1395 days ago

How to Get Rid of Cockroaches

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean Wellington (The Wash House)

Cockroaches are an extremely common household pest throughout all of New Zealand and although they make you shudder when you see them, they thankfully do not pose many health risks, however they can transmit diseases, so it is best to keep them out of your home. As with any pest the number one preventative measure is to keep your home and outside surrounding areas as clean as possible. We’ll talk through more information about the different types of cockroaches, how to prevent an infestation before it happens, and if needed how to kill cockroaches.

What are the 3 main types of cockroach?
Although there are thousands of different species of cockroach, here in New Zealand we tend to only deal with the following three culprits. They are all pests and have the potential to transmit diseases such as dysentery, salmonella and diarrhoea due to their eating habits. See below for more information on the pests most wanted list.

The Gisborne Cockroach
This is our native representative, although it was first introduced from Australia, they are usually not found in doors at all so if you spot one of these in your home, it was likely by accident such as being carried in through timber and firewood.

They commonly live outdoors in damp dark areas and feed on decaying forest matter, so if you happen to spot one of these, it might be worth just giving a helping hand to get it back outside again.

The American Cockroach
This is the most common species found in New Zealand and is known as a pest throughout the world. Despite the name this species is native to Africa and the Middle East. They have adapted very well to human living spaces as they prefer moist areas with warmer temperatures.

Classified as omnivores, they will eat many foods as well as materials including leather, beer, glue and book bindings. They have the potential to cause sickness in humans, from their odorous secretions and bacteria that they pick up and deposit on food and surface areas and so it is very important to keep your house as clean as possible.

The German Cockroach
Although the smallest of the cockroach species found in New Zealand, they are actually the biggest problem. They do not like cold temperatures to a point where they struggle to survive and so they will always look to go inside of buildings for warmth. They more commonly prefer restaurants, food processing facilities and hotels to residential.


They are defined as omnivore scavengers, meaning they eat everything the American Cockroach does as well as meats, starches, sugars and fatty foods.


Keep reading: www.curtainclean.co.nz...

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More messages from your neighbours
3 hours ago

Riddle Me This: Can You Out-Smart Yesterday’s Champ?

Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

How can the number four be half of five?

Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.

Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
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3 hours ago

Does Your Organisation Need New Flooring?

Carpet Court

Is the flooring at your school, early childhood, community or sports centre old and threadbare? Or perhaps you have a new space where there’s no flooring at all. Your organisation could be eligible to receive $2,000 + gst from the RhinoKids Flooring Fund to go towards new flooring. Plus, one lucky organisation will win a $20,000 flooring makeover!

Carpet Court is continuing its’ mission to help improve Kiwi kids’ learning environments by rolling out its’ nationwide fund for the fifth year in a row. Apply today!
Find out more

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1 day ago

Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.

This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
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Do you think NZ should follow suit? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.

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Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
  • 84.4% Yes
    84.4% Complete
  • 14% No
    14% Complete
  • 1.6% Other - I'll share below
    1.6% Complete
1150 votes