Health Protection

General Information

Habitat

• Cockroaches are common insects that can be found almost anywhere in the home or workplace. They like a warm, damp environment, such as kitchens and washrooms.
   

• Cockroaches can be found behind taps; near water pipes, cracks and crevices; in kitchen cabinets and cupboards; behind and around small and large appliances; around toilets and bathtubs (especially in spaces or openings near the floor or wall); and near or in garbage containers and cardboard.

Habits

• Cockroaches are nocturnal; they like to come out at night. Cockroaches may appear in the daytime if there is a heavy infestation or if they are disturbed.

Food

• Cockroaches can eat paper, leather, plants, glue in book binds, and almost anything a person eats, such as starchy foods, meat and beverages. A few grains of sugar can keep them alive for days. Cockroaches need a water supply to survive.

Identification

Cockroach Life Cycle

Control Measures

Control of cockroaches is not merely using ‘insecticides’. It begins with common actions. 

1. Cleaning: Keep storage areas tidy. Keep food in sealed containers. Clean grease, dirt, food crumbs, and garbage from all areas, especially the kitchen. Vacuum often.

2. Exclusion by caulking, sealing and repairing: Repair cracks, crevices and openings around pipes, cupboards, walls, ceilings, and floors to prevent cockroaches from entering or hiding. Use non-toxic caulking and steel wool to seal holes and a fine mesh screen to cover ducts or vents.

3. Monitor: Look for signs of a cockroach infestation, such as actual sightings of live and dead cockroaches, feces that look like grains of pepper, and egg cases.

4. Glue Boards: Glue boards placed in areas where you see cockroach activity can be effective. Cockroaches will walk on the glue board and become trapped. Glue boards can be purchased at your local hardware store. Check glue boards on a regular basis.

5. Bait Stations: Bait stations are discs 5cm in diameter that contain poisoned bait. They last up to six months. Openings located around the disc let cockroaches enter. Cockroaches die when they eat the bait, but it may take up to three days to kill them.

6. Insecticides: Insecticides are chemicals used to kill cockroaches. If you are a tenant, your landlord can hire a licenced exterminator. Household insecticides can be purchased. Read the label carefully before applying insecticide and follow all directions and precautions. Spraying should be done only in cracks, crevices and holes, not the entire surface. The area that is sprayed should be well ventilated. Insecticides should not be applied or stored near food that can be exposed. Children and pets should be kept away from sprayed areas and where insecticides are stored.

How can I protect myself?

Dispose of dead cockroaches in tightly sealed bags in household garbage. Wash your hands with soap and warm, running water after handling cockroaches, glue boards or poisons.