Pest library
Cockroaches
Cockroaches spread bacteria across food surfaces and trigger asthma. Seeing one in daylight means there are many.
Blattella germanica, Periplaneta americana
Cockroaches are nocturnal and secretive, so by the time one is seen crossing a floor in daylight the harbourage is usually well established behind equipment, in cracks, or inside warm motor housings.
German cockroaches are the common problem in kitchens and food premises: small, fast breeding, and very good at surviving surface sprays. American cockroaches are larger and usually come up from drains and sewers.
Signs you have cockroaches
- Live insects when a light is switched on at night
- Small dark droppings like ground pepper along edges and in drawers
- Egg cases (oothecae) glued into cracks and behind appliances
- A distinctive oily, musty smell in a bad infestation
- Shed skins near warm equipment and pipework
Why it matters
- Carries salmonella, E. coli and other food-poisoning organisms
- Droppings and shed skins trigger asthma and allergies
- Contaminates food preparation surfaces overnight
- Immediate reputational damage if a customer sees one
How we treat it
Gel bait rather than blanket spraying. Modern cockroach gels are carried back to the harbourage and passed through the population, which reaches the insects a spray never touches — and leaves no residue on food surfaces.
We place monitors first to map the harbourages, apply gel to those points, and return to check the count is falling. Where drains are the source we treat those separately, because gel in a kitchen will not fix a problem coming up a sewer pipe.
Book a free site inspection
Tell us what you are dealing with and we will assess the site, identify the source and quote you a treatment plan — at no cost.