Cockroaches

Oriental cockroaches are found worldwide, and occurs commonly in the United Kingdom, mostly indoors in heated buildings. It is frequently found indoors, in restaurants, hospitals, prisons, hotel and other institutions.  The German cockroach is found all over Europe. Adult cockroaches can live up to 26 weeks.

Signs of a Cockroach problem:

• They hide during the day, so you may only see them at night. They hide in small cracks and crevices.
• Their deposits have a distinct sour smell
• They tend to be found around drains, dustbins and rubbish tips.
• They do need water to survive and will eat almost anything.
• They defecate and regurgitate onto surfaces.

WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE

They males are approximately 25mm in length and the females about 32 mm.   They are shiny and very dark brown, nearly black.

REPRODUCTION

• The mated female lays eggs which hatch within about 2-4 weeks.
• The development from egg to adult can take from about 6 – 18 months.
• Warm conditions are required for optimal breeding.  They are fairly resistant to cold temperatures although frost is fatal. 

IMPLICATIONS OF HAVING COCKROACHES

• The oriental cockroach is known to carry some bacteria.
• They can lead to an increased risk of disease transmission. Heavy and well established infestations present the additional risk of frequent headaches, migraine, allergies and asthma.
• The damage caused by fouling and tainting of food and non food materials, e.g. hospital supplies, causes financial implications.
• There is no tolerance within the UK for cockroaches and infestations.  These are taken very seriously by Environment Health Departments.

HOW DO WE GET RID OF COCKROACHES?

We will use an integrated approach to the treatment of cockroaches, using sticky traps, insecticidal gels and the targeted use of residual insecticides where appropriate. Night time inspections may be needed to control difficult infestations. The treated areas will need to be left for about 4 hours after treatment.