Cockroach Removal
Protecting your home from Cockroaches
Cockroaches are a high risk pest to have in the home. They carry a range of serious illnesses including salmonella, dysentery, gastroenteritis and typhoid. The risk is particularly high in homes with children, the elderly or those fighting illnesses.
Cockroach droppings also cause eczema and asthma.Beyond the health risks, cockroaches are a distasteful pest to have in the home. Not only are they disturbing by sight, but cockroaches produce an obnoxious odour that taints food and objects they come into contact with. Cockroaches can breed rapidly and are highly resilient.
A quick response for cockroach removal is essential to ensure a cockroach infestation does not become established or spread to neighbouring properties.
Cockroach Species
There are three common species found in the home:
German Cockroach – 12-15mm: Brown in colour with 2 dark stripes on the thorax. The wings are as long as the body or slightly overlapping in both sexes. Despite this they prefer to run or climb.
Oriental Cockroach – 20-30mm: Dark brown to black in colour. The wings are undeveloped in the female but cover ¾ length of the abdomen in the male. Both sexes prefer to run or climb.
American Cockroach – 20-30mm: the American Cockroach is reddish brown in colour and has a pale yellow area around the perimeter of the pronotum. These cockroaches tend to be found in dark, undisturbed areas that are high in humidity.
Signs of cockroach infestations
- Seeing live insects – cockroaches are nocturnal and hide during the day. You will most likely see them when turning on the light in the kitchen at night.
- Egg cases and cast skins – cockroaches shed their skin 5-8 times as they mature.
- Droppings – cockroaches leave a dust of black droppings less than 1mm wide and of varying lengths.
- Odour – established cockroach infestations produce an unpleasant, musty smell.
- Damage – cockroaches will attack organic goods including leather and books.
Professional Cockroach Removal
Cockroaches are very resilient and while DIY products can deal with the immediate problem, treatment by a qualified pest control technician is often necessary to deal with cockroaches over the long-term.
Swift Pest Solutions technicians have a range of powerful insecticides to deal with cockroaches.
We also minimise the risk of insecticides in the home with proprietary products such as Diatomaceous Earth which is targeted at the crevices where cockroaches hide.
