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Characteristics Of German Cockroaches

German cockroaches are most commonly found indoors. If you’ve spotted a light brown

or tan cockroach with two black horizontal stripes behind its head, it’s probably a German cockroach.

It should also be noted that, although these cockroaches have wings, they rarely fly. Instead, they prefer to crawl around on floors, kitchen counters, and other warm, humid areas of your home.

And be warned – these pests can trigger asthma symptoms and carry harmful bacteria. So, an infestation of German cockroaches (or any other dangerous home pests) should not be taken lightly!

If you don’t want to get rid of them yourself, consider choosing professional pest control services so your household can stay healthy and roach-free.

 

Signs Of A German Cockroach Infestation:

Have you identified a German cockroach in your home? If so, you may be dealing with a cockroach infestation. Here are several other signs you should look out for:

 

1. 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.

2. 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 German cockroach infestation.

3. Cockroach droppings

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

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

4. Dead roaches

If you find a dead German 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 German cockroach can indicate an infestation!

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

German 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 Get Rid Of German Cockroaches

Have you noticed several infestation signs in your home? If so, you need to act fast because German cockroach populations grow quickly! Here’s what you can do to eliminate your pest problem:

Keep your kitchen and bathroom clean and dry.

 

Since German 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.

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.

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.

Clean your kitchen cabinets

Remember – what’s trash to you is a feast for a German cockroach! Even the smallest crumbs can bring a dirty cockroach into your kitchen. So, be sure you clean your cabinets thoroughly to eliminate food sources for the pests.

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.

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.

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.

 

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