Needing a "Bug-proof" food container
So I'm not sure if this ok to put here but I figured it's most relate-able because having bugs in his food can make him sick.
Alright so my current apartment I'm staying in has a roach problem (throughout the whole building unfortunately so it's not going away.) and I've started buying larger bags of dog food (since it helps save money) and I thought with the large container I was putting it in it would stay roach free. But obviously I was wrong.
It disgust me seeing roaches flee from or around his food container, I even put a roach trap in there to help stop it and it did for a bit but they're back but at least it's about time for a new bag of food so I may as well buy something better to put it in.
So does anyone have any suggestions? These are pretty small roaches (they get maybe to the size of a inch long biggest I've seen) so I know I need something that snaps shut solidly all the way around, where as what I'm using now and what I saw at the store for a dog food container they just snap on 2 sides leaving it very easy for the bugs to get inside.
I already have to constantly clean his food bowl (because they just hang out in it even with no food, gross!) so I really really don't want to have to have him eat food that they've been crawling around in.
Any help would be greatly appreciated! I don't want to end up with a sick corgi.
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Priss, Charlie & Kaylee (PK) on
-
Would something like this work?
-
Permalink Reply by Cristy Sheppard on
-
I don't think so, I looked at one similar to that at Walmart not long ago and it had the same problem my current container has which the 2 long sides are easy to move/lift up (so easy for a bug to crawl between) and it only snaps on 1 or 2 ends (generally the short ends)
-
Permalink Reply by Vicky Hay on
-
Costco has a dog food container with a big screw-on lid. Holds a lot of kibble, and you can dump plenty of food in there. I've seen these things elsewhere at Petco or Petsmart, too. Big white things. Like this: http://amzn.to/1FNTOPz
If you already have an insect-resistant dog food container, it sounds like you may have some roach eggs in there (or the food you're buying may come with them...try another brand?). You probably can disinfect it by pouring boiling water into it and sloshing it around good. Add some Clorox. Rinse well, obviously.
Oh...I just noticed you said "small roaches." These are field roaches. They live outside, like crickets. They're fairly harmless, except for the annoyance factor. They don't really want to live in your house -- something is calling them inside. Is it cold outdoors right now? Do you keep produce on the counter? Is the dog food easily accessible?
LOL! I also once enjoyed the hospitality of an apartment complex that was infested with sewer roaches. Yuch! Most of the time I hung out at my boyfriend's place, and so there was no food in there except what was in the fridge. The little guys -- I came to think of them as my little pets -- would perform acrobatics in the kitchen. Literally, I once saw one leap off the side of a cabinet, pirouette through the air, and land gracefully atop the counter on all six paws. Or whatever roaches have.
Complain to the landlord and demand that they have the place exterminated, inside and out. Good luck with that -- extermination is a temporary solution, at best.
Roach baits work better than sprays. Buy a LOT of them in two different brands. Look for baits designed for small roaches (https://www.combatbugs.com/faq). Place them under the fridge (where the dog can't reach them!), behind the fridge, under and behind the stove (if you have a freestanding stove), under and behind the washer & dryer (if you have those), inside ALL the cabinets (including the kitchen, the bathroom, the hall linen closet, and any other built-in cabinetry). If you have a piece of furniture, such as a buffet, that comes almost down to the floor all the way around, toss a couple of baits under that, too. Be sure they're underneath or inside things so the dog can't get at them, because dogs will eat them.
If you have a garage or carport attached to your apartment, place the roach baits strategically around there, too -- again, being sure the dog can't get them.
Then, get yourself some boric acid. Walgreen's used to carry it -- you probably can find it at Walmart or Target, or failing that, just pay the tab to have Amazon ship it to you. Sprinkle this stuff along every threshold and window sill and YES it's unsightly but it's not forever. Take a little brush and dust it around so it's distributed in a thin layer, but be sure there's plenty spread around every door and windowsill. Boric acid grains have sharp edges that slice into an insect's exoskeleton, eventually causing death by dehydration. Diatomaceous earth (DE) will do the same thing, but don't use the type made for swimming pool filters.
Next, unscrew all the covers on the outlets and switches on exterior walls. Sprinkle some boric acid or DE in there too, or, if you have the know-how, seal them with insulation. Replace the covers; say nothing to the landlord. Those things are doorways for roaches.
If your complex has thick ground cover that comes close to the building -- ivy, for example -- ask the landlord to get it sprayed. Or sneak out there late at night and salt it with roach baits, again remembering to keep your dog away from it. Supposedly roach bait won't harm pets, but I wouldn't bet the veterinary budget on it.
Keep all produce in the refrigerator, including bananas, potatoes, onions, garlic, and the like. Roaches do love potatoes! If you're ecologically friendly and ask for paper bags at the store, do NOT bring them into your home. Roaches also like paper bags (they're good to eat and a nice place to lay eggs) and famously come into people's homes on paper grocery bags. Keep all staples such as oatmeal and sugar in glass containers with screw-on tops -- Sprouts, Target, and Fry's (Kroger's) carry these. Keep crackers and cookies and pretzels and chips in containers with screw-on lids. Ditto dry cereal and any other kind of food you store in a pantry.
Pick up the dog food bowl and drop it in the dishwasher the instant the dog has finished eating; if you don't have a washer and don't feel like washing dishes right this minute, fill the sink with soapy water and place the dirty dishes in it until you get around to the chore. If you do have a dishwasher, run it every day, rather than waiting till it's full. Roaches love dishwashers.
An alternative: move somewhere that doesn't have roaches. It's a project, one way or the other...
-
-
An alternative: move somewhere that doesn't have roaches. It's a project, one way or the other...
I laughed quite a bit at that, that is our plan but saving to move out on your own takes quite a bit of money! But I want to get out of here soon as I can, I hate these nasty little buggers running everywhere.
But as for all the questions hopefully I remember to answer them all. The container I'm actually using right now is just a large Tupperware container in all honestly, its one of those big ones that hold all of the smaller ones you buy with it, so it really isn't necessarily bug-proof or even meant for food more like clothing or bedding, something larger I'd assume.
I don't believe the container had some already in it, I switched to using it not long ago after roaches got in my bag of food so I thought it'd be safer in a container. The first bag I didn't have any problems with the roaches but it seems with this 2nd bag and about half way though the figured out how to get in the container and now I still see them constantly around it.
When I originally saw it I was like "how in the hell!?!?" and I thought maybe there was an air vent hole for some reason but I scanned over the other one (that we had put some halloween candy in) and didn't see one and that's when I noticed that the 2 long sides that aren't clamped down can be easily lifted up and therefore easy for a bug to crawl between, so that's why I'm looking for something that snaps or twist shut tight. I even use a twist lid storage thing for my ingredients like sugar, flower, and even stack spices in them since they secure nicely.
It has started to get very cold here, and that's probably why I've noticed an increase in them suddenly, but I know they're here year round. But we do have to modify our living around them especially with anything to do with the kitchen. Nothing is left open on the counters, everything goes in the fridge/freezer or in a storage container if it isn't a solidly shut item (like cans of soup and such like that).
The thing with our building is that we are apart of a long line of apartments where there are some above and below us and they're all connected with the same water lines (like under our kitchen sink if you look over you can see where the neighbors kitchen sink is) and the whole building is designed that way so everything is connected and they do once every 3 months (hahaha yeah right I've been here longer than 6months and this is the 2nd time I've seen them around and that was even a month ago at least already! pffft) to do an extermination but all that happens is they run and hide in the walls then come back out a few days later. They'd probably have to tent the building to do anything really about it and I'm sure they won't do that. But they do take stronger action with more spraying to keep the roaches out of their other buildings across the street and what-not. So that's why moving is the main solution, and that'll be a pain when the time comes to clean everything and still bug-bomb our new place just in case.
I'd just love for my little fido to be able to get by in the mean time like I am as well.
I did a quick search to find an item similar to what my dogs' food is in, and I believe this one to be the most similar http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-18-Large-Clear-Storage-Bin/1640...
-
Permalink Reply by Beverly Butler Redford & Tucker on
-
In addition to putting the boric acid where your four legged fuzzy can't get it, mix some boric acid into bacon grease and leave it (again where your four legged fuzzy can't get it) and where the roaches can. The bacon grease will attract them and they eat it and the boric acid.
Also scrub everything in your kitchen and anywhere else you have seen them. Wipe down the backsplashes, shelves - everything.
when i lived in graduate student housing, the prior tenants fried everything and there was grease everywhere which attracted the roaches. We could fill a roach motel in a day. One weekend of cleaning and laying down boric acid (I even put it on the shelves underneath shelf paper) got rid of them.
-
Permalink Reply by Anna Morelli on
-
I've used the Van Ness containers for years both in Colorado and Virginia ( which is buggy...) for dog food and for cat food. It has an airtight seal, nothing gets in and no smell of food comes out, plus it keeps our pet food dry even in the high humidity of VA. The plastic is food grade and it has recessed wheels, so moves easily. I have a 25 Lbs and a 50 Lbs one. Not real expensive either. Here is a link:
http://www.chewy.com/dog/van-ness-pureness-pet-food-storage/dp/55383
-
Permalink Reply by Becky S on
-
We lived in a place like that years ago, the roaches were coming out of the pipes. our cat would wait to bat them around the kitchen. Anyway, like previously mentioned boric acid cleared the out of our place. I'm sure they moved to other apartments, but at least not in ours. You should also keep your tooth brush / tooth pasted in a sealed container... I won't elaborate on why...
-
Permalink Reply by Holly on
-
If the landlord is aware of the problem and he/she has not done anything effective to resolve the issue you do have some recourse. I would recommend trying to negotiate with the property owner first, but if you have tried and that is not working you may want to see if your neighbors are willing to sign a petition. You are not entitled to live rent free of course, but you can put your rent in ESCROW, so the bank holds the money to give to the landlord(s) when the issues regarding safety and access are resolved. You just need to let the landlord know as early as possible that you are withholding the rent and why, and to assure him/her that the rent is being held in escrow and it will be paid in full once the safety issues are resolved. There are plenty of Fair Housing programs available that may be able to help you write up some useful documents. Roaches do present health hazards in addition to the "ick" factor, so you should not have to pay for "sub-standard housing" but you do have to keep the cash, in good faith, for the landlord, to show you are not just trying to "make bank" and screw the property owner.
On the same note, you are not supposed to use the rent money to purchase a new wide-screen. If you can prove (with written documentation) that you tried to resolve the issue and you set aside the rent to pay the property owners as soon as the building issues were resolved, you should be able to maintain a good relationship, or at least get a good reference from you current landlord, and you may well be seen as a good potential tenant for a new landlord in a bug-free unit. In other words, it pays to be nice, but it also pays to be strong enough to insist, politely, on a safe and healthy place to live. Pictures and dates count if you have to fight for your rights to a safe living environment. If you have to seek out bug-free food storage you are entitled, in my opinion, to a serious, long-term solution to living pest-free. I do think behaving as professionally as possible is essential in cases that could result in "he said/she said" issues because showing your capacity for fairness and responsible pet ownership is so important for you going forward as tenants. I hope you get some action soon. No one should have to live with pests of any kind! I used to help tenants with various fair housing issues so I know a fair amount about this type of issue, but my opinion is as open to discussion as any, just offering my thoughts as a former advocate. I think I really helps to see the issue from the renter and the landlord's perspective, and try to find solutions that work for everyone. I really hope you get some relief soon!
-
-
Be careful with this. Check with legal aid or the local pro bono group to be sure that you can do this without risk of eviction. Your state statute may have some prerequisites such as written notice to the landlord to repair a certain number of days before you start withholding rent.
Also different states have different views about what is a necessity for the purposes of withholding rent. In Las Vegas, air conditioning that doesn't work can be a necessity, but that might not hold true in Reno. It is worth a little bit of investigation and a polite, but demanding letter to the landlord before you start withholding rent.
-
-
Yeah, this is an extremely good point! Rent laws and regulations vary from city to city and state to state. Rarely do they favor renters.
If you choose to try to get money back or break the lease over the vermin, put everything in writing: every complaint, every response, every everything. And keep a dated log of events.
-
-
Very good point. I mentioned the fair housing programs above because they would know the rules and regulations in your particular area and they can usually provide accurate legal assistance at no cost. You can get plenty of numbers online, but the government sites typically offer the most reliable sources and list the free services in each state. They may also list pro bono attorney programs.
-
-
Thank you greatly for in-siting me on that, I wasn't aware exactly how that worked I just know that a few times I've heard people just blurt out "You can just not pay rent and tell them you wont until the fix the problems!" but never anything saying that I should still save that money to be paid when the issues are resolved. So perhaps I will talk to everyone to see if we can make a difference, I'm not sure if people have in the past or not (I know that various people moved in and out right away from the apartment below us because they all had children and where not going to put up with the bugs so good for them!) I just know that they do at least focus hard on trying to keep the roaches from wondering across the parking lots into the other buildings.
But as for now I'm somewhat use to having to try and work around them, and I did buy a new container for my dogs food and the very lovely lady at the store was able to absolutely relate and told me one of her first apartments was like this with the tiny roaches and she gave me her advice/opinion on a dog food storage container :)
I as well hope that soon some change can be made for the time being at least, but if not, well lets hope the winter goes fast so we can clean up, pack up, and move out.
Rescue Store
Stay Connected
FDA Recall
Canadian Food Inspection Agency Recall
Groups
We support...
Badge
© 2024 Created by Sam Tsang.
Powered by
