How to Get Rid of Cockroaches

Why is a Cockroach Infestation Dangerous?

Health Risks

Cockroaches are prolific disease carriers and living in close quarters with these pests can put you and your loved ones at risk of becoming seriously ill.

Just some of the health problems a roach infestation can cause include:

• Dysentery – An infection of the intestine causing diarrhoea and muscle cramps. All forms of human or pet food can attract roaches and when the pest comes into contact they can deposit fecal matter that causes this infection.
• Food Poisoning – When crawling across surfaces where food is prepared, or feeding on dirty dishes, roaches will leave germs and pathogens which can cause food poisoning.
• Tapeworms – Internal parasites which cause digestion problems, abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhoea.
• Polio – In rare circumstances cockroaches can carry the poliomyelitis virus which causes polio.
• Allergies – Cockroaches are one of the biggest causes of indoor allergens with roach eggs, droppings, and shed skins all causes of allergic reactions, especially among children.

Loss of Reputation

A single sighting of a cockroach in your business can cause disaster and can even be fatal for smaller companies.

If a customer sees a roach on your premises and spreads the word either in-person or via online review, you will likely see a huge drop off in the numbers coming through your door.

If this was not bad enough if the health inspector finds evidence of roach activity, you could find your business shut down until the issue is resolved which will cause further harm to your reputation.

How to Spot a Cockroach Infestation

The earlier you can identify the signs of a cockroach problem the higher the chance that you can tackle it yourself and prevent a major infestation.

These are some tell-tale signs of a cockroach presence:

Unpleasant Odour

If you have a cockroach infestation in your home there is a chance you will notice an unpleasant odour in kitchen cabinets or behind appliances.

The smell will be musty, slightly sweet and can have hints of almond. As well as on surfaces any food which has been in contact with roaches may also be tainted by this smell.

Shedded Skin

Throughout their lives, cockroaches will shed their skin on multiple occasions so if you come across discarded skin in your home or business there is a chance you have a cockroach infestation.

Eggs Cases

One of the reasons finding a cockroach infestation early is so important is that these pests will breed extremely quickly. Female roaches can produce over 300 eggs during their lifetimes, meaning that the population can grow exponentially in a very short period.

Cockroach eggs are laid in groups of 10-20 inside casings called ootheca and when they hatch the ootheca are left behind. You should check the corners of cupboards, under counter tops, and in other hard to reach places for signs of these egg casings on a regular basis.

Seeing a Cockroach

A less than subtle sign of cockroach presence is seeing one of these insect pests in the flesh.

Given their nocturnal nature, this is most likely to happen at dusk, during the night, or early in the morning.

If you see a cockroach, or multiple roaches, during the day, it is generally a sign of a large infestation as the insects are becoming desperate in their competition to find food.

What does a Cockroach Look Like?

Identifying what species you are dealing with is vital in your plan to get rid of cockroaches.

There are over 3000 different cockroach species worldwide but only four that are common in the UK.

The German Cockroach

German cockroaches are the most common type of cockroach both worldwide and in the UK.

They are easily identifiable by the two dark stripes which run along their light brown bodies and usually grow to anywhere between 12-15mm in length.

These insects can survive by consuming almost anything from pet food to leather and even cardboard.

The German cockroach reproduces at an incredible rate and with females laying up to 50 eggs in a single ootheca.

If you have a cockroach infestation it is very likely this is the species you are dealing with.

The American Cockroach

The largest species of cockroach, this pest can grow up to an inch in size.

They have long narrow red-brown bodies and wings, although they rarely use them.

American cockroaches are extremely fast and are considered one of the fastest insects in the world, meaning they can quickly scurry out of sight when exposed to light.

The Oriental Cockroach

The Oriental cockroach is distinguishable by its very dark brown or black body and long flexible antennae.

Around 20-30mm in length when fully grown, the oriental cockroach cannot fly and is most commonly found in warm buildings such as restaurants, or outside near garbage cans.

The Brown Banded Cockroach

Brown banded cockroaches are the least common type of roach to infest UK homes. Smallish in size at 10-15mm, the pest can easily be identified by its yellow horizontal stripes across the abdomen.

Like most cockroaches, these insects can survive on almost anything but prefer high starch food sources and are frequently found around warm car engines or heated electrical items.

How to Prevent Cockroach Infestations

Like most forms of pest control, it is a lot less stressful and expensive to prevent cockroaches from entering your home at all than to tackle an established roach infestation.

If it is too late for this and you are already dealing with a cockroach infestation you will also want to ensure that it never happens again.

Here are a few quick and easy ways that you can roach proof your home:

1) Limit Food Sources

One of the best ways to deter cockroaches from moving in is by removing all easily accessible food and water sources.

Roaches love residential homes and restaurants as they rely on humans to leave behind enough food to survive.

Food high in sugar, protein, and carbohydrates attracts cockroaches the most.

Therefore, by storing food in airtight containers, not cardboard boxes, or open plastic bags, and ensuring that your bid is tightly secured, you will make your home a less attractive roach hideout.

You should also clean up after eating as quickly as possible and not leave dirty dishes lying around as these can prove excellent sources of sustenance for cockroaches and other pests.

2) Seal Entry Points

Cockroaches can almost entirely flatten their bodies and can fit through extremely small gaps as a result.

It is almost impossible to completely prevent infestations by sealing entry points but it will certainly reduce the chances and make accessing your property more difficult.

Using caulking to seal gaps in drainpipes and cracks in walls will all help to stop roaches naturally as will ensuring all your windows are properly fitted with properly functioning weather strips.

3) Remove Dampness

Cockroaches depend on a source of moisture to survive and thrive in damp basements and around leaky pipes.

American cockroaches are even known as waterbugs due to their need to be around water if a source of food is not available.

Easy ways to eliminate moisture in your home include:

• Checking pipes around sinks, toilets, and heating systems for any leaks.
• Looking for mould or water damage and identifying sources.
• Taking shorter showers and installing a ventilation system in bathrooms.
• Placing dehumidifiers in the rooms most likely to accumulate moisture.

How to get rid of Cockroaches Naturally

If it is too late to prevent cockroaches from entering your property, and you have already seen evidence of roach activity, you have several options to get rid of these pests.

Before turning to store bought roach traps or anti-roach sprays there are several natural methods you can try: (H5)

1) Boric Acid (H3)

Boric acid is an extremely effective homemade roach killer. Simply, combine equal amounts of sugar, flour, and boric acid into dough balls and place them in areas you have seen cockroaches or signs of roach presence.

The sugar and flour in these balls will attract cockroaches to feed on them and the boric acid will kill them.

Dead roaches will then become food for other cockroaches and the population will quickly decline.

Whilst boric acid is hugely efficient at killing cockroaches, pet owners should be wary of using this method as it is also extremely toxic for other animals to consume.

2) Diatomaceous Earth

Another similar DIY cockroach killer recipe involves combining flour, sugar, and water with diatomaceous earth or borax and forming the resultant mix into balls.

One way to guard against accidental consumption of this dough by children and pets is to stuff it into plastic bottles where only a small insect such as a cockroach will be able to access it.

3) Baking Soda

Baking soda is one of the fastest ways to kill cockroaches and has the added benefit of being harmless to pets and children in small doses.

You also almost definitely have some baking soda sitting around in a kitchen cupboard so this is a completely free way to kill roaches.

Simply combine some baking soda with sugar and place a light dusting of the mix in high traffic areas.

4) Lemon Spray

Citrus acid, such as that from a lemon, lime, or similar, does not kill cockroaches but will deter them from entering areas where they can smell it.

If you don’t have a large roach infestation and are looking for a simple roach control measure then simply mix some lemon juice with water and use a spray bottle to add the mix near potential entry points.

How to Get Rid of Cockroaches

If natural approaches have proved ineffective or you simply don’t have the time to be creating homemade cockroach control solutions there are several more traditional methods you can try.

1) Cockroach Glue Traps

Glue traps are a simple way of killing roaches with minimal effort.

Simply place a small amount of bait such as peanut butter on the glue pad and once the roach enters the pad they will become stuck.

You can place several of these traps near to the roaches hiding places and in a few days you should have several dead cockroaches.

This method will likely only suit those with a small infestation as if there are hundreds of cockroaches present it is unrealistic to buy enough traps to make a dent in the population.

2) Insecticide Powder/Spray

Most home improvement stores will have a range of insecticides available in both powder and spray form.

Insecticides should be sprayed or sprinkled into infested areas such as skirting boards, and into cracks and crevices. It also kills cockroaches if applied directly so a quick spray will be effective if you see a roach scuttling across the floor.

Insecticides should only be used in well ventilated areas and you should always check the label before use as they can prove toxic to both humans and pets.

3) Bait Stations

The most effective cockroach traps come in the form of bait stations.

Bait stations work by enticing a roach into a small plastic box that is filled with both food and insecticide. When the cockroach eats the bait they will be poisoned but will not die immediately.

Instead, they will leave the trap and return to the nest before dying within 24 hours.

Other roaches will then feed on the dead body and ingest the insecticide themselves. This is one of the best methods of cockroach control especially if you do not know where the nest is.

Unfortunately, you cannot be sure that the dead roaches will always return to the nest and you may find them around your home. This is an issue if you have pets or small children as if consumed dead roaches could not only pass on a range of diseases but also the poison they consumed.

Get Professional Help

If trying to eliminate a cockroach infestation on your own has proven ineffective it is time to hire a professional exterminator from a well-respected pest control company.

Only ever use professional exterminators from a British pest control association accredited pest control company to ensure the methods used to rid your home of roaches are both effective and safe.

At Clark Pest Control we will employ an extremely effective poisoning process to rid your home of cockroaches as fast as possible.

Our experienced technicians will know exactly where to place the poison in your property to be most effective and design a tailor-fit plan for your circumstances.

We let the cockroaches do the hard work by taking slow acting bait into difficult to reach areas like crawl spaces and relying on their cannibalistic nature to spread the poison.

We will conduct regular checks to ensure the entire population is being targeted, not just a few members.

To talk to one of our personnel about arranging a free survey, or to book in some pest control service, give us a call now on 0800 808 5615.

Alternatively, complete our contact form, and one of our sales representatives will be in touch as soon as possible.