Very wet and humid conditions over the summer months have brought about a German cockroach outbreak in the country.
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This is according to CropLife, a non-profit industry association for manufacturers and suppliers of pesticides who believe the surge in cockroach infestations had triggered large-scale unlawful use of pesticides not registered for indoor use.
The group said cockroach numbers had increased recently, not only because of the weather, but also the unhygienic conditions that prevail in South Africa.
“Cockroaches are primarily active at night, but the current outbreak is of such magnitude that the insects are running around during the day in most homesteads,” stated the group. “Homeowners, the fast-food sector, retail sector and hospitality industry should act quickly to stop the tide of cockroaches in South Africa.”
Spokesperson for Croplife, Elriza Theron, urged the public not to buy unlabelled pesticides in small containers from social media advertisers or street vendors, as those products are likely to pose a severe hazard and risk to people when applied indoors.
Spokesperson for Croplife, Elriza Theron, urged the public not to buy unlabelled pesticides in small containers from social media advertisers or street vendors, as those products are likely to pose a severe hazard and risk to people when applied indoors.
She added that cockroach control started with a serious effort to sanitise human habitation of refuse and left-over foodstuffs, “a dirty kitchen that is littered with left-over food and freely available pet food needs serious intervention to deny these unsavoury critters from invading a home and setting up a colony.”
Speaking to the Mail & Guardian, an emeritus professor in the department of biological sciences at the University of Cape Town, Mike Picker, said Theron’s article indicated an outbreak mainly in the summer-rainfall parts of South Africa, where there were unusually hot and humid conditions this summer.
“I do not have any other information confirming an outbreak there, but since these environmental conditions speed up the life cycle of many insects, it’s quite possible that this was the case,” he said.
“The reported population increase would need to have started in December 2022. The life cycle of this heat-adapted species is fastest under warm and humid conditions.”
Picker said he had not personally seen any dramatic increase in the German cockroach in the Western Cape, which did not have an unusually hot or humid summer.
“However, the larger American cockroach does appear to be more common now in domestic situations in Cape Town than previously. Pest control companies have confirmed a greater number of callouts related to cockroach infestations in Cape Town this year.”
It also originates from tropical regions and its increased abundance in Cape Town “may reflect milder climatic conditions as the climate in the Western Cape appears to have changed in the past decade”, he said.
“Although this species typically thrives in artificially-heated areas in homes (often aggregating behind stoves and fridges), the highest numbers occur in sewerage pipes. The cockroaches venture from the pipes at night, often emerging from drains and entering households.”
Pouring a strong bleach solution or a small amount of granular swimming pool HTH into the drains will eliminate the cockroaches, Picker advised.
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