Would Sir like Cockroaches with that?

[Senator Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Senator]

Last night on NZs TV3 Campbell Live (news style program) he featured an article on NZ coffee machine repair agents "Espresso Engineers" based in Auckland that claimed approx 1 in 4 commercial coffee machines that they get in for service / repair are infested with cockroaches.

During the program, they unwrapped a rather nice looking Vibiemme 2 group machine (was shrink wrapped), removed the rear panel and sure enough, a nice little "family" of roaches.

It was amazing the places they hid, inside switch boxes, covers etc. They were quickly dealt with thanks to a blow torch (you could almost hear the crackling) but still its pretty gross.

The machine they demonstrated with didnt look that dirty even. They showed an example of lime scale buildup (gross out stuff) as well as a machine that was obviously not loved much (looked like years of coffee dust / oil spread right throughout the inner workings of the machine).

1 in 4 seems a high number of machines to be infested. Is it similar in Aus or is it even an issue?

Sen

[stuartgrant Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close stuartgrant]

Re: Would Sir like Cockroaches with that?

Along similar lines, we recently noticed that the only part of our kitchen with cobwebs (and spiders) was directly above the VBM (which is on 12 hours a day and would provide a nice warm draft of air)... All gone now

Amazing how quickly things adapt to us oomans...
Cheers
Stuart.

[A_M Guest Find all posts View Profile Close A_M]

Re: Would Sir like Cockroaches with that?

Last night on NZs TV3 Campbell Live (news style program) he featured an article on NZ coffee machine repair agents "Espresso Engineers" based in Auckland that claimed approx 1 in 4 commercial coffee machines that they get in for service / repair are infested with cockroaches.

During the program, they unwrapped a rather nice looking Vibiemme 2 group machine (was shrink wrapped), removed the rear panel and sure enough, a nice little "family" of roaches.

It was amazing the places they hid, inside switch boxes, covers etc. They were quickly dealt with thanks to a blow torch (you could almost hear the crackling) but still its pretty gross.

The machine they demonstrated with didnt look that dirty even. They showed an example of lime scale buildup (gross out stuff) as well as a machine that was obviously not loved much (looked like years of coffee dust / oil spread right throughout the inner workings of the machine).

1 in 4 seems a high number of machines to be infested. Is it similar in Aus or is it even an issue?

Sen

With the best intentions, one will never rid your self of any number of pests; for many reasons..

Most white goods that have electronic ccts and LCD displays, that are left in stand by will harbor any number of uninvited guests..  It is interesting as some have also suggested that it is the frequencies as well as the magnetic forces that are given off that attract them..

My take as to WHY ?

Well, its a safe environment and there is WARMTH..  Yes, those few electrons that are just wasting up power to keep the Digital clock going; make a great place to reside.  You and I may not detect the wormth and change in humidity, but I bet they can and do.

We have brand new Medical instruments that attract all sorts of insects and other beings, within a short period of time.

Further more, even cockroaches are are part of a food chain... Thus they attract others - Lizards and mice and then snakes or even bigger lizards....

Common sense really... But every one wants to blame some one for what they often see as dirty, but is just nature doing its thing...

If you were to take a close look at teh bugs on your skin or  what goes on in your mouth... OH BOY....  That is why a bite form even another human is such an issue for the spread of disease and or infection.

WTF...  Thats done it... Next time my wife wants to kiss me  :-*  ...  The answer is NO!

[beanflying Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close beanflying]

Re: Would Sir like Cockroaches with that?

In our case Earwigs under points of pressure switches or in between centrifugal switches on electric motors or in extreme cases snails blocking the fans of external pump motors :P

Most horrid thing I have found in electrical equipment was two mice in the evaporation tray of a fridge I was moving where the mice were laying over the heating coils :P :P :P :P :P :P

The Cockroach thing should be a heads up for the Sydney CS crew

[A_M Guest Find all posts View Profile Close A_M]

Re: Would Sir like Cockroaches with that?

In our case Earwigs under points of pressure switches or in between centrifugal switches on electric motors or in extreme cases snails blocking the fans of external pump motors  :P

Most horrid thing I have found in electrical equipment was two mice in the evaporation tray of a fridge I was moving where the mice were laying over the heating coils  :P :P :P :P :P :P

The Cockroach thing should be a heads up for the Sydney CS crew

Na...

It is really about the Cane Toads and Cockroaches

http://cockroachvscanetoad.centrebet.com/jpplay

Now if the Streaker was in a sheep skin, I guess the all blacks might stand a chance...

Sorry... Could not resist...

[flynnaus Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close flynnaus]

Re: Would Sir like Cockroaches with that?

1 in 4 seems a high number of machines to be infested

Being somewhat of a mathematician I am sceptical of statistical claims like this reported in the news.

How is the figure reached? Did they happen to have 8 machines in the shop at the time of reporting and two of them had cockroaches? Perhaps the two that did came from the same shop? Would you really remove the cockroaches by burning them out?



Sorry, this sends my skeptometer^TM into the red. I would be happy to be corrected - no, hang on perhaps I wouldnt be, given the nature of the story

Given the temperatures that espresso machines can reach, could cockies survive in them? Refrigeration equipment I can understand as they can provide warm dark places.

[JetBlack_Espresso Jetblack Espresso Find all posts View Profile Close >JetBlack_Espresso]

Re: Would Sir like Cockroaches with that?

Given the temperatures that espresso machines can reach, could cockies survive in them?  

Yes. Unfortunately. For anyone that has to open them up  

charlie

[A_M Guest Find all posts View Profile Close A_M]

Re: Would Sir like Cockroaches with that?

1 in 4 seems a high number of machines to be infested

Being somewhat of a mathematician I am sceptical of statistical claims like this reported in the news.

How is the figure reached? Did they happen to have 8 machines in the shop at the time of reporting and two of them had cockroaches? Perhaps the two that did came from the same shop? Would you really remove the cockroaches by burning them out?

Sorry, this sends my skeptometer^TM into the red. I would be happy to be corrected - no, hang on perhaps I wouldnt be, given the nature of the story

Given the temperatures that espresso machines can reach, could cockies survive in them? Refrigeration equipment I can understand as they can provide warm dark places.

Cockroaches can survive in many places.. And at extremes that you and I can not..

I would suggest that 1 in 4 is light on.. Further more I would suggest that any of teh Coffee machine Tecs would be able to attest to that.

I have worked on many Microwaves, and have yet to find one that either did not have active cockroaches or significant evidence of them being there.. Many of the key pads cct boards etc etc are just covered in the markings and facial matter... It is also the MAIN reason why the key pads on Microwaves and Stereo systems fail..

I would suggest the same for Commercial Coffee machine key pads and have seen the same on home systems..

[Senator Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Senator]

Re: Would Sir like Cockroaches with that?

It possibly was a little self serving (their claim of 1 in 4) in that they could be trying to get people to send in machines for servicing that might not have otherwise done so, but even so.

The engineeer reported that the heat inside the machines is definitely what attracted them.

Unfortunately the article isnt yet available on their website

[A_M Guest Find all posts View Profile Close A_M]

Re: Would Sir like Cockroaches with that?

It possibly was a little self serving (their claim of 1 in 4) in that they could be trying to get people to send in machines for servicing that might not have otherwise done so, but even so.

The engineeer reported that the heat inside the machines is definitely what attracted them.

Unfortunately the article isnt yet available on their website

See my post/s above...

Not self serving...  It is just that people do not understand and or think they are cleaner than they are.  

I am 100% confident in saying that cockroaches and many other insects etc make full use of what we offer them... That is why they have been around for so long and will be still around after we have laid waste to what we have.

For that matter, most PCs I open up, have signs of cockroaches and or other insects..  For some people, it is just a issue of they can not see the trees for the forest. Or choose to think they are clean.. We are not....

For that matter the last time we had a major blow out in the IT coms room it was cockroaches in our main cisco rack...  Once we had the AC upgraded and set to a nice 16 - 18, they left the imitate area..  We did not solve teh big issue, we just moved them on to a more suitable place..

You spray for cockroaches in a block of flats... Do you kill them all... NO WAY..  They just move out and next door.  They then spray and the game of chase just keeps going.

That is life.

[Senator Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Senator]

Re: Would Sir like Cockroaches with that?

The blowtorch the techie used seemed to be most effective.......

[flynnaus Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close flynnaus]

Re: Would Sir like Cockroaches with that?

The blowtorch the techie used seemed to be most effective.......

No doubts about the extermination potential of applying the blowtorch. What about the messy aftermath?

[Guest Close pingusam]

Re: Would Sir like Cockroaches with that?

For real? I thought it would be 1/4 not infested, at best. Guys, lets be honest, insects and creepy crawlies of all natures are everywhere, and think about the environment were offering them:

• warmth
• moisture
• food
• darkness

Maybe Im desensitised because Ive worked in bakeries and other food places, but these things can (and almost surely will) happen. We have to fight it as best we can, but...

Well, can you safely say there are no cockroaches in your home? Its pretty hard, really, for anyone.

[A_M Guest Find all posts View Profile Close A_M]

Re: Would Sir like Cockroaches with that?

For real? I thought it would be 1/4 not infested, at best. Guys, lets be honest, insects and creepy crawlies of all natures are everywhere, and think about the environment were offering them:

• warmth
• moisture
• food
• darkness

Maybe Im desensitised because Ive worked in bakeries and other food places, but these things can (and almost surely will) happen. We have to fight it as best we can, but...

Well, can you safely say there are no cockroaches in your home? Its pretty hard, really, for anyone.

I think you may be on to something there.. And I reckon that ALL of us will suggest that we in the 1/4 that are clean..

Now whos game to really have a look ;D

[Wushoes Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Wushoes]

Re: Would Sir like Cockroaches with that?

Given the temperatures that espresso machines can reach, could cockies survive in them? Refrigeration equipment I can understand as they can provide warm dark places.  

Theres an urban legend that if the whole world was nuked, the only things that would be able to survive are cockroaches. This was tested on MythBusters...awesome show! Even after taking on radiation 2 times the amount enough to kill a human, they survived.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-6cIy_s8pQ[/media]