Sometimes confused with black beetles from the garden, cockroaches are distinguished by their very long whip-like antennae, flat oval bodies and rapid, jerky gait.
The adult German cockroach is 10 to 15mm long. The Common or Oriental cockroach is 20 to 24mm long. They are rarely able to survive out of doors in the British climate, but thrive around the heating ducts and boiler rooms of large centrally heated buildings e.g. hospitals, bakeries, hotel and restaurant kitchens, laundries and blocks of flats. They cluster around pipes, stoves, and sinks, especially in humid areas.
The German cockroach carries its egg case, a small brown purse-like capsule, until the 30 or more nymphs are ready to hatch from it. The Oriental cockroach deposits its 13mm long egg capsule on packaging, sacking or in suitable dark crevices before the 16 or 18 nymphs hatch out.
Cockroaches grow in stages – from nymphs to maturity in six to 12 months for the Oriental cockroach, but only in as many weeks in the case of the German cockroach.
Both species eat any sort of food and are most active after dark, from their inaccessible harborages, to forage, contaminating food and food utensils, or food preparation surfaces as they go. They taint food with an obnoxious smell and may be carriers of various diseases, including serious food poisoning.
How we can help
- We treat all rooms which have cockroaches in by using fogging, residual insecticide and gel baits.
- We will only carry out a partial treatment (one of 3 rooms for example) at the request of the client, but partial treatments are not successful and not recommended.
- Two treatments are now recommended for cockroaches.
Before our visit
- The property must be vacuumed and cleaned thoroughly throughout.
- All items on the floor such as shoes, bags etc. should be taken off the floor especially at floor and wall junctions.
During our visit
You should be out of the property during our treatment and until the insecticide is dry, normally about 3 hours dependent on temperature.
After our visit
- Do not sweep, brush, mop, vacuum, or clean the area that has been sprayed for at least 14 days, this is to let the insecticide work through the insects' life cycle which we are trying to break.
- If after 14 days there is still activity then a second treatment may be required.