Cockroaches are amongst the most noxious pests; they have lived alongside of man for hundreds of years. They are regarded as a serious public health pest. They move from filth to food indiscriminately and therefore can be the means of transmitting disease. They foul the environment with their faeces etc. They feed on conventional foodstuffs but also on any kind of animal or human waste. They are mainly nocturnal insects’ usually only seen during the hours of darkness they hide in cracks and crevices and service ducting. If they are visible during daylight this is usually an indicator that there is a serious infestation.

What do they look like?

Cockroaches are quite large insects, which range in size from 10-23mm; they have long antennae and two pairs of wings (but they cannot fly).

German Cockroach

The German Cockroach is light brown and the adults are 13 – 16 mm long. The female lays her egg case near to a food source and the 30 – 40 eggs will hatch out within 1 – 2 days. The nymphs are a miniature of the adult and will go through 5 –7 moult stages as they progress to the adult stage. They prefer warm humid conditions.

Oriental Cockroach

The Oriental Cockroach is shiny dark brown (almost black) and range in size between 20 –24 mm but the female may reach 32 mm long. The Oriental Cockroach is not as good a climber as the German and will tolerate much cooler conditions and can be found in outside buildings and in drains and sewers. The female deposits her egg case near a food source but it is 6 weeks or more before the 16 – 18 eggs will hatch. They will go through 7-10 moults before reaching the adult insect.

Preventative measures.

As cockroaches will feed on any food source including filth it is vital that premises be kept spotlessly clean and that there are no food sources or hiding places. Plug all small cracks around baseboards, cupboards, pipes, sinks and water heaters with latex or silicone sealant. Larger holes will need to be patched. This will prevent the insects from establishing a colony because they will not survive if they cannot find food and shelter.

Because of the seriousness of a cockroach infestation and the difficulty in being able to manage an effective treatment we would not recommend you to treat this yourself but contact your Council Pest Control Section or a professional company.

How can the Council Help?

• Highly trained officers from the Pest Control section can undertake a treatment for you; there is a charge for this service (See the web link for prices). The Council does provide a free treatment for those on Council Tax Benefit
• To effect a treatment officer may need access to all areas of an affected room/s This may include drawers and cupboards. If you need to move an item for us to gain access, do not take it out of the room as you could infest another area.
• Sticky traps will be employed to determine the worst effected areas and to monitor the progress of the treatment.
• He will advise you of the treatment and what the likely outcome will be he will leave you a safety sheet providing information about the insecticide that he has used.
• The Treatment is likely to take a number of weeks to complete, as there is a need to establish that all of the insects have been eradicated.