German Cockroach Information for Sydney

German Cockroaches are the worlds' 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 coloured 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 coloured. 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 flyspecks. 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
Once you have employed a professional pest control company such as ASSASSIN PEST CONTROL to control German Cockroaches in your environment, there are certain things that you can do in order to get a faster, more permanent result. We have used our professional equipment and insecticides to get to the places that you would not normally even think of, let alone carry out. Once we have gone there are three measures that you can do to achieve this result. These 3 things are:

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 harbouring German Cockroaches. Do not store these for any period longer than necessary. It is much wiser to store food inside sealed containers such as Tupperwear.
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. Wipe dry all sinks, basins, bench-tops etc.
3. FOUR TO SIX WEEKS AFTER TREATMENT USE SURFACE SPRAY AROUND THE HARBOURAGE AREAS. ALTERNATIVELY USE COCKROACH BOMBS ACCORDING TO THE LABEL.
   Still go ahead and carry this out, EVEN IF NO COCKROACHES ARE SIGHTED AT THIS STAGE.

Doing this will break their life cycle and hasten their demise. Remember to close off the infested areas as much as possible when using bombs to keep as much of the smoke contained. Sheets may be used when pinned to doorway frames when doors are absent. Always read and take note of the instructions on the label. In badly infested situations, ie. when cockroaches are sighted in numbers during the day, repeat this treatment in a further month.

Remember that cockroach control relies upon a conscientious effort from both the pest control operator and the client. Success
definitely does not occur overnight but following these few instructions will get you very good results within one month of our treatment and guarantees that you will not be living with these unwanted guests in the future.