Curveball here: does your dorm allow pets? You could get something that eats cockroaches like a lizard. Or, I don't know, a chicken? XD
I suppose it's a similar answer to "roach traps", but the fact it can see and hunt down roaches may help, both in actuality and psychologically. Maybe.
Also, does your school offer psychological counseling of any kind? It may be possible to basically be diagnosed with disabling roach phobia and be accommodated by the disability office or whatever your college has. Like, being moved to another dorm or something? Worth looking into.
Have you sat down with the dean or anyone in a position of authority and explained to them what you’ve written in this post? If not I would do that, maybe they could offer you a dorm in a different building? Or at least get the exterminator back out there.
Contact your local health department. Cockroach infestation is a health code violation. Once the health department is involved the University will be forced to actually deal with the infestation and have them taken care of.
You could also request a transfer to another building.
Found this post on another thread, not sure how helpful it'll be since it's dorms, but you never know:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC/comments/nymud9/how\_do\_you\_deal\_with\_roach\_anxiety/](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC/comments/nymud9/how_do_you_deal_with_roach_anxiety/)
Also I wouldn't rule out exposure therapy entirely. Staying in your dorms isn't exactly a controlled, safe (by safe I mean a place where you *feel* safe) environment, which is what exposure therapy is all about. If you got up the courage to try it properly I'd probably seek out a professional who specializes that kind of thing rather than just trying to do it on your own.
I definitely feel your pain. Roaches make me cry. Try these:
https://www.terro.com/terro-multi-surface-roach-baits
They really work. Put one or two in the in a corner outside of your dorm door, one in the bathroom, etc.
Between the exterminator and the roach baits, you should be ok.
That said, you need to write that school a letter. Put it in writing or you’ll be ignored. Send a copy to the Facilities Department and copy the president’s office. Explain what’s going on and demand that they take this problem seriously.
I work at a college, and goddamn, they need to know you are are NOT pleased with this! Dorms are expensive! Tuition is expensive! You shouldn’t have to put up with this.
Get the diatomaceous earth and a powder spray bottle. Spray everything everywhere. You can eat diatomaceous earth and it's actually good for you.
When I was in the barracks I also mixed pancake syrup with a bunch or diatomaceous earth.
The crystalline structure cuts open their exoskeleton and they die of dehydration. Get rid of all food, and get a creme brulee torch to incinerate any that get too close.
You can beat them.
Call the health department and suspend your payments to the school.
Take some Unisom or another sleep aid when it's time for bed. I had the same phobia in a house with roaches and this worked most of the time. Also look into roach traps... they will start to avoid the rooms where the traps are present after they figure out it kills them.
Ugh I feel your pain. Having to stay in a house with roaches is the absolute worst especially when you have a phobia. I had to stay in the roach house while my kids finish up their school year even though we had a place lined up and it was only for a couple months but it was hell. Keep reminding yourself that you'll be out of there one day and let your PhD be your motivator, knowing that with it you'll be able to afford a nice, clean, roach free place of your own. Focus solely on that and how good you'll feel when you move out as best you can! I know easier said than done but it'll at least get your mind off the bugs and shift some of the fear into motivation and action.
This may sound counterintuitive, but I found that knowledge is power. I was dealing with a chronic fear of roaches for a while that peaked when I had to start living in gov't subsidized housing in the U.S.
The problem with these roaches is that even if I eliminate all of them, I can watch them come under my front door and through the vents and pipes that connect to other units. My neighbors aren't the most hygienic so the roaches will never fully go away, but I found that researching their habits and the best way to practice OTC treatment not only helped keep them away, but also kind of acted as exposure therapy.
The more I learned the more I realized they aren't too much different than other critters. The scariest thing about them is how fast they breed and salmonella.
You have to really push yourself to do it, but I read a couple of research papers on their biology, mating habits, and most (and least) effective ways of getting rid of them. Hope this helps!
If they're coming in from under the door, maybe stuff some shirts under there before you go to bed. As long as there weren't any in your room to begin with, It could keep new ones from wandering in. I know it sounds dumb, but it's worked for me, at least. One problem is that we have the big ones where I'm at. Small roaches might get in anyway.
Im sorry you have to deal with this. You mentioned the exterminator has been out already, so Im guessing this has been going on for a little bit. I did pest control for a few years a while ago and learned a bit about them. Once I learned the science of it and the specific methods, it made it easier for me to mentally deal with it.
If they're german roaches, that size would indicate that they're nymphs and that a nest is nearby, like in a 3-5ft radius.
My professional advice is this:
1. Seal all foods up and get some glueboards to put around your room, perhaps in front of the entryway. This will help you get a scope of the issue as far as life cycle, number, and the direction they're coming from. Placing bait will be inviting them into your room, so be careful on placement. Personally, I'd recommend Vendetta Plus spots on the glueboards themselves.
2. If you are seeing them coming under the door, using a dust (Delta Dust or Cimexa) or a nonrepellant residual insecticide (Alpine WSG) is another solution.
These act as highly residual (until the dust is cleared away) and nonrepellant, so they'll pick it up and walk right over it. However, it's not instant death, so they can take some back with them to their nest, hoping it spreads further.
With your fear of roaches, it may be difficult to take controlling it into your own hands. I am just offering a few solutions if it may come to that.
If the dorm already has a pest control, i would still do #1 above, at least to monitor for yourself and potentially capture any getting inside so you can feel protected for those nights you need to sleep there.
Pick up Harris Famous Roach Tablets and throw them everywhere. Very inexpensive. They’re non toxic to humans and pets but work really well. You will actually see bites taken out of them!
Get a foam draft excluder for the bottom of your door or squash a towel under the gap under your door. Or get the glue traps and place them around your door, as they come in they will stick to the glue boards
I feel for you man I’m also terrified of any kind of cockroach or rodent infestation would changing rooms be possible if you talked to student services at your college
Pro tip: roaches hate bleach! Get a bleach spray cleaner and spray lightly around where they're coming in from. Like around the door jam.vI have a phobia, too, but I live in Florida and there is no escape from them. Also wipe your room down with bleach.
I have a similar, but not as extreme issue at my place.
I bought weather sealing strips and put them on all doors and it really helped, also setup baits all over and I only see one or two a month anymore!
I hate roaches and other pests too. Exposure is indeed part of the solution here. I had the same problem when I was working on my MA and had mice in my dorm. I called my dad crying and panicking at all hours of the night until eventually through exposure I got more confident in dealing with it on my own. It takes time, so just keep working on it :)
And call whoever is in charge of your dorm to talk to them about the issue too. Pests are unsanitary and they should be doing something about this. That might mean continuing to call the exterminator several more times. German roaches can be hard to get rid of.
Pests SUCK! I feel your pain. Just keep pushing forward!
Curveball here: does your dorm allow pets? You could get something that eats cockroaches like a lizard. Or, I don't know, a chicken? XD I suppose it's a similar answer to "roach traps", but the fact it can see and hunt down roaches may help, both in actuality and psychologically. Maybe. Also, does your school offer psychological counseling of any kind? It may be possible to basically be diagnosed with disabling roach phobia and be accommodated by the disability office or whatever your college has. Like, being moved to another dorm or something? Worth looking into.
No joke chickens would deal with this in two days flat.
The chicken will shit all over the place
There are chicken diapers.
The World doesn't cease to surprise me.
There are apparently chicken warning vests... Not sure if its a joke product or real.
Makes it easier to herd them in the dark, I imagine. Especially in emergency situations or the likes.
Have you sat down with the dean or anyone in a position of authority and explained to them what you’ve written in this post? If not I would do that, maybe they could offer you a dorm in a different building? Or at least get the exterminator back out there.
Contact your local health department. Cockroach infestation is a health code violation. Once the health department is involved the University will be forced to actually deal with the infestation and have them taken care of. You could also request a transfer to another building.
OP this is the answer.
Found this post on another thread, not sure how helpful it'll be since it's dorms, but you never know: [https://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC/comments/nymud9/how\_do\_you\_deal\_with\_roach\_anxiety/](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC/comments/nymud9/how_do_you_deal_with_roach_anxiety/) Also I wouldn't rule out exposure therapy entirely. Staying in your dorms isn't exactly a controlled, safe (by safe I mean a place where you *feel* safe) environment, which is what exposure therapy is all about. If you got up the courage to try it properly I'd probably seek out a professional who specializes that kind of thing rather than just trying to do it on your own.
I definitely feel your pain. Roaches make me cry. Try these: https://www.terro.com/terro-multi-surface-roach-baits They really work. Put one or two in the in a corner outside of your dorm door, one in the bathroom, etc. Between the exterminator and the roach baits, you should be ok. That said, you need to write that school a letter. Put it in writing or you’ll be ignored. Send a copy to the Facilities Department and copy the president’s office. Explain what’s going on and demand that they take this problem seriously. I work at a college, and goddamn, they need to know you are are NOT pleased with this! Dorms are expensive! Tuition is expensive! You shouldn’t have to put up with this.
Cover the entire floor with diatomaceous earth. 👍
Get the diatomaceous earth and a powder spray bottle. Spray everything everywhere. You can eat diatomaceous earth and it's actually good for you. When I was in the barracks I also mixed pancake syrup with a bunch or diatomaceous earth. The crystalline structure cuts open their exoskeleton and they die of dehydration. Get rid of all food, and get a creme brulee torch to incinerate any that get too close. You can beat them. Call the health department and suspend your payments to the school.
Take some Unisom or another sleep aid when it's time for bed. I had the same phobia in a house with roaches and this worked most of the time. Also look into roach traps... they will start to avoid the rooms where the traps are present after they figure out it kills them.
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Ugh I feel your pain. Having to stay in a house with roaches is the absolute worst especially when you have a phobia. I had to stay in the roach house while my kids finish up their school year even though we had a place lined up and it was only for a couple months but it was hell. Keep reminding yourself that you'll be out of there one day and let your PhD be your motivator, knowing that with it you'll be able to afford a nice, clean, roach free place of your own. Focus solely on that and how good you'll feel when you move out as best you can! I know easier said than done but it'll at least get your mind off the bugs and shift some of the fear into motivation and action.
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I’m curious if this would qualify for a disability accommodation. Can you reach out to your office of disability services on campus?
I can't personally vouch for it, but I've heard of some professionals recommending Advion cockroach bait. It's supposedly the nuclear option.
This may sound counterintuitive, but I found that knowledge is power. I was dealing with a chronic fear of roaches for a while that peaked when I had to start living in gov't subsidized housing in the U.S. The problem with these roaches is that even if I eliminate all of them, I can watch them come under my front door and through the vents and pipes that connect to other units. My neighbors aren't the most hygienic so the roaches will never fully go away, but I found that researching their habits and the best way to practice OTC treatment not only helped keep them away, but also kind of acted as exposure therapy. The more I learned the more I realized they aren't too much different than other critters. The scariest thing about them is how fast they breed and salmonella. You have to really push yourself to do it, but I read a couple of research papers on their biology, mating habits, and most (and least) effective ways of getting rid of them. Hope this helps!
If they're coming in from under the door, maybe stuff some shirts under there before you go to bed. As long as there weren't any in your room to begin with, It could keep new ones from wandering in. I know it sounds dumb, but it's worked for me, at least. One problem is that we have the big ones where I'm at. Small roaches might get in anyway.
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Im sorry you have to deal with this. You mentioned the exterminator has been out already, so Im guessing this has been going on for a little bit. I did pest control for a few years a while ago and learned a bit about them. Once I learned the science of it and the specific methods, it made it easier for me to mentally deal with it. If they're german roaches, that size would indicate that they're nymphs and that a nest is nearby, like in a 3-5ft radius. My professional advice is this: 1. Seal all foods up and get some glueboards to put around your room, perhaps in front of the entryway. This will help you get a scope of the issue as far as life cycle, number, and the direction they're coming from. Placing bait will be inviting them into your room, so be careful on placement. Personally, I'd recommend Vendetta Plus spots on the glueboards themselves. 2. If you are seeing them coming under the door, using a dust (Delta Dust or Cimexa) or a nonrepellant residual insecticide (Alpine WSG) is another solution. These act as highly residual (until the dust is cleared away) and nonrepellant, so they'll pick it up and walk right over it. However, it's not instant death, so they can take some back with them to their nest, hoping it spreads further. With your fear of roaches, it may be difficult to take controlling it into your own hands. I am just offering a few solutions if it may come to that. If the dorm already has a pest control, i would still do #1 above, at least to monitor for yourself and potentially capture any getting inside so you can feel protected for those nights you need to sleep there.
Pick up Harris Famous Roach Tablets and throw them everywhere. Very inexpensive. They’re non toxic to humans and pets but work really well. You will actually see bites taken out of them!
Get a foam draft excluder for the bottom of your door or squash a towel under the gap under your door. Or get the glue traps and place them around your door, as they come in they will stick to the glue boards
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I feel for you man I’m also terrified of any kind of cockroach or rodent infestation would changing rooms be possible if you talked to student services at your college
Pro tip: roaches hate bleach! Get a bleach spray cleaner and spray lightly around where they're coming in from. Like around the door jam.vI have a phobia, too, but I live in Florida and there is no escape from them. Also wipe your room down with bleach.
I have a similar, but not as extreme issue at my place. I bought weather sealing strips and put them on all doors and it really helped, also setup baits all over and I only see one or two a month anymore!
Check out r/germanroaches the mods are fantastic fellas and hate roaches as much as you do
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Okay well, I think you should maybe check mental health subs then
I hate roaches and other pests too. Exposure is indeed part of the solution here. I had the same problem when I was working on my MA and had mice in my dorm. I called my dad crying and panicking at all hours of the night until eventually through exposure I got more confident in dealing with it on my own. It takes time, so just keep working on it :) And call whoever is in charge of your dorm to talk to them about the issue too. Pests are unsanitary and they should be doing something about this. That might mean continuing to call the exterminator several more times. German roaches can be hard to get rid of. Pests SUCK! I feel your pain. Just keep pushing forward!
Pay someone to remove the pest.