How to Identify & Get Rid of Cockroaches
Author:
Mosh Latifi
Co-Owner of Ecocare
Published:
Dec 5, 2025
Sharing a kitchen or bathroom with a cockroach is more than just unpleasant - it’s a genuine health risk. Once a cockroach infestation takes hold, it can feel almost impossible to get rid of, especially in warm, food-rich indoor spaces across London and Surrey. Cockroaches contaminate food and surfaces, spread bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli, and can trigger allergic reactions and asthma.
This guide explains how to get rid of cockroaches step by step: how to identify the species, understand what attracts them, apply effective control methods, and maintain a cleaner, safer environment. You’ll see how a proactive pest control strategy, combined with professional cockroach control from EcoCare PestControl Management, can help you get rid of cockroaches long term and protect your property, staff, customers and family.
Table of Content
Cockroach Facts & Information
Size: Adult cockroaches are typically 10-30 mm long; American cockroaches are larger.
Colour: Brown to black; German cockroaches (Blattella germanica) are light brown with dark stripes.
Shape: Flat, oval body with long antennae and spiny legs.
Wings: Some species have wings; most prefer running to flying.
Diet: Omnivorous; consume food, grease, waste, and even paper and fabric.
Behaviour: Nocturnal; hide in cracks and crevices during the day.
Habitat: Warm, humid areas near food and water, such as kitchens, bathrooms and boiler rooms.
Reproduction: Females produce egg capsules (oothecae) containing multiple nymphs.
Lifespan: Typically 6-12 months indoors.
How to Identify Cockroaches
Common house cockroaches in the UK include the German cockroach (Blattella germanica), Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis), American cockroach and brown-banded cockroach. These insect species adapt quickly to indoor environments, especially where food and water are abundant. A single egg capsule can release dozens of nymphs, which develop into adults through several moults, shedding exoskeletons as they grow.
Cockroach behaviour is driven by warmth, shelter and access to food. They aggregate using pheromones, often beneath appliances, in motor housings, behind cupboards, around pipe entries and inside wall voids. As disease vectors, cockroaches are associated with food poisoning, carrying Salmonella, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, and their droppings, shed skins and saliva can trigger allergies and asthma.
An infestation usually starts when cockroaches are brought in with packaging, second-hand appliances or deliveries, or when they travel through shared pipework between flats and businesses. Poor hygiene, clutter, damp and unsealed gaps all increase the chance that cockroaches will colonise a building.
Identifying the Infestation: Signs to Look For
Tell-tale signs of cockroaches include small, dark droppings that look like ground coffee or pepper, shed skins and empty egg cases near harbourage points. You may notice smear marks on walls or around pipework in damp areas, and an unpleasant cockroach smell - a musty, slightly oily odour. Late at night, switching on a light in the kitchen or basement and seeing insects run for cover is a strong sign of an active infestation. Check behind fridges, under sinks, inside cupboards and around food storage areas. If you’re unsure, EcoCare’s BPCA technicians can help identify the species and severity quickly.
Preventative Strategies: Stop Cockroaches Before They Start
To prevent cockroach infestations, focus on denying access to food, water and shelter. Keep areas clean and tidy, wiping surfaces and sweeping up every crumb after cooking. Store all food in sealed, airtight containers and avoid leaving pet food out overnight. Fix leaky pipes, dry damp areas and empty bins regularly, using tight-fitting lids. Reduce clutter so there are fewer hidden harbourage points beneath furniture and appliances. Seal cracks, gaps around pipes and broken tilework to block common cockroach entry routes. For busy homes, restaurants and businesses, combining these prevention steps with a scheduled professional cockroach control service from EcoCare PestControl Management provides stronger, long-term protection.
Natural Deterrents: Safe, Non-Chemical Repellents
If you want to start with gentle cockroach control methods, natural deterrents can reduce activity before you move to stronger treatment. Cockroaches dislike strong scents, so cedar blocks, bay leaves, mint and other aromatic herbs placed behind appliances, inside cupboards and near bin areas can deter them from that space. Wiping food preparation surfaces with a mix of vinegar and water removes grease, crumbs and the scent trails that attract a cockroach colony. Light dustings of diatomaceous earth in cracks and crevices damage the insects’ exoskeletons and dehydrate their bodies without standard chemical sprays. Baking soda mixed with sugar can also attract and kill small numbers of cockroaches. These options will not get rid of a heavy infestation alone, but they are a useful, low-impact first step in a broader control plan.
How to Get Rid of Cockroaches
To get rid of cockroaches effectively, you need active removal as well as deterrents. Start by vacuuming along skirting boards, behind fridges and beneath units with a crevice tool to remove adults, nymphs and egg capsules; then empty the contents into a sealed bag and dispose of it outside. Install sticky cockroach traps and bait stations in warm, dark areas where food and water are available, such as kitchens, basements and boiler rooms. Freezing small infested items, such as fabrics or packaging, for several days can kill hidden egg cases. In more serious infestations, a targeted insecticidal treatment, professionally applied by EcoCare’s BPCA-certified technicians, will eradicate the pest population safely and bring even stubborn activity back under control.
Integrated Pest Management: Combining Techniques
The most reliable way to get rid of cockroaches long term is to use an integrated pest management approach rather than relying on a single product. That means combining hygiene, proofing, monitoring and precise cockroach treatments. Regular cleaning to remove food debris, sealing gaps around pipes and skirting boards, and regulating moisture and water leaks make each area far less attractive as a habitat. Sticky monitoring traps and bait stations provide ongoing evidence of activity and show how long it takes to get rid of cockroaches after each treatment. EcoCare PestControl Management carries out detailed inspections, identifies the cockroach species present on your property and designs an environmentally conscious removal plan tailored to your building, business and legal obligations.
Unique Tips & Homeowner Insights
Living with a cockroach infestation can feel intrusive, so simple routines make a big difference to both control and peace of mind. Create a short weekly checklist: vacuum regularly behind appliances, check for droppings and egg cases, wipe food surfaces with vinegar and water, and empty bins before bed. Ask staff or family to report any tell-tale signs in shared areas, particularly kitchens, staff rooms and bathrooms. Keep cardboard, paperwork and general clutter off the floor so there are fewer harbourage points. Many people find that logging sightings and dates on a single sheet or app helps them see progress, keeps everyone focused on prevention and makes a persistent pest problem feel more manageable.
Quick Takeaways
Block access to food and water by keeping areas clean and tidy, and storing food in sealed containers.
Use natural deterrents such as cedar, herbs, vinegar and diatomaceous earth in cracks, gaps and crevices.
Install sticky traps and bait stations, and vacuum regularly around likely harbourage points.
For an ongoing cockroach infestation, contact a professional cockroach control service like EcoCare for safe, targeted treatment.
Maintain long-term cleaning and proofing habits to prevent infestations returning and to protect health and property.
Long-Term Cockroach Control & Prevention
Getting serious about how to get rid of cockroaches means looking beyond quick fixes and focusing on long-term prevention. Cockroaches contaminate food and surfaces, carry Salmonella, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, and their droppings, shed skins and saliva can trigger allergies and asthma, showing the real health risks of this pest. By keeping up a routine of cleaning, proofing and monitoring, and using natural deterrents alongside targeted control methods, you steadily remove the conditions that attract them.
EcoCare PestControl Management’s “Call - Clean - Clear” system gives structured help at every stage. Their BPCA-certified, DBS-checked technicians inspect your property, identify the conditions causing cockroaches in each area, apply insecticidal treatments where required and provide clear prevention tips you can keep using yourself. Whether you manage a restaurant, warehouse or family home in London or Surrey, contacting EcoCare for professional cockroach pest control is the most direct way to get rid of cockroaches long term and protect everyone who uses your building.
