Identifying cockroaches in the home

There are many varieties of cockroach, but you are only likely to encounter two of them.

Oriental Cockroach – a large cockroach, shiny black to reddish-brown in colour. The male is smaller with three-quarter length wings, about 25mm in length. The female is larger, about 32mm and has no wings. They can tolerate cooler conditions and are often found in basements and drains, where they can find the water they need.

German Cockroach – light brown or tan in colour, with two black horizontal stripes behind the head. Reaches 13-16mm in length. Has wings, but rarely flies. The German Cockroach needs warmth and will typically be found in kitchens and bathrooms.

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU HAVE COCKROACHES?
Cockroaches are nocturnal. They prefer to live and feed in the dark, meaning that if you are unlucky enough to spot one, you will already have a problem.

Faeces will be visible. For small roaches, this will be evident like black pepper. Larger roaches produce more cylindrical droppings.

Unpleasant smell. Some species emit an oily, musty smell that lingers on everything they contact.

If you suspect you have cockroaches, have a good look in any dark, moist places, for this is their environment of choice. Behind refrigerators, sinks and stoves, around drains and inside motors and electrical appliances are all perfect places to look.

They are able to flatten their bodies, so can just as easily be found beneath mats, behind wallpaper and in wall cracks. Oval-shaped egg cases, known as oothecae, may be found hanging off furniture.

BEFORE YOU GO ON THE ATTACK
There are a few very simple steps that can be taken to make your home less appealing.

First, follow basic hygiene rules and make sure you keep everywhere clean, particularly kitchen areas. Wipe up spillages, clean up crumbs and food residue, make sure cupboards are regularly wiped clean and don’t let rubbish build up.

Second, block up any cracks and crevices, particularly in basements and cellars, and replace damaged drain covers and pipes.

Third, fix any leaking pipes as this provides a welcome water supply, as will condensation on pipes. It makes sense to lag pipes for optimum energy efficiency, but it will also deny the cockroach vital access to water.

WEAPONS AVAILABLE
There are many products available for dealing with cockroaches. These range from simple sticky insect traps, to insecticidal powders and sprays.

DEPLOYMENT
As cockroaches tend to be active when you are not, it is often difficult to establish the scale of the problem. The first line of attack would be to set a number of monitoring traps around the room, for example the SX Detect-It Insect Trap. This will tell you WHERE the problem is most prevalent and exactly where in the room to target when it comes to treatment. SX Cockroach Glue Traps will do a good job of trapping wandering roaches, particularly if the infestation is not too big, and have the added advantage of being insecticide free.

If you prefer to go down the insecticidal route, residual sprays are recommended, as cockroaches are rarely present enough to be sprayed directly. Spraying into harbourages and under cupboards with a residual spray ensures the insecticide remains active for a number of weeks after first use. Dethlac Insecticidal Lacquer or Insecto Super Bug Destroyer would be ideal for this. Of course, both products can be used as a knockdown spray if cockroaches are seen.

Powder, such as Residex P or Ficam D is also a popular choice, particularly in areas where the powder is going to remain undisturbed. It is also a must in areas where there are electrical sockets, where the use of sprays would be inappropriate. Non-chemical powders such as Oa2ki Powder or Organ-X Insect Killing Powder work equally well on the waxy cuticle of the cockroach and are ideal if you would prefer to not have insecticidal powder lying around.

There is a large range of application equipment to help in administering powder, depending on the size of area to be treated. The Pest Pistol is a handy unit that fits comfortably in one hand and can direct powder quite specifically. There is an extension tube available for further access. The Polminor Dust Bellows will administer much more powder over a larger surface area.