Seen something dark scuttle under the fridge when you switched the kitchen light on? Our cockroach control service clears German and Oriental cockroaches from homes, flats and businesses across Bexley and South London. I’ll identify which species you have, find where they’re hiding and breeding, and treat them before a few turn into hundreds. Call me for a price over the phone.
Many people are surprised to find cockroaches in a British home, but they are more common than most realise, particularly in cities. They live in heated buildings all year round, and London’s older housing, blocks of flats and busy restaurant and takeaway areas give them plenty of places to live. Having cockroaches is not a sign that your home is dirty. They often arrive from neighbouring properties, in deliveries and boxes, or in second-hand appliances and furniture.
Two species cause almost all cockroach problems in UK homes and businesses. They behave differently, so identifying them matters for treatment.
German cockroaches are small, around 1 to 1.5cm long, and light brown with two dark stripes behind the head. They prefer warm, humid spots close to food and water, such as behind fridges, cookers, dishwashers and boilers, inside kitchen units and around pipework. They breed very quickly, with each female carrying a case of dozens of eggs, which is why numbers can build up fast. They are the most common cockroach in restaurants, commercial kitchens and flats.
Oriental cockroaches are larger, around 2 to 2.5cm, dark brown to almost black, and slower moving. They like cooler, damper places, such as drains, cellars, under floors and ground-floor rooms, and they often come in from outside or up through drainage. They can’t climb smooth surfaces as well as German cockroaches, so they are usually found at floor level.
Several harmless beetles, particularly black ground beetles that wander in from the garden, are often mistaken for cockroaches. Cockroaches have long, fine antennae, flat bodies and move very quickly, and they run for cover when the light goes on. If you are not sure, a quick inspection will confirm it.
Cockroaches are active at night, so seeing one during the day can mean the population is already large. Other signs include droppings that look like ground black pepper or coffee grounds along shelves and in cupboards, brown egg cases, shed skins, dark smear marks near where they hide, and a musty, oily smell in heavy infestations.
Cockroaches hide in cracks and gaps only a few millimetres wide, inside wall voids, behind appliances and in pipe ducts. Sprays from the shop kill the ones they touch, but they can scatter the rest deeper into the building, and they don’t reach the egg cases. In flats, cockroaches move through shared risers, service ducts and gaps around pipes, so treating one flat can push them next door and back again.
If you have searched for how to get rid of cockroaches, you will have found gels and traps from the shop. They can reduce small numbers, but an established infestation needs treatment placed exactly where the cockroaches are living, followed up over several weeks.
We start by inspecting the kitchen, bathrooms and any warm, damp areas to confirm the species, find where they are hiding and see how far they have spread. I’ll explain what I find and exactly what the treatment involves before we begin.
We use professional gel baits and targeted insecticide treatments, placed in the cracks, voids and hiding places where cockroaches live, rather than sprayed across open surfaces. Treatment is carried out over our three-visit programme, which allows us to deal with young cockroaches as they hatch from egg cases and check that activity is dropping each time.
A few simple steps make a real difference. Avoid using your own sprays after we have treated, as they can stop cockroaches taking the bait. Clean up grease and crumbs behind and under appliances, keep food and pet food in sealed containers, don’t leave dirty dishes or pet bowls out overnight, and fix dripping taps and leaks. We will give you full instructions after the first visit.
In blocks of flats, the best results come when neighbouring flats and shared areas are treated at the same time. We work with residents, landlords and managing agents, from the older mansion blocks and estates around Southwark and Wandsworth, and in converted flats around Catford, as well as across the rest of Bexley and South London.
For restaurants, takeaways, cafes, food manufacturers and care homes, cockroaches are a serious food hygiene risk and can lead to action at an environmental health inspection. Our commercial pest control contracts include regular inspections to find and treat activity early. For other insect problems, see our insect control page, and if you are seeing ants rather than cockroaches in the kitchen, our ant control page is the place to start.
It depends on the species, the size of the property and how established the infestation is. Call us with a few details and we will give you an estimate over the phone.
Cockroaches can spread bacteria onto food and surfaces, and their droppings and shed skins can trigger allergies and asthma in some people. That is why they should be dealt with quickly, particularly in homes with young children and in any business handling food.
German cockroaches have wings but rarely fly. Female Oriental cockroaches have only tiny wing stubs and males can’t fly properly either. Both species run rather than fly.
Usually because they have come in from a neighbouring property, through drains, or in boxes, deliveries, appliances or furniture. Warmth, moisture and food then allow them to settle and breed.
Our treatment runs over three visits, spaced to catch young cockroaches as they hatch. You should see activity drop after the first visit, with the follow-up visits clearing what’s left.
Rentokil-trained and Level 2 certified, so you know you’re in safe hands.
We don’t just show up, treat, and leave. We walk you through exactly what we found, why it happened, and what we’re doing to fix it.
Pests don’t work 9 to 5, and neither do we. We’re available when you need us most.
We are Level 2 certified technicians, fully insured, and members of BPCA, BASIS Prompt and RSPH. You’re in safe, qualified hands.
Hundreds of satisfied clients across South London have trusted us to get the job done right, and we back every job with a satisfaction guarantee.
We’re not a faceless national company. We’re local, we care about our community, and we treat every property as if it were our own.
Call us or fill out the contact form. We’ll assess your situation and give you a straight, honest estimate over the phone.
Our technician visits your property, carries out a thorough on-site inspection, and begins treatment right away.
We carry out a 3-visit treatment programme to make sure the problem is fully resolved, not just temporarily patched.
Job done. Your property is protected, and you’ll know exactly what was done and why every step of the way.
Same-day response available
Out-of-hours and weekends
Rodent proofing specialists
