Cockroaches

Cockroaches found indoors in the UK have been introduced from the tropics during the last 200 years, and most of them can only survive in heated buildings.

Habits

Cockroaches are not fussy about what they eat (including wallpaper, leather and hair) and are often found in groups.

They spend much of the day hiding in cracks and crevices around areas like sinks, drains, cookers, the backs of service ducts and complex plumbing installations.

Cockroaches can carry dysentery, gastro-enteritis and typhoid. Germs can be spread from the body of the cockroach or from the droppings they leave behind.

Control

As with most indoor insects, good hygiene is the key to keeping cockroaches out of your home. It not only denies the insects a food source but will also make them easier to spot.

All cracks, crevices and other building problems that could provide a dark enclosure for cockroaches should be repaired as quickly as possible. Pipe work should not be boxed in as it provides an excellent hiding place.

Insecticides

Most 'over the counter' insecticides are largely ineffective against cockroaches. You can use various treatments but these will need to be repeated once a month for at least three months. Insecticide treatments work best if a variety of treatments are used, such as:

• Sprays - on rough surfaces such as concrete brick and unpainted woodwork.
• Dusts - in heating ducts, pipe work, conduits, equipment, cracks, crevices and any other place in which cockroaches can hide and where the dust cannot be swept away.
• Lacquer insecticidal lacquer can be applied to non-porous dry surfaces. Once the coating has set the insecticide dissolved within it slowly comes to the surface. Insects crossing it then become contaminated and eventually die. These lacquers can be effective for a year or more and are very effective around door frames, skirting boards, pipe work and other places where cockroaches can enter the building.
• Baits generally suitable where food is limited for the cockroaches (not kitchens) and where powders are unsuitable (e.g. bathrooms).

The council offers a free treatment for cockroaches in residential premises. If you think that you have cockroaches, please bring an example for identification. It is likely that adjoining properties will also need treatment.

Safety

Be safe. Always read the label of an insecticide before buying it and follow the safety precautions before use. Some are flammable, hazardous to pets (especially fish) or harmful if breathed in. Do not spray foods, food preparation surfaces or animals. Never spray around children. Do not breathe in excessive amounts of spray