5 Signs You Have Cockroaches on Your Premises

Cockroaches have a reputation for being hardy pests. They are adaptable and can survive in many different and challenging conditions, and this is what makes them so difficult to control.

They move fast, breed quickly, can survive for up to a month without food, and believe it or not, they can live for a week or more without a head!

Their resilience means that once they get into your business premises, you will soon have an infestation to deal with.

Cockroaches damage property, contaminate products, and pose a serious health risk. They will eat just about anything from books, to packaging, plastic, human food, and fabric and they are known to be carriers of intestinal diseases.

This is serious for any business, but a cockroach infestation could be disastrous if you own a food business or operate in a highly-regulated environment.

If you’ve seen one cockroach, you might think this is not necessarily a problem, but cockroaches aren’t lone pests. They tend to live in groups and hide under floorboards and in cracks in the wall, so spotting that one pest might indicate that there’s a bigger problem.

So what are the 5 signs you have cockroaches on your premises?

Well because they are nocturnal, you have more of a chance of spotting the signs of a cockroach problem than actually seeing one. If you have cockroaches on your premises, you might notice:

An unpleasant smell: If you have a cockroach infestation, you’ll notice an unpleasant, musty smell in the areas they’ve been in and on the things they’ve had contact with.

Droppings: You’ll notice brown or black droppings that look like pellets.

Smear marks: You might notice brown marks on surfaces where cockroaches have been.

Shed skins: Cockroaches shed a cast of their skins up to 8 times as they grow into adults. You’ll usually find these near the place where cockroaches have chosen to shelter.

Property damage: As we mentioned, cockroaches will eat anything, so you might see evidence of damage on your premises like chewed packaging.

Where to look for the signs of cockroaches on your premises

The plumbing behind sinks and toilets- cockroaches love anywhere dark with access to water

Inside of cupboards-especially the upper corners

Cupboards under sinks

Behind fridges and cookers

Basements and cellars

Inside of boxes

Inside drains and ducts

Garages and outbuildings

Do you have a problem with cockroaches on your premises?

If you’ve seen one or more of the 5 signs of cockroaches on your premises, you need to act fast, before you have an infestation on your hands.

Contego can help you protect your business by getting rid of the problem fast and effectively, as well as giving you expert advice on how to prevent further infestations.