American cockroaches are the big ones. They grow to around four centimetres, have a reddish brown colour and a pale band behind the head, and adults can fly short distances on warm nights. In Brisbane they turn up most often in bathrooms, laundries and ground-floor units, usually after heavy rain or on sticky summer evenings.
Unlike German cockroaches, these ones mostly live outside the living areas. They breed in sewer pipes, stormwater drains, garden mulch, compost, roof spaces and the damp space under older houses. They come inside through floor wastes, gaps under doors, weep holes and cracks around pipes. So the treatment focuses on where they live and how they get in. Homes near parks, creeks and older drains tend to see the most of them.
- A check of drains, floor wastes, the subfloor and garden beds
- A targeted spray around entry points and the outside edges of the home
- Dust in roof spaces and wall voids where the crew finds activity
- Bait granules or gel in damp outdoor spots and around bins
- Advice on drain covers, door seals and moving mulch back from walls
You might find a few slow or dying cockroaches in the days after the visit, often on their backs near doors and drains. That is normal. Sweep them up and try not to hose away the treatment around the outside edges for a while. The crew will tell you how long to wait before watering close to the house.
If big cockroaches keep coming up through the shower drain or in from the yard anywhere in Brisbane, call 07 3543 7765 and we will book a nearby crew with an upfront price.
