German Roach Treatment
German Roaches are an intrusive insect, and every crack or crevice in your home or business is a potential hiding place once they enter. They hide in, under and around your appliances, furniture, and cabinets, in your coffee maker, inside your toaster, in your alarm clock and other electronic devices, behind your switch plates, in your dresser drawers, between your dish towels, between pages of books, in your bed frame, under knick knacks and they quickly scatter when exposed. Even if you removed every personal item from your home, they would stay hidden in the structure of the building. They like to remain unseen and you can be sure if you see a few, there are many, many more hidden from sight. They contaminate your food, spread pathogens and cause allergic reactions in children and adults.
They are not a general household pest, but rather are “brought in.” They are brought in on card board boxes, yard sale items, and transported on items from other infested sites—they are excellent hitchhikers. They do not live outdoors and do not enter structures from nature, but live their entire lives in and around buildings. They breed more than twice as fast as other roaches, and in fact they are the most prolific roach we encounter. That is why it is vital to respond quickly at the first sign of these invaders. They are difficult to control once they are entrenched and you will want our help.
Our Customer Service Specialist will schedule an appointment at your convenience for a specific appointment time. You will need to vacate your home along with any pets for 2 hours after the Pest Management Professional (PMP) arrives, so plan accordingly.
The days before your appointment are a great time to do a deep cleaning! Remove clutter and piles of cardboard boxes, discard unused and unwanted items such as old magazines and newspapers, toys that the kids have outgrown, piles of clothing, and outdated or old pantry items,etc. Mop the floor under the stove and refrigerator and wash out the trash can to remove food sources. Wipe down all kitchen counters with an approved cleaner. Wipe cabinet shelves. Vacuum flooring and use attachments on furniture and baseboards.
When your PMP arrives he will ask you where you have been seeing the roaches and do an inspection to confirm that it is German Roaches that are infesting the structure. He will explain the treatment, have you sign some paperwork and receive payment—we accept cash, check, Visa and MasterCard.
Your PMP will meticulously go through the house and may use a flushing agent to expose the hidden insects, vacuuming them away. Drawers will be opened and the contents moved around or removed. Cabinets will be opened, decorations or pictures may be removed from walls, knick knacks and electronic devices will be moved, and furniture may be moved in order to deliver the appropriate treatment. Your PMP may use a gel or liquid bait or an enclosed bait station. He may apply a liquid spray in harborage areas with a growth regulator which stops the insects from reproducing. He may use a pesticide powder in cracks and crevices. He will place monitoring stations, also known as glue traps, to assess the success of the treatment. He may leave you some instructions or notes with suggestions.
Once you return, don’t be surprised to see that items have been moved and handled—your PMP will have done a thorough job. You may smell traces of the flushing agent used, but this should dissipate quickly. You may find dead roaches over the next several days. You may even see some live ones—this is unusual behavior since they usually stay hidden and it means they are sick and dying. Because of the life cycle of German Roaches, a second treatment is required two weeks after the first. The 2nd treatment is a repeat of the first. Monitoring stations will again be placed. We will check in with you once two weeks has passed after the 2nd treatment.
Under normal circumstances, the roaches will be eradicated at this time. In the case of extreme infestations it may take several treatments and more time. If this is the case, your PMP will discuss this with you on the first visit.
Sometimes in commercial situations, where there are frequent deliveries, there can be a constant influx of German Roaches. In these situations an ongoing German Roach program may be required.
For Homeowners:
- Eliminate hiding places by sealing cracks, edges around switch plates, light fixtures, bulletin boards, sinks, cabinets, etc.
- Clean up food and drink spills as soon as they happen.
- Keep areas under and around kitchen appliances free of food particles.
- Sweep kitchen floor daily.
- Do dishes daily and keep area in and around sink clean and dry.
- Store food items in sealed containers.
- Clean drains, cracks and crevices with an enzyme-based cleaner.
- Inspect used items being brought in from yard sales or thrift stores for live roaches, tic tac size light brown egg sacks or for a multitude of little brown pepper size specks of fecal matter, and avoid items with a strong odor.
- Do not use second hand cardboard boxes from stores for moving or storage as these are often the source of German Roach eggs.
- Place exterior trash cans, recycling containers and dumpsters away from building.
- Use liners for waste containers and empty at the end of each day.
- Fix plumbing leaks and damp wood to eliminate access to water.
For Restaurants, Businesses, Schools, Motels and Institutions along with the above:
- Store teachers classroom and art supplies in sealed containers – avoid cardboard for storage of food items like beans and macaroni used as art supplies or snacks.
- Remove food products and food service supplies from cardboard containers as soon as they are delivered and put cardboard in outdoor recycling containers.
- Inspect incoming products for roaches, droppings, or egg cases and reject infested products.
- Follow up with suppliers who deliver infested products and change suppliers if necessary.
- Caulk and seal potential harborage areas around water and food prep sites.
- Clean on a schedule, including less accessible areas.
- Use a HEPA vacuum to remove heavy infestations prior to treatment.
- Facilities with frequent tenant turnover should be aware that each new arrival may be bringing German Roaches along with them. Having monitor stations in place will help in detecting roach activity so The Pest Force can be brought in immediately.