Cockroach Infestation

Cockroach Infestation

One roach that wandered in from outside is a visitor. An infestation is a population that has settled in and is breeding, most often in a kitchen or bathroom where warmth, water and food sit close together. Florida’s heat and humidity help numbers climb fast. Common clues include a musty smell, droppings, shed skins and the roaches themselves. Getting it under control takes cleanup, repairs to leaks, sealed entry points and, in most cases, targeted treatment.

Reading the Clues: Which Roach and How Big a Problem

• Small, pepper-like specks or dark smudges in cabinet corners, on hinges and inside drawers point to German cockroaches. Their egg cases are small and tan, and the female carries hers attached to her body until shortly before it hatches.
• Larger, blunt-ended droppings with ridges along the sides come from American and other large roaches. Their dark brown egg cases are dropped or glued in hidden spots like attics, garages and behind appliances.
• Small, wingless roaches (nymphs) mean roaches are breeding indoors, not just wandering in.
• Roaches out in daylight usually signal a crowded population, since roaches normally hide during the day.

Where to look indoors: behind and under the refrigerator and stove, around the dishwasher, under the kitchen sink, along cabinet hinges, and inside warm appliances such as microwaves and coffee makers. A flashlight check an hour or two after the lights go out shows where they are most active.

Outdoors, large roaches live in mulch, leaf litter, palm trees, tree holes, storm drains and sewers, and some fly toward porch lights at night. They get inside through gaps under doors, around plumbing and AC line openings, and through attic vents.

German cockroaches breed indoors all year. Outdoor species stay active year-round in South Florida and are most noticeable statewide in the hot, rainy months, when heavy rain floods their hiding spots and pushes them inside. Allergy and contamination risks are covered under cockroach health concerns.