Preparing your home or business for cockroach treatment

On the day of the visit, the technician needs two things: to see the places where cockroaches hide and to reach the cracks where the treatment will go. An under-sink cupboard packed with cleaning products, or a fridge pushed hard against the wall, costs time and can leave a source untouched.

On the other hand, a big clean with detergent the night before does not necessarily help: it wipes away some of the signs we are looking for. Here is how to prepare your home or your business, and what to avoid once the treatment has been applied.

The day before: clear the access points

The aim is not to empty everything, but to open up the areas where cockroaches are most often found.

• Under the sink: take out cleaning products, bins and buckets. It is almost always the first place inspected.
• Low kitchen cupboards: empty them, or at least clear the back and the hinges.
• Appliances: make sure the fridge, cooker or washing machine can be pulled out. If a built-in appliance is hard to move, mention it when booking.
• Bathroom: clear the space under the basin and the access to the bath panel if there is a hatch.
• Other rooms: if you have seen insects in a bedroom or living room, say so. The brown-banded cockroach, for instance, settles in furniture and electronics, far from water.

Put food and dishes away

The treatment is applied in precise spots, not by spraying the whole kitchen. Still, it is simpler and safer to have food and dishes out of the way.

• Store open food in airtight storage containers or in the fridge.
• Leave no fruit, bread or pet bowls on the worktops.
• Put clean dishes in high cupboards or cover them.

Pets, children, vulnerable people

The products our technicians use are approved and applied according to their label. Precautions depend on the product chosen and on the layout of the place: the technician explains them before starting.

When booking, let us know if there is:

• an aquarium or terrarium;
• birds, pet rodents or other small animals;
• a baby, a pregnant woman, or anyone with allergies or asthma.

This lets us adapt the choice of products and how they are applied.

For a shop or restaurant

In business premises, preparation is more about organisation than equipment.

Brief your staff too: an employee who hoses down the skirting boards right after the technician leaves undoes part of the work.

During the visit

The Repère Protocol always follows the same order.

1. Locate: torch-in-hand inspection of warm, damp areas, appliance motors, service ducts, skirting boards, suspended ceilings; monitoring traps; a map of the sources.
2. Treat: targeted treatment, most often gel bait in dots, with a growth regulator, localised spraying or dry steam added where relevant.
3. Check: a follow-up visit is built into the protocol to read the traps and adjust the treatment if activity remains.
4. Prevent: photo report emailed the same day, storage and hygiene advice, sealing of entry routes, active vigilance.

Sprayer used for a localised treatment

Afterwards: what not to clean

This is where mistakes are most common.

• Do not scrub off the gel dots. They sit in cracks, under edges and behind hinges: places that are not usually cleaned. Leave them be.
• Do not spray a shop-bought insecticide on top. A repellent product can steer cockroaches away from the gel bait.
• Leave the monitoring traps where the technician put them, even if they fill up. They will be read at the follow-up visit.
• Keep up your normal cleaning of visible surfaces (worktops, floors, sink): it cuts the food available and makes the gel more attractive.

It is normal to see more cockroaches for a few days: weakened insects leave their hiding places. Note where you see them, as it helps at the follow-up. Our article on reading monitoring traps explains how to track progress.

Booking the treatment

Cockroach control can be booked online, with a price shown including VAT and paid before the visit, and a two-hour slot. Check the rates, then choose your slot. For restaurants and shops, the professionals page sets out the follow-up options.

FAQ

Do you need to leave your home during a cockroach treatment?

It depends on the product used and on the layout of the home. With gel bait applied in dots, a long absence is often unnecessary, but the technician gives you precise instructions before starting, especially regarding children and pets.

Can you clean right after the treatment?

Yes for visible surfaces such as worktops, floors and the sink, which is even recommended. However, you should not clean the cracks, edges and hinges where the gel has been placed, nor remove the monitoring traps before the follow-up visit.

Why are there more cockroaches after the technician's visit?

Gel bait works once eaten, and weakened cockroaches leave their hiding places, including during the day. This visible rise is common in the days after treatment. If activity does not then fall, the follow-up visit built into the protocol allows the treatment to be adjusted.