How do you know if you have a problem with cockroaches?

You will see both dead and live cockroaches.  They are mainly nocturnal and therefore more likely to be spotted at night but you will obviously see dead ones in the daylight hours.  Cockroaches require high temperatures but they are very resilient and will survive but not thrive in cooler environments.  This is why you will most likely find them in kitchens, boiler rooms and laundries or anywhere that the temperatures are high.  A favourite place for them to hide in your kitchen is your fridge because the motor gives off a constant supply of heat.  They also really like to be inside cookers, boilers and washing machines for the same reason.

Why should Cockroaches be controlled?

To put it bluntly, they are a health hazard.  If you are in a commercial premises especially one that prepares and sells food the Environmental Health Department may close you down or fine you or both.  If Cockroach infestation is not dealt with it will only increase and get worse.

What can you do before treatment?

The secret really is cleanliness and good food hygiene.  The cleaner the area of infestation is the more chance there will be for success.  You must clean under cookers and fridges etc.  All areas of the infested area must be deep cleaned and de-greased.  Ask your neighbours if they are experiencing problems and let me know when we come to your property.  It may be that the problem has come from a neighbouring property.

What will we do to treat the cockroach infestation?

Firstly we will put down monitoring trays to ensure that we know clearly where the infestation is.  We will then bait the area of infestation with specially formulated bait containing an attractant that the cockroaches will take and also take back to the nest where others will eat it.  We may also use a chemical called Ficam W or Ficam D which are modern odourless biodegradable insecticides that are especially potent against Cockroaches.  If the infestastion is especially heavy it may be necessary for us to treat the area more than once and in some cases it may be necessary for the treatment to be carried out monthly until the infestation is successfully dealt with.

What happens after treatment?

You will see dead cockroaches around for a few weeks after treatment.  Dispose of these in an outside bin.  Try not to wash down treated surfaces after spraying has taken place or you will wash off the residual insecticide that has been used.
Most importantly ensure that cleanliness is of the highest standards.  The cleaner the premises the better chance of complete success.  Cockroaches will feed on any type of food and from any type of surface so you must clean all areas that may not be seen.  For example you should clean under ovens and fridges, wall to floor junctions, around plug sockets etc.  Finally, we will place sticky monitoring traps so that you can see if infestation recurs.  These do not control but give you a clear indication of how you are doing with reference to infestation.