Cockroach control in Rotterdam: which species do you have?
In homes and kitchens it is nearly always the German cockroach: light brown, just over a centimetre long, with two dark stripes running lengthways behind the head. In cellars, crawl spaces and near drains you may also find the larger, dark brown Oriental cockroach, which prefers cool, damp places. Signs of an infestation:
- live cockroaches darting away at night when the light goes on
- tiny black droppings, like ground pepper, in corners and cupboards
- brown egg cases behind appliances or in cracks
- shed skins and, in a large infestation, a musty, sour smell
If you see them in daylight too, the population is often already large: the hiding places are so crowded that some come out even with the lights on.
Where cockroaches hide
German cockroaches look for warmth, moisture and food, and the kitchen offers all three. Favourite spots are the fridge motor, the underside of the dishwasher, the microwave, the space behind the kitchen plinth and the pipe openings under the sink. In blocks of flats they move to the neighbours via service shafts and gaps along the pipework.
They arrive in boxes, crates and second-hand appliances, or wander over from an adjoining home or business. A female carries her egg case with her until the young are almost ready to hatch, so an infestation grows fast and is hard to stop with a single treatment.
Our cockroach control: gel bait and monitoring
Spraying with a shop-bought aerosol mainly chases cockroaches into new hiding places. We therefore work with professional gel bait: small drops placed where the insects run and shelter. They eat it, carry it back to their hiding place and pass it on to others there, so the product also reaches insects we never get to see.
Sticky traps show us where the activity is and whether it is dropping. A follow-up visit is almost always part of the job, because egg cases hatch later. For restaurants, takeaways and caterers we time our visits around your service. That is how our pest control in Rotterdam works in every kitchen: targeted and measurable.
What you can do yourself
Your own part is significant, because without food and water cockroaches struggle. Start before the inspection and keep it up after the treatment.
- Do not leave dirty dishes, leftovers or open pet food out overnight.
- Sweep up crumbs behind and under appliances and empty the bin every day.
- Fix dripping taps and do not leave wet cloths in the cupboard under the sink.
- Do not use sprays near the gel bait yourself; it makes the bait less attractive.
Larger, elongated droppings in the kitchen cupboard are more likely to come from mice than cockroaches. If you find those, take a look at our mouse control page too.
