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So, we have a horrible problem with roaches and (recently) a few mice in my house, and my mother has been spraying all kinds of awful poisons, despite all my objections, which I know aren't good for the environment, much less our health.

We saw on television a thing called Riddex Plus, which claims to make some sort of digital frequency forcefield in the walls of the house which repels pests and runs out the ones that are in your home already, without poisons and without killing the poor things. (www.riddexplus.com)

Has anyone tried this kind of pest control and does it work, or from your knowledge do you think it would work? Thanks!

And, is there another product/remedy that works cruel-lessly? (Well, aside from the cruelty of kicking the pests out of their homes sweatdrop )

There are catch and release traps for mice.

Here's some copypasta for cockroaches. (I don't have any personal experience with this)

GET RID OF COCKROACHES NOW!

Once you've seen roaches in your living space, odds are there are many more out of view. You can begin an active stance against the roach by getting rid of those who have made their presence known to you. Try:

1. sprinkling a small amount of boric acid where you've seen roaches travel through your home. The roach will poison themselves by ingesting the acid during their regular grooming routine. Be sure to sprinkle in dark, damp areas, too, like under bathroom and kitchen sinks, behind washers and dryers, and around the refrigerator, and behind appliances. Note: The ingestion of boric acid is also toxic to humans. Do not use in areas where small children or animals play, sleep, or eat.

2. You can make your own insecticide by mixing equal parts of baking soda and powdered sugar and setting up a mock bait plate for the roaches. After mixing your sugar and soda, eave the mixture in a shallow dish where roaches have been seen or are known to travel. The combination of sugar and soda is lethal to the cockroach.

3. Roaches hate the taste of bay leaves. You can naturally and safely keep most roaches at bay by placing the leaves anywhere you've seen roaches moving. Using bay leaves is a great way to keep roaches out of the rooms and play area of children.

4. Don't water the roaches! Cockroaches can survive for months without eating, but they need a daily source of water to thrive. Never leave water in the sink, in dirty dishes, or other areas of the house. Check other sources of water as well, such as leaky plumbing, under-refrigerator dampness, and concrete sweating. Wipe all traces of water from the sink after you've done the dishes and wipe down the bath area after use, as well.

5. Clean, clean, clean! Cockroaches naturally gravitate toward areas which are littered with cockroach droppings. Use a detergent or disinfectant to thoroughly clean the area and deter a re-infestation. On concrete floors and walls, you can use a mixture of bleach and water to disinfect the area. Other services can be cleaned with everyday cleansers or antibacterial soaps and scrubs.

HOW TO REMAIN COCKROACH-FREE

1. Always clean food (including crumbs) from counter tops, tables and other areas of the house.

2. Fix plumbing leaks and establish a moisture control program in the house. Use a dehumidifier, if necessary, and wipe up water spills immediately.

3. Insulate pipes.

4. Get rid of clutter! Rummage through drawers and cabinets and eliminate stray bags, papers, old newspapers, plastic shopping bags, and envelopes. Keep the area under sinks and around washers and dryers well organized, clean, and orderly. Scrub basement floors with a solution of bleach and hot water several times a year. Invest in a dehumidifier to control household moisture.

5. Caulk or seal pipe moldings. If the hole is too large to be caulked, push steel wool pads into the open spaces until you've formed a tight seal. Foam caulking also works well at filling large holes around pipes.

you can usually find boric acid (borax brand) somewhere near the powdered laundry detergents.

What kind of cockroaches? I want to have an aquarium of Madagascar or death's head. I'm such a bug nut. biggrin

For pests, prevention is the best key - so make sure crumbs are cleaned up and any chew friendly boxes are nixed for plastic or glass containers.

Do they come and go, or are a constant nuisance? We get ants in the summer time and I just suck it up as they're just around for a month. (Plus I can't figure out how to deter them). If they come when it's dry - they could be looking for water. If it's bad weather, it could be shelter - so check for cracks and seal them up.

That sucks. I live in a townhome and the people next door are piggies always leaving something out. We get ants in the summer because of this.