We deal with hundreds of townhouses in the Gauteng area, and consequently are no strangers to cockroach infestations all year, but especially in the summer time.  

If you live in an apartment, you can so easily be infested by the poor hygiene of one of your neighbours. Occasionally infestations hit entire complexes.

Whether you are a tenant or an owner, you live in a house or apartment. You will be exposed to cockroach infestation to a lesser or greater degree sometime in your life.

They crawl in, fly in, and don’t need much food to live on. They are very hard to kill if you don’t know how, and of course they breed like -  well, they breed like cockroaches! 

A while back I shot a quick video to show my staff how to deal with cockroaches and they showed their tenants, and then I started getting special requests for the video, so I went ahead and produced a short 8 minute video to show you how to effectively get rid of the critters.

Watch me get down and dirty in the video below.

Years ago a friend of mine who ran a professional fumigation company gave me this quick two step process to win this war.

IT'S WAR!

During military training, they teach you that before you go to war, you need to know your enemy.  

S​o what do we know about the enemy? 

The 2 step solution

​Application of cockroach bait, which is essentially boric  acid in the form of a gel, a paste or a powder. I prefer gel or paste as the powder can be messy,

The first step is to apply the cockroach bait in the dark cracks and spaces behind objects such as the microwave, the oven, under the sink, behind the fridge. You get the idea – dark spaces close to food and water sources.

Place the bait in a way that it won't get wiped off accidentally in the next week.

Ensure the spray is specifically designed for cockroaches. (If it doesn’t make a big deal about it on the can, the spray probably is not specifically aimed at cockroaches.)

Make sure the area is clear of children and pets. (Cover your fishtank and switch off the air pump filter.)

Spray the areas of infestation or suspected infestation, leaving a wet film on the surfaces.

How it works

The method used here is that the spray kills as many of the cockroaches as possible by contact with the aerosol spray or bodily contact with the spray residue when they crawl over the area sprayed.

The bugs that are sufficiently hidden away when you spray will come out to eat at night and will be enticed to eat the simply irresistible boric acid bait that you placed in step 1.

Because the pods hatch after a few weeks, it may be a good idea to apply new bait to the effected areas 2 weeks later.

This method works very well for us, and I trust you and your tenants will use it to maximum effect.

Who’s responsibility is fumigation?

Opinions and lease agreements vary, but do you think it is the landlord’s responsibility to fumigate the property or the tenant’s responsibility?  

 Please give me your opinion in the comments below. Let’s see what the majority thinks.