Short answer
A licensed pest manager. Identification matters more here than in most pest problems: small German cockroaches breeding indoors are a serious infestation requiring gel baiting and follow-up, while the large ones wandering in from drains and gardens are a different and much easier problem.
What to do before anyone arrives
- Photograph one. Size and markings distinguish the species, and a photo saves an argument.
- Note where you see them and when. German cockroaches live near warmth and food — behind the fridge, in the dishwasher, in the kettle base — and they are active at night.
- Clear and clean the areas they frequent, and fix any moisture source. They need water more urgently than food.
- Do not blanket-spray with a retail surface spray before a professional treatment. Repellent sprays scatter them into wall cavities and make gel baiting harder.
What to ask when you book
- What species is it, and how does that change the treatment?
- Are you using gel baits, residual spray, or both, and why?
- How many visits does this need, and are follow-ups included in the price?
- What do I need to do before and after — and how long do we stay out?
- What is the warranty, and what voids it?
What changes the price
No dollar figures here: this directory holds no price data and an invented range is worse than none. What follows is what makes one of these jobs cost more than the same job next door, which is the part you can actually use when comparing quotes.
- Species and severity.
- Size of the premises and how many harbourage points there are.
- Number of follow-up visits, which a German cockroach infestation genuinely needs.
- Whether appliances have to be moved or treated.
What you can do yourself
Is this licensed work?
Pest management is licensed in every state and territory, and commercial pesticide application requires the licence.
There is no national register. Search the licence number with the regulator for the state the work is happening in.
- NSWNSW Fair Tradingbuilders, electricians, plumbers and specialist trades
- VICBuilding and Plumbing Commission, and Energy Safe Victoria for electricalbuilding practitioners and plumbers; electricians are Energy Safe Victoria
- QLDQueensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC)building and most trade contractor licences
- WABuilding and Energybuilders, electricians, plumbers and gas fitters
- SAConsumer and Business Servicesbuilding work contractors and supervisors
- TASConsumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS)building and occupational licences
- ACTAccess Canberraconstruction occupations licensing
- NTNT Government building practitioner registrationbuilding practitioners and electrical workers
Licensing thresholds and certificate requirements differ by state and change with amending regulation, so this page describes the mechanism rather than quoting a figure. The regulator’s own page is the current answer.
Common questions
- Who should I hire for cockroaches in the kitchen
- A licensed pest manager. Identification matters more here than in most pest problems: small German cockroaches breeding indoors are a serious infestation requiring gel baiting and follow-up, while the large ones wandering in from drains and gardens are a different and much easier problem.
- Why do I have cockroaches when my kitchen is clean?
- German cockroaches are frequently brought in — in cardboard, in second-hand appliances, in deliveries, or through shared walls in apartments — and once established they need very little. Cleanliness reduces the food supply and makes treatment more effective; it is not what caused the problem and it will not, on its own, end it.
- Why did they come back a month later?
- Because eggs are protected inside a case that surface treatments do not reach, so a single treatment kills the adults and the next generation hatches. That is exactly why a proper program includes a follow-up visit timed to the hatch — and why a one-visit price can be the more expensive option.
Find a Pest Controller near you
1,396 pest controllers in this directory, ranked on published evidence rather than on advertising.
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General information about who does what, not advice about your specific job. Licensing, consumer law and council rules differ by state and change; the regulator for your state is the current source. More guides to hiring a tradesperson.