If you want to get rid of cockroaches for good, spraying the one you saw last night is not enough. For every cockroach you see, many more are hiding in cracks, behind appliances and inside cupboards. This guide explains where they hide, which products work, and how to combine them so that the infestation does not come back.
Why it is hard to get rid of cockroaches
Cockroaches are active at night and spend the day in warm, dark and humid gaps close to food and water: behind the fridge and stove, under the sink, inside cupboard hinges, in electrical boxes and along skirting boards. The small brown German cockroach, the species most often found in South African kitchens, breeds quickly, and its egg cases protect the next generation from many sprays. That is why a single treatment rarely solves the problem.
Step 1: Find out where they live
Switch on the kitchen light an hour after dark and watch where they run. Look for droppings that look like ground pepper, shed skins and brown egg cases in corners and hinges. Those spots are where your treatment must go.
Step 2: Take away food and water
Wipe crumbs and grease from counters, stove tops and floors, store food in sealed containers, empty pet bowls at night and fix dripping taps. Cockroaches that cannot find other food are far more likely to eat a bait.
Step 3: Use a gel bait where they hide
Gel bait is the backbone of cockroach control. Coopers Ultrakill RoachForce Gel contains hydramethylnon, which cockroaches eat and carry back to their hiding places. Apply small, pea-sized dots in the places you found in step 1: hinges, behind appliances, under sinks and along cracks. Do not spray insecticide on or near the gel, because it makes the bait less attractive. Check the dots every week and top up where they have been eaten.
Step 4: Treat heavy infestations with a fumigator
When cockroaches are everywhere, a total-release fogger knocks down the active population quickly. The Coopers NuPro Fumigator releases its full contents into a closed room and reaches gaps that sprays miss. Follow the label exactly: remove or cover food, utensils, pets and fish tanks, switch off pilot lights and open flames, close the room, and stay out for the time given on the label before you ventilate thoroughly. Then apply gel bait to deal with the cockroaches that hatch afterwards. The Coopers Cockroach Combo packs the fumigator and RoachForce gel together for exactly this two-step approach.
Step 5: Monitor with sticky traps
Sticky traps such as the Ultra Pro Cockroach Trap show where activity remains and whether numbers are falling. Place them flat against walls in the areas you treated, and replace them when they are full.
How long does it take?
Many homes see a clear drop within one to two weeks of baiting, but baits must stay in place for several weeks to catch the young cockroaches that hatch from egg cases. Keep checking the traps and topping up the gel until no new cockroaches appear.
Keep cockroaches from coming back
- Seal gaps around pipes and cracks along skirting boards.
- Keep bins closed and empty them often.
- Check deliveries, cardboard boxes and second-hand appliances before you bring them inside.
- Leave a few dots of gel bait in high-risk spots as an early warning.
Use cockroach products safely
Always read the label before use and follow the directions and safety precautions on the pack. Keep products out of reach of children and pets, wash your hands after use, and store products in their original containers away from food. The insecticides above are registered under Act 36 of 1947, and their registration numbers are shown on each product page.
Need help choosing?
Browse our ants and cockroaches range, or send us a photo on WhatsApp through our contact page and we will recommend the right product for your problem. Restaurants, guest houses and other businesses can request a bulk quote.
