Cockroaches are becoming more common in Ireland with one extermination agency reporting a 76% increase in enquiries.

The pest control firm Rentokil says the critters are easy to identify, but you will mainly only spot them at night.

The figures come ahead of the busy summer season, where visitors to hotels and restaurants are more likely to come into contact with them.

Cockroaches carry salmonella, dysentery, gastroenteritis and typhoid.

They also produce an odour, which taints food and objects they come into contact with, and their droppings cause eczema and asthma.

But the good news is that cockroaches are easy to identify - people are advised to alert management if you find one in a hotel or restaurant.

Similarly as householders attempt more exotic cuisine at home, they can also provide food supplies for cockroaches - by allowing grease to build up. Waste packaging, especially corrugated cardboard, can help a colony of cockroaches grow rapidly by offering shelter.

Dr. Colm Moore is area manager with Rentokil and explains what to look out for.

But Dr. Moore says the rumour that standing on a female cockroach will 'spread their eggs' is simply not true,