Cockroaches are secretive and mostly active after dark, so the signs often show up before the insects do. Here is how to recognise the species found in British buildings and what they leave behind.
The German cockroach is small, around a centimetre and a half long, light brown, with two dark stripes running behind the head. It thrives in warm, humid places such as kitchens and food premises, and it breeds quickly. The oriental cockroach is larger, dark brown to black and glossy, and it moves more slowly. It prefers cooler, damp areas such as cellars, drains and ground-floor voids.
Many calls start with a dark insect on the kitchen floor that turns out to be a beetle. Beetles have hard wing cases that meet in a straight line and short antennae, whereas cockroaches have long, whip-like antennae and a flatter, oval body. A cockroach also runs fast and heads for cover the moment the light comes on. If you can safely catch one in a jar, a photograph is a great help to a technician.
They prefer warmth, moisture, food and tight spaces that touch their bodies on all sides. Look behind fridges and cookers, under sinks, around dishwashers, in the gaps behind kitchen units and near boiler cupboards or waste pipes. Shining a torch into these places at night, an hour or two after the house has gone quiet, often reveals activity you would never see in daylight.
The species affects the treatment. German cockroaches are normally dealt with by placing gel baits and monitoring traps in the kitchen and other warm areas, whereas oriental cockroaches may need attention to drains, damp voids and outside entry points. Sticky monitoring traps left overnight along skirting boards give a rough picture of how many insects are there and where they travel, which helps plan the work.
Young cockroaches, called nymphs, look like smaller, wingless versions of the adults and are often paler after shedding their skin. Seeing a mix of sizes is a strong sign of an established, breeding population rather than a lone traveller. Egg cases vary in shape, but those of the German cockroach are narrow and often carried by the female until just before the eggs hatch.
Because nymphs are small, they are easy to mistake for beetles or other insects, and they fit into cracks only a couple of millimetres wide. If you find several different sizes in one place, take a photograph and note the location, as a technician can often tell the species and the age of the problem from these clues.
If you think you have seen one, call 0113 347 0014 or message us on WhatsApp and we will arrange a free quote.
Not necessarily. They can arrive in boxes, second-hand appliances, deliveries or through shared walls and drains, and a spotless home can still be affected. A little food and moisture is enough for them, though good housekeeping makes an infestation harder to sustain.
Check the antennae and the wings. Cockroaches have long, thin antennae and a flat oval body, and they dart for cover when disturbed. Beetles have short antennae and hard wing cases that meet in a straight line down the back.
Some species have wings, but those found in British homes mostly run rather than fly. Male oriental cockroaches have short wing stubs and female ones almost none, and German cockroaches have wings but rarely fly indoors. Getting a second opinion costs nothing when a survey is free.
Tell us what you have seen and where, and we will come back to you. There are no call-out charges and surveys are free for homes and businesses.
