Cockroaches Pest Control
Cockroaches
Finding cockroaches in your home or business can be very distressing. Exposure to cockroaches can pose significant health risk as they are carriers of Salmonella, Dysentery, and Gastro-enteritis. Droppings from cockroaches are linked to asthmatic attacks and increased eczema.
Professional treatment is essential for any Cockroach infestation. They are a tough insect and can reproduce quickly. Expert products and treatments are the only ones that can eliminate them all.
Cockroaches have a smelt?
While a single individual cockroach will not give off a strong scent, an infestation can leave behind a distinctive odor. It can smell sweet, musty or almond-like and can stain food and surfaces.
If you've noticed an unwelcome odour beneath sinks, in cupboards, or behind appliances, then it is time to call the experts. Cockroaches were discovered as fossils in amber and encased with them for millions of year. Experts suggest that the cockroaches date back between 350 million and 400 millions years.
They are highly resilient and can breed rapidly. For cockroaches to be controlled on your property, you must act fast at first signs.
Rentokil Effective Cockroach Control
After an infestation has been established, they can quickly spread to nearby properties. To ensure effective and quick control, it is crucial to act quickly if there are any signs of activity.
Rentokil offers specialized, targeted treatment options to control cockroaches. Our British Pest Control Association certified technicians will be able to assist you in preventing a re-infestation.
Rentokil has a team of pest experts who can assist you in removing cockroaches and preventing their return.
Management
The task of controlling cockroaches requires a lot of effort. For serious indoor infestations and other large or complex cockroach problems, professional pest control services are often required. Sometimes, though, you might be able manage your cockroaches all by yourself. It is essential to first identify and locate the specific species. You will have a more successful control program if there are more hiding spaces you find and can manage. Don't forget that most tropical cockroaches love warm, dark hideaways with easy water. It may prove difficult for some of these areas to be reached.
Cockroach infestations can be prevented by reducing food and water supply, as well as hiding and known places. Baits, which are the primary tools for controlling cockroaches, may not be effective if they have easy access to food. Pesticides are not enough to eliminate cockroaches. It's usually necessary to use multiple pest control methods in an integrated pest management (IPM).
Chemical Control
Pesticides work best when they are used in combination with hygiene and other exclusion measures to limit the possibility of cockroach invasions. Pesticides alone will not solve a cockroach problem.
Use insecticides with extreme care when using them. Indoor chemical control is warranted only if the cockroach population is established, not for an incidental intruder or two.
Baits. Pesticides that are primarily used for cockroach control include baits. These products can be packed in pastes and gels as well as granules (see Table 3).
Insecticides in baits have a slow action. However, all cockroaches are not affected by the same baits. Brownbanded cockroaches, for example, are particularly difficult to manage with baits. A bait is less effective for female cockroaches that have eggs. These cockroaches don't eat as much, and they avoid open spaces. Although a good bait program can give results in a matter of days, it may take longer. The long-term management of cockroaches is possible with the use of baits. You can increase the effectiveness of your baits by eliminating other sources of food.
Sticky traps and insecticides won't draw cockroaches for long. Therefore, place your baits near places where they can hide or are more likely to come across them during their search.
In the outdoors, you can place baits and station around buildings perimeters.
Place baits indoors in the cabinets, under appliances and along walls. Also, baits may be put next to droppings and fecal particles of cockroaches. They may also contain an attractant, or aggregation hormone. Look for these fecal specks and droppings under kitchen counters, behind kitchen drawers, and in the back of cabinets.
Refer to
Quarles W. 1998. Controlling cockroaches with non-toxic chemicals and pheromones IPM Practitioner, Vol. XX (5/6)
Rust MK. 2008. Cockroaches.
Urban Pests Have a Significant Impact on the Public's Health
(eds. (PDF) X Bonnefoy, H Kempen, K Sweeny. WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Rust MK and Owens JM. Reierson DA. 1995. The German Cockroach: Understanding and Controlling. New York: Oxford University Press.
PUBLICATION INFORMATION
Pest Notes – Cockroaches UC ANR Publiation 7467
Types of Cockroaches
There are 69 species of cockroaches in North America, but only a handful infest structures. It is important to know which type of cockroach you have so that you can determine how best to handle it.
German Cockroach (Blattella germanica) – This is by far the most common cockroach infesting homes and buildings. While the pest loves being around humans, they can also be found outside. Adults are light brown in color and approximately 1/2 inches long. They have two dark stripes running lengthwise across the shield-shaped space behind their head. The nymphs grow smaller and are more darkened with a brown stripe at the center of their back. German cockroaches are very prolific and can make it difficult to control them. In less than one year, a single female mated can give birth to thousands of cockroaches.
Fig. 2: Germancockroaches can be found in buildings. (Lower photo: Gary Alpert from Harvard University, Bugwood.org). Germancockroaches thrive on warmth, moisture and food. The most popular hiding spots are cracks and crevices underneath sinks or toilets. They also like to be near stoves, refrigerators, and dishwashers. German cockroaches are also attracted to clocks, ovens, or other heat-producing electronics. If there is a large population or food shortage, they will be in the bedrooms and closets of your home. While they are most likely to be found in cracks or crevices where there is little food, German roaches may also move around freely. These roaches are known to move between apartments or rooms via pipes, wires, walls, and ceilings.
Fig. 3. The perfect habitat for the Germancockroach in crevices and cracks
Photo credit to Tom Myers. The American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana), which is about 1 1/2 inches in length when fully grown, can be found inside dwellings. This cockroach has a reddish-brown to brown coloration with a yellow band at the border of its head. While adults can fly, their wings are not well-developed. Although the nymphs have smaller wings and are not as large, they are similar to adults. American cockroaches grow slower than German cockroaches, but their larger size helps offset the slow growth.
Calling a Professional
This publication contains many useful tips that can be used to rid your home of cockroaches. However, there are some who may need to consult a professional.
There are many ways that pest control companies can approach the problem of cockroach infestations. A few companies are happy to do a small number of treatments, with cancellations possible after an infestation has been eliminated. Other companies require that customers purchase a full year of general pest control service for ants, spiders, etc., regardless of how long it takes to eliminate the current problem with cockroaches. It is possible for clients to request ongoing service. But, it does not have to take longer than one year to get rid of cockroaches.
On each service visit, the technician must conduct a complete inspection. If insecticides need to be used, it is important that they be applied in cracks, secluded areas, and not on baseboards, or any other exposed surface. Some of the pesticides professional use for controlling cockroaches will last months. You don't need to repeat the treatment month after month if you have eliminated an infestation.
This publication was revised 6/18. If in doubt, please consult your local cooperative extension service or regulatory agency. ALWAYS READ DIRECTIONS ON LABEL FOR PRODUCTS YOU USE.
Images copied from University of Kentucky, unless indicated otherwise.
ENTfact Invaders on Stored Foods and Fabrics
The Essentials
The most effective strategy for German cockroach control involves implementing multiple control techniques. One thing the German cockroach has shown us over the decades is its innate ability to adapt, survive and thrive. Reliance only on one type of insecticide may lead to cockroach population that is physiologically or behavioral resistant.
The ability of a German cockroach colony to resist any one insecticide, formula or nonchemical strategy is negated by the use of multiple strategies and formulations.
The experience has proven that the German cockroach infestation can continue if the initial treatment fails to reduce the number by at least 98% within four to six weeks. It sounds great to kill 950 of 1,000 cockroaches, but leaving 50 behind can lead to more infestations. Austin Frishman is an industry consultant who says that it doesn't matter how many cockroaches are killed, it's the number of cockroaches left behind. VACUUMING. Figure 1: Vacuuming is one of the best techniques to provide initial services for cockroaches that are larger than a handful. Vacuuming is a great way to reduce the population. It can be done on surfaces or in voids. Vacuuming can be used alone to eliminate an infestation up to 50 percent. An added benefit is the customer will see far fewer dead and live cockroaches in the days following the initial service. Anyone who isn't currently using one should seriously consider buying one.
TREATMENT TABLETS. You need to consider the specific site that cockroaches may be living. German cockroaches prefer to rest in cracks or voids, which is why 75 percent of them are found there. Cockroaches are very careful about what they touch. A pest control professional that uses crack and crevice and void treatments will be more successful against German cockroaches. Professionals who primarily only use a compressed air sprayer applying spot treatments are more likely to have problems in eliminating cockroaches.
INTERESTICIDAL FORMULATIONS. It is better to apply insecticide formulations into cracks and gaps for effective cockroach management. The best non-bait choices for cracks and void treatments are dusts and aerosols due to their ability to penetrate and distribute throughout a crack or void, then contacting and killing any cockroaches that may be hiding there.
Water-based formulations (EC, SC, CS, WP) are typically labeled for crack and crevice (C&C) application and can be applied to cracks using a C&C tip on the sprayer. Water-based formulations in cracks can cause poor distribution of the product to non-target surfaces. Distribution concerns mean that water-based formulations might not work well in voids. An aerosol-generating machine, such as the Patriot or Actisol can apply water-based formulations to cracks.
Pest Control: What Can I Do to Remove Cockroaches from My Home?
They will typically use a gel bait containing various insecticides to effectively kill your cockroaches. To add to their arsenal, some exterminators spray chemicals like boric Acid on exposed surfaces. 26 November 2020
Which Cockroach Pest Control is Best?
Boric acid and diatomaceous soil are the two most familiar to homeowners. Boric acid has a higher effectiveness rate in controlling cockroaches.
Are Cockroaches a Problem?
Borax is a readily-available laundry product that's excellent for killing roaches. For best results, combine equal parts borax and white table sugar. Sprinkle the mix wherever you see roach activity. It will rapidly dehydrate the roaches and kill them quickly if the borax is consumed by them.
Pest Control Can Kill Cockroaches
Because they can be difficult to eradicate, cockroach infestations are a major problem. You must know how to eliminate them. While cleanliness is the best method to keep pests away, other methods for pest control are available. Use diatomaceous clay to get rid of cockroaches.
