Just from my own experience:

Every single time one of my neighbors has either moved or had a pest control service come out, we end up with both cockroaches and mice. Every time, but one.

Now, when for sale signs go up, we put out traps and spray natural repellants around all our baseboards, window frames, outlets, and places where plumbing comes through the wall. So far so good!

I really think what happens is that when the pest control starts spraying, they move from once side of the house to the other, and are mostly just herding things out. Maybe some are killed, but certainly not all. Maybe no one here has heard of a *good* pest control agency?

And in cases where neighbors move, I think the pests there are just looking for a new food source.

Other neighbors who've stayed put have told me the same thing. The house to my right has changed hands three times in 9 years; the family on the other side of it has been there 20 years and seen 5 owners of the house. They told me last year they've had the same problem I've had.

I can't really back this up with statistics. It's just my own observation. Osage orange (hedgeapples) chopped and left along baseboards or foundations do seem to help.

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