Roach’s return: Malta’s most hated pest makes early summer appearance

Cockroaches have arrived early this summer, but pest control consultant Arnold Sciberras said this does not necessarily mean an increase in population for one of the world’s most hated insects.

“We had a dry winter and the temperature increased quickly in a very short span of time, and those conditions together are optimal for cockroach breeding,” he said.

Arnold Sciberras, pest control consultant for The Exterminator, said the insect bred and nested earlier due to the right conditions, and reports for extermination came in earlier than in previous years. “It does not mean we will have above-average population numbers this summer. I think they will be quite steady, but should there be the right conditions, populations could increase drastically next summer,” he warned.

As is the case for these kinds of pests, urbanised environments will always have the right conditions for the insects to breed and thrive. “Valletta, Sliema, St Julian’s, and Paceville will always be a hotbed for pests. This year we also received more reports coming from the Three Cities especially Birgu,” he said.

A new roach makes Malta its home

Sciberras said that during his disinfestation expeditions along with his employees, his team had identified “three new species of cockroach.” The new species are currently being studied and analysed by Sciberras and his colleagues for a scientific journal.

“I cannot tell you a lot about it, as I do not want to spread information which has not yet been verified. What I can tell you is that one of these species is expected to establish itself as a new invasive pest in the country,” he said.

Asked to describe the insect, Sciberras said it is very similar to the German cockroach, but lives in and around locations where food is readily available such as kitchens and gardens close to them. “The new species of cockroach prefers to live outside in more rural areas, and around the built-up environments unlike the German cockroach which is almost exclusively restricted to the inside.”

Oriental hornets to bounce back

Oriental hornets over the past decade have become an established pest in the Maltese islands, with the amber-toned insects hovering around in search of food.

The oriental hornet is reddish brown in colour with a distinctive yellow discoloration on its head and abdomen. It starts appearing at around May all through to October. The hornet has an aggressive temperament and is also a predator that can kill insects like grasshoppers and honeybees.

Last year, due to weather fluctuations and culling, numbers dropped, but Sciberras said the menacing-looking pest is expected to make a return this summer.  “It won’t be as bad as 2022, when populations were out of control, but this year we will see more of them,” Sciberras said.

Asked why they are so persistent, he said urban areas in Malta are the perfect breeding grounds. “When you have unfinished construction, and waste lying around like in urbanised areas such as Sliema and St Julian’s, it creates the perfect conditions for them to breed.”