cockroaches
One of the more notorious pests, discovering a cockroach in your home or business is never a pleasant experience. Known to be very resilient creatures, dealing with an infestation can be an uphill battle.
There are around 4,600 species of cockroach worldwide. Fortunately not all of them are pests, about 30 cockroach species are associated with human habitats and five of those are well known as pests.
In the UK we generally deal with two of the most common types of cockroach: the Oriental cockroach and the German cockroach.
Cockroaches pose a direct health risk to humans. They are vectors of disease, known to carry the organisms that cause food poisoning in humans and many other bacteria, such as salmonella, staphylococcus and streptococcus.
Cockroaches move from sewers, drains into buildings and human habitats. This means that when they’re in your building, foraging for food and water, they will contaminate anything they come into contact with: food, utensils and preparation surfaces.
INFESTATION IDENTIFICATION
Droppings
The faeces of a roach look like tiny black or brown rice grains and their size will depend on how large the insect is.
Smear Marks
Cockroaches may leave smear marks (a trail of droppings), which signal other roaches of the colony to follow towards a newly discovered source of food.
Smell
A large population of cockroaches in your property will “notify” your nose. The unpleasant insects emit a specific musty odour, which is strong and unsavoury.
Different species of cockroaches commonly found in the UK
German Cockroach
Oriental Cockroach
American Cockroach
Treatments Employed
Insecticidal Dusts
Insecticidal dust is applied either directly into the harbourage areas or in gaps and crevices using a duster, which puffs out thin clouds of insecticide that the pest can’t avoid.
This method is extremely effective. Some dusts are even safe for pets, making the whole treatment very low risk.
