If cockroaches dash for cover when you switch on the kitchen light at night, you have a population living in your house, not a stray visitor. The way to clear them is gel bait placed where they actually hide, backed up by a residual treatment and a few changes to what they're drinking and eating. Sprays on their own rarely finish the job.
Small and brown, or big and reddish?
It's worth knowing which one you've got, because they behave very differently.
German cockroaches are small, light brown and live indoors. They breed behind fridges, under stoves, inside dishwashers and kettle bases, anywhere warm with crumbs nearby. If you've seen babies, you've almost certainly got Germans, and they multiply quickly.
American cockroaches are the big, reddish-brown ones, and they can fly. They usually live outside in drains, manholes, garden debris and the coastal bush, and come indoors through drains, gaps under doors and open windows at night. A few in summer is normal for a seaside home. Lots of them suggests a drain problem nearby. Not sure which you have? Our identification guide will help.
Why seaside homes have them
Bothastrand is a small coastal community with homes close to the sea and coastal bush all around. Cockroaches need water more than they need food, and humid air, condensation under sinks and drip trays under geysers give them plenty of it. Outdoor showers for rinsing off after the beach, braai areas with fat and scraps, and outside drains without proper covers all add to the attraction.
Our treatment
1. Find where they're living
We check the hinge side of cupboard doors, the motor area behind the fridge, under the sink, the back of the stove and other appliances, and the outside drains and gulleys. Droppings that look like ground pepper and a musty smell point us to the hotspots.
2. Gel bait in the hiding places
Small spots of gel bait go into the cracks and hinges where cockroaches shelter. They feed on it and die back in their hiding places, so you see far fewer dying in the open. It's odourless and so discreet you'll hardly notice it's there.
3. A residual barrier
Where American cockroaches are coming in from outside, we apply an odourless, non-staining residual spray around drains, door thresholds and the base of the outside walls. You don't need to empty your cupboards, and once it's dry it's safe for children and pets.
4. Check back
A German cockroach problem that has been building for months may need a follow-up to catch the young that hatch from egg cases after the first visit. Our work carries a 3-month guarantee, so if they come back in that time, so do we.
The mistake that makes it worse
Spraying over the bait. It's tempting to blast every cockroach you see with an aerosol, but that contaminates the gel so they stop eating it, and it scatters survivors into new parts of the house. Once bait is down, leave it alone and let it work. If you have to kill one, a shoe does the job without spoiling the bait.
Prevention for a coastal home
- Fix dripping taps, and check the geyser drip tray and the cupboard under the sink for standing water. Taking away water does more than taking away crumbs.
- Fit grates or covers on outside drains and gulleys, and keep the outdoor shower draining freely.
- Clean the braai grid and grease tray after use, and keep the bin lid on.
- Don't leave shop cardboard boxes lying in the kitchen; German cockroaches often travel in them.
- Seal the gaps where pipes come through the wall under the sink with a filler.
The local tip: on a sea-facing house, the outdoor shower is often the busiest cockroach spot on the property, because it's warm, wet and full of sand and debris in the drain. Clear the drain regularly and make sure it has a grate.
How much will it cost?
A small kitchen with a few Americans coming in from the garden is a quick treatment. A German infestation that has spread into appliances, the bathroom and other rooms needs more bait, more time and probably a follow-up. The size of the home, whether there's a separate flat or outbuilding, and how long the problem has been going all count. If you only see the odd big cockroach in summer, sealing the gap under the back door and covering the drains may honestly be enough. We'll tell you which it is and quote before we start.
Pest Worx is SAPCA registered, with more than 25 years of work in the Garden Route behind us. If there's more going on than cockroaches, have a look at pest control in Bothastrand, or our main cockroach control page for George. Call 044 012 5011 whenever it suits you.
Questions we get asked
Do cockroaches mean my house is dirty?
No. Clean homes get cockroaches too, especially near the coast where moisture is easy to find. Cleanliness helps keep numbers down, but it won't clear an established population on its own.
Is the gel bait safe with a toddler in the house?
Yes, when it's placed properly. We put tiny amounts deep in cracks, hinges and appliance gaps out of reach, and we'll ask about children and pets before we start.
Why am I seeing more cockroaches just after the treatment?
That's normal for the first few days. The bait and barrier disturb them and bring them out of hiding before numbers drop. Leave the bait spots alone and let it work.
Can cockroaches come up through the shower drain?
Yes, the big American cockroaches especially. A drain without a grate or with a dry trap is an open door from the pipes outside.
Do you treat flats and outbuildings on the same property?
Yes. If there's a granny flat, garage or outbuilding, we treat it at the same time so the cockroaches can't simply move across.