Cockroach control for your home

What a professional does

Treatment starts with a survey. The technician names the species, finds where the cockroaches shelter and works out how far the problem spreads. German and oriental cockroaches need different handling, so identification comes first. If you are not sure which you have, our identification guide shows the difference.

The treatment itself is mostly gel baiting, plus insecticide in the cracks and voids where cockroaches hide. They eat the bait, go back to their shelter and pass it on. Follow-up visits catch the young that hatch after the first treatment, which is why one visit rarely finishes the job.

At the end the technician gives hygiene and proofing advice: what to clear, which gaps to seal and which leaks to fix.

How many visits and how long it takes

Plan for two to three visits over four to six weeks. The follow-ups break the breeding cycle. German cockroaches breed fastest, on a six to eight week cycle, so they need every visit. Oriental cockroaches are slower, taking six to twelve months per generation.

Most homes are clear in about a month. Several weeks of dying cockroaches and the odd sighting is normal and does not mean the work failed. If you still see live ones in daylight after the last visit, tell the firm.

Many firms offer a guarantee period, but the length varies. Ask for it in writing before you book.

How to prepare for the visit

Good preparation helps the treatment work. Before the technician arrives:

• empty and clean the cupboards where they will work
• remove food and pet bowls from the area
• fix leaking pipes and taps, because cockroaches need water
• afterwards, do not clean away the bait

Gap sealing, deep cleaning and coordination across several flats are often charged separately. See what cockroach control costs for the extras to ask about.

Between visits

Between visits, keep a note of where and when you see cockroaches. It tells the technician whether the numbers are falling and where the bait needs topping up. Keep the treated areas clear, and ask the firm how long children and pets should stay out of the room and when you can use the cupboards again.

Do not spray or wipe over the bait. If cockroaches are still active after the final visit, ask the firm what it will do under its guarantee.

When to call a professional

A retail gel bait can control a handful of cockroaches in one kitchen, and our DIY guide explains how. Call a professional if you have German cockroaches, if you see them in daylight, or if you share walls and pipes with neighbours.

Sprays scatter cockroaches into new rooms, and baits only work when placed correctly. A firm also has professional-only insecticides that householders cannot buy.

Flats and shared buildings

In a block, cockroaches travel through shared pipes and walls. Every affected flat needs treating at the same time, or they come back from next door. Ask your landlord or managing agent for a block-wide visit.

Cockroaches do not mean a home is dirty. They spread through the structure of a building, and a spotless kitchen can still have them.

Renting: who is responsible

Exposure to pests is part of the housing hazard now called "Domestic hygiene" in the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, updated by SI 2026/571 from 23 June 2026. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 covers tenancies under seven years. Premises that are prejudicial to health or a nuisance can be a statutory nuisance.

In shared buildings and HMOs the landlord usually pays, because the hiding places are structural. If the cause is poor hygiene in your own home, expect to pay yourself. From 30 November 2026, phase 2 of Awaab's Law adds domestic hygiene for social landlords in England.

Choosing a firm

No licence is needed to trade as a pest controller. BPCA and NPTA are trade associations with audits and codes of practice, not licences. You can check a firm on the BPCA finder or the NPTA site. BASIS PROMPT and RSPH Level 2 show an individual technician's training.

For a commercial kitchen or a BRC-audited food site, BPCA or NPTA membership is often a customer requirement. Before you agree a price, ask how many visits it includes, what the guarantee covers and what is charged extra.

Does the council treat cockroaches?

Some councils do, for between £145 and £313. Colchester, Hounslow and Solihull treat cockroaches, but many councils do not, so ask yours before paying a private firm. Do not assume it is free: Colchester charges £145 and West Dunbartonshire £313.32 (2026/27). See our council pest control page for what your council offers.

Cockroaches in the house

Cockroaches in several rooms usually mean an established population, not a stray. Look for droppings like coarse ground pepper, egg cases about 8 mm long, shed skins, a musty smell and dark smears. Check the kitchen and bathroom first, then behind appliances and along pipe runs.

Cockroaches seen in daylight usually mean a larger infestation. Put food away, fix leaks and do not spray, because spraying scatters them into other rooms. If you see them in more than one room, or by day, call a professional. A survey names the species and finds where they shelter, which decides the treatment.

Cockroaches in the kitchen

The kitchen suits German cockroaches: warm, damp and full of crumbs. They shelter behind the fridge, cooker and dishwasher, under sinks and around cupboard hinges. Small, light brown cockroaches at night are usually young German cockroaches, which means they are breeding.

Seal food, empty the bin daily and fix drips. A retail gel bait can help with a handful. If you see them most nights or in daylight, call a pest controller, because bait needs correct placement. In a food business, keep the treatment records, since BPCA or NPTA membership is often a customer requirement.

Cockroaches in the bathroom

Bathrooms give cockroaches water and warm pipes. German cockroaches shelter behind panels and around waste pipes. Oriental cockroaches, which are dark and glossy, come up from drains and damp utility areas.

Seal gaps around pipes, fix dripping taps and keep the room dry. One large dark cockroach at night may be a stray oriental one from the drain. Several small ones suggest a breeding colony. In a flat, ask your neighbours whether they have seen any, because cockroaches travel along shared pipes. If they keep coming, call a pest controller.

Cockroaches coming out of drains

Oriental cockroaches live in drains, basements and other cool, damp places, and can come up through floor drains and gaps around pipes. Large, dark, glossy cockroaches of 20 to 25 mm in a kitchen or bathroom at night fit this pattern.

A dry trap, a cracked pipe or a shared drain run is often the cause. Run water down unused drains and keep covers in place. A drain fault is not a DIY job: call a pest controller to treat the cockroaches and a plumber, or your landlord, to repair the pipe. If neighbours see them too, tell the managing agent.

Cockroaches in the garden

A cockroach outdoors is not always a house problem. Garden bins, compost heaps and drains can hold them, and reports rise in autumn as outdoor insects move indoors. Check first that it is a cockroach: beetles look similar but have shorter antennae and a rounder body.

Keep bins closed, clear food waste and leaves from walls, and seal gaps around doors and pipes. If you then find cockroaches inside, especially small ones in the kitchen, treat it as an indoor infestation and call a pest controller.