Experts warn homes set for horror cockroach season
The recent wet and humid weather has experts warning we're in for the worst season of cockroaches seen for years.
The epidemic will peak in four to five weeks and if numbers are as bad as expected, they could be creeping and crawling around for months.
Cockroaches are breeding in plague proportions, thriving in the heat and humidity.
"This season is shaping up to be a bigger roach season than we have seen in the past," Entomologist Bryce Peters said.
"Numbers will peak in the next month or two, particularly towards end of February, March."
The danger cockroaches present is from the bacteria and viruses they carry, which can spread onto food-preparation surfaces.
Cockroaches can produce up to 800,000 offspring in a year, with colonies hunting for food, water, and even paper around the home.
Pest experts say supermarket sprays and baits are very effective, but they advise not to wait until the infestation builds up.
Act early and put these in the key spots where cockroaches lurk.
"There is a limit to how much you can do if you have a large infestation - it may be a time when you need to think about calling in the professionals," Mr Peters said.
The best advice is to clean up food scraps, remove or seal rubbish at night, and block cracks and crevices to stop them getting in.
Top suburbs for cockroach control
SYDNEY - Mosman, Watson's Bay, Lane Cove, Westmead and Randwick
MELBOURNE - Maribyrnong, Werribee, Brighton, Toorak and Hawthorn
BRISBANE - Chermside, Ipswich, Brookfield, Westlake and Carina Heights
PERTH - Beckenham, Westminster, East Fremantle, East Perth, North Coogee.
ADELAIDE - Salisbury, Norwood, Glenelg, the City and Prospect
[Source: Rentokil]
