We just got our first house, and I want to make sure it feels like home by keeping it free from roaches. I loathe them.

On our final walk through, there was a belly up roach in the basement the size of my foot, & had we not already invested so much time and money in the place, I might have bailed then ;-). Since, I've seen another huge, belly up roach in the basement. These are American ****roaches, and I'm not sure if there is some kind of infestation going on, or if they are just coming in and dying (the basement doors need to be replaced, missing weather stripping, etc.).

I spoke with a man from Cook's and he said for residential properties, they mainly just spray the outside of the home. Do any of you use a pest control company, and if so, how often do they come and how is the cost? Or, do any of you have a recommendation of a do-it-yourself product that works well at preventing these boogers from taking over your home?

With bugs that size I suggest a shot gun.

Go to Lowes or call around and find you some "Bengal Roach Spray" and try that first. If for some reason that doesn't work and I can't imagine why it wouldn't. Call "Shoals Pest Control" on Jackson Highway in Sheffield.

We live in the county and use a concentrated spray that we mix up. My in-laws have used it for roaches and it works great. It comes from the Co-op. I know Lauderdale & Colbert's both have it. I never see any roaches but I hate spiders and those seem to multiply by the dozens in the country. It works great for spiders and other pests also. A & E Southern Services is a great pest control, locally owned, great to work with, and they have offices on both sides of the river.

LOL @ Young Old Man.

Thanks very much for the information Know It All & Dreamweaver. I will probably hire a professional to come out and check for any infestations, and if there isn't, I'll regularly use a product like y'all have suggested.

I like Bohannon. They treated the inside of this house when we first moved in (we had mice, ants, silverfish, earwigs, roaches,etc.- older home that had been vacant for awhile before we bought it and I guess they all had a party or something!)and now spray the outside monthly, just around the house. I haven't seen one critter in months. They were also able to get rid of an ant infestation in our shed.