Cockroach Control Products

Cockroach bait stations and gels contain attractants that lure cockroaches to feed. The bait is slow-acting by design, which gives them time to return to the harbourage before it takes effect - that is what reaches the ones you never see.

Bait stations and traps are enclosed and lower-risk. For sprays, powders and gels, follow the label directions: keep children and pets away during application and until treated areas are dry, place bait where it cannot be reached, and don't treat food-preparation surfaces unless the label allows it.

It depends on the product. Bait works over days rather than immediately, which is intended - the delay is what lets it reach the harbourage. Sprays act on the cockroaches they are applied to. Expect the full job to take a few weeks, since egg cases are protected from most treatments and a second application after they hatch is normal.

Somewhere warm, dark and close to food or water. The usual places are behind and under the fridge and cooker, inside motor housings and behind kickboards, around pipework under sinks, inside cupboard carcasses, and in cracks behind tiles or units. Treatment that doesn't reach these is treating the symptom - use monitoring traps to find which areas are active before you treat.

Either the harbourage wasn't reached, or the life cycle is still running. Check the traps to see where activity actually is and treat those areas rather than the open floor. Then allow for the egg cases: they survive most treatments, so a repeat application in line with the label is normal rather than a sign the product failed.

Take away food, water and shelter. Wipe surfaces nightly, store food sealed, fix dripping taps and dry sinks before bed, empty bins, and seal gaps around pipework and behind units. Cockroaches often arrive with packaging, second-hand appliances or from a neighbouring property, so check deliveries and shared walls if the problem comes back.

If activity continues after a full treatment cycle, if it has spread beyond one room, or if you are in a flat where the source may be a neighbouring property. German cockroach infestations in particular are hard to clear as a DIY job. Look for a qualified pest controller with BPCA membership.