Cockroach control in Garsfontein

Garsfontein homes deal with two quite different cockroaches, and the treatment depends on which one you have. Small, light-brown cockroaches living inside the kitchen are German cockroaches; they breed indoors and need gel baiting where they hide. Large, reddish-brown cockroaches that appear at night near drains, on the patio or in the bathroom are American cockroaches; they mostly come in from outside, and the answer is treating where they live and closing the way in.

The kitchen cockroach

German cockroaches are about the length of a fingernail and spend the day packed into warm, tight spaces: the hinges of kitchen cupboards, behind the fridge and dishwasher, under the kettle base, inside the microwave housing, and in the motor of an appliance. They come out when the lights go off.

In Garsfontein we often find they arrived in a box. Cardboard boxes from the grocery shop, second-hand appliances, and even school bags that have been in a bigger infested building can bring in an egg case. In townhouse complexes, where kitchens back onto each other and plumbing runs between units, they also spread through the walls.

The drain cockroach

American cockroaches are much bigger and can fly short distances. They live in sewer lines, manholes, stormwater drains and damp areas around the garden, and on hot, humid summer nights, often after a thunderstorm, they walk in through floor drains, under doors and up through unsealed pipe openings. You'll see one or two at a time, usually in bathrooms, laundries and on the patio.

Signs of an active infestation

• Small black specks, like ground pepper, in the corners of cupboards and drawers
• Brown egg cases tucked into hinges and crevices
• Shed skins near the back of appliances
• An oily, musty smell in a closed cupboard
• Cockroaches seen in daylight, which usually means the hiding places are full

How we treat

For German cockroaches, we use professional gel bait placed in tiny dots exactly where they shelter: hinges, appliance gaps, cracks and under counters. The cockroaches eat the bait and pass it on to others in the colony. It's discreet and odourless, and you don't need to empty every cupboard. A follow-up visit catches the next generation hatching from egg cases.

For American cockroaches, we treat the outside harbourage: drains, manholes, damp garden areas and the base of walls, using odourless, non-staining residual products. Inside, we look at where they're entering and treat those points.

In complexes, we strongly suggest treating the affected unit and its neighbours together. If the unit next door has an active colony, your kitchen will be reinfested.

The mistake that makes it worse

Spraying a can of insect killer into the cupboards is the one thing that undoes gel baiting. The spray contaminates the bait so cockroaches won't eat it, and it drives survivors deeper into the walls and into the neighbours' kitchens. If you've booked a gel bait treatment, put the spray away.

A Garsfontein tip

Check your floor drains and the gully outside the kitchen. Many family homes have a laundry or outside washing area with an open gully where water sits. Fit a fine grate, keep the trap topped up with water so it doesn't dry out in winter, and pour hot water down it now and then. That alone cuts down the number of big cockroaches that walk in from outside. Inside, a quick look behind the fridge and under the stove every few months, with a vacuum to hand, removes crumbs and egg cases before a colony can settle in.

What does cockroach control cost?

It depends on the species, the size of the home and how heavy the infestation is. A kitchen with a light German cockroach problem is a fairly contained job. A unit with heavy activity, or a whole complex block, takes more product, more time and usually more follow-ups. If you're only seeing the odd big cockroach on a hot night, better drain covers and door seals may be all you need, and we'll say so.

Cockroaches and ants often share a kitchen in summer, and our ant treatments for Garsfontein homes work alongside the gel baits. For the full city-wide picture, read about cockroach control in Pretoria. We also treat a lot of complexes in Moreleta Park, and the rest of our local work is on the pest control in Garsfontein page.

Our cockroach treatments carry a 3-month guarantee, meaning if they come back in that time, we return at no extra charge. Call 012 012 5526, or WhatsApp a quick photo of the cockroach so we know which kind we're dealing with.