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YOUR GUIDE TO COCKROACH CONTROL IN ADELAIDE

 

Cockroaches are good scavengers that thrive in clean dwellings just as well as they do in unsanitary environments. They carry some pretty filthy germs with them that cause everything from cholera to asthma.

The other problem? They are stealthy pests who rapidly multiply before you even know they are there. So for every rogue cockroach you see, there are probably at least ten more that you can’t.

What questions will this article answer?

Why a cockroach outbreak is a problem

For centuries, cockroach outbreaks have been feared for several reasons:

They damage to packaging, belongings and furniture

Cockroaches have sharp teeth and strong jaws that are capable of chewing through a wide range of organic and inorganic materials, including plastic. Look for unusual signs of damage in unexpected places, not just on food packaging. This can include leather goods, clothing, furniture and books.

They continue to attract more cockroaches

Cockroach droppings can emit a pheromone to entice more cockroaches to the same area. To make matters worse, when droppings continually accumulate at their nesting site or aggregation point, a small issue can quickly turn into a big outbreak.

They trigger allergies

A runny nose, itchy eyes or throat, or persistent cough, can be symptoms of a cockroach allergy. These arise after being around their droppings, saliva or shed skin. Sometimes, the droppings also contain various allergy triggers, including parasitic worm eggs.

They spread disease

Due to their unhygienic feeding and nesting habits, cockroaches can accumulate a range of highly infectious bacteria, parasites and viruses, which they leave behind on food, objects and surfaces where they feed, nest and crawl, resulting in contamination. Once you come into contact with something that is contaminated, you are at risk of being infected and falling ill. Some diseases spread by cockroaches include:

  • Diarrhoea
  • Gastroenteritis or food poisoning: caused by salmonella, campylobacteria, listeria, e. coli
  • Typhoid fever
  • Cholera
  • Dysentery
  • Leprosy
  • Hepatitis A

At Allstate, our cockroach control technicians are well aware of the health risks posed by cockroaches, and the urgency of preventing a cockroach infestation. That’s why our team is available 24/7 tin every suburb of Adelaide. For competitively priced, effective treatments and advice, call 8371 1277.

Speak to an experienced cockroach technician today about cockroach removal

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How cockroaches spread disease

Cockroaches are not shy about sharing your space, and the germs that they collected from scavenging in unclean places. The most common way that we get sick from cockroaches is through contaminated food and drink. Here’s how contamination typically occurs:

Coming into contact with droppings and saliva
Cockroaches will generally eat anything that is available. This means that they will happily feed on rotten food and waste laden with bacteria, parasites and viruses. These disease-causing organisms will pass through the cockroach digestive system unscathed, accumulate in droppings and saliva, and continue to remain highly infectious, even when they are left out in the open.

Mechanical transfer
Cockroaches will happily live in unhygienic and unsanitary places including rubbish bins and sewers, which are brimming with many harmful organisms. Some of these organisms will latch onto the cockroach’s body (such as the spines on their legs), and are moved to different surfaces and objects as the cockroach roams around.

Most common types of cockroach pests in Australia

Identifying the species of cockroach causing an infestation can make it easier to treat the problem by understanding their habits and behaviour. Here are the most common types found in Australian homes and businesses:

American cockroach

  • 35-40mm long and have a glossy reddish brown colour
  • Capable of running and using their wings to fly at high temperatures
  • Live in trees surrounding your property
  • Favour humid climates and also darker, less frequented areas in buildings, including roof cavities, basements, subfloors, kitchens and bathrooms

German cockroach

  • Grow to 12-15mm long, easily identified by 2 dark stripes along their head
  • Skilled at climbing
  • Live indoors, in warmer, humid climates with moisture, usually found in wet areas such as the bathroom, laundry and kitchen

Australian cockroach

  • 23-35cm long, with pale stripes on their wing and near the head
  • Prefer living in areas with mild winters
  • Hide in gardens and debris
  • Enter buildings at night

What are the signs of a cockroach infestation?

Here are some tips on what to look out for to correctly identify a cockroach outbreak in Adelaide.

Droppings

Look similar to coffee grounds – they are thin (<1mm wide), black in colour, and vary in length

Smear marks

Take note of brown irregular shaped smear marks near a water source or along pathways where they crawl, including floors, surfaces and wall-floor junctions

Unpleasant oily, musty odour

Comes from droppings, and intensifies along with the infestation

Egg capsules (ootheca)

Can look different for each species, with some being segmented and others having raised round sections

Skin shedding

As cockroaches mature and become larger, they outgrow their outer layer and are known to shed this 5-8 times in their life cycle. This will usually look thin and semi-transparent

Live cockroaches

Cockroaches are nocturnal, so you are more likely to see them actively moving around at night. If you see them during the daytime, you may have a serious problem on your hands

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Cockroaches in your business: restaurants, commercial buildings, distribution facilities and warehouses

Cockroaches are naturally attracted to places that provide good shelter and nesting sites, as well as an abundance of food sources. If left unchecked, an outbreak affects cleanliness and hygiene, creates an unpleasant odour, and spreads disease. This will eventually lead to staff, contractors and customers falling sick and being reluctant to return, a loss of stock and trade, and damage your reputation. To top it off, in Adelaide you can also cop heavy penalties for breaching food and industrial health and safety standards.

Restaurants
An abundance of fresh food makes restaurants vulnerable to a cockroach outbreak, and the results can be disastrous. A cockroach sighting can ruin your reputation overnight and subject you to fines for breaching food safety laws. If left unchecked, a colony can quickly spread diseases over chairs, tables, crockery and equipment, and cost you dearly in damaged stock. To prevent an outbreak, all restaurants must practice proper storage of food supplies, stock and rubbish, and implement regular pest control to meet regulatory requirements.

How to control cockroaches in restaurants

Commercial buildings
A cockroach problem for one tenant can potentially become an issue for all tenants in the building, so it’s important for everyone to follow the same strict health and safety practices. You may even experience disruptions to trade while the outbreak is being treated.

How to control cockroaches in commercial buildings and offices

Distribution facilities and warehouses
The sight of cockroaches scurrying around is not just distracting and off-putting to workers. Cockroach germs can contaminate stock and machinery,, and make you liable for not meeting WH&S obligations. Cockroaches may even be transported to other locations by latching onto products loaded for transport.

How to control cockroaches in distribution facilities and warehouses

How to prevent a cockroach outbreak

The best way to stop a cockroach outbreak in Adelaide is to prevent them from entering your home or business in the first place.. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Practice good hand hygiene
Avoid touching your face and eyes and use plenty of soap and warm water to wash your hands:

  • Before, during and after food handling and preparation
  • Before and after eating
  • After using the restroom and handling rubbish
  • After coming into contact with foreign surfaces, objects and materials which could be contaminated

Keep your space clean and sanitary

  • Remove and seal off potential food sources
  • Remove dropped/spilled food, wipe grease from stove and oven, and dispose pet droppings.
  • Clean floors, wipe benches, countertops and tables, clear sinks and drains,
  • Clean the dishwasher and oven
  • Wash cutlery, utensils, crockery before and after use
  • Ensure containers have tight fitting lids
  • Keep equipment and containers off the floor
  • Ensure that rubbish is covered
  • Regularly check and clean cupboards and shelves inside and underneath
  • Disinfect surfaces regularly

Conduct regular building maintenance

  • Regularly inspect and repair entry points of your building, damaged drains and pipes
  • Seal entry points, cracks and crevices with expanding foam or filler
  • Check pipes for leaks, as cockroaches like damp places

How to control a cockroach outbreak

There are several ways to manage a cockroach infestation, and using more than one give you the best chance of success. Here are some common methods used in Adelaide:

Cockroach bait
This is effective for use indoors, and comes in liquid, gel and solid form. Baits are strategically placed close to nesting areas and the poison is transferred from an affected cockroach to the rest of the colony.

Fumigation
This method is effective for more serious infestations in a confined space, and best used alongside other methods. A gas containing insecticide chemicals is introduced to a building that has been sealed off.

Heat treatment
This method is the most environmentally friendly and chemical free, and can prevente cockroaches at any stage of their life cycle. A mobile system delivers dry heat of 50-60 degrees to an area for a monitored period.

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Professional cockroach control

If you live in a cockroach-prone area, have a serious outbreak, or run a business, it’s best to steer clear of DIY methods and use professional cockroach extermination.

Instead of battling with the same problem for weeks on end, professional control is a cost-effective way to manage cockroaches and remove the source of the outbreak, so you won’t have to worry about a re-infestation.

Here is Allstate’s process for helping you to gain the upper hand against a cockroach infestation:

Initial assessment
Our cockroach removal technicians will thoroughly inspect your home or business, and devise the best solution to address the outbreak.

Removing the cockroach outbreak
Our solution usually involves applying one or more of the following non-hazardous methods, which are all child- friendly, pet-friendly, and safe for the environment:

  • Cockroach control dust: sprinkled into voids, weep-holes, cracks and crevices located in the area of the outbreak. You may notice an initial increase in the amount of cockroaches immediately after
  • Cockroach insecticide: carefully applied to specific treated zones at the perimeters of the building
  • Gel baits: positioned at popular feeding sites
  • Insecticide aerosol spray: applied to nesting areas

We’ll keep you informed
After we’re finished, we’ll send a report to you explaining the steps we took to control the outbreak, and, if necessary, leave you instructions about how to make sure the treatment works at full effectiveness. We’ll also outline some recommendations that can prevent future issues, making it simple for you to refer back to later.

Why choose Allstate pest control?

A cockroach infestation can be just as frustrating as it is unhealthy – causing stress and interruptions at home, and some serious headaches at a commercial premises.

At Allstate Pest Control Adelaide, we understand this and make sure you won’t have to put up with it for long.

24/7 emergency cockroach control
Allstate’s team of experienced cockroach exterminators are available 24/7 to all suburbs of Adelaide, to quickly deal with any cockroach outbreaks and problems.

Guaranteed to work
Our highly effective treatments focus on the areas that they live and breed to make sure your protection lasts, with a 100% money back guarantee.

Safe and affordable
On a tight budget? We offer affordable, interest-free payment plans to help you to implement cockroach control solutions when you need them. You also don’t need to worry about hazardous chemicals – our treatments are safe for children, pets and the environment.

Routine programs for businesses
Our Routine Pest Prevention Programs gives businesses a cost-effective method to meet their health and safety requirements. We work around your operating hours to cause the least disruption possible. You will also get your own online reporting portal, which enables you to access your records, reports and trends at any time.

Manage cockroaches fast. Our Adelaide team is ready to help you now

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