Nightmare Fuel: Malta’s Largest-Ever Oriental Cockroach Colony Discovered In ‘Stronghold’ Siġġiewi
An overwhelmingly huge colony of Oriental cockroaches, the largest ever discovered in Malta, has been documented in Siġġiewi… and yes, it’s as horrific as it sounds.
Speaking to Lovin Malta, prominent local exterminator Arnold Sciberras shared a number of photos from the scene, showing a countless number of the pests crawling all over the place, in what he called “a wake-up call”.
“Though often dismissed as a minor pest, this elusive species is anything but insignificant when it makes its presence known,” Sciberras told Lovin Malta. “In the Maltese Islands, the Oriental cockroach is considered relatively uncommon. We’ve long known of its localised distribution, appearing in scattered clusters, often hidden in damp and shadowy environments. But when it does emerge—it hits hard.”
“This recent discovery marks a turning point.”
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“The colony was not just extensive; it was thriving in a hidden, moisture-rich zone—a textbook habitat for this tenacious insect,” Sciberras recounted. Oriental cockroaches prefer the dark, the damp, and the overlooked: drains, sewers, compost piles, and neglected corners of urban life. Their glossy, dark brown bodies and relatively sluggish movement make them easy to underestimate, but their resilience is unmistakable.”
Sciberras first sounded the alarm on the cockroach species back in 2014, saying it had started to gain ground particularly in northern areas like Mellieħa. But in the last decade, things seem to have exploded into worrying new heights.
In fact, while the Oriental cockroach was first documented in Malta all the way back in the 1950s, it had remained rare for decades. Now, Sciberras warns, it could be quietly outcompeting the larger and more well-known American cockroach in certain regions.
“Siġġiewi is now the biggest strongholds, but there were increases in villages like Żebbuġ and Birkirkara too,” he elaborated.
“Part of the challenge lies in detection,” the exterminator explained. “Oriental cockroaches tend to stay out of sight during the day, and unlike their flashier relatives, they don’t fly or scurry up walls. Pest control methods that work on other species often fall short here. Insecticide treatments, especially in wet environments, are frequently ineffective—and even when they are applied correctly, they may not reach deep enough into the colony’s hidden strongholds.”
“This latest find serves as a wake-up call.”
“The Oriental cockroach is no longer just a minor, occasional intruder,” Sciberras finished by warning. “Its presence in Malta is growing, and with it, the risk of food contamination and other public health concerns. So when the unseen finally strikes—it does so with quiet, unsettling force. And this time, we’re paying attention.”
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