to worry about cockroaches in the Canary Islands?

[RainbowBriteRules]

Looking at all inclusive family holidays. They are all so expensive in the school holidays! Some good deals in the Canary Islands in particular Lanzarote and Tenerife. I’m not sure if I can do it though with the cockroaches. Google either tells me not to worry, I’ll hardly see any or that they are everywhere! Has anyone been and did you see lots? I have visions of being unable to sleep with them in our hotel room.

You do know we have cockroaches in the UK don't you?

I’m amazed. I didn’t know this was a thing at all. I have visited the canaries dozens and dozens of times (lanzarote, playa Blanca, 4 different hotels and apartments at least twice each), fuerteventura many times, coralejo more times than I can count and Jandia at least 4 times the most recently being October 18. I have also visited Tenerife. I would estimate 25 trips over many years. I have never, ever seen any cockroaches.

I saw some in a dive of a hotel in Crete c.1997, and my DF was working in the West Indies from 1982-1987 and visiting I saw some proper beasties (many many cockroaches, scorpions under loo seats and millipedes about 30cm long) but in the canaries I’ve never seen anything worse than a hungry chipmunk.

I've been to Majorca, Tenerife and Lanzarore and never seen one!

Went to Lanzarote in August 2017, absolutely infested. We slept in the car 1 night, 2 adults and 4 children. I couldn't have my newborn around the dirty fuckers.

Gran Canaria August 2018, didn't see a single one

It's just a bloody cockroach. They're like seeing a spider here fgs.

Last time I went to Tenerife was our honeymoon in 1987, they were everywhere!!

I've been to the canaries 5 times (different islands) and we did see cockroaches a couple of times in the hotel room. They weren't everywhere, but it's a possibility.

We have visited the Canary Islands several times and stayed in fairly high end accommodation of different types - villas, small/large hotels. We avoid the big package holiday resorts though. Haven’t seen a single cockroach. Actually, I always think it’s very bug free - we are never bitten by mozzies or plagued by wasps etc. I’m hoping I haven’t jinxed it by saying that, as we’re heading back in a few weeks with our baby.

Yes there are lots. Even more when particularly hot. Flying ones too. But the eont harm you.

Honestly, just check hotel reviews on Tripadvisor. If somewhere has a cockroach problem, people will say. Otherwise just pick a nice clean hotel and you'll be fine. Our hotels in GC have always been spotless and we've never had so much as a fly in our room, let alone a cockroach, and no cockroaches ever spotted in the grounds either. In fact one of the things I like about GC is that there is so little insect activity!

I've been to Tenerife (week's holiday in a parador hotel) and never saw a single one - I have a problem with bugs and look out for them and would freak out at a cockroach. But I never saw a single one.

Didn’t see any in Lanzarote in Sept. DH is scared of them so pretty vigilant.

I went to boarding school in the UK and one dropped down my nightie in the night!! I’ve had a real hatred of them since but I’ve travelled all over the world, it’s never stopped me. I can’t remember seeing any in Tenerife. Hundreds in Cyprus though!

OP, I've been to Majorca more than 10 times and in all those times I've seen maybe 2 in the street and that one in my shower and that was it.
He was the only one who wanted to get up close and personal

Have been in Lanzarote once (hated it, never again) and didn't see a single one there.

I was there in July '18 and didn't see any! If you're looking for them you'll probably see them but I'm sure most are be having too much fun to notice!

Yes I've seen them.
I stayed in a cheap and cheerful place in las Americas about 20 years ago and when you used to get home at night and switch the light on you would see them all scuttle off to hide 🤢
This year I was sat outside a bar in Spain and one the size of hand crawled over my foot, I may have screamed

Will have a look at Trip Advisor. I know it is ridiculous, I know we have them here. It’s the prospect of spending thousands of pounds to see them that bothers me. It’s such a lot of money to get wrong.

We've been to Tenerife about 6 times in the last 15 years and have only ever seen 2 (and one of those was dead).

I didn't realise that they were such a thing there.

O lived in Tenerife for a few years. They take some getting use to but you either seem to be somewhere they are or you don't see them!

I could handle the ones that walked. It's the flying fuckers that always got me! That and the spiders from the banana plantations that carry their babies on their backs 🙈

If you really can't handle them avoid canaries and southern Spain. And U.K. hospital basements 😂

There's cockroaches in the UK (some households are ridden with them) too ,so no nowhere is safe, particularly in countries where it gets really warm(if you visit in season) However they're bugs... they don't bite or anything they just are. You can get ants as well especially if you leave sugary food/crumbs around.
Not enough of an issue to miss out on a great holiday.

saw one in gran canaria - think it was because our apartment backed onto the mountain. never seen them before in visiting lanzarote/tenerife about 10 times. saw a few in top resort hotel in mauritius though

Been to the canaries loads and hardly seen any.

Went to surfers paradise in Aussie. Brand new apartment block, we where on ground floor. Woke up about 3am with a raging thirst. Went to the kitchen (didn’t put the light on), heard crunch, crunch.

Turned the light on. There where hundreds of cockies all over the kitchen/lounge. I screamed blue murder. Dh thought I was being murdered.

On nights in a nhs hospital me and the other nurses used to catch cockies in a roses jar to show the day staff (they said we where exaggerating our cockie experiences).

So go to the canaries and enjoy.

Been to Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Feurteventura and have never seen one!

I used to work in an office here in Ireland and the office was infested with them constantly, I couldn't leave anything down for fear of bringing one of the fuckers home, every morning I'd open the door, reach in and flick the light, then bang the door loudly a few times to announce my arrival so they could scurry off, it was grim!!

I have been to the Canaries 10+ times. Yes I have seen the occasional cockroach there but would hardly say there were swarms. If it's really putting you off, how about a cruise, then you can go back to your ship at night and sail away.

agedknees - what happened about the apartment in aussie? did you get moved?