Where Do Cockroaches Come From? A Guide to Getting Rid of Them for Good

The cockroach is the most frequently complained-about guest in Istanbul homes. A clean home is not immune either, because cockroaches come not because a place is dirty but because they can shelter wherever it is warm, humid and food is available. Understanding the real causes is the first step to a lasting solution.

How do they get in?

Cockroaches mostly travel through shared plumbing shafts, drain pipes, wall voids shared with adjoining flats, and are carried in on shopping bags, cardboard boxes and second-hand items. Especially in terraced and multi-storey apartment buildings, a problem in one flat can spread to neighbouring flats within days.

How can you tell there is a hidden colony?

• Insects scattering when you switch on the light at night (cockroaches are nocturnal).
• Droppings in the form of brown dots behind the fridge, under the worktop and around drains.
• Mould and a heavy, oily smell in closed cupboards; a sign of heavy infestation.
• Shed skins, thin white-brown pieces of cuticle.

Which mistakes make the problem bigger?

Spraying a supermarket spray scatters the insects from their nest and spreads them to new spots. The smell of the spray can also stop them eating bait. For the result you want, avoid spraying where gel bait has been applied. Another mistake is leaving the job half done: stopping treatment when the visible number falls gives the new generation emerging from egg cases time.

Why does professional treatment make a difference?

Gel bait uses the cockroach's own behaviour: the insect that eats the bait returns to the nest and dies, and other individuals feeding on its droppings are poisoned too (a chain effect). A growth regulator stops reproduction. A microcapsule spray creates a lasting barrier on skirting boards and crevices. The combined programme brings the population down markedly in 10-14 days.

What you can do at home

• Store food in lidded containers; take pet food away at night.
• Wash drains and strainers weekly with hot water and vinegar.
• Repair dripping taps and leaks; cockroaches look for water more than for food.
• Do not stockpile cardboard boxes; cockroaches like corrugated cardboard as shelter.
• Seal entry gaps (pipe penetrations, skirting cracks) with silicone.

A shared solution in apartment buildings

In buildings where neighbours also have the problem, treating a single flat will not last. The most effective way is simultaneous treatment of common areas (shafts, refuse room, basement) and all flats together with building management. Our "Apartment Annual Programme" package exists for this purpose.

If the problem continues after a treatment, we reapply free of charge under the 90-day guarantee.

When is professional help essential?

If you see cockroaches in daylight, signs in more than one room, or numbers increase after a store-bought spray, the colony has grown. In that case booking a free inspection without delay shortens both cost and process.