Big roach or small roach? Sorting out cockroaches in Sedgefield

Start with the size. A big reddish-brown cockroach on the bathroom floor usually came in from outside or up a drain, and the fix is a barrier treatment and closing off its way in. Small light-brown cockroaches in the kitchen, especially if you see different sizes, are breeding inside the house, and that needs gel bait placed in the cracks where they hide. We deal with both, and on plenty of Sedgefield properties we deal with both at once.

Why Sedgefield gets the big ones

Sedgefield sits between lakes, lagoon, wetland and sea, and a lot of gardens back onto damp, green ground. That's ideal for the large outdoor cockroaches. They live in leaf litter, mulch, compost, firewood stacks and drains, and at night they come out to forage. On warm, humid evenings they wander in through gaps under doors, weep holes, open windows and floor drains, which is why you tend to meet them in the bathroom or laundry rather than the pantry.

And why the small ones turn up

German cockroaches don't come from the garden at all. They live indoors and arrive in things: grocery boxes, second-hand fridges and microwaves, holiday luggage and supplies brought in from somewhere else. A busy holiday home, with different families arriving with boxes and cooler bags through the season, has more chances of picking them up. Once inside, they settle in the warm spots around appliances and breed quickly.

What we do for each

Outdoor cockroaches

We apply an odourless, non-staining residual spray around doors, windows, weep holes and drains to create a barrier they cross on their way in. We check drain covers and show you where they're getting through, and point out the spots in the garden that are giving them shelter right up against the house.

German cockroaches

We put small dots of gel bait into the places they hide: cupboard hinges, the back of the fridge, under the sink, behind the stove and inside gaps in the units. The bait doesn't scare them off, so they feed on it and carry it back to the others. Because egg cases are protected and hatch after the first round, we come back to catch the next generation.

Either way, you don't need to empty your cupboards, and children and pets are fine once sprayed areas have dried.

Signs it's more than a wanderer

• You see small cockroaches in daylight
• There are droppings like ground pepper in drawers or on the hinges of cupboard doors
• You find brown egg cases tucked behind appliances
• Big cockroaches turn up in the same spot several nights in a row

A common misunderstanding

Many people assume a cockroach means a dirty house. The big outdoor ones turn up in spotless homes because they've walked in from a damp garden. German cockroaches have more to do with one infested box or appliance than with how clean you are. Keeping the kitchen clean helps by cutting off their food, but it won't clear an infestation on its own, and a cockroach on the floor isn't a reflection on your housekeeping.

Prevention that suits a lakeside garden

The tip that makes the most difference here: keep a strip of bare ground or gravel along the walls of the house rather than mulch or dense planting, and move the firewood and compost well away. That damp, dark layer against the wall is where the big ones live. Add brush seals to the bottoms of doors that face the garden or water, keep drain covers in place, and unpack groceries at the door and put cardboard boxes straight into the outside bin so nothing comes in hiding in them.

How much will it cost?

A barrier treatment for outdoor cockroaches in an average house is a straightforward job. An established German cockroach infestation, particularly in a large kitchen, takes longer and includes a follow-up visit. Size of the property, how long the problem has been going, how much needs sealing and whether it's a home or a business all play a part. Restaurants and guesthouses usually go onto a regular service. If you only see the occasional big one, a door seal and a drain cover may be enough, and we'll tell you that.

Not sure what you're looking at? Try our pest identification guide. For other pests in town, see pest control in Sedgefield, or read more about cockroach control in George.

We're SAPCA registered, with more than 25 years in the Garden Route, and our treatments come with a 3-month guarantee. Call 044 012 5011 and describe what you've seen.