Cardiff Cockroach Reports Rise 9% as Milder Winters and Denser Flats Aid Spread

1 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 29

Cardiff council logged 86 domestic cockroach reports in 2025, up 9% from 2024, while one nearby pest-control firm said callouts have climbed to five or six a week.
Milder winters are helping cockroaches survive in ducts and drains that cold once killed off, and warmer, more crowded flats give the insects easier routes to spread, experts said.
German cockroaches—the UK's most common pest species—can carry food-poisoning organisms and bacteria including salmonella, staphylococcus and streptococcus, according to the British Pest Control Association.
A Cardiff tenant said the insects spread through sockets and appliances after a neighbour moved out; with the council not treating private homes and citing a backlog, his letting agent paid for four private visits.
Reports were concentrated in cities—Newport recorded 31 and Swansea 13—while rural Welsh authorities and pest firms reported little or no cockroach activity.

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