Home / Pest control / Guides

Roaches in the house

Roaches need water, food and a warm gap to hide in. Take away two of the three and treatment starts to work.

Call (844) 901-1058Connects you with a local pest control provider

Calls are answered by an independent provider that serves your ZIP code. You decide whether to hire.

The short version

Why they are there: Water, food and shelter, usually in the kitchen and bathrooms.
Start with: Leaks, crumbs and clutter.
Call a company when: You see them in daylight or in several rooms.

What you can do

Fix dripping taps and leaks under sinks.
Keep food sealed and counters wiped.
Empty the trash every night.
Clear cardboard and paper piles.

Time to call

Roaches appear during the day.
You find them in rooms away from the kitchen.
There are droppings or egg cases in cupboards.
Store-bought sprays have not worked.

Why spraying alone fails

They hideRoaches spend most of their time in cracks, behind appliances and inside cabinets, out of reach of a surface spray.
They breedEgg cases protect the next generation from much of what is sprayed.
WaterA leak under the sink can sustain a population on its own.
Shared wallsIn apartments and duplexes they move between units, so one treated unit is not enough.

What a pest control company will do

Inspect to find where they are living.
Use baits and targeted treatment in those places.
Point out the leaks and gaps that feed the problem.
Return to check, and treat again if needed.

The EPA's general advice on pesticides in the home is that they should be applied only when pests are present and other steps are not enough. A company that starts with questions and a flashlight is doing it right.

Related guides

Sources

US Environmental Protection Agency: selecting a pest control service