Advice
What Attracts Cockroaches Into a Home or Kitchen
Cockroaches look for warmth, moisture, food and dark hiding places, so understanding what draws them in is the first step to keeping them out of your kitchen.
Read the guide →If you have seen one, there are likely more that you have not. Cockroaches avoid light and spend the day squeezed into warm, damp gaps. We will talk through what you have noticed, inspect the likely areas and then agree a plan that suits your home or business.
Different buildings, different hiding places
In the older streets of Ottery St Mary, you may find tall narrow properties, converted shops with flats above and kitchens that have been altered over time. Boxed-in pipes, old extraction routes and gaps behind units are common there. In newer estates, the issue is often a shared service void or a warm utility cupboard that links one flat or house to another.
Food businesses face their own risks. Takeaways and cafes have warm equipment, grease, spilled crumbs and regular deliveries, all of which can attract cockroaches or bring them in. Environmental health officers and food auditors expect pests to be dealt with promptly and records kept, so we explain what we found and what we did in plain words that you can file.
Spotting the problem early
Look out for small dark droppings, a stale smell around a cupboard, brown egg cases tucked into corners, and live insects when you switch on the kitchen light after dark. In a commercial kitchen, check behind fryers, under dishwashers, around drains and in bin stores, as these are favoured places.
Once we are on site in Ottery St Mary, we inspect, place monitoring traps if useful and treat the harbourages we find. We keep chemicals away from food preparation surfaces and tell you how to prepare. Afterwards we check progress and recommend cleaning, repairs and proofing that will make it harder for cockroaches to come back. Honest advice matters more to us than selling extra visits.
Serving Ottery St Mary and nearby
We cover Ottery St Mary, EX11 and the farmland around it, as well as Sidford and Sidbury nearby. Tell us if the building is shared, as neighbours or other tenants may need to be involved for a lasting result. Ring the number on this page and describe what you have seen, and we will arrange a visit and agree the plan and price before we begin.
Frequently asked questions
My takeaway in Ottery St Mary has cockroaches. What should I do first?
Keep calm, avoid spraying anything yourself and call us. Note where and when you saw them. We will inspect, treat the areas where they hide and explain what records and cleaning steps will help you stay on top of hygiene checks.
Do flats above shops get cockroaches more often?
They can, because pipes, ducts and floors link units together, so insects can move between flats and shop kitchens. If you live above a food business, tell us, as we may need to look at both areas to deal with the cause.
Is it safe to stay in the house during treatment?
In most cases yes, and we will tell you what to do. We usually ask you to keep children and pets away from treated areas until they are dry, and to avoid wiping those spots for a short time afterwards.