Cockroaches are medium-sized to large insects in the order Dictyoptera.
They are broad, flattened insects with long antennae and a prominent, shield-shaped section behind the head called a pronotum.
A cockroach has three stages during its life cycle: egg, nymph, and adult.
Cockroaches are nocturnal, hiding during the day and becoming active at night.
All cockroaches are scavengers and will survive on almost any food as well as backing glue, leather, book bindings and bar soap.
Cockroaches are known to carry human pathogens, such as Salmonella and E. coli, which can result in human diseases, such as food poisoning or diarrhea.
Cockroaches Management
1. Residual Spraying
Residual insecticide sprays leave a toxic deposit on surfaces and will kill cockroaches for a certain time period, usually two to four weeks.
It is sprayed in precise, specific sites in cracks and crevices behind sinks, cabinets, around drains and plumbing.
2. Chemical Baiting
Baits can be placed exactly where they are most effective, especially in foraging and harbourage areas.
Insecticidal paste and gel formulations are injected into cracks and crevices or into wall voids to attain maximum exposure.
Baits are often slow acting, the cockroaches that die from direct kill do so after they have returned to harbourage areas, often after they have eliminated some of the bait through their feces.
The fecal material and the dead cockroaches themselves are then consumed by other cockroaches, which are then also killed by the active chemical ingredient of the bait.
3. ULV Misting
ULV misting is a non-residual insecticide sprays that eliminate cockroaches only on contact.
They irritate cockroaches and can flush the pests out of their hiding places and force them into areas treated with a residual insecticide.
4. Cockroach Trap
Cockroach traps, small, open-ended boxes, contain an attractant and sticky substance that retains the insects once they enter.
Traps are most effective when placed against walls under sinks, in cabinets and in basement corners.