Cockroach guide · Wollongong & the Illawarra
Getting Rid of Cockroaches Permanently: What Works and What Doesn't
Surface sprays kill the cockroaches you see and miss the breeding site. Lasting control targets where they breed and the conditions feeding them — and keeps them from coming back by changing what attracted them.
Last updated 5 September 2026 · Premier Pest Control, Wollongong
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Why the can of spray keeps losing
The cockroaches you see are the overflow, not the population. German cockroaches — the species behind most serious indoor infestations — spend their lives packed into warm, tight harbourages: behind the fridge motor, inside cupboard hinges, under the dishwasher, in the gap where the bench meets the wall. A surface spray kills the individuals crossing the bench at midnight and leaves the harbourage breeding on schedule. Worse, a heavy repellent spray can scatter a colony into new hiding spots across the kitchen, turning one concentrated problem into several. That is the whole story of why they "keep coming back": the visible insects were never the infestation.
What actually determines whether they stay gone
Three things, in order of importance:
- The breeding sites are found and treated — not just the surfaces where insects are seen
- The conditions are corrected — food residue, moisture and clutter are what make a kitchen carry a population
- The entry paths are considered — cockroaches arrive in boxes and bags, and travel between units through service penetrations
What professional treatment does differently
A professional treatment starts by identifying the species, because they behave differently: German cockroaches live indoors near food and water, while the large dark cockroaches that wander in from gardens, drains and subfloors are occasional invaders that need the outside of the building treated, not the pantry. Treatment then targets the harbourages and breeding sites directly, covers the routes between them, and — the part a spray can never do — comes with an honest conversation about the conditions that let the population establish. That is why the service pages on this site talk about eliminating breeding sites and preventing reinfestation rather than promising a magic product: the product matters less than where it goes and what changes afterwards.
So is "permanent" actually possible?
Honestly: an established infestation can be eliminated, and a clean, dry, well-sealed kitchen can stay clear indefinitely — but no treatment makes a building permanently immune to cockroaches arriving. They come in with deliveries, secondhand appliances and grocery boxes, and in units they travel between neighbours through shared walls and pipes. "Permanent" in practice means two things: the current population is eliminated rather than suppressed, and the conditions that would let the next arrivals establish are gone. Anyone promising a building will never see another cockroach is promising something the insect's biology does not allow.
What to do this week if you have them now
Whether or not you book a treatment, these steps make any approach work better — and make a professional treatment last:
- 1
Cut the food supply
Wipe benches nightly, clean under and behind appliances, keep food in sealed containers and empty the bin daily. A kitchen that feeds nothing carries nothing.
- 2
Dry it out
Fix dripping taps, wipe sinks dry overnight and empty pet water bowls in the evening. Water is the harder resource for cockroaches to find, and removing it hits the population harder than removing food.
- 3
Skip the surface spray if a treatment is coming
Repellent sprays scatter harbourages and can undermine targeted treatment placed exactly where the insects travel. If a professional visit is booked, leave the colony where it is findable.
- 4
Note where you see them
Which room, which cupboard, what time of night, how many. That map shortens the inspection and points the treatment at the real harbourages.
What our customers say
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We recently had these guys in for a pest control spray at our home in Woonona. They were professional, friendly and did a fantastic job. I would recommend them to anyone and will definitely be getting them over again
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Frequently Asked Questions
The questions we actually get asked on this — answered plainly. Call 02 4217 0117 any time if yours isn't here.
Call 02 4217 0117What will 100% get rid of cockroaches?
No single product will — and claims of a 100% permanent fix should make you sceptical. What works is the combination: treating the breeding harbourages directly, correcting the food, water and clutter conditions that support the population, and keeping those conditions corrected. That combination reliably eliminates infestations; the follow-through is what keeps them gone.
Why do cockroaches come back after spraying?
Because sprays kill the insects crossing the treated surface, not the breeding site producing them. German cockroaches breed in concealed harbourages — appliance motors, hinges, wall gaps — and a repellent spray can scatter those harbourages into new locations. The population was never touched; only its most visible members were.
Are the big black cockroaches the same problem as the small brown ones?
No. Small, light-brown German cockroaches breed indoors near food and water and are the serious infestation species. The large dark cockroaches that wander in occasionally usually live outside in gardens, drains and subfloors — controlling them is about treating the building's exterior and entry points rather than the kitchen.
Do cockroaches mean a house is dirty?
Not necessarily — they arrive in boxes, bags and secondhand appliances, and in units they travel between homes through shared services regardless of housekeeping. Cleanliness decides whether they can establish and grow, not whether they can arrive. That said, a spotless, dry kitchen is genuinely hostile territory for them.
Is professional cockroach treatment safe around kids and pets?
Yes — we use low-toxicity, family-safe products, applied to the harbourages and travel routes rather than broadcast across living surfaces, and we advise on any short re-entry times before we start. Targeted placement is both safer and more effective than blanket spraying.
Sources
Every claim on this page can be checked against a public authority. These are the ones we used.
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Related: Cockroach pest control · General pest control · Home pest protection plans