Glimpse a sight of a cockroach and it is enough to make your skin crawl. Most insects leave pretty much anyone scurrying in the opposite direction – but cockroaches are one of the least appealing of all. There are lots of facts and myths surrounding cockroaches: one of the most common is that they can survive a nuclear blast. Whether this is true or not is almost impossible to say, but amazingly, these creatures can survive a week without their heads, dying only through lack of water.
As one of the least popular insects, it is no surprise that if you have a German Cockroach infestation, you will want it dealt with straight away. Essex and Suffolk Pest Solutions are the pest control experts, tackling infestations in and around Ipswich, Colchester, Woodbridge, Felixstowe, Manningtree, Harwich, Clacton and further afield. As experienced pest exterminators, with a history of high standards for private and contract clients, you know you can count us.
Pest Control Ipswich – Click here to find out how Essex and Suffolk Pest Solutions can help eliminate a German Cockroach infestation.
This article looks at basic facts and information about German Cockroaches and who to count on to tackle an infestation in your Essex or Suffolk home or business.
What do German Cockroaches Look Like?
German cockroaches are about 1 – 1.5 cms in length and are brown in colour. Although there are many other types of cockroaches, these are the most common type in the UK, and worldwide. They were thought to have originated from Southeast Asia, and came to Europe via trade ships in the 17th century.
What do they Eat?
Cockroaches are omnivores, which means that they eat meat or plant food, and this includes pet or human food lying around on surfaces, or in bins. They are attracted to sweet foods, but they can also eat kitchen grease and even munch through glue, book bindings, or household products such as soap. They need mainly water to survive as they can live for up to seven days without food. Although German Cockroaches wouldn’t normally bite humans, they will if there is a major infestation and they can’t get access to food.
How Long do they Live and What is their Breeding Cycle?
Cockroaches can live up to 200 days, depending on the conditions in which they live and whether or not they have access to food and water. The females carry their egg case around, and an average of 15-18 young (or nymphs) can hatch at any one time. Once the nymphs have hatched, they can transmute to the adult stage in just a matter of weeks; they reproduce quickly, so as you can imagine an infestation can develop very quickly.
Why are they a Health Threat?
German cockroaches are a serious health threat as they can contaminate food products with their secretions and faeces. They can spread all sorts of diseases such as food poisoning and salmonella, and even typhoid, which can be spread to multiple organs and can be fatal. In addition to this, cockroaches also generate some allergic reactions in humans from their faeces and the skin that they shed.
Not only is health at risk but there is the psychological impact too, as cockroaches are mainly associated with contamination of dirty buildings – although they are not only known to infest insanitary buildings, but also clean ones too.
Where do they Live?
German cockroaches can inhabit homes and apartment buildings and are also a threat to supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, public houses, and even shipping containers. They can fit into tiny cracks and crevices and are usually found in bathrooms and kitchens but can also inhabit storage areas, drains and sewers.
How Can I Prevent a Cockroach Infestation?
The best way to prevent a cockroach problem is to keep kitchens clean and sanitary and to keep bins sealed. Once you have a cockroach infestation, this is difficult to bring under control yourself because they breed so rapidly.
There are various sprays and baits that you can buy over the counter but the best option is to bring in professional pest control experts who can deal with infestations quickly and effectively.
How do Essex and Suffolk Pest Solutions tackle a German Cockroach infestation?
Essex and Suffolk pest solutions are the pest control experts for Ipswich, Colchester and the surrounding areas. In addition to carrying out free surveys of commercial or residential properties, we also offer service contracts which include constant monitoring and full site inspections.
We provide advice on proofing for German cockroaches, and because of the nature of these creatures (they are generally nocturnal), we can carry out night time inspections before treatment. We can also arrive in unmarked vehicles on request.
Essex and Suffolk Pest Solutions - Click here to contact the region’s pest control experts.
Wednesday 26 November 2014
Tuesday 18 November 2014
Why it’s Vital to Secure Your Bins
Households and businesses collectively produce an incredible 180 million tonnes of rubbish a year in England alone, according to Government statistics. Add to this fact that you are never too far away from a rat – or any pest for that matter – if you don’t secure your bins properly, you put your home or business premises at risk of attracting unwanted visitors such as rodents, seagulls, squirrels, cockroaches and wasps.
Nick Collinson, managing director of Essex and Suffolk Pest Solutions, who offer professional pest control services in Colchester, Woodbridge, Felixstowe, Ipswich, Harwich, Braintree and Chelmsford, says incorrect waste disposal can be a huge problem.
Professional Pest Control Services Colchester – Click here to see our full range of pest control solutions in Essex and Suffolk.
“If waste is not put into bins or the bins are overflowing, then rats and gulls can get to the contents,” he said. “Rats need water and a food source, and harbourage too, if they have all three of these, they breed very quickly.
“Rats only have a three week gestation period and they can have eight young at a time. These young mature at 10-12 weeks, so you only have to do the maths and the numbers can escalate very quickly in a year.”
He said incorrect waste disposal included:
A number of pest control callouts in Essex and Suffolk also involve blocks of flats where people are not disposing of their waste properly in the communal bins.
“Problems come about when people sling their rubbish over the bin stores, don’t shut the bins, or leave their rubbish in bags outside the bin stores to avoid unlocking them,” said Mr Collinson.
Food industries, such as restaurants, cafes, pubs and hotels, are another food source for bin pests – and at certain times of the year around half of the company’s commercial pest callouts are to do with improper waste control.
It is thought that the problem has escalated since fortnightly bin collections were introduced in 2005, and if people skip a week and forget to put their waste out, rubbish can soon mount up.
So What’s the Solution?
If you have a rat or bin pest problem, the best thing to do is to call on the experts at Essex and Suffolk Pest Solutions. We will carry out a full survey of your premises, provide pest control solutions and offer advice on pest proofing.
In addition to residential pest control, we also offer contract services which include free site audits and recommendations, free callouts and full pest reports at each visit. We will ensure your bin stores are proofed, provide regular inspections and if rats are a problem their food supply can be replaced with rodenticides.
Here are eight common pests that are attracted to unsecured bins:
Rats – Once they spot a food source, such as overflowing bin stores and bags of rubbish being regularly left out the street, rats will harbour as near as possible to it, which can be in a hedge or in a house. They are attracted to waste such as leftover food and can multiply very quickly.
Mice – Like rats, they live where humans do and are attracted by a ready food source such as overflowing bins and spilled food. And, as they can get through gaps as small as 25 mm they can be a real menace. Kitchen hygiene and proper waste disposal is vital to keep these rodents at bay.
Seagulls – Unsecured bins or bags of rubbish left open are a target for gulls who can raid bins and rip open bin bags, scattering your waste across the street. It is advisable to put household bags out on the day of collection and invest in a lidded bin, if you haven’t been supplied with a wheelie bin.
Ants – As these insects leave a trail of pheromone to identify a food source to other ants, your bins can soon be overrun by these tiny creatures. Clean up waste and empty bins, including household bins, regularly.
Flies/Maggots – Flies are attracted to rubbish if they have access to it; they lay their eggs in the bins, which hatch into maggots. Maggots will take between 10 days to a month to hatch depending on the weather conditions. Restaurants bins containing food waste are particularly affected, so it is advisable to keep bin lids closed and to wrap food before throwing it away. Regular cleaning of both inside and outside of bins will discourage flies and will also help to prevent them completing their life-cycle.
Cockroaches – These are less of a problem for outside bin stores, because of the temperature, but they are associated with poor hygiene and are attracted to waste and spillages inside homes.
Squirrels – These don’t pose so much of a problem associated with waste disposal as the pests outlined above, but it depends on the food source. Grey squirrels can tear up bin bags and have even been known to chew through plastic food waste bins!
Wasps – Bins and exposed waste can be a magnet for wasps so make sure your rubbish is in a secure bin with a lid and repair any holes in bins.
Essex and Suffolk Pest Solutions are experienced in pest control – Click on the link to find out more about our service.
Nick Collinson, managing director of Essex and Suffolk Pest Solutions, who offer professional pest control services in Colchester, Woodbridge, Felixstowe, Ipswich, Harwich, Braintree and Chelmsford, says incorrect waste disposal can be a huge problem.
Professional Pest Control Services Colchester – Click here to see our full range of pest control solutions in Essex and Suffolk.
“If waste is not put into bins or the bins are overflowing, then rats and gulls can get to the contents,” he said. “Rats need water and a food source, and harbourage too, if they have all three of these, they breed very quickly.
“Rats only have a three week gestation period and they can have eight young at a time. These young mature at 10-12 weeks, so you only have to do the maths and the numbers can escalate very quickly in a year.”
He said incorrect waste disposal included:
- Overflowing bins,
- Rubbish bags left out on the street instead of being secured in plastic bins,
- Unsecured bins,
- Bins with holes in, and
- Food spillages that haven’t been cleared up, including spillages of grain and cereals in agricultural industries.
A number of pest control callouts in Essex and Suffolk also involve blocks of flats where people are not disposing of their waste properly in the communal bins.
“Problems come about when people sling their rubbish over the bin stores, don’t shut the bins, or leave their rubbish in bags outside the bin stores to avoid unlocking them,” said Mr Collinson.
Food industries, such as restaurants, cafes, pubs and hotels, are another food source for bin pests – and at certain times of the year around half of the company’s commercial pest callouts are to do with improper waste control.
It is thought that the problem has escalated since fortnightly bin collections were introduced in 2005, and if people skip a week and forget to put their waste out, rubbish can soon mount up.
So What’s the Solution?
If you have a rat or bin pest problem, the best thing to do is to call on the experts at Essex and Suffolk Pest Solutions. We will carry out a full survey of your premises, provide pest control solutions and offer advice on pest proofing.
In addition to residential pest control, we also offer contract services which include free site audits and recommendations, free callouts and full pest reports at each visit. We will ensure your bin stores are proofed, provide regular inspections and if rats are a problem their food supply can be replaced with rodenticides.
Here are eight common pests that are attracted to unsecured bins:
Rats – Once they spot a food source, such as overflowing bin stores and bags of rubbish being regularly left out the street, rats will harbour as near as possible to it, which can be in a hedge or in a house. They are attracted to waste such as leftover food and can multiply very quickly.
Mice – Like rats, they live where humans do and are attracted by a ready food source such as overflowing bins and spilled food. And, as they can get through gaps as small as 25 mm they can be a real menace. Kitchen hygiene and proper waste disposal is vital to keep these rodents at bay.
Seagulls – Unsecured bins or bags of rubbish left open are a target for gulls who can raid bins and rip open bin bags, scattering your waste across the street. It is advisable to put household bags out on the day of collection and invest in a lidded bin, if you haven’t been supplied with a wheelie bin.
Ants – As these insects leave a trail of pheromone to identify a food source to other ants, your bins can soon be overrun by these tiny creatures. Clean up waste and empty bins, including household bins, regularly.
Flies/Maggots – Flies are attracted to rubbish if they have access to it; they lay their eggs in the bins, which hatch into maggots. Maggots will take between 10 days to a month to hatch depending on the weather conditions. Restaurants bins containing food waste are particularly affected, so it is advisable to keep bin lids closed and to wrap food before throwing it away. Regular cleaning of both inside and outside of bins will discourage flies and will also help to prevent them completing their life-cycle.
Cockroaches – These are less of a problem for outside bin stores, because of the temperature, but they are associated with poor hygiene and are attracted to waste and spillages inside homes.
Squirrels – These don’t pose so much of a problem associated with waste disposal as the pests outlined above, but it depends on the food source. Grey squirrels can tear up bin bags and have even been known to chew through plastic food waste bins!
Wasps – Bins and exposed waste can be a magnet for wasps so make sure your rubbish is in a secure bin with a lid and repair any holes in bins.
Essex and Suffolk Pest Solutions are experienced in pest control – Click on the link to find out more about our service.
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