Cockroaches
Cockroach Control
Pest infestations aren’t only worrying but a health concern as well especially when it’s cockroaches! These insects are carriers of a number of diseases such as Salmonella which affects the intestinal tracts. Cockroach infestations can result in other infections namely gastroenteritis and dysentery as well as conditions such as asthma.
Cockroaches breed rapidly and in no time at all, invade your home or business in large numbers. They’re tough and resilient to most attempts to get rid of them. With the rising demand for pest control, professional treatment is often the only solution for complete cockroach elimination.
Why Are Cockroaches Classified as Pests?
Cockroaches are carriers of a number of diseases and other conditions that are harmful to humans and animals and huge populations are a serious threat. Exposure to cockroach droppings, saliva and body parts can trigger allergies, asthma and eczema.
Besides making your home or workplace look unclean, cockroaches pose the following risks:
- Spread of parasitic worms: Cockroaches spread a number of parasitic worms including tapeworms and roundworms by contaminating food. Exposure to parasitic worms results in serious digestion problems and illnesses for both humans and animals.
- Dysentery: A bacterial disease caused by ingesting infected faeces matter, dysentery affects the intestinal tract, resulting in symptoms such as bloody diarrhea. Cockroaches often trample through faeces, leaving traces of it in food or on countertops.
- Food poisoning: Besides trampling through faeces, cockroaches also move on and eat rotten food. They carry residual germs to other food in the kitchen or canteen and if ingested by humans, resulting in unpleasant symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea.
- Allergies: Cockroach faeces, skins, eggs and saliva all give rise to fungus which is dangerous for asthma sufferers and other people who battle allergies.
- Viruses: Besides being carriers of bacterial diseases, the cockroach can harbour viruses such as the polio virus. Ingesting food contaminated by cockroaches can expose humans and animals to these viruses.
Eliminating cockroach infestations is vital for the overall health and safety of both humans and animals.
Signs of a Cockroach Problem
The cockroach is a shy insect that only comes out at nighttime. This makes it more difficult to spot them. Cockroaches are shy insects that only come out at night time making it difficult to spot them. Recognizing the signs of an infestation allows you to get professional help before the problem turns into an infestation.
Strange Smells
Large numbers of cockroaches leave behind a strange odour that can be sweet, musty or even smells like almonds. It becomes noticeable in food, cupboards, on countertops, under sinks and behind appliances when there’s more than one cockroach running around your home or office.
Droppings and Egg Cases
Resembling small peppercorns, cockroach droppings are a giveaway sign that you have this pest invading your property. The faeces are the same shape and colour as peppercorns and can be found near spots where they’ve been eating or living. The small, oval-shaped egg cases are are noticeable after the insect hatches out of them.
Signs of Feeding
Cockroaches will eat just about anything from plastics to cardboard boxes, furnishing to books and piles of magazines or paperwork. They devour both fresh and rotten food, seeking leftovers in bins whenever they can. If you notice signs of feeding on any of these items, it’s time to call the pest control experts to confirm a cockroach problem.
The Common Types of Cockroaches
While there are over 3,000 species worldwide, the most common types of cockroaches to invade homes or offices in the U.K. include the Oriental and German cockroaches. However, it’s not unusual to find American and Brown-banded cockroaches either.
American cockroaches normally take up residence in basements and kitchens. However, they tend to breed outdoors and live in trees. The brown-banded cockroach is tiny, measuring only 10 mm to 15 mm in length and are found scuttling around on the ground although they can fly in warmer climates.
Preferring moist environments, German cockroaches are most often found in bathrooms or kitchens. The Oriental cockroach can survive in various habitats but does well in cool and dry environments as well as damp areas. They’re dark brown in colouring and love to feed on scraps in the bin and decaying matter.
Combatting Cockroach Infestations
An established infestation can grow into a far bigger problem as it spreads to neighbouring properties. They’re a serious health problem for homeowners and their families and pets as well as employees in the workplace and the general public. Combatting cockroach infestations requires speedy and professional action!
While DIY products can minimise smaller cockroach problems, once it becomes an infestation you need professional treatment options. Using certified pest control technicians to identify the extent of the problem means you’ll get a treatment plan that’s highly effective for cockroach eradication.
After carrying out a survey, a professional pest control technician will determine what type of treatment is required to solve the infestation quickly, safely and efficiently. Tailored treatment plans that are child-and pet-friendly target the main pest problem and prevents re-infestation afterward.
A Word on DIY Pest Control
If the cockroach problem is small, you can use DIY natural products to keep the pest under control. A common household ingredient, bicarb soda, is a safe and effective home remedy for small cockroach invasions. Sprinkling a mixture of sugar (for luring the cockroach) and bicarb soda in infected areas will kill pests.
Neem oil is highly effective in getting rid of pests. Mix neem oil with water, pour it into a spray bottle and use it to coat countertops, cupboard shelves or even the floors. Peppermint oil has a similar effect.
A mixture of pepper, onion and garlic paste mixed in with water and left in infected spots will chase away cockroaches who detest the smell! Cockroaches also don’t like the smell of crushed bay leaves. Spraying cockroaches with a mixture of fabric softener and water will cause them to die immediately. However, this isn’t an easy approach when tackling larger infestations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Where should I look for cockroaches?
Depending on the cockroach species, you can find them in a number of places throughout your home or office building. However, some of the most common places to look for them include kitchens, bathrooms, basements, laundry rooms and drains. Check out cupboards, under the sink, gaps and holes found in walls and around the plumbing.
Can cockroaches fly?
Cockroaches are normally associated with little creatures that scurry around kitchen sinks, run on the floor or skirt around the bathtub! However, some species can fly such as the brown-banded cockroach. The more common German cockroach species found in U.K. homes and commercial properties can’t fly.
What gets rid of roaches permanently?
Boric acid is one of the most effective home remedies for getting rid of cockroaches permanently. It’s odourless and isn’t repellent for cockroaches so they have no problem running through it. However, it kills them quickly as soon as they’re exposed to it. While an effective home remedy, boric acid is toxic and should be handled with care around children and pets.
The most effective and safest way to remove cockroaches permanently is to contact a local professional pest control company. They’ll devise a treatment plan that eradicates cockroach infestations safely and efficiently while ensuring they don’t return in the future.
Final Thoughts
Pest control is essential when there’s a cockroach infestation in the home or office building. Knowing how to recognize a pest problem before it becomes severe means you can take action to solve it. While there are DIY home remedies that can combat smaller cockroach problems, combatting them completely requires professional pest control solutions.
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