How to get rid of cockroaches for good ?

only 4 species can live in our homes. If they seek refuge there, it is because they come from hot countries and that they cannot survive outside in winter. There are also about fifteen species in the wild (which is very little because there are more than 4,000 species in the world) which, themselves, survive in winter.

Here are our 4 home species:

- The American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana) is the largest (2.5 to 3.2 cm). It lives in very hot and humid places (greenhouses, sewers ...). But it dies as soon as it is too cool and its populations are limited to these places. Despite her name, she is from Africa and it is this big cockroach that we meet everywhere in the world when we travel and we go to hotels or restaurants not very expensive ...

- The Eastern Cockroach (Blatta orientalis) measures 2 to 2.8 cm. It is quite dark and only the males have wings. It is less frequent than the German cockroach but is found in the same places.

- The furniture cockroach (Supella longipalpa) measures 1 to 1.4 cm. She arrived in Europe only 20 or 30 years ago. It can live in hot and dry places like in devices producing heat (radio, TV, ...). It is rarer.

- The German cockroach (Blattella germanica) is the most common in our homes. Like the 3 previous species, it follows humans in their movements, transported in goods, crates, luggage, etc. It is rather small (1.1 to 1.4 cm), beige and the adults have wings which they only use to glide when they jump from a certain height. Like all cockroaches, the female places her eggs - 30 to 40 - in a capsule species, the egg-shell. About ten days after mating, this ootheca gradually forms on the back of the female's body in about 24 hours. Each female will successively make four. Each ootheca remains "attached" to the female for more than 20 days. It is therefore possible to see females with this species of capsule protruding from the back of their body. Then the egg-book is placed in a corner and the young come out in search of food, sometimes staying for a while near their mother and protecting themselves under her wings.

Young people take around 6 months to become adults. These insects are mainly active at night and are gregarious, that is to say that they remain grouped, in particular under the influence of an attractive odor (aggregation pheromone) secreted by a gland located in their digestive tract.

All these indications of duration varying according to temperature and humidity, the life of the German cockroach lasts from 120 days to 250 days.

The German Cockroach searches for hot and humid places and a varied food because it is omnivorous (the least food debris is eaten). These factors (temperature, humidity and food) are therefore those that must be controlled in order not to have cockroaches at home because treatment with insecticides (which can be harmful to us) do not eliminate the cause of the infestation. .

The German Cockroach searches for hot and humid places and a varied food because it is omnivorous (the least food debris is eaten). These factors (temperature, humidity and food) are therefore those that must be controlled in order not to have cockroaches at home because treatment with insecticides (which can be harmful to us) do not eliminate the cause of the infestation.

PREVENTION

The first thing is therefore to master all the conditions favorable to their installation. Concentrate your control efforts where cockroaches abound. They like to infiltrate into the small cracks in the walls of which they rub their back and abdomen.

• Never leave food or water uncovered and immediately clean up spilled substances. Also, do not leave food and water for pets lying around all day and night. During the day, place the animal bowl in a dish filled with soapy water, as the soap has insecticidal properties.
• Keep food in tightly closed boxes (no paper or cardboard that they can snack on).
• Regularly clean the edges and undersides of household appliances, as well as dark, damp corners that are near a food source. A single layer of fat accumulated behind the stove can ensure the survival and reproduction of many adult cockroaches. Empty the drain tank under the refrigerator, which is the source of water for cockroaches.
• Clean the kitchen well every day.
• Place the garbage in sealed plastic bags and dispose of it daily.
• Do not leave dirty dishes, especially overnight, or immerse them in a strong solution of detergent and water while waiting to wash them.
• Vacuum regularly to remove food particles and eggs.
• Wrap or insulate the pipes that produce condensation; repair leaking valves and plumbing. Ventilate the bathroom and dehumidify damp areas. Controlling humidity and improving lighting and ventilation in critical locations will help eliminate cockroaches.

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

Here are some effective and "organic" methods, that is to say without chemicals harmful to us (aerosol can, ...).

Traps:

You can use commercial sticky traps to monitor and locate cockroach populations. Then use as many traps as possible for maximum success. Take cans and brush the inside with petroleum jelly (or sardine oil!) To prevent cockroaches from escaping, and place food at the bottom (wet bread and beer or sardine oil and banana). Kill captured cockroaches by drowning them in soapy water, or close the trap and place it in the freezer for at least 24 hours (some cockroaches only die after a week, even in the freezer!).

Vacuum:

If you catch cockroaches with a vacuum cleaner, some of the insects will be suffocated in the bag. However, to make sure that all cockroaches die, put it in a plastic bag or sealed container and put it in the trash quickly.

Sealing of shelters and entry points:

Block, seal or caulk cracks around foundations, as well as access points to holes in walls. This is important to limit infestation, movement of insects and reinfestation.

Look for access points to seal around baseboards, vents, sinks, baths, and other places where plumbing and electrical wiring pass.

Apply sealing strips around doors and windows, especially in buildings where cockroaches easily migrate from one apartment to another. Make sure to caulk the edge with mosquito netting to form a tight seal.

All these precautions are particularly valid if you live in a building that has not been treated collectively because if your neighbors' cockroaches are not destroyed, they can always come back to you. But if it is not welcoming to them (dry and without food ...), they will not stay.

CHEMICAL CONTROL

We will not list here the commercially available insecticides because it is preferable to use them only if the "biological" control has failed. There is however a harmless treatment for us: diatomaceous earth, also called silicon dioxide. It is a fine powder made up of marine microorganisms. When the insects pass to the places treated with the powder, the external waxy layer which protects them cracks, thus causing dehydration and their death. About a week after treatment, dehydrated insects begin to desperately seek water. Do not be surprised to see them in greater numbers. In general, cockroaches die within two weeks of applying the treatment. Diatomaceous earth is not toxic to humans or pets and remains active as long as it remains dry.

Finally, if nothing works, but it will really be your fault. You will still have the solution calling on professionals from the fight against cockroaches ...