What are German Cockroaches (Blattella germanica) and What Do They Look Like?

The German cockroach is a small, brown insect infesting homes and buildings. They usually grow about half an inch long and have two dark stripes on their backs. These pests thrive in warm, humid environments and are often found in kitchens and bathrooms. German cockroaches can reproduce very fast, with one female producing up to 40 eggs in one go. They are known to spread bacteria and allergens that can cause health issues to people, especially those with asthma or allergies. Effective pest control methods include maintaining cleanliness, sealing cracks, and using baits or pesticides to eliminate their population.

Image credit – gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K 

German cockroaches spell trouble with a capital ‘T’ in restaurants and commercial kitchens. These tricky pests can get into commercial kitchens even if you are doing your best to keep your kitchen clean and free of a mess.

German roaches love tiny, dark places, so they aren’t easy to spot and only wander upto 12 feet from their nests for a food source. They thrive in hidden areas where food might be found like, behind the refrigerator, cabinets, stoves, and furniture. It is behind these spots that they grow in numbers. Eventually, their populations grow large, and this is when German cockroach infestation comes to your notice.

Where do German Cockroaches come from?:

1. German Roaches Can Invade Your Restaurant Through Incoming Goods

   German roaches treat distribution warehouses and pickup trucks as their favorite vacation spot since these places are dark and moist. German cockroaches can get into a pickup truck and infest the incoming goods in a commercial kitchen. You need to inspect all incoming deliveries carefully.

2. Through Outside Personnel

   The staff in your commercial kitchen might try and keep things as tidy as possible, but when outside personnel come into your restaurant to offer services like plumbing and making repairs, they might be unwittingly picking up and transporting german roaches to your place of business. You could deal with this problem by regularly inspecting the equipment of the people you hire to ensure you won’t have a full-blown cockroach infestation in your commercial kitchen in the future.

3. Through the Personal Possessions of the Staff

   Though your staff might be doing their level best to keep your commercial kitchen clean, they might be transporting german cockroaches from their homes, gyms or second jobs that they have. You can provide your staff with personal lockers so that they keep their personal items far away from the kitchen and food preparation areas.

How to Get Rid of German Cockroaches?

Now that you know how german roaches may crawl their way into your commercial kitchen, here are a few tips to get rid of cockroaches:

How to get rid of German cockroaches in easy steps.

1. Clean Up:

• Food storage: Store food in sealed containers, especially in cabinets and pantries.
• Dishes: Wash dishes immediately after meals and don’t let dirty dishes pile up overnight in the sink.
• Counters: Clean up counters after preparing meals and before sleeping.
• Crumbs: Vacuum all floors and carpets daily, particularly those in corners and along edges.
• Trash: Remove the garbage daily and use sealed trash bins.

2. Seal Up:

• Cracks: Fill any cracks in walls, baseboards, and the space around pipes with caulk or expanding foam.
• Entry points:Ensure there are no openings for cockroaches to get in through, such as cracks and crevices around doors and windows, and seal up those areas.

3. Use Baits:

• Place baits: Position cockroach baits in areas in which you have found cockroaches or in which they may travel, such as behind appliances, under sinks, and along the baseboards.
• Follow the instructions: Read through the bait product instructions carefully and follow them closely.
• Replace baits: Replace the baits once they become ineffective or if cockroaches stop visiting to get at them.

4. Seek Expert Assistance

• Heavy infestations: Just call a professional exterminator in case you have a severe infestation.
• Problem that does not resolve on its own: In case you can’t quite eliminate the cockroaches by yourself, a professional helps determine the cause of it and comes up with a plan for treatment to take care of it effectively.

Bonus Tips

• Reduce moisture: Fix your leaky pipes and faucets, use a dehumidifier in damp areas.
• Declutter:Remove clutter from your home, as cockroaches like to hide in cluttered areas.
• Patience:It may take several weeks to completely eliminate a cockroach infestation. Be patient and persistent with your cleaning and treatment efforts.

Remember:Consistent cleaning and sealing up entry points are key to preventing future infestations.

One of the main preventive measures to take against german roaches is sanitation. It’s easy to clean all the visible surfaces in commercial kitchens but make sure you clean the unreachable nooks and crannies as well. This is the best way to prevent a cockroach infestation in your commercial kitchen.

Use an effective pest control service like Take Care Termite in Tracy, California. Pick up the phone and call them now to save your commercial kitchen from a cockroach infestation.