Cockroach Control in Mumbai

Why cockroaches are so hard to get rid of in Mumbai

Mumbai's heat and humidity let cockroaches breed all year, and most buildings connect flats through shared drains, ducts and shafts. Two species cause almost every call we get.

• German cockroach: small, about 1.5 cm, light brown with two dark stripes behind the head. It lives indoors, mostly in kitchens: behind the fridge, inside cabinet hinges, under the sink and inside appliances. Each female carries egg cases holding 30 to 40 eggs, so numbers can explode within weeks.
• American cockroach: large, about 4 cm, reddish-brown, and able to fly short distances. It lives in drains, gully traps, sewers and ducts and comes up through floor drains and bathroom outlets, especially in the monsoon.

The two need different treatments. German cockroaches are controlled with bait inside the home; American cockroaches are controlled at the drains and shafts they come from.

How our treatment works

1. Inspection. We look for droppings that look like ground pepper, egg cases, and the places cockroaches hide, so treatment goes where they actually live.
2. Gel bait. Small dots of gel bait go into cracks, hinges and the gaps behind appliances. Cockroaches eat it and return to their hiding places, where others feed on their droppings. This reaches cockroaches you never see. The gel is odourless and you can use your kitchen the same day.
3. Drains and shafts. For American cockroaches we treat floor drains, gully traps, chambers and shafts with a residual spray. We don't spray over gel bait, because sprays make cockroaches avoid it.
4. Guarantee. The treatment comes with a 30-day guarantee, and you receive a treatment certificate after the visit.

After the treatment

It is normal to see more cockroaches for a few days, as the bait draws them out of hiding. Numbers should drop sharply over the next one to two weeks. To help the treatment work:

• Don't spray household insecticide near the gel spots or wipe them away.
• Keep food covered and don't leave dishes in the sink overnight.
• Fix dripping taps and seal gaps around pipes under the sink.
• Keep drain covers closed, especially at night.

Restaurants, cloud kitchens and food businesses

FSSAI's hygiene requirements expect food businesses to keep their premises free of pests and to have a pest control programme in place. For kitchens we recommend monthly visits under an AMC, with a treatment certificate after each one, so your records are ready for inspections and audits.