Buyers Beware: Roach Infested Game Consoles

A Marietta, Ohio resident found a good deal on a used Playstation 3 console on Craigslist. They met with the seller and purchased the system. Everything seemed normal. However, after taking the system home, it would not turn on. She decided to open the console to see if it could be fixed. What she found was shocking.

The Playstation 3 was filled with over a hundred German Roaches. They were in every crack and crevice in the console.

German Roaches like the warmth that a game system generates. It also provides a safe place for the female roach to develop and lay her egg sack.

The buyer was lucky to find this problem early. It could very easily have turned into an infestation. This species of roach, which is one of the most common in the Marietta, Ohio area, reproduces quickly and can seem impossible to get rid of. They can live off of small crumbs of food off the floor and can live in anything from coffee makers to microwaves. Similar to this incident with the game console, they like the warmth and protection that these items provide.

The game console likely did not work because they were electrocuted on the game system's power supply and caused an electrical short. Roaches can also do this to electrical outlets in walls, which can be a fire hazard.

So how can you know if what you are buying is infested? There are some signs that roaches leave behind. When buying electronics used, inspect them carefully. Look for brown specks, which are roach droppings, at the places where the roaches could get in. You might even be able to find some dead bugs through a vent. There is no sure way to know, however, without taking the console apart and inspecting the inside so take caution when buying used.

You can also bring bed bugs into your home this way. They also like to hide in small cracks and gaps.

The best way to get rid of a roach infestation, especially one of this scale, is to get help from a pest control professional. We do not use sprays on German roaches. Instead, we use a three step program unlike any in our area. For more info on that, check out our article here:

https://hwildlifecontrol.wixsite.com/hwcpestsolutions/roach-control

We offer pest control solutions to the Marietta, Ohio area. If you have any questions about anything in the article or any pest or wildlife control related issues, give HWC Pest Solutions a call at 740-516-0689.