Pest control covers such a wide range of creepy crawlies, yet some inspire more fear in customers than others. Cockroach pest control is a great example. While cockroaches don’t cause property damage the way termites do and may not sting like bees they certainly make people shriek and run.
The year-round warm weather we experience across much of Australia makes it the ideal environment for cockroaches not only to survive but to thrive! As a pest controller, the work you do helping rid customers of their cockroach infestations is a job well appreciated.
In this article, Rapid Solutions looks at some approaches and positive effects of cockroach pest control.
How cockroach pest control helps customers with more than just nerves
Although customers may call you for cockroach pest control just because these critters can be creepy, your work has a wide range of benefits.
Can cockroaches damage property?
While termites are famous for boring into the solid structures of a property, cockroaches can and sometimes do damage to property and other household valuable items.
Your customers will be happy to hear that you’ve helped safeguard them from the following:
- Damage to insulation (when they crawl inside)
- Surface stains
- Damage to appliances if they hide or live inside them
- Furniture damage (they do sometimes eat glue and leather)
- Damage to books (cockroaches enjoy eating the starch in paper)
Although cockroaches may not eat through the solid materials in a building, they do sometimes eat the glues and other binding agents. This can do damage to homes, commercial premises and other buildings.
Further, infestations can sometimes become so large that they add pressure to dry walls, insulation and under floors – potentially causing degradation to a building.
Can cockroaches make you sick?
Can cockroaches make you sick? Yes. So, your customers can actually get health benefits from calling on your cockroach pest control services.
It’s not just that cockroaches enter our homes and offices via the sewerage and carry all sorts of harmful bacteria on their bodies, but their faeces also carry germs. To make things worse some cockroaches mark their feeding sites through pheromones in their faeces. They do this by rubbing their faeces onto surfaces.
This is how cockroaches scuttling around homes and buildings can cause infections like gastroenteritis, salmonella, E. coli, shigellosis and hepatitis.
In addition to protecting people from harmful bacterial infection, cockroach pest control may also be needed to prevent customers from allergies. These pests like to groom, causing them to drop all sorts of debris wherever they go.
All this shedding and faeces can cause asthma and other respiratory problems, conditions that can be serious for some people. (While we’re on the subject of safe breathing, be sure to read about respirator safety for yourself during pest control.)
Cockroaches may survive a nuclear blast but not a good pest control treatment
It’s been said that cockroaches can survive anything from a nuclear blast to long periods without food and water. This can in fact happen but thankfully as a cockroach pest control professional you know what will stop them in their tracks.
If you’re in cockroach pest control, these are some interesting cockroach survival facts to share with your customers:
- A cockroach can survive with no food for up to three months
- They can survive without water for up to one month
- Cockroaches can handle up to 15 times more radiation than humans (so yes, in theory they may survive a nuclear blast)
- They can stay alive for a full month without their head!
German cockroach pest control
You’ll probably find your customers call you once they’ve tried all sorts of DIY cockroach solutions and failed. That’s obviously because, as we’ve already said, cockroaches really are resilient. German cockroach pest control in particular is necessary because this species multiplies so quickly that it’s able to build up resistance to certain pest control chemicals. This places the German cockroach as the main cockroach species targeted by pest control, however it’s not the only one.
Although cockroaches have existed for millions of years and there are around 4500 species, Australia is home to roughly 500 species. Thankfully, only six of these are considered pests.
The top five pest species of cockroach in Australia that require pest control are:
- Blattella germanica (commonly called the German cockroach)
- Periplaneta americana (commonly known as the American cockroach)
- Periplaneta fuliginosa (often called the Smoky Brown cockroach)
- Supella longipalpa (also called the Brown Banded cockroach)
- Periplaneta australasiae (also called the Australian cockroach)
Interestingly enough, the Australian cockroach isn’t actually native to Australia but was brought here. Find out about different types of Australian native pests.
Helping customers understand a cockroach pest control management plan
Much like you’ll work to a termite management plan, it’s likely you’ll need a cockroach pest control management plan. Be sure to help your customers understand that depending on the size of the infestation, a single treatment may not be enough. Let them know an inspection is needed before the treatment and a follow up inspection is important.
Tell them why so they understand this is to monitor the success of the initial treatment and to make any plans needed for follow up treatments.
Also help them prepare for a cockroach pest control visit by communicating about what to expect before and during. Use this pest control preparation list as a guide. Be sure to help them care for pets during your visit with our guide to pet safety during pest control, too. Doing so will help safeguard your business from potential trouble down the line, e.g. a customer claim against your business if a cockroach pest control treatment makes any human or animal occupants sick or the treatment isn’t a success.
Let customers know about the various methods of cockroach treatment available and which you recommend for the species they need targeted. For example, will you use a spray, dust or bait, and what changes will you make in the environment to reduce cockroach access to food and shelter? Never underestimate the importance of a formal pest identification and treatment plan.
Safeguard your business with pest control insurance
If anything isn’t to customers’ liking they may complain and a customer complaint can quickly turn into your financial issue. Work not done well, or causing unforeseen side effects like property damage, a slip and fall or unwellness in people, can spell big trouble.
There could be legal disputes and heavy costs involved for your business. These are just some of the reasons to discover how much pest control insurance costs and why it’s crucial.
Find out about getting professional indemnity insurance and general liability insurance for your enterprise. Quality insurance is a valuable tool in keeping customers safe while keeping your business safe too. Contact Rapid Solutions online or call us on 1300 309 169 to start your quote.
