Cockroach Control from Rentokil

Protecting Your Family from Cockroaches

Cockroaches are a high risk pest to have in the home.

They carry a range of serious illnesses, including salmonella food poisoning, dysentery, diphtheria, gastroenteritis and typhoid. Furthermore, cockroaches have been identified as a major source of powerful allergens, often the cause of asthma, allergies and eczema, especially in urban areas.

The health risk is particularly high in homes with children, the elderly or those fighting illnesses.

Beyond the health risks, cockroaches are a distasteful pest to have in the home. They are not only a disturbing sight, they cause contamination and can produce an obnoxious odour that taints food and objects which they come in contact with.

If the conditions are good, and temperatures sufficient, as is the case all around the year in most parts of India, cockroaches can breed rapidly. They are highly resilient and have developed resistances to a number of insecticides. A quick response is therefore essential to ensure that cockroach infestations do not go out of control or spread to neighbouring properties.

Signs of a Cockroach Problem

The most common species found in Indian homes include:

• German Cockroach (Blatella germanica) - 12-15mm in size. German Cockroaches are light brown in colour with 2 dark stripes on the thorax. The wings are as long as the body or slightly overlapping in both sexes, despite this they prefer to run or climb. The German Cockroach is not as dependent on water sources as other species. In India, these cockroaches are often found in private households, sometimes in extremely high numbers and densities

• American Cockroach - 20-30mm. Also known as Palmetto Bug, the American Cockroach is reddish brown in colour and has a pale yellow area around the perimeter of the pronotum. These cockroaches are more dependent on water and tend to be found in dark, undisturbed areas that are high in humidity. Inside houses they are mostly found in kitchens, near the sink and in bathrooms

• Oriental Cockroach - 25-30mm. A dark brown species. The wings are undeveloped in the females and cover 3/4 lengths of the abdomen of the male. They rather run than fly and can tolerate lower temperatures than other cockroaches.

The typical signs of a cockroach problem are:

• Seeing live insects – Cockroaches are nocturnal insects and hide during the day. You will most likely see them when turning on the light in the kitchen at night. Cockroaches seen during the day are an indicator for high infestation levels, because they were most likely crowded out of the hiding places
• Egg cases and cast skins – Cockroach eggs come in the form of an egg case (Ootheca), which can contain up to 42 eggs. In order to grow cockroaches shed their skin 5-8 times as they mature.
• Droppings – cockroaches leave a dust of black droppings less than 1mm wide and of varying lengths.
• Odour – Established cockroach infestations produce an unpleasant, musty smell.
• Damage - Cockroaches will attack organic goods including leather and books.

How to Keep Cockroaches Away

Sealing entry points can help prevent a cockroach from entering the home. Key risks are gaps under doors or around pipes to the exterior or neighbouring properties.

Also seal gaps where cockroaches can harbour - cockroaches are nocturnal and hide during the day in cracks and crevices in the walls, around skirting boards or behind electrical sockets.

The most effective way of controlling cockroaches is to deny them food and water:

• Store food in containers or in sealed plastic bags
• Clean all waste food and spillages immediately
• Clean food debris from under fridges or cookers
• Clear used crockery and cutlery immediately
• Remove pet food, water and litter trays overnight
• Keep refuse or compost in sealed bins
• Take care with soiled nappies or dirty clothing
• Do not leave liquids in sinks or buckets overnight
• Inspect all incoming items. LPG gas cylinders for instance often have cockroach ootheca around the rims
• Do not accumulate clutter. German Cockroaches for example can often be found in large number in cardboard and in between newspapers

In our view, electromagnetic or ultrasonic repellers do not work with cockroaches and are not recommended to prevent or control cockroach infestations.

How to Get Rid of Cockroaches

Established cockroach problems very often require professional pest control solutions to ensure that it will not reoccur.

DIY Cockroach Control

There are a range of DIY insect killers that are effective on cockroaches. Please follow the instructions to ensure safe and effective use.

However, it is difficult to reach all cockroach hiding places with amateur products. Infestations are likely to reoccur especially when surviving cockroach eggs hatch after one or two months, or when not all hiding places have been treated.

Professional Cockroach Control

Cockroaches are very resilient and while DIY products can deal with the immediate problem, treatment by a qualified pest control technician is often necessary to monitor cockroach problems over the long-term.

Some cockroach species have developed resistance to conventional insecticides. Rentokil technicians have a range of powerful and effective insecticides to exterminate cockroach infestations. Especially for households, Rentokil India offers a special cockroach gel bait formulation, to deal with cockroaches fast and in a non-messy way.

Depending on your situation, your local pest control surveyor might suggest bait or insecticide spray treatments to keep cockroaches out of your home.

Rentokil India offers a call-out service to deal with cockroach and other pest problems in your home.

Our service is fast, effective and offers the highest level of safety for your family and pets.

If you would like further advice or to arrange a visit by a Rentokil pest control technician, call us free on 1800 102 9888 or contact us.