Household Pest Control – German Cockroaches

During these colder months, there is a belief out there that there’s no need to have a pest control treatment done on your home at all, as it’s winter and there are no bugs around.  In reality, there are some pests that aren’t too concerned with the weather outside, because it’s inside that they make their homes.  Inside, where humans like to use heaters to keep warm.  Inside, around your kitchen where there are warm electrical appliances such as fridges, dishwashers and the like.  Inside, where there is plenty of food and water at their disposal.

One pest that will infest your home this winter are German Cockroaches.  The vast majority of German Cockroach infestations occur in kitchens or indoors where humans live. They seek out cracks and crevices to hide, normally close to a food and water source, preferably in areas providing warmth where they will hide themselves during the day.

This means the early stages of an infestation usually goes un-noticed. If you are seeing them in the day time, it usually means the infestation is well established. This cockroach can live up to its full breeding potential through the winter months, making it a significant winter pest. Infestations usually start in an area such as a kitchen, where food and water is abundant, and move out from there.

This photo shows a common place that German Cockroaches love to hide – below the kitchen sink. In cupboards such as this, there are almost always cracks and crevices for them to hide, and very often the household bin may even be in these cupboards.

The only way to prevent cockroaches from living here is to effectively treat all of these cracks and crevices using the techniques that we here at Amalgamated Pest Control use, which is what allows us to provide a 12 month service warranty for this pest. If they come back, so will we.

Once populations become too large for the kitchen, they spread out, and if not managed will infest the whole home, taking up hiding places in living areas and bedrooms. This photo below was taken from the bedroom of a home that had a large infestation. You can see that they have made the gap between the blinds and the timber their home.

For German cockroaches to spread into areas other than the kitchen, bathroom and laundry, the infestation needs to be very well established. If you are seeing them in bedrooms, living rooms and the like, you will need professional help to bring the already well established population under control.

The ability of cockroaches to affect the health of humans is well known, and is the foremost reason why we do not want them in our homes. Something that is not as well-known is their ability to damage and break electrical appliances. Electrical appliances provide a dark, warm and protected place for cockroaches to live and breed, which is why they often seek out items such as televisions, fridges, toasters, alarm clocks and other similar products.

This television pictured here was ruined by German Cockroaches, as they damaged the electronics and the television had to be replaced.

German Cockroach Prevention Tips

• Seal any cracks and crevices in your cupboards and other areas that German Cockroaches may want to hide, take out their hiding places.
• Ensure your rubbish is in tightly sealed garbage bins. Empty the inside garbage regularly.
• Clean regularly, wipe down surfaces to clean crumbs straight away. Deny them as much food as possible. Pay attention to ovens, stoves, benchtops, tables and chairs, sinks etc.
• Sweep and Mop the floor regularly. Remove sticky residues from the floor. Ensure that when you do mop the floor you do not leave any excess water. You need to deny them any water, as they can live for a long time without food but only several days without water.
• Store food in sealed containers.

When all else fails, call Amalgamated Pest Control for your Guaranteed Gone Solution to German Cockroaches. Our 12 month Service Warranty on cockroaches means if the pests come back, so will we.