A cockroach exterminator appeared on TVNZ1's Seven Sharp to dispel a common myth about the creepy crawly.
Owen Stobart from Aces Pest Control was asked if it’s true you shouldn’t stomp on cockroaches as then their eggs go everywhere only to hatch later.
“That's a myth," he said. "If you stand on a cockroach, you're going to kill it and all its eggs.
“If, however, you spray the cockroach with fly spray and stress it out, it'll flick away its ootheca (egg sack), which has 40 new little babies and make the problems worse.”
So, in his opinion, “the stamp will do it every time”.
Surprisingly, Stobart has a real soft spot for the misunderstood insect.
“I quite like them; I find them curious little fellows that wander around and get into wrong place at wrong time.
“I would say they’re quite cute, yes.”
Stobart recommends keeping plants and bushes well pruned near the house if you want to keep the pests out.
“Cockroaches live in the garden in daytime and hides, rides up plants and accidentally comes into houses.
"So if you have a break in that connection — 5cm gap, the length of your fingers — between the shrubs, bushes, trees and your house, there’s a disconnect.”
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