How to get rid of Cockroaches

Home Call Out Service for Cockroaches

Our call out service for cockroaches offers professional, convenient solutions for getting rid of cockroaches fast:

• 24 hour response (mon - fri) with appointment times convenient for you
• Friendly and knowledgeable local Rentokil technicians, ensuring the highest level of safety for your family and pets
• Call us NOW on 0800 218 2210 to arrange for a Rentokil technician to visit and deal with your cockroaches quickly and efficiently.

For more information on how to keep cockroaches out of your home please see below.

Protecting Your Home and Family from Cockroaches

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

They carry a range of serious illnesses including salmonella, dysentery, gastro-enteritis and typhoid.

The risks of contracting an illness are particularly high in homes with more susceptible people such as children, the elderly or those fighting existing illnesses.

Droppings from cockroaches have been linked with increases in eczema and asthma.

Beyond the health risks, cockroaches are a distasteful pest to have in the home. Not only are they disturbing by sight, but cockroaches produce an obnoxious odour that taints food and any objects they come into contact with.

Cockroaches can breed rapidly and are highly resilient. A quick response is essential to ensure a cockroach infestation does not become established or spread to neighbouring properties.

Signs of Cockroaches

There are over 3,000 different species of cockroaches but only a few types are found in the home:

• German Cockroach - 12-15mm
  Brown in colour with 2 dark stripes on the thorax. The wings are as long as the body or slightly overlapping in both sexes. They scuttle & are very good climbers, due to the sticky pads on their feet, which gives them the agility to climb up smooth surfaces including glass. If conditions are warm enough they will also fly. German cockroaches prefer warm, wet locations with high humidity such as kitchens, bathrooms and laundry areas.
  

• Oriental Cockroach - 20-30mm
  Dark brown to black in colour. The wings are undeveloped in the female but cover ¾ length of the abdomen in the male. Both sexes prefer to scuttle but can climb some rough surfaces. Unlike German cockroaches Oriental ones cannot fly. They prefer cooler, damper areas such as basements, drains and even survive outdoors on rubbish tips.
  

• American Cockroach - 20-30mm
  Also known as the palmetto bug, American cockroaches are not so common in UK homes. They are reddish brown in colour and have a pale yellow area around the perimeter of the pronotum. These cockroaches tend to be found in dark, undisturbed areas that are high in humidity.

Most species will tend to be found in greatest numbers in kitchen areas or where food is stored.

Cockroaches - signs to look for:

• Live insects – cockroaches are nocturnal and hide during the day. You will most likely see them when turning on the light in the kitchen at night
• Egg cases (oothecae) and cast skins – cockroaches shed their skin 5-8 times as they mature
• Cockroach droppings – cockroaches leave a dust of black/dark brown droppings that are cylindrical & less than 2mm wide if water is scarce. They are found on horizontal surfaces & wall-floor junctions where cockroaches run
• Smear marks - cockroaches produce these marks instead of droppings if water is readily available, they are brown in colour and irregular in shape
• Odour – established cockroach infestations produce an unpleasant, musty smell & this is most noticeable close to the harbourage
• Damage - cockroaches are omnivorous and will eat almost anything, food stuffs, organic goods including leather, books, paper, clothing and animal matter (such as hamster or rabbit droppings - as well as their food). They will also consume packaging, plastics etc...

Preventing Cockroaches in the Home

Sealing entry points can help prevent cockroaches from entering the home. Key areas of risk 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, under bathroom and kitchen sink cabinets, behind washers & dryers, under or behind other major appliances such as fridges and freezers or behind electrical sockets.

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

• Store food in containers or in strong sealed plastic bags
• Clean all waste food and liquid spillages immediately
• Clean food debris from under fridges, cookers and other appliances
• Clear used crockery and cutlery immediately
• Remove pet food, water and clean up animal droppings & litter trays before nightfall
• Keep refuse or compost in sturdy sealed bins
• Take care with soiled nappies or dirty clothing
• Do not leave liquids in sinks, baths or buckets overnight
• Fix plumbing leaks and control moisture levels, use a dehumidifier if necessary
• Get rid of clutter, eliminate stray bags, old newspapers, plastic shopping bags etc...
• Keep areas under sinks and around washers & dryers clean and orderly

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

Getting Rid of Cockroaches

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

Rentokil's experienced technicians have a range of powerful insecticides to deal with cockroaches.

We also minimise the risk of insecticides in the home with proprietary products such as non-toxic RID (Rentokil Insecticide Dust) or PyGo which is highly targeted at the crevices where cockroaches hide.

Rentokil offers a call-out service to deal with cockroaches and other pest problems in the home.

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

If you would like further advice on cockroaches or to arrange a visit by a Rentokil technician, call us free on 0800 218 2210.

DIY Pest Control Products for Cockroaches

Rentokil offers a range of DIY insect products that are effective on cockroaches. The range includes powders and sprays, such as the Insectrol Insect Killer Spray, which offers long lasting protection against a range of household insects. As with all pest control products, please read the instructions carefully before use.

To find out more about the full range of DIY pest control products offered by Rentokil, please visit Pest Control Products.

Pest control products from Rentokil are available to buy from all leading supermarkets, DIY stores, garden centres and hardware stores.

Whilst DIY products may be effective in getting rid of smaller cockroach problems, it can be 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.

We recommend that you seek professional pest control services for more serious and larger infestations of cockroaches.