How can i get rid of insects inside the display of my oven?

[karinas]

There is a cockroach inside the clock display of the oven. 

I had a tenant living in the place, and they were so gross. When the managing agent did the routine rental inspection, the place was crawling with cockroaches, so I ended the lease (there were several other things wrong - that was just one of the reasons).. We had the get the place treated twice to get rid of the cockroaches. 

The cockroaches mostly went except for two that are in the digital clock display on my oven. I can’t get the front panel off (it is a fisher &

paykel electric oven, built into the cabinet). Is there a way to get rid of the cockroaches??

I am at a point where I am too grossed out by it that I am considering just getting the oven replaced… but if there’s another way, I’d be open to trying! 

[AlanM52]

Hi @karinas,

You will need someone like a oven repair technician or appliance repair technician.

Here is one typical example of what is involved, that had a faulty programmable oven timer.

Screws have been removed from both sides of the oven

The oven has been pulled forward and on the right that box covers all front panel electrical wiring.

Cover removed exposing the electrical stuff.

Photo shows the back of the front control panel and the oven timer is now accessable.

At this point the technician has a few options.

Spray the back of the clock with insect spray and hope enough gets in there to kill them but... that may mess up the inside of the display screen.

Remove and dismantle the display screen.

Replace the display screen.

You may be ok to remove the screws, pull the oven forward a bit and then spray into the cavity on all sides.

Cheers

[JacobZ]

Hi @karinas,

Unfortunately, I agree with @AlanM52 that you are going to need an appliance repair technician to help with this one.

Like he has shown, you would be opening up a sealed unit to an area with electrical wiring, that without knowledge of what you are doing, could be extremely dangerous.

I'd suggest you look for an appliance repair technician near you for their assistance or replace the oven.

Jacob

[Noyade]

Hi @karinas 

Are these roaches dead, and their bodies obscuring the timer? 

Or are they alive and deliberately making life hard?

Even if spray succeeds - the lifeless bodies may still obscure?

Perspex covers the florescent timer?

How much do you love the oven?

[karinas]

Thankyou! There’s a lot more involved in evicting the cockroaches than I anticipated. I have no business at all dealing with electrical things in this way so I’d best be getting a properly experienced person deal with it (Though depending on how much time and cost I do wonder about just replacing the whole thing hahaha). 

[karinas]

I am pretty sure they are dead as they are always in the same spot and don’t move when I tap on the display. I’m sure it’s also full of cockroach poo. (Thought of this makes me feel like vomiting). 

There is Perspex/glass on the front of the clock display. The stainless steel panel on the oven looks like it *could* come off, but I’m guessing it’s complicated like in the pics above. 

I don’t love the oven.. I mean, it works, but it isn’t amazing. It’s 25ish years old so I don’t think the specific display parts would still be available either if any parts needed to be replaced, unless fisher&paykel still use the same parts or there are generic parts available that are the same.

[EricL]

Hello @karinas 

I agree with @AlanM52 in regards to removing the insects inside your timer. You'll need an oven technician to take your oven apart in order to reach the timer and clean it out. I don't recommend disassembling the oven as there is the possibility of getting electrocuted. 

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric