First, work out what it is. In a house near green space, the odds are genuinely good that it is not a cockroach.
Photograph it, then identify it before you do anything else. Ground beetles, other garden beetles and centipedes are all mistaken for cockroaches regularly.
If it is a cockroach, it means an established population rather than a one-off — they are nocturnal and hide by day. £240 house, £190 flat.
| Feature | Cockroach | Ground beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Flat, oval, low to the ground | Rounded, more domed |
| Antennae | Long, constantly moving | Short |
| Wing cases | Overlapping, leathery | Hard, meeting in a straight line down the back |
| Speed | Very fast, darts | Fast, more purposeful |
| Light | Flees it immediately | Less bothered |
| Where | Kitchen, near warmth and moisture | Near a door, in a garage, on a hard floor |
| When | After dark | Any time; often after rain |
The antennae are the quickest tell. A cockroach's are as long as its body and never still. A ground beetle's are short.
Ground beetles come in under doors constantly, especially in a house with a big garden backing onto green space. They are harmless, they cannot breed indoors, and they want to leave.
See our full cockroach control service, published prices and honest identification advice.
View Cockroach Control Stanmore →Then the single sighting matters more than it looks.
If it is confirmed, the species changes the picture.
| German cockroach | Oriental cockroach | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 12–15mm | 20–30mm |
| Colour | Light brown, two dark stripes behind the head | Very dark brown to black |
| Climbing | Climbs smooth surfaces well | Poor climber |
| Typical location | Kitchens, warm areas, high up | Cooler, damper, lower — drains, cellars, yards |
| Breeding rate | Very fast | Slower |
| Usual origin | Carried in | Often a drain or external source |
A large very dark cockroach in a cellar, utility or outside a back door may be Oriental and may point to a drainage defect. That is a different conversation and worth flagging.
Occasionally, if it arrived in a box that day. Usually not, because they hide by day and you are seeing a fraction.
Very rarely, and it is not the reason to deal with them.
No. A heated house is their ideal environment year-round.
Something buzzing rather than scuttling? Wasp nests are £90 fixed in Stanmore, guaranteed for 30 days.
The antennae. A cockroach's are as long as its body and never still; a ground beetle's are short. A cockroach is also flatter and flees light immediately.
No. They eat other invertebrates, cannot establish indoors, and came in under a door. Put it outside.
Usually. They are nocturnal and hide by day, so the ones you see are a fraction of the total.
Droppings like coarse ground pepper behind the fridge, purse-shaped brown egg cases glued into crevices, shed skins, and a musty oily smell.
No. A supermarket aerosol scatters the population and makes proper treatment harder.
Yes if you can. A dead one in a jar settles the identification instantly.
German are smaller, light brown with two dark stripes, breed fast and are carried in. Oriental are larger and very dark, prefer cooler damp places, and often point to a drain or external source.
Most often a delivery box, a second-hand appliance, or luggage. Work backwards from when you first saw one.
Photograph it and keep it if you can. We will tell you what it is before you book anything.
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