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.

Saw them all over in F'Ventura..... I mean there were manholes full of them in the main tourist square but only had a few in the apartments (have been to F'Ventura a few times)

Had loads in the apartments in Gran Canaria until we moved to non ground floor.

None in Lanzarote that we saw.

Hi. I have a real fear of cockroaches, and I'm not generally an anxious person who is scared of anything!
If asked what my 'phobia' was, cockroaches would probably be it.

Ok, so my children and I went to Costa Adeji in Tenerife 2 years ago. It is fairly upmarket and clean, and we didn't see a single one in the whole two weeks.
Actually, I've just remembered we did. It was a solitary roach, and it kept being chased by some annoying kids. I rather felt sorry for it, as it kept trying to hide.
It sucks being a Glaswegian, as we're predisposed to feeling sorry for the underdog ... even if it is a bug!
I would advise asking for a room on a higher up floor. I personally wouldn't fancy one on ground level. And of course don't leave food in your room, etc.
Happy hols!

I go to Gran Canaria every year for winter sun and never see any. Went to Lanzarote last summer, again didn’t see any apart from a couple at night when we were in the town square, they soon ran off. No worse than any other hot country.

I saw one in gran Canarian. It happened to be in the bath. And stayed there for the week.
Fortunately we had 2 bathrooms.

I also heard- saw one creeping around the floor of an apartment in Crete.

Good idea to request a non-ground floor room. I know they can still get in but does seem there would be less.

We went to Lanzarote for a week twenty years ago. We say one, out in the street.

• saw

Been to Fuertaventura and Lanzarote and never saw any. Guess it depends on type of accommodation you are in.

It was ages ago (at least 20 years) but we didn’t see any in Gran Canaria when we were there.

Worst place for creepy crawlies was Australia followed closely by the British Virgin Islands.

My dm was a nurse Op and I would cover my ears when she would talk about the cockroach in her hospital! My df was an environmental health inspector and told her to have a special pair of shoes for the hospital and not to wear them in our house in case she carried eggs .

I got back from Lanzarote a few days ago. Had a brilliant time. Didn't see a single cockroach.

I’ve been going to lanzarote for over 20 years. So probably been 30 times and only ever seen a few each time. Usually by the pool at night or near the ground floor door. It certainly doesn’t put me off going there as it’s a lovely very clean and beautiful island with amazing restaurants, great beaches and friendly people.

I’ve been to Tenerife and Fuerteventura and have never seen one!

Have never seen any in GC, Tenerife or Fuerte. Loads in Lanzarote though!

I've been to Lanzarote (all different resorts & different times of the year) maybe ?8 times & have never seen any cockroaches.
Same in Tenerife -although only been there twice. Much prefer Lanzarote.

Only place I've come across them was Florida. Ugh.

I'm amazed that this is such a concern. I've been to Tenerife more than a dozen times, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria twice each and La Gomera, too. If I saw any they certainly weren't indoors and left no impression on me. Certainly no infestations. The only place I have ever had a problem with them was Crete (budget hotel, ages ago) where they were the size of hens' eggs.

I have been four times and never seen one cockroach.

I'm just back from Lanzarote and haven't seen any.

Been to canaries about 40 times to various Canaries over last 20 years and remember seeing cockroaches twice

I've been to Fuerteventura in October and didn't see any - had a few ants in the apartment, caught a tiny lizard in the bedroom, and there were hundreds of butterflies. It's wasn't especially hot when we went, maybe that's why. When I visited the Middle East they were all over the place though.

We went to Gran Canaria a few years ago and saw one on the first night scuttling across the bedroom floor (like you, I was terrified at the thought and this happening on the first night didn't put me at ease!) That was the only one we saw in the apartment though and we saw a couple by the shops one night and that was it.

They aren't really anything to be worried about. They're native to lots of hot countries. They're not harmful in themselves particularly if they're only in the bathroom - they live in the drains. When we lived in South East Asia we had cockroaches in the car. I mean, they're not a reason not to go somewhere. There are flies everywhere and spiders everywhere and mosquitoes in lots of places. So do you rule out most of the world on the basis of its insect population?

I'm in Sydney and they are everywhere! We get the house sprayed every year but that just means we have dead ones scattered around. We are clean people and make sure we don't leave food out and everything in the cupboards is sealed. We have got used to them now and I hardly notice if I see one scurrying across the floor - they can't hurt you. Spiders on the other hand...we found three freaking red backs in our garage and the playroom last week. That's wasn't a good day.

I’ve really enjoyed the canaries, though I did stand on a cockroach in the kitchen of our apartment in Fuerteventura...I swear it squeaked

I’ve been to the Canaries 6 times in the last 7 years and I’ve never seen a cockroach either our accommodation is too nice or I just don’t notice things!