Think my house has a roach problem.

I live with my 73 year old father, and he recently had carpal tunnel release surgery, so he's mostly getting by with 1 hand and sort of half of his surgery hand(he likes to ignore doctor's orders, and I don't have much luck helping him either).

Tuesday I saw a roach in the kitchen. I smashed it and threw it away. Later that night I one was at the base of the stairs near the front door.

Wednesday I saw one in my bedroom D: Had to flush it out with a flashlight and killed it with a flyswatter. If you sized a roach up to human proportions, they actually could run at like 220 miles per hour or some shit. As it stands they move fast enough to go like 4mph at their actual size.

So we got motels, delayed poison traps, and I've been reading about what I can do to eliminate the infestation. Honestly I think patching up the house itself would go a long way. It's an almost 22 year old house now, and there's chunks missing out of the frame of both back doors.

I also know this year in particular, we had roaches in the garage as early as mid summer, probably because it's easy to squeeze under the garage door but also because we keep recyclable cans out there, both beer and soda. My old man insists on selling them to this one particular guy who will buy aluminum cans for slightly more than you get at conventional recycling place. I think we're going to need to stop doing that, because he lets them sit for way too long.

More than that though, I've noticed since living here again, that roaches congregate on our back deck, which was made new while I was off in The Navy. Could probably stand to spray out there with something.

I've got two dogs, Dachshunds, and one is a very rambunctious girl. We've already had problems with her trying to chew on the traps/motels. So as far as spraying goes, the internet is recommending this, "Mighty Mint" or something like that. Pungent Peppermint smell is supposed to drive them off, and some of the reviews said direct spray of it kills roaches. I imagine that it coats their sporicles and kills them physically through suffocation rather than through organ failure. If the review is even true, that is.

Just wanna be able to lay down and sleep without worrying about roaches. I hate them so much. I've done a lot of camping in my life, and even slept outside with just a sleeping bag and no tent. Bugs out there are expected, but man, in the home. I never get over it.

And like, yeah, it's the time of year that roaches make a beeline for getting into the home, but I've never had so many consecutive nights anywhere I've ever lived of encountering them. And I've lived in some pretty shitty run down barracks.

If any of you have suggestions or experience with this, please share the info. I've got this rapscallion of an old man to take care of, on top of the dogs. Really don't need this bug problem >_<