Cockroach Identification & Control

Appearance

Cockroaches have flattened oval bodies with six spiny legs and long, threadlike antennae. The common species are light brown or reddish-brown. Baby cockroaches (referred to as nymphs) look like tiny, pale versions of the adults, but without wings.

American Cockroach

Periplaneta americana

These are the large, reddish-brown roaches found in homes. Infestations are usually associated with moisture or plumbing problems. They’re most often found on lower floors like basements, boiler rooms, laundry rooms, and garbage areas, since they usually wander in from below. During hot summer days, when temperatures are over 85°F, they can fly short distances.

German Cockroaches

Blattella germanica

German cockroaches are small, light brown roaches that can squeeze through gaps as narrow as 1/16 of an inch. They spread easily by hitchhiking in cardboard boxes, grocery bags, and other household items. Infestations are common in cluttered areas or where sanitation is poor. Control can be challenging because they reproduce fast—a single female carries 30 to 40 eggs, and it takes only about 100 days for those to grow into adults.

Oriental Cockroach

Blatta orientalis

These are shiny, dark brown to black roaches, and the sexes look noticeably different. Males have short wings that cover maybe three-quarters of their body. Females look almost wingless—just tiny wing stubs. Neither can fly.

They’re drawn to cool, damp, dark places like basements, crawlspaces, floor drains, and sump pumps. Large infestations smell awful—you’ll know when you’ve got a problem.

These roaches only produce one generation a year. Most adults die off by late summer, leaving the young ones to find warm spots when fall hits.

Brown-Banded Cockroach

Supella longipalpa

The light bands crossing their dark brown bodies give these roaches their name. Their coloration ranges from brown to tan with yellowish-brown stripes.

Males have long wings extending past their body tip and can manage short flights, while females have short wings and cannot fly.

Unlike other species, brown-banded cockroaches prefer warm and dry conditions. They scatter throughout living rooms, bedrooms, closets, and offices, usually seeking elevated hiding spots.

How to Get Rid of Cockroaches

A common mistake people make is turning to pesticides first. You’ll kill a few, but without tackling the real problems, they’re back in weeks. Real cockroach control comes down to cutting off what keeps them alive: food, water, and hiding spots.

Cleaning

• That grease coating your stovetop? It’s basically a cockroach magnet. German cockroaches especially crave fatty food because they need those nutrients for reproduction. Clean your stovetop, toaster, and microwave interior weekly.
• Everything edible should be stored in sealed containers. Glass jars work best, but heavy-duty plastic with rubber seals does the trick too.
• Pet food sitting out overnight is like leaving a buffet for roaches. Store it sealed and stick to regular feeding times.
• Dirty dishes are another common factor in cockroach infestations. It’s good practice to wash them right away or load them in the dishwasher.

Eliminating Water Sources

• Fix leaky faucets. One drip every few seconds gives roaches all the water they need to thrive.
• Run bathroom fans or open a window after showering to keep moisture from building up.

Managing Waste

• Empty kitchen trash every night, especially in summer when garbage rots faster.
• Get tight-fitting lids for garbage cans to reduce odors from spreading.
• Rinse food containers before tossing them in recycling. Even leftover smells draw foraging roaches.

Exclusion and Sealing

• Look for potential entry points around baseboards, behind appliances, around tub and sinks, and anywhere plumbing enters walls.
• Seal everything up. Small cracks get caulk—latex or silicone both work fine. Bigger gaps need expanding foam.
• Check and maintain unused sinks. When those P-traps dry out, it creates a direct route for American cockroaches to travel from the sewers into your house. Either add water to keep traps sealed or install drain covers.
• Install door sweeps under exterior doors. No gap should be bigger than 1.6 mm.
• Inspect everything before bringing it inside. Roaches can hitchhike in cardboard boxes, electronics, old appliances, etc.

Boric Acid and Diatomaceous Earth

These powders kill roaches differently but both get results. Boric acid sticks to their bodies when they crawl through treated areas. Since roaches constantly clean their legs and antennae, they swallow the powder, which attacks their digestive and nervous systems. Diatomaceous earth works like microscopic razor blades, slicing through the waxy coating and causing them to die from dehydration.

• Use just a light dusting. If you pile it too thick, they will walk around it instead. 
• Put it where kids and pets can’t reach: inside wall spaces, behind outlet covers (turn power off first), under insulation.
• Only use food-grade diatomaceous earth, and wear a mask and protective goggles when applying.

Gel Baits and Bait Stations

Modern gel baits kill slowly, letting poisoned roaches return to their hiding spots before dying. This allows the poison to spread to other roaches, wiping out 90–95% of populations within days.

• Put pea-sized dabs along their travel routes: inside cabinets, under sinks, behind appliances.
• Replace bait every 2–4 weeks to keep them interested. The gel stays active 60–90 days but becomes less appealing after a month. 
• Switch active ingredients every three months. Fipronil and indoxacarb work through different biological pathways, helping prevent resistance.
• Only use products labeled for food areas if you’re baiting kitchens.

Glue Traps

Don’t count on these solving your problem. They’re best for finding where activity is heaviest. Set traps along walls near suspected hiding spots and check weekly. Catching more roaches each week means baits aren’t working or new ones are getting inside. Toss traps when they become full or too dusty to stay sticky.

Pesticides

Save spray cans for serious infestations when you’re seeing roaches during daylight; that usually means overcrowding. Spraying too early or in wrong spots creates resistance problems and ruins bait strategies.

• Follow label amounts exactly. More isn’t better.
• Use crack-and-crevice formulations only.
• Target baseboards, pipe chases, similar hiding spots. Avoid areas where you’ve placed gel baits.
• Lock all pesticides away from kids and pets.

Where Do Cockroaches Come From?

Gaps around windows and doors are common entry points for these pests. They can also squeeze through wall cracks and slip in wherever pipes and wires enter your house.

Apartment living creates extra problems. That roach issue might not even be yours: they travel between units through shared walls, ceiling spaces, or plumbing connections.

German cockroaches are notorious hitchhikers. Amazon packages, grocery bags, luggage, secondhand furniture from online marketplaces regularly carry stowaways.

Need help getting rid of cockroaches? Our experts can handle even the toughest of infestations, keeping your home or business free of these unsanitary pests.

Cockroach Control Services

• Treatment and Assessment
• Spraying, Baiting, and Trapping
• ULV Treatment (Aggressive)
• Proofing (Exclusion)