be the culprit.

Spiders are...roaches????

If you use diatamaceous earth to kill insects, make sure it is food grade DE. The non food grade DE is a known carcinogen if it is inhaled.

It is not the range at all but the space behind it where the roaches can hide. I live in the SC Lowcountry where roaches are everywhere and I can tell you a bit of DE will only dent the problem. Are you in an apartment or a standalone home? That makes a difference in how to treat the issue. If it is an apartment or mult- family building the entire building needs to be treated or they will just go live next door for a while and quickly return when your treatment has worn off. Yes, this means chemicals but roaches carry bacteria that cause respiratory diseases in humans, especially children, and that is far worse than appropriately applied spray.

Once you are rid of the live roaches, and the subsequent generations from the eggs that will hatch, you can keep things under control with something like that DE behind the appliances. I actually use bay leaves behind my cabinets and under the drawers to repel the roaches. We recently remodeled the kitchen and I was putting small branches from my bay tree behind the cabinets before the counter top went on. The contractor got a kick out f it.

Roaches are infamously attracted to the insulation inside appliances. There's lots of room inside the "innards" of a stove to house a zillion cockroaches.

Even if the environment is sparkling clean, roaches will find something to eat.....insulation, book binding, etc.

We are surrounded by restaurants in my urban neighborhood - my dogs love to chase them on the sidewalk around the block. Thankfully, I think they are fat and happy elsewhere, knock on wood, have never seen one or any evidence in my home :)

yuck.

I second the miracle of Bay! I have used bay leaves for 15 years or so in lots and lots of flours and never had a moth or bug problem (not in the bins with the leaves, but if I let one slip ... *boom*). I didn't realize it works on roaches but that stands to reason. Great idea, palmetto!

Cannot imagine why Dee Doyle resurrected this 5-year-old thread. Let’s hope it scrolls down again for another 5 years.

Maybe a bot??

I actually blame Houzz - I've been getting random really old threads snuck in amongst newer posts on my list of "latest" posts the past few days....

Yep. Houzz is full of bugs these days (no pun intended) LOL!

In summer, there are usually ( otherwise normally-behaving ) german roaches clustered aroun the screw-tops of my plastic gasoline containers- they are either getting high or metabolizing something iñ the gas fumes.