Common Food Pests - Cockroaches

There are two common species of cockroach found in the UK, the Oriental Cockroach and the German Cockroach.

Cockroaches carry a variety of pathogens which can lead to an outbreak of disease including Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus, they also contaminate food with faecal pellets, moult debris and dead bodies.

Oriental Cockroach (Blatta orientalis)

The most common of the two species found. Adults grow to about 24mm long are dark reddish brown to black. They can run rapidly and adults may fly, the females are wingless, and males have wings.

Unlike other pest cockroaches, oriental cockroaches cannot climb up smooth surfaces (they lack sticky pads on their feet). Immature cockroaches resemble adults except that they are wingless.

The Oriental Cockroach likes moist areas, but can survive in dry areas if they have access to water. Commonly they are found in cellars, kitchens, bakeries and drains and feed on a wide variety of plant and animal material.

Females produce egg cases which hatch in about 8 weeks dependant on temperature. The young 6 to 12 months to mature and the adult cockroaches can live up to one year, during which females produce an average of 150 young.

German Cockroach (Blattella germanica)

Adult German cockroaches are 10 to 15mm long, light brown in colour and are capable of climbing smooth vertical surfaces. They prefer warm and moist conditions and are commonly found in kitchens and restaurants.

They eat food of all kinds and may hitchhike into buildings on packaging, raw foods and laundry. Their life span can be as long as 12 months and the female will produce 250 to 300 eggs in a life time.

Cockroach Control

Inspect sacks, cartons and boxes, etc., brought into the premises. Prevention is the best method of control. Clean up spillages and avoid leaving scraps of food on unwashed dishes, keep food in tightly sealed containers. Buildings should be regularly inspected, internally and externally and repairs carried out to deny cockroaches entry and eliminate harbourage.

Insecticides may be applied by specialist pest control contractors. Inspection is normally carried out at night by torch light to establish the extent of infestation and the species involved. Apply chemicals at cockroach hiding place but do not treat food surfaces. Large infestations are difficult to eliminate and populations usually develop from isolated survivors. Traps have be used and a good method of monitoring the extent of infestation.