Cockroaches
Treatment for cockroaches
Although there are many thousands of different cockroach species around the world, the majority of those live in tropical regions. Only two varieties will be commonly encountered here. We most commonly find the German Cockroach which will be light brown in colour and will be around 12-15mm in length. We also have problems with the Oriental Cockroach which is rather larger (typically 17 – 30mm in length and very dark brown or black in colour.
Although cockroaches can be found outdoors, (they may be found around drains, dustbins and on refuse tips) they are generally encountered in warm indoor environments. They are frequently associated with restaurants, hotels, hospitals, prisons, and of course residential flats... They will always seek out a supply of foods with high water content.
Cockroaches feed on more or less anything, including faecal matter and rotting waste materials. In consequence it should come as no surprise that they are of public health significance because they can carry and spread disease. When they come into contact with food or even kitchen surfaces, utensils, crockery, cutlery etc. bacteria can be transferred and gastro-intestinal diseases can be transmitted to you and I via the food that we eat.
Female cockroaches produce up to eight egg cases each month throughout their lives. Each egg case will contain between 16-30 nymphs each.
The German cockroach carries the egg case behind her until the Nymphs are ready to hatch out some 2-4 weeks later. Nymphs are small, transparent miniature (young) cockroaches. The Nymphs develop, shedding their outer skin between 5 and 7 times as they grow to maturity. This will proceed at a rate dependent upon ambient temperature but is usually around 4 months from beginning to end.
The Oriental cockroach deposits its egg case in a dark sheltered place. After about 2 months it splits open and only then do the small nymphs emerge. These shed their outer skin 7-10 times before reaching maturity. Again the time taken for this process varies according to food availability and temperature but can take anything from 10 months to 2 years. Clearly if you have had an infestation of Oriental cockroaches you will see that it might be two years after tackling an infestation that you can be certain that it has been fully eradicated.
Prevention
In most cases, common sense combined with good housekeeping and hygiene practices are all that is needed. You should always make sure that your home is kept clean and all opened food is stored in pest proof containers. Unfortunately dried foods such as rice can become infested during commercial storage in warehouses and shops. Although you should shop with care and diligence, you will not be able to be certain that incoming foods are free from cockroaches. Within your food storage cupboards, cracks and crevices could provide a dark enclosure for cockroaches in your home. Where possible you should maintain your kitchen and any other food storage areas clean and in good repair.
Diagnosis
If you have an infestation of insects that you suspect are cockroaches, you may already need professional help. We provide a free-of-charge insect identification service and you need only bring in an uncrushed specimen in a small jar and bottle. If we confirm that the insect is a cockroach, we will ask you some questions about where you live. It would be helpful if you could ask your immediate (above, below and next door) neighbours whether they are also affected. Cockroaches are rarely satisfied with infesting just one flat within a block. It is important for you to take immediate action when you spot cockroaches in your home as they can quickly spread to your neighbours.
Treatment
We will be happy to arrange appropriate treatment of a cockroach problem. We are also the Council’s Environmental Health Service so we will also investigate complaints about other people who are failing to treat their infestations of cockroaches. We make a charge for all treatment services but advice and investigation are within our core public health duties and we will not charge you for these services.
