In my location the American Cockroach or Palmetto bug are a well known resident. I was going through my mix of CHC today, topping off a few trees and there was a baby American Cockroach and several earwigs in it. First, I hate those things and second it seems the CHC mix is so airy that these bugs like it. That concerns me and I'm not sure how to handle this. I don't want my pots to be a breeding ground for these things as they like damp organic matter. Second, I believe earwigs feed on the roots?

My Rootmaker containers also have many openings for the creatures to enter, so now worried I'm my containers are crawling with these things.

Getting rid of bugs and insects in a citrus container is easy. If your worried about insects in a container that is growing a citrus tree, just set the entire container in a large bucket of water. Doing so will kill any living creature within the medium. Citrus root damage from flooding does not begin to develop until after approximately 48 hours of continual submerging. I frequently set many many many of my citrus trees in larger buckets of water over night, to deep water them, then remove them in the morning. Even 10 -15 minutes will probably kill anything. However, if anything is in the medium, they will probably run for their life, just soon after you submerge the container. Millet (863-)

Won't this sort of soak, flush out my coir/peat and slow release fertilizer? Has anyone experienced these kind of bugs in their CHC?

Thanks for the advice Millet.

Mark, why would it flush out the peat/coir? It should have no unusual effect on the slow release fertilizer, after all its slow release. After setting your citrus container in a larger bucket, fill the larger container until the water is level with the top of the medium. I've done this for over 10+ years. You can also add some fertilizer (1/2 rate) to the water and fertilize your tree at the same time. It sure beats applying an insecticide. If your worried about the medium floating, just place something on top of the CHC.- Millet (862-)

I'm trying on some 1 gallon pots. I'm just worried about the cockroaches multiplying. It also appears I'll be moving in the next 3 months and I don't want to transport any of these monsters.

What about Diatomaceous earth?

Doesn't look like too many were in there. I found one dead floating nymph in the water so far. Mostly Springtails and Earwigs.

Do you think it would be a bad idea to use the same water for more than one tree?

I think it should be fine. What insects or bugs are in the water would be long dead by drowning. - Millet (855-)