Common pests

The oriental cockroach is  widely distributed worldwide. It is very common in Britain, occurring mainly indoors in heated buildings. It is often associated with hospitals, hotels, restaurants, prisons and blocks of flats. It is sometimes found outdoors around dustbins and rubbish tips.

Facts about oriental cockroaches

The Oriental cockroach is 17-30mm, dark brown to black and is very shiny with a flattened body and has long flexible antennae. It cannot fly or climb smooth surfaces but can move very rapidly.

How do they affect me?

The mated female cockroach can lay up to 5 dark brown egg cases (oothecae), each containing up to 16/18 eggs. These eggs take several weeks to develop and hatch as nymphs. The nymphs go through 7-10 stages before reaching the adult stage. Adult cockroaches normally hide by day and scavenge for food at night. They feed on any organic matter, including human waste, soap, candles, paper etc.  The Oriental cockroach is known to carry some pathogenic bacteria, although direct evidence for transmitting disease to humans is scarce. Of greater concern are the financial implications of fouling and tainting foodstuffs and sterile hospital supplies etc.

How do you control them?

Before carrying out any treatment it is necessary to establish the extent of the infestation. Inspection at night, flushing with aerosol insecticidal sprays and the use of sticky traps are particularly useful in determining the size of the infestation. There are a number of options available to treat for cockroaches, including dusts, baits and sprays. Any of these, if used, should be in conjunction with improved hygiene, especially removal of food wastes and general cleaning. Eliminating an infestation generally requires a specialist pest contractor.  We can help to identify the specific pest, as cockroaches are often mistaken for other insects. For a free identification service either send the insect to our pest control contractor (address given below) or to us, in an envelope, this takes approximately a week to ten days.