I have just moved from se qld to nth qld, and brought my geranium collection
with me. I had collected several different varities over the last few years,
nothing unusual, but it was a start. So I planted them in my garden, and lo
and behold, they started wilting. i dug them up to inspect, and the soil was
squirming with countless small brown cockroaches. They had tunneled all the
way up the stems, eating them until the mummified core was all that was
left. AAaaaagghh!!!! It's too late for my geraniums, but is there any way
that i can get rid of the cockroaches? Pleeease help!!!

"meee" <efamaaea [at] bigpond.net.au> wrote in message
news:E1aWe.47845$FA3.14237 [at] news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> I have just moved from se qld to nth qld, and brought my geranium
collection
> with me. I had collected several different varities over the last few
years,
> nothing unusual, but it was a start. So I planted them in my garden, and
lo
> and behold, they started wilting. i dug them up to inspect, and the soil
was
> squirming with countless small brown cockroaches. They had tunneled all
the
> way up the stems, eating them until the mummified core was all that was
> left. AAaaaagghh!!!! It's too late for my geraniums, but is there any way
> that i can get rid of the cockroaches? Pleeease help!!!
>

Hmmm ... I never had any problems with geraniums in NQ (Atherton). We have
the brown cockroaches in our garden here (Brisbane) but they've never done
any harm to the plants so ... i dunno?? ("Bertie" the Bandicoot did
destroy a lot of my young plants in NQ though ... but in a very different
way ;).

We had great neighbours that gave us cuttings of whatever plant we wanted
from their gardens and who had a great knowledge on what would and wouldn't
grow ... and how most things grow like steam in the warm humid climate...
anybody local you can ask ... or maybe find a good local garden centre??

Sorry I'm no help
Amanda

A&G&K&H <corymbia2000goawayspam [at] yahoo.com.au> wrote in message
news:432a5efc$0$18642$14726298 [at] news.sunsite.dk...
>
> "meee" <efamaaea [at] bigpond.net.au> wrote in message
> news:E1aWe.47845$FA3.14237 [at] news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> > I have just moved from se qld to nth qld, and brought my geranium
> collection
> > with me. I had collected several different varities over the last few
> years,
> > nothing unusual, but it was a start. So I planted them in my garden, and
> lo
> > and behold, they started wilting. i dug them up to inspect, and the soil
> was
> > squirming with countless small brown cockroaches. They had tunneled all
> the
> > way up the stems, eating them until the mummified core was all that was
> > left. AAaaaagghh!!!! It's too late for my geraniums, but is there any
way
> > that i can get rid of the cockroaches? Pleeease help!!!
> >
>
> Hmmm ... I never had any problems with geraniums in NQ (Atherton). We
have
> the brown cockroaches in our garden here (Brisbane) but they've never done
> any harm to the plants so ... i dunno?? ("Bertie" the Bandicoot did
> destroy a lot of my young plants in NQ though ... but in a very different
> way ;).
>
> We had great neighbours that gave us cuttings of whatever plant we wanted
> from their gardens and who had a great knowledge on what would and
wouldn't
> grow ... and how most things grow like steam in the warm humid climate...
> anybody local you can ask ... or maybe find a good local garden centre??
>
> Sorry I'm no help
> Amanda
>
>
yeah, it's probably my best bet. cockroaches are notoriously hard to kill,
and i have animals and children, so i'm not into harsh chemicals. The other
thing that i thought may be linked to the cockroach problem, is that the
last tenant has mulched the garden with lawn clippings. could that be
attracting the roaches? they are different from indoor cockies, being hard
shelled, almost like a beetle, but they are definitely cockroaches. They
tunneled their way all through the stems.

"meee" <efamaaea [at] bigpond.net.au> wrote in message
news:A1wWe.48874$FA3.12542 [at] news-server.bigpond.net.au...
>
> >
> >
> yeah, it's probably my best bet. cockroaches are notoriously hard to kill,
> and i have animals and children, so i'm not into harsh chemicals. The
other
> thing that i thought may be linked to the cockroach problem, is that the
> last tenant has mulched the garden with lawn clippings. could that be
> attracting the roaches? they are different from indoor cockies, being hard
> shelled, almost like a beetle, but they are definitely cockroaches. They
> tunneled their way all through the stems.
>
>
I'm in the same boat ... two little kids and I love the animal visitors we
get (of the native variety), so no nasty chemicals in this garden.

I'm not sure but the cockies may be native and a normal and healthy part of
the detrious .... but once again check with the neighbours or maybe if there
is a Greening Australia office there? I know there's a good EPA nursery but
its up on the Tablelands and they'd probably be able to let you know what to
do.
I know they are in our garden (the cockroaches that is ... and the garden is
heavily mulched) but seem to leave the plants alone (including the young
bean shoots that look so inviting that *I* want to eat them).
I'm just wondering if you can beg some cuttings from neighbours and get
something established in the garden ... and maybe see if it was a one off or
if its just geraniums that they like ;)
Sorry again
Amanda

A&G&K&H <corymbia2000goawayspam [at] yahoo.com.au> wrote in message
news:432b2fff$0$18646$14726298 [at] news.sunsite.dk...
>
> "meee" <efamaaea [at] bigpond.net.au> wrote in message
> news:A1wWe.48874$FA3.12542 [at] news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> >
> > >
> > >
> > yeah, it's probably my best bet. cockroaches are notoriously hard to
kill,
> > and i have animals and children, so i'm not into harsh chemicals. The
> other
> > thing that i thought may be linked to the cockroach problem, is that the
> > last tenant has mulched the garden with lawn clippings. could that be
> > attracting the roaches? they are different from indoor cockies, being
hard
> > shelled, almost like a beetle, but they are definitely cockroaches. They
> > tunneled their way all through the stems.
> >
> >
> I'm in the same boat ... two little kids and I love the animal visitors we
> get (of the native variety), so no nasty chemicals in this garden.
>
> I'm not sure but the cockies may be native and a normal and healthy part
of
> the detrious .... but once again check with the neighbours or maybe if
there
> is a Greening Australia office there? I know there's a good EPA nursery
but
> its up on the Tablelands and they'd probably be able to let you know what
to
> do.
> I know they are in our garden (the cockroaches that is ... and the garden
is
> heavily mulched) but seem to leave the plants alone (including the young
> bean shoots that look so inviting that *I* want to eat them).
> I'm just wondering if you can beg some cuttings from neighbours and get
> something established in the garden ... and maybe see if it was a one off
or
> if its just geraniums that they like ;)
> Sorry again
> Amanda
>
>
>
>
yes, there are plenty of tropical plants in the garden, so maybe it's just
the more succulent plants they attack...I'll just have to grow succulent
things in pots on the verandah. Which other plants do they not eat? I'm
wanting to put out some herbs and annuals, but I'm not sure what they'll
eat.