DIY cockroach control, honestly: when it works and when you're wasting your time

We get asked this every week and we'll keep answering it honestly: hardware-store cockroach gel bait does work on a small, fresh infestation if you find every harbourage and you're disciplined about it.

What you can do yourself:

- Identify the species - German cockroaches are the small light-brown ones; American are the big reddish flying ones. Treatment differs. - Apply gel bait dots in hinges, behind kickboards, around the dishwasher, under the kettle, behind the microwave. Use small dots, lots of them. - Add IGR (Insect Growth Regulator) drops where you can find them. This is the bit retail customers usually skip - and it's the bit that breaks the breeding cycle. - Don't spray. Knock-down spray kills foragers and protects the colony.

When to give up and call us:

- You've seen them during the day. Daytime sightings = high population. - You've been treating for two weeks and they're still there. - You're in an apartment building. Shared walls = colony in a void you cannot reach. - You smell them - that musty oily smell behind the kickboard means established colony.

We'll give you a flat-rate quote on the phone in 10 minutes. No inspection fee, no judgement.