Cockroaches: how hotels and homes can prevent them

Part 1: Hotels in Algeria

The rules

In Algeria, the main hygiene text for food is executive decree 17-140 of 11 April 2017, published in issue 24 of the Journal officiel. It sets the hygiene and sanitation conditions for placing food on the market for people to eat.

Several articles of the decree deal with pests. Article 8 names insects and rodents among the sources of contamination to prevent. Article 11 says food establishments must not be placed in areas where pests are likely to settle in large numbers.

Under article 13, premises must give enough protection against insects and rodents settling inside. Article 39 requires the food business operator to fight pests, rodents and other harmful organisms.

Hotels have their own text, an executive decree of 2019. It defines hotel establishments and sets how they operate and how they are classified.

How a hotel can prevent cockroaches

A hotel building should be kept in good repair, with holes, gaps and cracks sealed, including where pipes pass through walls. Screens on open windows, doors and vents make it harder for insects to enter.

Food should be stored in sealed containers that pests cannot enter, off the floor and away from walls. Rubbish belongs in covered containers that are emptied often, and waste areas should be kept clean.

At closing time, no food or dirty dishes should be left in the kitchen. Every delivery should be checked, and a delivery that shows signs of pests should be refused.

Water matters too, because cockroaches need moisture. Leaks and dripping taps should be fixed. Drains should be covered with a fine screen, since American cockroaches can live in sewers and drains.

In a hotel, cockroaches hide in dark and damp places, such as kitchens and bathrooms. They also hide in cracks and under furniture. They can arrive in luggage, bags and boxes as well.

Staff should be trained to recognise the signs of pests. Pest control chemicals must never touch food or the surfaces where food is prepared.

How a hotel can check

The signs of cockroaches are the insects themselves, their droppings, their egg cases and their shed skins. Dark stains or smears are another sign.

Cockroaches are mostly active at night and hide in dark places.

Sticky traps show how many cockroaches there are and where they are. Staff can place them under sinks and under or behind appliances, such as refrigerators.

Traps are checked every week, or every day when there are many cockroaches. After a treatment, checks continue about once a month.

Food safety bodies ask for regular checks, without setting how often. A written record should be kept of each problem and of the action taken.

When to call a pest control company

A pest control company should be called for a serious infestation, which means many pests living in the same place. The same applies to an infestation that does not end.

After each visit, the company should give a written report on the pests found, the chemicals used and the actions advised. It should hold a licence or be registered.

Baits are more effective than routine spraying.

When a guest reports a cockroach

If a guest reports a cockroach in a room, a pest control professional should inspect and treat that room and the rooms around it. The hotel should have a plan for such cases and train its staff to follow it.

Part 2: Homes

Cockroaches in Algeria

Studies in Algerian towns have recorded 4 species of cockroach in homes and other buildings. They are the German cockroach (Blattella germanica), the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana), the Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) and the brown banded cockroach (Supella longipalpa).

Of these, the German cockroach is the most widespread in the towns studied.

Cockroaches carry germs that can contaminate food. They also carry allergens, substances that cause allergies, and these are linked to asthma.

Over time, cockroaches can become resistant to insecticides, which means the products work less well on them.

Prevention at home

Spills and crumbs should be cleaned, and food kept in sealed containers. Pet food and water should not be left out all day or overnight.

Leaking pipes and taps should be fixed. Cracks, crevices and gaps around pipes should be sealed.

Drains should be kept clean and covered with a fine mesh.

Rubbish should be kept in sealed or covered containers and taken out every day.

Getting rid of cockroaches

Insecticide baits are the main method advised, either in bait stations or as gels placed in cracks. Baits act slowly.

Sticky traps are for checking numbers, not for control on their own.

Boric acid is used against cockroaches as a dust or in baits. Silica aerogel is a dust that dries cockroaches. Diatomaceous earth is another dust used against them, and care is needed not to breathe it.

Sources do not agree on whether sprays and foggers should be used.

A professional should be called when an infestation is severe or does not end. In a flat or a rented home, the building manager or the landlord should be told first.

Safety

Traps, baits and gels should be kept out of the reach of children and pets. While a product is used, children, pregnant women and other vulnerable people should stay away.

The label should be read and followed. Insecticides must be kept away from food, so food and utensils should be removed before a treatment.

Gloves should be worn, and hands washed after use. Leftover products should never be poured into sinks or toilets.