u/sicksmallworld

Starting 6 months ago, there's been 2-3 instances of spotting a lone roach roaming around. About 2 years ago, we noticed the start of a roach issue and wiped them out with MaxForce. The idea of an infestation makes me extremely anxious and I keep glue traps and Advion bait stations in hotspots as a precaution (I replace the bait stations every 3 months). I bought fresh MaxForce just in case we need to remove the bait stations and be more proactive by applying fresh gel.

I've been regularly checking the glue traps, inspecting under sinks and in cabinets, and flicking the lights on in the kitchen and bathroom at night to check for any signs of activity and there's been nothing. Me and my partner are pretty sure one of our neighbors has an issue and these lone roaches are wanderers coming from them.

We are in a two-story townhouse that sits wall to wall with two other houses, one on each side. One of these neighbors, a husband and wife, we are very friendly with. We chat regularly and have been invited to/attended barbecues they've hosted and vice versa. We've fed their cats a few times while they were away and are doing so again this weekend. While I was there yesterday evening, there were several signs of a roach problem, including signs of breeding. The infestation doesn't seem severe, but its moderate at best. I noticed combat bait stations on the counters so they are at least somewhat aware of the situation. We're now looking into purchasing some Advion WDG for extra protection (can't get Alpine in our state).

Me and my partner are discussing what to do (if anything) in regards to the neighbors. I half jokingly said what if we just apply some gel while there feeding the cats. Obviously that plan has issues, both morally and practically. Doing something like that in someones home without their knowledge is a breach of trust, plus one treatment likely isn't enough to eradicate them. We're now considering talking to them about it since we have a friendly relationship. Plus we witnessed the situation ourselves, so we are not saying anything based on just a hunch. We plan to explain we also had this issue, have this supplies we found effective, and have extras of this supplies they can use. We want to frame it in a way that says "hey we dealt with this too and want to help", so it doesn't feel too judgmental. I'm dreading this discussion for obvious reason, but want to keep our home roach free plus genuinely want to help our neighbors. I know this sub usually advises against confronting neighbors, but this feels like a somewhat unique situation and any advice would be helpful.