Cockroaches and Crickets

Cockroaches are scavengers and are therefore known to be found in places where there is food or where food is being prepared and stored.. They are also known to eat almost anything, even things that are not edible to humans such as glue, grease, leather, cardboard or even hair. Although they are known to be scavengers, they can go without food for long periods of time. Cockroaches are usually attracted to dark, moist places, preferably in small cracks and crevices, which make them difficult to find and eradicate.

How do they get into your house? Cockroaches can gain access to your property via produce being brought in, through windows, drainage systems or even from getting an appliance like a TV repaired at a cockroach infested shop! Another worrying fact with cockroaches is that if there are any egg- carriers (females) they can generally drop eggs which hatch anywhere from 25 – 45 cockroaches depending on the species. What is worse is that within 5 weeks from those eggs hatching, the new- born cockroaches are old enough to lay their own eggs! So the problem keeps multiplying until it becomes very serious.

There are three main types of cockroaches that we find in our homes – the American cockroach (Periplaneta Americana), which is easily identifiable by its size (35-40mm). These cockroaches can fly. Secondly, there is the Oriental cockroach (Blatta Orientalis) which is medium sized (24-28mm) and lastly, the German cockroach (Blattella Germanica), which is smaller in comparison (10-15mm) and does not fly, they can, however, fit their small bodies into much smaller crevices.

It is important to rid your homes of these insects, as they can carry serious diseases, due to the fact that they can live on anything such as fermenting products, septic dressings and faeces. Cockroaches are known to carry diseases like dysentery, typhoid and poliomyelitis, as well as gastro-enteritis.

Crickets can be seen as pests, not because they carry diseases but simply because they are rather irritating to humans. Crickets make loud monotonous chirping noises which can be identified either as a courting song or a calling song. These sounds are very frustrating and loud when trying to sleep. Many crickets also invade households and feed on a variety of food, fabrics and paper products.

Crickets are attracted to any sort of light and may congregate in lighted areas as well as damp/moist areas such as drains.