5 Signs of a Cockroach Infestation and How to Get Rid of Them

Learn to spot undeniable signs of cockroaches and help protect your home and family from disease and infestation. The faster a pest management specialist can get inside and begin attacking the problem, the faster you can regain control over your own home and well-being.

 

Cockroach activity during the day

Cockroaches are nocturnal, so if you see them scuttling across your floor during the day, it’s likely that you’ve got a major cockroach infestation in your home.

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An oily, musty smell

German cockroaches secrete a variety of odorous chemicals. So, if you notice an oily, musty odor, there’s a good chance that you’re dealing with a cockroach infestation.

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Cockroach droppings

As if having cockroaches wasn’t already gross enough – now you’ve got to deal with their droppings too!

You can identify cockroach droppings pretty easily because they look like ground pepper/coffee grounds and are commonly found in drawers or on countertops. Their fecal matter may even cause dark stains in the corners of the rooms in your home.

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Dead roaches

If you find a dead cockroach, it’s pretty likely that his friends are nearby – alive and infesting your home. But a dead roach isn’t the only obvious sign – even a shed skin of a living cockroach can indicate an infestation!

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A large number of smaller brown cockroaches in the kitchen and/or bathroom

Cockroaches love hanging out in kitchens and bathrooms because these areas tend to provide the moisture and food they need to survive. Yes – cockroach “food” is in the bathroom too because they eat soap and toothpaste!

 

How to prevent a  Cockroach infestation

 

Keep your kitchen and bathroom clean and dry.

Since Cockroaches love to hang out in kitchens and bathrooms, you can drive them out by taking away any reason for them to live there. That means you’ll need to eliminate moisture and food crumbs and store your soap out of their reach.

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Empty any pet food containers.

Since cockroaches are active at night, there’s a good chance that they will feed on your pet’s food unless you remove it. Make sure your pet’s food containers are empty and clean every night before you go to sleep to prevent this.

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Use a dehumidifier in your home.

Roaches thrive in humid environments, so using a dehumidifier is a good way to send them looking for a more humid place to live. If you use a dehumidifier in a large area like a basement, be sure you choose one that is specifically made to cover the area’s square footage.

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Clean your kitchen cabinets

Remember – what’s crumb to you is a feast for a cockroach! Even the smallest crumbs can bring a dirty cockroach into your kitchen. 

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Don’t leave trash out

Cockroaches love getting into trash, so avoid leaving any out for them to feed on! You should also make sure all of your trash cans are tightly sealed so that no roaches can sneak into them.

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Keep food sealed

If you’re the kind of person who rolls up the top of a bag of chips and sticks it in the cabinet, you might want to change your habits. Why? Because doing this gives a cockroach easy access to your food! Instead, put opened bags of food in tightly sealed plastic containers. That way, no pests can get in.

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Keep everything as dry as possible

Before you go to sleep at night, take some time to dry all sinks, bathtubs, and showers. By doing this, you can make sure the roaches don’t have a moist environment to thrive in.