Cockroaches, Cockroach Infestation, Pest Control in London
Cockroaches
Features/Biology
The main two types of coachroach are:
1) Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis)
which is black and large (25mm long); and
2) German cockroach (Blatella germanica)
which is brown and small (13mm – 17mm long)
In the case of the German cockroach, the female is darker than the male and has a broader abdomen, and when the female is carrying her egg case, it can be seen protruding from the rear of her body (see photo). Both male and female are fully winged.
History
German cockroaches are more widespread across London, and so an infestation can pop up anywhere.
The Oriental cockroach, however, populates only certain areas of London, and so if you are not in that area, you are unlikely to be affected by them. The Oriental cockroach moves through sewer systems, and so once an area has been affected by them, an endemic problem exists, which makes complete eradication virtually impossible. Regular treatments throughout the year is therefore necessary to keep their numbers down.
Problems/Risks
Cockroaches hide away during the day in cracks and crevices and come out at night. They spread disease such as Dysentery, Gastroenteritis, Salmonella and Typhoid by contaminating food, food preparation surfaces and plates and cutlery etc.
As all oothecae (egg cases) are impenetrable to pesticides; it is difficult to eradicate the cockroach, as live young can hatch out weeks or months after the adults have been treated and killed.
For the German cockroach, their young tend to hatch out within weeks of being laid, and so regular sprays are usually successful.
The Oriental cockroach however is extremely resilient, as it lays ootheca which can lay dormant for months and so a more extensive programme of treatment is necessary to halt their life cycle.
Recommended Treatment
German Cockroaches
For most localised infestations, German cockroaches can be successfully treated with a course of 3 treatments using a species specific gel, approximately 2 weeks apart. For larger and more established infestations , a more extended course of treatments may be required over several months.
Oriental Cockroaches
Whilst complete eradication is extremely difficult, it is possible to greatly reduce the numbers of Oriental cockroach, but in order to do so, regular treatment, using an insecticide, (usually 4 times a year as a minimum) is the most effective way of keeping their numbers down. For domestic customers, we can offer an initial course of three treatments over a six week period to greatly reduce the numbers of cockroaches. But, depending on the numbers present at the outset and their feeding sources, it is may be necessary to retreat at a later date.
