How to get rid of cockroaches
/We all know cockroaches carry disease, but did you also know they’re a major cause of asthma? Certainly there are plenty of reasons to get rid of cockroaches and keep them out of your home, not least the ‘eek factor’! Here on the Gold Coast with the sub-tropical climate, cockroaches are a fact of life.
Large cockroaches v small cockroaches
When we’re talking about getting rid of cockroaches, it’s important to distinguish between large cockroach species and small cockroach species, as the actions to get rid of them and prevent them coming back are different…
Large cockroaches
Adult American cockroach
Large cockroaches (eg. American and Australian cockroaches) typically live outside the home in gardens and drains, in the roof and sub-floor, coming inside to look for food, moisture or just by accident.
Small cockroaches
Adult German cockroach
Small cockroaches (eg. German cockroaches) only live inside, setting up home in the kitchen or bathroom. They are small (adults only 1.5cm, young as small as a few mm) and can hide all sort of cracks and crevices, including door hinges in inside electrical appliances.
Tips to prevent a cockroach problem
The key preventative actions to reduce the chances of a cockroach problem are to reduce the available food sources by maintaining good hygiene:
Clear up any spilled food
Clean down and under the oven / fridge regularly
Do not leave unwashed dishes out overnight
Do not leave pet food bowls out with food in
Food should be stored in tight “cockroach-proof” containers
Put rubbish into sealed bins and stack away from the house.
Cockroaches also like moisture, so make sure you fix any leaking taps / pipework.
For large cockroaches ensure door and window screens are well fitting, and filling any cracks and crevices to prevent them entering the house.
For small cockroaches, filling any cracks and crevices inside the house is important, but it’s important to stop them setting up home in the first place. Often they get introduced into homes by accident. Commonly, German cockroaches or their egg cases get introduced in cardboard boxes – so check those boxes you bring shopping home in!
Watch out for cockroach egg cases in incoming cardboard boxes
Why supermarket cockroach products aren’t the best…
It’s always a good idea to have a cockie spray on hand to kill the occasional cockroach invader – most people will have one under the sink! However, if you have a cockroach problem, supermarket products don’t really cut it.
Cockroach bombs are often the go to products for homeowners. They can certainly protect a room from all manner of insect pests, but no matter what they say, they often don’t get into all the cracks and cervices where small cockroaches hide and do nothing to stop cockroaches coming in from outside.
Cockroach baits are certainly an important tool for targeting small (German) cockroaches. However, the supermarket cockroach baits which tend to be solid baits in a plastic bait station are not particularly effective.
Why aren’t supermarket cockroach baits as good as a professional cockroach gel?
1) The solid baits simply aren’t as attractive as gel products
2) Cockroach bait stations only give you a limited number of placements and they can’t be placed on vertical surfaces and other locations to target the cockroach hiding places. Professional cockroach gels allow for multiple placements exactly in the locations required.
How a professional cockroach treatment can help…
A professional cockroach treatment from a trusted pest control company will not only get rid of the problem but will come with a warranty.
A general pest treatment will work as a preventative treatment for large cockroaches, but if you have an infestation you will need specialist cockroach treatment.
The type of treatment will depend on the cockroach species present and the nature of the problem. Typically for large cockroach problems, a general pest spray around the outside of the building to prevent entry and the application of insecticide dusts to roof voids is very effective.
At Gold Coast Pest Services we use specialised cockroach sprays which are no available in the supermarket. These new types of spray use insecticides that get picked up on the cuticle of the cockroach and can be transferred to other cockroaches, magnifying its effect.
For German cockroach treatments, the key product used by professionals is the cockroach gel. The experience pest managers at Gold Coast Pest Services can identify all the cockroach hiding places and therefore know where to apply the product – essential to success.
Summary
Keeping cockroaches out of your home is important for the health of your family. Good housekeeping is a good start, but a professional cockroach treatment will provide the re-assurance you need. If you have an infestation, there’s no need to panic or struggle to get on top of it using supermarket products, just give the professionals at Gold Coast Pest Services a call.
