Cockroach Chaos in Freehold, NJ

I received a call from a new commercial client in Freehold, NJ who purchased a restaurant that he was going to renovate. Before he could begin renovating, he had a serious issue in the basement kitchen. Cockroaches, and a lot of them! This was a situation that he wasn’t properly equipped to handle so he called Cowleys! 

I serviced many types of commercial kitchens throughout my career. Occasionally, there are instances where cockroaches can multiply at an alarming rate and more intensive treatments are required. This was one of those instances. To say that this kitchen was infested with cockroaches would be an understatement. The kitchen was OVERRUN with cockroaches. As soon as I stepped foot in the kitchen I could immediately tell that this job would require intensive treatment. I need to conduct a thorough inspection to identify the type of cockroach and determine the harborage areas. 

After my inspection, I determined that these were German cockroaches. German cockroaches are light brown to tan with two dark stripes located on their backs and are oval shaped with six legs and antennae. German cockroaches can be found throughout a building, but show a preference for warm and humid places, such as kitchens or bathrooms. They are a reservoir for a range of bacteria including salmonella, staphylococcus, and streptococcus. German cockroaches can even harbor viruses such as the poliovirus.  

After I concluded my inspection I asked the client to remove all the cooking utensils and plates from the area being treated. In addition, all areas not being treated needed to be covered. I provided the client with a checklist that goes over the sanitizing process for this level of an infestation. I also informed him to make sure that all areas that are not covered must be sanitized thoroughly after the treatment is applied to prevent contamination. It turns out the cockroaches were gaining access into the kitchen via a few small gaps in the baseboards. Once everything was removed I began treating the baseboards, cracks, and crevices with an EPA registered growth regulator product that affects the cockroaches reproductive system and prevents them from reaching adulthood. The growth regulator is less toxic than pesticides and just as effective. Applying this treatment will knock down the cockroach population to a manageable level. 

The next step of the treatment process is to use a microinjection machine which sprays a very fine mist of an oil based product into the cracks and crevices where the cockroaches may be hiding. This product chases the cockroaches out of hiding and forces them to the areas that were treated with the growth regulator. This process is the safest and most effective long-term treatment method for this level of infestation.

Now that all the infested areas are treated, I will follow up with the client at a later date to set up glue trap monitors which will determine if any more harborage areas exist and to reestablish effective pest control of the establishment.