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So I've recently encountered a problem with cockroaches EATING the wash off my painted figures. For context, I pretty much live outside, and we've had an unusually wet season here in northern Australia, so there's really nothing I can do to stop the roaches hanging around (the house is filled with velvet geckoes, bats and snakes to keep the vermin down, but this year's roaches are BIG apparently). Painted miniatures go into boxes, but sometimes when I'm batch-painting a LOT of figures at once, or painting BIG miniatures, I have to leave them out overnight due to lack of space - specially when washing them.

Now, ink-style washes are the only reason I took up painting miniatures again, after a break of about 10 years just playing with what I had. I habitually use Tamiya "Smoke" as an all-over dirty wash (because I can buy it sort-of locally) but from what I understand, this product isn't actually a "wash" at all. It's meant for tinting windows (like on model cars) and behaves like jelly-jam with alcohol in it as a thinner. It's an ugly product. And I like it. But so do the roaches... They seem to target the thickest parts, recesses, etc.

Does anyone know why roaches would be addicted to this stuff? Is there plant-material in it or something? Tamiya paints are such an enigma.

K.B. wrote:
So I've recently encountered a problem with cockroaches EATING the wash off my painted figures. For context, I pretty much live outside, and we've had an unusually wet season here in northern Australia, so there's really nothing I can do to stop the roaches hanging around (the house is filled with velvet geckoes, bats and snakes to keep the vermin down, but this year's roaches are BIG apparently). Painted miniatures go into boxes, but sometimes when I'm batch-painting a LOT of figures at once, or painting BIG miniatures, I have to leave them out overnight due to lack of space - specially when washing them.

Now, ink-style washes are the only reason I took up painting miniatures again, after a break of about 10 years just playing with what I had. I habitually use Tamiya "Smoke" as an all-over dirty wash (because I can buy it sort-of locally) but from what I understand, this product isn't actually a "wash" at all. It's meant for tinting windows (like on model cars) and behaves like jelly-jam with alcohol in it as a thinner. It's an ugly product. And I like it. But so do the roaches... They seem to target the thickest parts, recesses, etc.

Does anyone know why roaches would be addicted to this stuff? Is there plant-material in it or something? Tamiya paints are such an enigma.

I'd wager that it contains a chemical compoud called an ester, which is the result from a reaction between an alcohol and an acid. Esters are common solvents and can be found in a lot of paints, lacquers and some beauty products because they offer many desirable chemical or physical properties, but esters also are the compounds that govern much of the individual flavors of some of the stronger-tasting (and smelling) fruits. Artificial fruit flavorings are also often ester-based due to this, for example banana flavoring in sweets and confectionry. Your Tamya product probably contains a compound like that that strongly smells of overripe fruit and attracts the roaches.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ester

Tsagualsa wrote:
I'd wager that it contains a chemical compoud called an ester, which is the result from a reaction between an alcohol and an acid. Esters are common solvents and can be found in a lot of paints, lacquers and some beauty products because they offer many desirable chemical or physical properties, but esters also are the compounds that govern much of the individual flavors of some of the stronger-tasting (and smelling) fruits. Artificial fruit flavorings are also often ester-based due to this, for example banana flavoring in sweets and confectionry. Your Tamya product probably contains a compound like that that strongly smells of overripe fruit and attracts the roaches.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ester

My god it's true! It does smell like overripe fruit! I mentioned I keep everything in vermin-proof boxes, whenever I open the boxes, the air inside smells like sweet cherries, old jam, or maybe brandy. Oh god no, this means I'll suffer the affliction forever!

Thanks for the tip - utterly fascinating, and also totally gross!

This is a high unusual and interesting thread!! Not a problem I ever thought would occur. The ester thing is super interesting ! A leap of logic I definitely couldn't have made, ha

Have you tried keeping mothballs around? They work as a repellant for moths largely because of smell, so that might help

shmvo wrote:
This is a high unusual and interesting thread!! Not a problem I ever thought would occur. The ester thing is super interesting ! A leap of logic I definitely couldn't have made, ha

Have you tried keeping mothballs around? They work as a repellant for moths largely because of smell, so that might help

Once, a long long time ago when i was still in school, i had a lab accident and got absolutely drenched in the banana-smelling stuff, which apparently forms very lasting memories

Mothballs are a good idea, activated charcoal to absorb the fumes might also work, or large amounts of baking soda or these desiccant packages that you get in boxes of dried fruit etc.

These guys on this clip had a very similar problem … the solution they offer is pretty drastic though

[youtube] https://youtu.be/tyyoaBa7DaE[/youtube]

Could you not give them a spray with bug repellent?

Do you have space for a small fridge? It's well sealed and the low temperature may deter the insects.