Not all cockroaches are the same problem. The big ones you see at night usually come in from outside, while small ones in the kitchen are often living inside with you. Knowing which you have changes how you get rid of them.
Which roach do you have?
- American cockroach (“waterbug”). Large, reddish-brown, about 1½ to 2 inches long. Lives in sewer lines, drains, and outdoor block walls, and wanders inside at night.
- Turkestan cockroach. Very common across the Valley. Lives outdoors in water meter and irrigation boxes, block walls, and leaf litter. Males are tan and fly toward porch lights.
- German cockroach. Small, light brown with two dark stripes behind the head. Lives indoors in kitchens and bathrooms, breeds fast, and is common in apartments and restaurants.
Where they come from
Outdoor roaches come in looking for water and shelter. German roaches usually hitch a ride inside. Here are the most common sources we find around Valley homes:
- Sewer lines and floor drains, especially ones that dry out
- Water meter and irrigation boxes
- Block walls and leaf litter near the house
- Gaps under doors and around pipes
- Cardboard boxes, grocery bags, and used appliances or furniture
- Leaky sinks, dishwashers, and refrigerators
A single drain with a dried-out trap can be an open door from the sewer.
What our treatment does
For outdoor roaches, we treat the places they live and travel: block walls, meter and irrigation boxes, the base of the house, and entry points. For German roaches inside, we use baits placed where they hide, then follow up until the population is gone.
What treatment can’t do
We’ll be straight with you: one visit rarely ends a German roach infestation. Their eggs are protected inside a hard case, so new roaches keep hatching after treatment, and it takes follow-up visits to finish the job. Outdoor roaches are a different story. They live in the city sewer and your neighbors’ yards, so we can keep them out of your home, but nobody can clear them from the whole neighborhood.
What actually helps
- Dry things out. Fix leaks, wipe down sinks at night, and don’t leave pet water out overnight indoors. Roaches need water more than food.
- Keep drains wet. Run water in unused sinks, tubs, and floor drains so the trap doesn’t dry out. See our tip below.
- Cut off the food. Store food in sealed containers, clean up crumbs and grease, and take out the trash every night.
- Ditch the cardboard. Unpack boxes and get them out of the house. German roaches hide and lay eggs in them.
- Skip the bug bombs. Foggers don’t reach where roaches hide, and store-bought sprays can scatter them and make professional baits less effective.
Still seeing roaches in a clean house?
A clean house can still get roaches. Big roaches at night usually mean they’re getting in from a drain, a gap under a door, or the yard. Small roaches in a clean kitchen often came in on a box or appliance, or are moving through shared walls in an apartment or condo. Either way, finding where they’re coming from is the key.
Common questions
Does seeing one cockroach mean I have an infestation?
Not always. A single American or Turkestan roach that wandered in from outside is often just a visitor, especially in summer. German cockroaches are different: they live and breed indoors, so seeing even one in the kitchen usually means more are hiding nearby.
How do German cockroaches get into a home?
Usually by hitching a ride in grocery bags, cardboard boxes, or used appliances and furniture. In apartments, they also travel through shared walls and plumbing. They breed fast, so a few can turn into hundreds within a few months.
Can cockroaches make you sick?
They can carry bacteria onto food and counters, and their droppings and shed skins are a common trigger for allergies and asthma, especially in children.
Tips and tricks
Keep your drains from turning into roach highways. Every sink, tub, and floor drain has a U-shaped trap that holds water and blocks the sewer. In a guest bathroom or laundry room that doesn’t get used, that water can evaporate in our dry heat, leaving an open path for sewer roaches and sewer smell.
Get the most out of it
- Run water in every unused sink, tub, shower, and floor drain for about 30 seconds every couple of weeks.
- Close drain stoppers in rooms you don’t use often.
- Going out of town? Run the water before you leave and plug the drains.
Find the hot spots
Put a few sticky traps under the sink, behind the fridge, and near the water heater. After a few days, the trap with the most roaches tells you where they’re coming from, and it’s great information to share with your technician.
Get help with cockroaches
Seeing roaches? We’ll figure out which kind you have and where they’re coming from, treat the problem, and give you an honest plan.
Other pests we handle: Scorpions, Ants, Spiders, Rodents, Crickets, Stinging Insects, Bed Bugs, Flies & Gnats, Mosquitoes, Ticks & Fleas, Beetles, Centipedes & Millipedes, Silverfish, Pillbugs & Sowbugs. See the full pest library.