Pontypridd home infested with thousands of cockroaches

Davies said the number of cockroach infestations he was dealing with had increased dramatically.

“Five years ago, I could count on one hand how many cockroach problems we used to deal with in a 12-month period,” he said.

“But in the last 12 months, we’ve had hundreds and hundreds.”

He said he had already dealt with six cockroach jobs this month.

“It’s just been an absolute explosion,” he said.

Davies believes the warmer weather could be contributing to the increase.

“We’ve had a lot of weeks exceeding 30 degrees,” he said.

“Cockroaches thrive in the heat. They develop a lot quicker, so their breeding cycle speeds up drastically.”

He said cockroaches were also found in places including restaurants and parts of the transport industry, and could be transported in suitcases and bags.

He described them as “very resilient” and said their short breeding cycle meant populations could multiply quickly in warm conditions.

Natalie Bungay, head of technical at the British Pest Control Association (BPCA), which represents the industry, said it had been “hearing about increased cockroach activity in some urban areas, including Cardiff”.

“But I’d be unable to say there’s been a clear rise right across Wales.

“It’s likely to be a combination of factors rather than one simple cause,” she said.