How to Control Cockroaches
Australia has five main pest species ~ all being introduced and forming less than 1% of all 450 species found in Australia.
They comprise of: German, Smoky-brown, American, Australian and Brown-banded.
Their insect order is Blattodea and gave rise to the termites over 300 million years ago.
A species of cockroaches called the "Oriental Cockroach" (Blatta orientalis) was once a pest species, but is now so rarely encountered it will not be discussed further.
Cockroaches are regarded as pests because of a number of factors, some being their characteristic odor, reproductive abilities, contamination of food by their droppings and regurgitation's and the spread of diseases.
Pest controllers are often asked by clients "Aren't cockroaches supposed to be one of the cleanest animals because of the grooming habits?"
They obviously are not, because of the habits of roaming through sewers, toilets, urinals, garbage and rubbish.
They consume food and faeces of animals and man, harbouring such diseases like Salmonella, Diarrhea and Typhus.
PEST SPECIES PROLIFERATION
| German Cockroach (Blattela Germanica) | Smoky-brown Cockroach (Periplaneta Fuliginosa) | American Cockroach (Periplaneta Americana) | Australian Cockroach (Periplaneta Australiasiae) | |
| Life span of female adult | 14-26 weeks | 23-43 weeks | 15-84 weeks | 17-26 weeks |
| Incubation period of eggs in capsules | 17-35 days | 35-70 days |
29-58 days | 32-40 days |
| Number of offspring from one female | Approx 20,000 per year |
Approx 5,000 per year |
Approx 800 per year |
Approx 200 per year |
| Description | Light tan to medium brown, two dark bands on pronotum, 10-15mm long. | Entirely brownish to black, 10-13mm long | Reddish to chocolate brown, light yellow band on pronotum, 30-45mm long. | Reddish to brown, yellow marks on pronotum and wings, 30-35mm long. |
CONTROL: Inspection is a very important part of cockroach control. Inspect all known cockroach harborage areas such as:
• cracks and crevices in and around kitchen, bathroom and laundry and meal preparation sites if on a commercial building
• behind hot water services
• Electrical appliances such as Vending Machines, Coffee machines, ovens, refrigerator motors, microwaves, stereos etc.
• door hinges
• behind wallpaper or ply veneer boards
• drains and plumbing;
WARNING: DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE TREAT ANY FOOD PREPARATION AREAS, FOOD UTENSILS, CLOTHES, BEDDING, OR ANY OTHER AREAS WITH PESTICIDESEL.
GERMAN COCKROACH INFORMATION SHEET
German Cockroaches are the world's most successful and prolific cockroaches because of their extremely fast breeding habits and ability to adapt to almost any environment.
They will eat anything that humans do and will also eat wallpaper, curtains, leather and any other organic material.
They are always found indoors and tend to stay where food and water are freely available, such as kitchens, pantries and bathrooms, etc.
They cannot fly and carry their egg capsules (Ootheca) until maturity, unlike the other pest species.
IDENTIFICATION:
The adults are 10-15mm long and are tan to medium brown colored with 2 parallel dark stripes on the head section (Pronotum).
The nymphs are very small, dark and beetle-like when they first emerge from the capsule and within a few weeks grow more slender and lighter colored.
They have a light stripe down the centre at this stage of their development.
Signs of infestation include cast skins, dark regurgitation and faecal droppings in corners and door hinges of cupboards.
Their droppings are tiny and resemble fly-specks.
They are often confused with the Brown-banded Cockroach which is lighter in colour, lives outdoors or indoors in dry environments and can fly.
PREVENTATIVE MEASURES TO ENSURE PERMANENT CONTROL
1. KEEP THE AREAS WHERE COCKROACHES HAVE BEEN FOUND SCRUPULOUSLY CLEAN.
This involves keeping the floor and other areas free of food scraps and grease.
Washing up should not be left overnight and food should never be consumed in any place other than the meal area.
Cardboard and paper are notorious for harboring German Cockroaches. Do not store these for any period longer than necessary.
2. FILL OR BLOCK OFF ANY CRACKS AND CREVICES THAT PROVIDE HIDING AREAS FOR COCKROACHES.
This may be done with a caulking agent such as "No More Gaps." Dripping taps should have washers replaced as this may provide water that they can drink.
3. As the Pest Free technology will flush out the cockroaches when the eggs hatch, we highly recommend a ‘catch and kill’ program to be put into place.
That is to catch – by using a cockroach sticky pad that has a pheromone tablet included. The pheromone tablet attracts the cockroaches and they become stuck on the pads.
Lo-Line cockroach sticky pads we believe are the most effective.
To Kill – we recommend a surface spray to ‘knock them over’
Dependent on the infestation, the eggs will hatch (particularly when the weather becomes warmer).
If there is a heavy infestation, experience has shown us that it could take months to be able to bring the problem under control.
Success definitely doesn't occur overnight.
Pest Control for Vending Machines - Pest Free Micro Units
