Is it one large cockroach that appears in the bathroom now and then, or a handful of small ones every time you switch on the kitchen light? The answer changes the job. The first is usually coming up from the drains and can often be stopped at the plughole. The second means cockroaches are breeding inside your kitchen, and that needs gel bait and a targeted treatment to break the cycle. Either way, we can sort it without you emptying a single cupboard.
Life on the cliff top
Glentana is a small village on the cliffs between Groot Brak and Herolds Bay, with sea views, coastal bush and a lot of holiday and retirement homes. That mix creates two quite different cockroach situations, and we see both.
The house that's been locked up
When a holiday home stands empty, the water in the U-bends of basins, showers and floor drains slowly evaporates. That water seal is what normally stops cockroaches climbing up from the pipes. Once it's gone, the larger drain-dwelling cockroaches have a clear path into a quiet, dark house. Owners arrive to find them in the bath, in the sink, or dead on the floor.
The kitchen that's always in use
In homes lived in all year, the problem is more often the smaller German cockroach. It's the one that hides in the warm parts of a kitchen: behind the fridge, in the motor housing of appliances, in cupboard hinges and under the sink. It usually arrives by accident, hidden in a cardboard box, a second-hand appliance or a grocery delivery, and then breeds quickly in the warmth.
How we treat without disrupting your home
A lot of our Glentana clients would rather not have their house turned upside down, and with cockroaches there's no need.
- We start by looking. A careful inspection of the kitchen, bathrooms, drains and any garage or storeroom shows us where they're living. A torch into the back of a cupboard tells us far more than spraying blindly.
- Gel bait does most of the work. We place small amounts in the cracks and hinges where cockroaches shelter. They feed on it and carry it back to the others.
- Sprays go where they travel. An odourless, non-staining residual spray is used in drains, behind units and along entry points, with a barrier outside the house.
- Nothing to pack away. You don't need to clear your cupboards or leave the house. Once the treated areas are dry, they're safe for pets and grandchildren.
Something most people believe that isn't true
Cockroaches don't mean your house is dirty. Some of the cleanest kitchens we see have German cockroaches, because they came in with a box or an appliance and found a warm motor to live in. Cleanliness helps keep numbers down, but scrubbing alone won't remove a colony living inside the dishwasher housing. That takes bait in the right place.
Keeping them out for good
For holiday homes, the most useful habit is simple: before you lock up, put the plugs in every basin, bath and shower, and ask whoever checks on the house to run the taps and flush the toilets now and then. A small cover over any floor drain helps too. That keeps the water seals intact and the drain cockroaches where they belong.
For homes in daily use, unpack cardboard boxes outside or in the garage and get rid of them rather than storing them in the kitchen. Check second-hand appliances before they go into place. Wipe up overnight spills, keep the bin lidded, and don't leave pet food out after dark.
How much will it cost?
It depends on what kind of cockroach it is, how established the infestation is and how big the house is. Drain cockroaches in a holiday home are usually a quick treatment combined with some practical advice. A German cockroach infestation through a kitchen may need a follow-up visit, because egg cases can hatch after the first treatment. If you want the house treated before each holiday season, we can schedule that. We'll give you a free quote first, and if it really is just a stray roach from the drain, we'll tell you that plugs and a clean drain may be enough.
For other pests at your Glentana home, see pest control in Glentana. To learn more about how we deal with cockroaches across the region, visit cockroach control in George, or check our identification guide if you're not sure what you've found.
We're SAPCA registered, with more than 25 years in the Garden Route. Call us on 044 012 5011 and we'll arrange a time that suits you.
Questions we get asked
Why do I find dead cockroaches when I arrive at my holiday home?
Usually because the drain water seals dried out while the house was empty, letting drain cockroaches in. With no food or water in a closed house, many of them die before you arrive.
Does the treatment have a smell?
No. We use odourless, non-staining products, so there's no chemical smell lingering in the house afterwards.
Can cockroaches live in a fridge or dishwasher?
They can live in the warm motor housings and the gaps around them, which is why German cockroaches are so hard to clear without targeted gel bait.
Will pouring bleach down the drain stop them?
Not for long. It cleans the drain but doesn't affect cockroaches living further down the pipes. Keeping plugs in and the water seals topped up does far more.
Is the bait dangerous if my cat finds it?
We place gel bait in tiny amounts inside cracks and hinges where pets can't get to it. Tell us about any animals when you book and we'll plan placement around them.
Will one visit be enough?
For drain cockroaches, often yes. For a German cockroach infestation, a follow-up is common because new nymphs hatch from egg cases. Our 3-month guarantee covers a return visit if they come back.