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What Attracts Cockroaches to your Home?
We often receive phone calls from panicked homeowners who are seeing cockroaches in their homes. Not only are cockroaches unattractive but they are also a health concern. Cockroaches are known to carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. Knowing how and why roaches are getting into your home is important for the health of you and your family.
Cockroaches are extremely resilient pests. Once they have invaded your home it can be difficult to get rid of them. Knowing the reasons why they are taking up residence in your home is vital to keeping them out. The biggest attractant for cockroaches is food. This can be human food, pet food, bird feed, even cardboard. Ensuring that these items are tightly sealed is imperative in keeping the roaches out. If you have found roaches in your food, throw out the food source immediately. Remember, cockroaches are known to carry diseases.
Just because your food storage areas look clean doesn’t mean that you are out of the woods just yet. Cockroaches can survive for 3 months without eating. In the meantime, they are looking for damp, dark, wet places to hide. Cockroaches take up occupancy in items such as boxes, shelves, and books to protect themselves from dangers such as humans. Many of these items are found in garages, basements or other areas of the home that are not normally inhabited.
Keeping a clean home is the key to keeping your home cockroach and pest free. Wipe down counter, sweep and mop regularly so that pests aren’t attracted to your home. Be sure that trash is sealed properly and taken out on a regular basis so the strong odors don’t attract unwanted guests. Look for water such as pet water bowls or leaky pipes. Where there is a water source…there is a pest.
A clean home and regular pest control is the most effective way to keep cockroaches out of your home. Once a cockroach moves in, it invites others, hatches eggs and soon after you have a full blown infestation. Take quick action by calling your local pest control company, such as Northwest Exterminating, so we can help you identify the source of your problem and act quickly to get the issue resolved.
NorPest Green is Northwest Exterminating’s green solution to eliminating pests in your home while maintaining the lowest environmental impact possible.
I have been cleaning and seems that everytime I clean the kitchen there’s more and more cockroaches owner from apartments said it may be the refrigerator that is causing heat to attract more roaches is this true
It sounds like you may be dealing with a German Roach infestation. German roaches are found in apartment communities often and usually require multiple treatments as well as some sanitation to eliminate them. Roaches are attracted to water, food, shelter, and when it’s cold…heat. They are attracted to places like the refrigerator but that is not the cause of the infestation. It is common to find a concentration of roaches in and around the appliances. We strongly recommend a pest service or inspection to identify the issue.
Yes this is true since it’s getting hotter everyday it is attracting more roaches to hide underneath your refrigerator. And your refrigerator has wet damp places in it so there is chances that they are hiding there.
Hi.lastnight I went to the laundry Matt due to my dryer being. Broken. So anyways. As I was. Loading it up by the door to put my clean laundry in my car my daughter and I had spotted what I had thought. Was a really ugly spider or something. And it crawled right beside my laundry baskets .I just picked up my laundry quickly and put it in my car and came home and folded it all and put it all away.so this morning I went into my bathroom and seen the exact same bug that we saw at the laundry Matt.I took pictures of it to compare it to cockroaches and come to find out that is exactly what it is!! So my question is do I have to worry about more coming into my home? I’ve never had cockroaches before so I do not know what to expect. I’m very worried I have 2 young children and my son unfortunately tries eating bugs n that is the last thing I want to happen! Please let me know …thanks
Hello!
Truth be told, there’s never just one! If this happens to be the same roach for the laundromat, there’s no certainty if it brought its friends along. Regardless, we can initiate a preventive plan to ensure this doesn’t become a huge pest problem. Please call us at 888.466.7849.
I recently moved into an apartment in the city with my husband and our 1 year old. the place has had a history of roaches. we had the pest control come and do procedures to clear out the place but it seems like the spray that was used is attracting the roaches instead of illuminating them. the house is always clean and we always mop . i don’t know what to do anymore . this isn’t something that i want to get use to.
We’re very sorry that you are experiencing these issues. Pest issues can be very unsettling, especially with young ones in the home. Unfortunately, living in multi-unit housing you are effected by your neighbors as well. If your neighbors are having issues with pests then there is a good chance that you will too. If the problem persists you should call back your pest control company to come back out. It sounds like you may be dealing with German roaches which need multiple visits to eliminate. Also, if not already, make sure to was your dishes everyday and remove trash and food debris form underneath the refrigerator and the stove.
If the above doesn’t help, contact your property manager. They may need to reach out to the units around you.
What’s a good bug spray to use in the meantime til we’re able to get someone to come out and spray?
Thanks for the comment!! Unfortunately, we can’t recommend a product sold from retailers. A thorough inspection and identification of your property is a key step in resolving your pest issues. Not all pest infestations are treated with the same product. So until you know for sure what you are treating for it is a guessing game and we can not recommend spraying product around your property that may not be effective in treating your infestation. The good news is that we can usually get to your property within 24 hours. We can save you a trip to the store and save you money on ineffective products…give us a call!
I just found a huge red cockroach belly up this morning wiggling in my bathroom.
Recently my brother has moved out the basement so now it is just me. Late at night for about the last 2 days a small bug has attempted to crawl on my bed towards me (Not a bed bug). Ive caught them everytime because i stay up late but tonight when i turned off the light there was one in the laundry room, one in a basket of clothes, and one on a bag right next to them. Why do you think these bugs have randomly appeared and what do you recommend?
So sorry to hear about your issue. Not knowing where bugs are coming from can be unsettling. Unfortunately, it’s hard to give definite answers without doing an inspection. By inspecting a property, we are able to identify the pest, find out the source, and come up with a customized treatment plan for the property. Our inspections are FREE so give us a call at 888-466-7849 to have someone come out to your property!
Got up this morning went to the bathroom. Been there for a few minuites, looked down and there was a cockroach in front of my vanity. I freaked. Been here in my apartment for three years never seen one here before. Why is it here? I kept asking myself. It was on it’s back kicking. I sprayed it with raid, finished it of, then sprayed in different part of my place.
Can an empty mobile home for over a year cause roaches to migrate to my home since it is just a short walk away.
Yes, unfortunately pest infestations nearby can cause an infestation in your home. If you would like, we can have someone come out to your home for a free inspection so we can determine where the roaches are coming from and set up a plan to help alleviate the problem.
I have a quick question for you. I live in an apartment that is 625 sq ft here in decatur. I have a washing machine in my home but no dryer. I line dry my clothes sometimes inside of my apartment. is the moisture/humidity created from drying my clothes enough to attract roaches into my apartment?
thank you
Good question! Roaches, like many other insects, live in environments with a water source. Readily available moisture and humidity will attract insects. As far as your individual situation, we don’t know for sure without doing a thorough inspection but you can probably bet it doesn’t help. We would recommend opening your windows and hanging them out on your patio so they dry faster. You could also use a dehumidifier in your apartment and see how much water is in the air. Hope this helps. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do.
I have a child who frequently urinates in the bed. Lately had an accident on my couch. I am constantly combating stains and smells. He takes the plastic off because he doesn’t like the noise. I was told that the smell of urine can attract roaches, is this true?
Roaches are attracted to smells associated with food and water. We would recommend having your couch professionally cleaned to get out any odor or excess moisture. We would also recommend purchasing a mattress encasement that is made of plastic and fabric to combat the noise factor.
Today i was cleaning one of my tubs and found a bug”looked like a roach”.dose that mean theres more?it was dead.
Not necessarily, it depends on the type of roach. Cockroaches are attracted to sources of water so it can be common to find them in our bathrooms and kitchens. Call our office today to setup an inspection of your property so we can identify the cockroach and see if there are more.
So, my neighbor stored garbage in her garage all winter. Had it taken out and had her water shut off at same time. I then had an infestation in a very clean home 10 feet from her property. Is it a water source they seek that caused my infestation? Orkin has treated but took two months to get rid of problem. Just wondering?
whoops, sorry I posted twice. Just wondering if neighbor, 10 feet from my house hauled garage full of garbage out and shut off water off if that would explain roach infestation around same time at my property which is very clean and no roaches in past 15 years.
Insects need food, shelter, and water. If your neighbor stored garbage in the garage all winter it would have made their garage very conducive to insect infestations. With the winter we recently had and the rainfall we have been experiencing, their water being shut off should not affect your property. However, it’s impossible to know for certain unless you have a pest professional inspect your property to identify exactly what is causing the issue. We do offer free inspections if you would like us to come out.
I found two bugs was told that they were cockroaches and the neighbor across from me had them can they come from there
If you live in multi-unit housing then there is a good chance that they could be coming over from your neighbor. However, if you are living in a free standing home, the odds are not as good. The roaches are looking for another place to find food, water, and a place to hide. We suggest you follow the advice in the blog above regarding eliminating potential food and harborage sites. You may also want to speak with the neighbor or property owner about what is being done to treat the roach problem across from you which could be the reason the roaches are moving on. Please call us if you have any more questions. We’d be happy to come out and do a free inspection.
Hello i have a issue with small roaches i am confused as to why they are in my house because i so not leave food out or let my garbage stay overnight i don’t leave my dishes in the sink mop daily so they little roaches are not a lot but they frequent the living room area which my family does not eat in that area i vacuumed sprayed the area but they seem to still be there i live in a multi unit home I have a little cellar in foyer that’s empty at times think it gets moist at times. What do you think
Hi Jody,
Thanks so much for reaching out. First, we would suggest to notify your landlord and ask for a professional inspection to be done. Even though you are trying to prevent pests, sometimes in multi-unit homes it’s hard to ensure every neighbor is doing their part. If moisture is coming in through your foyer, try installing weather stripping or a door guard that may reduce moisture and keep the roaches out. However, with these types of roaches sometimes they can be brought in accidentally and live for some time, even in clean environments. Please feel free to call us, or have your landlord call us to schedule an inspection, at 888.466.7849
Can you get roaches from to much moisture in your home? I just moved into a new house in the country and randomly I see these little brown bugs running across the floor or in the kitchen. But I’m a clean freak so I didn’t think it could be roaches. I just saw one tonight so I decided to look up bugs the look like the ones I see and I’m thinking it is a roach. We just bought the house too 🙁
Hi Brittany, it sounds like you’re right and that what you’re seeing are roaches. Even if your home is clean, it’s possible they were brought in accidentally, possibly in your moving boxes. Or it’s possible that the previous homeowners had a roach infestation before you moved into your home. If what you’re seeing are roaches, I would recommend having a professional pest control company do an inspection as soon as possible. Roaches multiply very quickly and can be extremely hard to eradicate once that happens. If you’re local to our service areas (throughout GA and TN), call us at 888-466-7849 for a free quote.
Recently my family had done some work on our bathroom, replacing the toilet and sink, and we haven’t finished replacing the floor. The problem is that now roaches, big roaches, are seen in our house very often. My mom has referred to them as “water roaches” and believes they are only attracted to water. It’s become a problem. I know for a fact that they’re coming in from the kitchen and bathroom. I’ve seen them around our kitchen sink especially, but they seem to not be eating our food. It’s becoming a problem because we have dogs and one or two of them are taking it upon themselves to catch the roaches, to which they proceed to eat if we’re not quick enough to get it away from them. These roaches can jump from what I’ve seen. They run fast, but when they’re up on a counter and you turn on the light, they jump off and run real fast. I live in Texas.
Okay so I live in mississippi not to farm from a river dam and my house had been infested with roaches from Sept, 11, 2012-the present the population was average around Feb it was raining and I saw a cockroach climbing onto my house so I knocked it off with a twig stick later my mom had a stroke and wasn’t in the house until now the popularion has gotten worse as they’re many adult roaches and baby roaches everynight I move the water pan from where my dog drinks I see roaches little baby roaches and you know I see them in my face like they don’t care about 30 mins ago two were on my sink just facing eachother as if they were talking, kissing, or something but I killed em I check the water system closet and the central air closet and I see basic adult sized cockroaches what do I do I have been around this for too long. I’m 14 and my mom is planning on calling orkin next month what should I do to lower the population for now
We have some in our cabinets and every time we wash dishes it gets on our dishes and in our cars and it’s just ridiculous
Hi,
We bought a home in Dec. 2014 and it’s in a new development. In California we have had some brutal heat. Everything is new and clean. However ever now and aging we kill 1 roach her and there but only in the garage. The home next door hasn’t been sold yet. We have a pest guy come every month but have no idea where they are coming from. Any suggestions?
Im a clean freak all my food is properly sealed and stored i use only bleach when cleaning i have a regular pest control company servicing my home in the last year they have bombed twice baited 4xs and come out and spray every other month and any time i call in between. But these German roaches wont leave it seems they are spreading out over the house it used to be just the kitchen and bathroom but now they are everywhere dead ones live ones and im always finding egg sacks!!!!! Help!!!!
Your pest control company may want to consider monthly roach treatments versus bi-monthly treatments, in order for you to start seeing better results. For a free, monthly pest control quote, call us at 888-466-7849. Thank you!
I know someone that lives in their house but haven’t been there for a year and the person went to Sta with her mom for a year and never empty the refrigerator and just left and her house was very hot over the summer and now she called us to go get stuff for the roaches and we live in the Virginias. And she’s wondering why she has them for and her son told her its because she hasn’t been home for a year and I told him its also because the water is turned off also so no one can’t clean and she had food in the refrigerator and boxes of dry food in the cabinets.
I live in an apartment complex and we have try very hard to keep roaches out I bleach my house every other day and we never leave food out I always through my trash but for some reason I still see roaches only in my bathroom or in my room not in my kitchen why is it that there in my room?
I have been seeing a lot of baby roaches around my house. Our house is a very old wooden house but it’s a duplex. I don’t know if they re from my neighbors since I haven’t seen NY big ones yet??
Hello, me and my husband just bought our first home! No one has lived there in over 5 years. The house was clean as far as food and garbage and clothes and cardboard the only thing in it really was dust. The house does have a leak so roaches would have a water source.I was painting kitchen cabinets and notice bug poop (to small to be mice poop) in the corner of the cabinet. It is only in one cabinet though. Nothing in the corner of the ceilings in the living room or bedroom s that I can tell. What.are the probably that we have roaches? Could they have been there and left? I don’t want to move in or move my stuff in until I am sure.
So I live right in front of a literal forest and we get all sorts of roaches on our porch all the time so sometimes I’ll go in the kitchen and find one well tonight I found two huge ones and a tiny different on in my sink. We try and spray but our house isn’t exactly new and the house is relatively clean with the exception of a few dishes in the sink and I know that’s not helping the always run under my stove to hide…
Hi i have a one year old and 8 month old and my room and the whole house is infested of cockroaches even on the floor are my kids in danger
my house is infested in cockroaches and i have one year old and 8 month old are they going tk be okay
I live in a house that was converted into three apartments, around sept/ oct my neighbors below complained of massive amount of roaches. My landlord is trying to say I brought them, but I never saw a roach in my apartment. Is there away you can tell where the roaches originated from, we have sprayed but they are still here and now have come into my apartment . There are two different kinds? Do you offer free estimates?
So it’s been several weeks that I’ve been seeing little tiny bugs crawling under our refrigerator. I’m thinking they’re baby roaches. I recently purchased boric acid and I’ve put alot under and behind my refrigerator and it seems to not work because every now and then I see a baby one crawl out under the fridge I’m very tired of seeing them “please” give me answers I dont want a big roach problem.
Just a quick question. I have a small dog and her water and foid bowl is in my kids room. I have noticed a few roaches in my boys room. And I know they are attracted to water and pet food. How can I manage this without getting rid of my dog.?
I am currently moving from my apartment building which is infested with roaches…at my new place my husband just sawll one. Do you think we have them now or it was one who jumped on for a ride from my old place?
My apartment is infested with roaches no matter how clean we keep it they won’t go away. I’ve complained to management but all they do is send pest control to spray which is doing nothing. What can I do?
Hey Liz, it’s possible that your apartment has been over-treated, making the roaches somewhat immune to the chemicals the pest company is using. It’s also important that pest control is done in ALL units in your building, not just yours. Roaches multiply very quickly and infestations are spread from apartment to apartment. Ongoing monthly treatments are necessary to get rid of them, using a variety of treatment methods with baits and aerosols, in addition to keeping a clean home. Take out the trash regularly, clean really well around & behind appliances, in microwaves, refrigerators, etc. You’ll also want to avoid bringing boxes into your home. Give us a call at (888) 466-7849 if we can help in any way. Thanks and good luck!
Hi, I live in the south where it gets extremely hot and humid in the summer. The only time I have problems with roaches is this time. There are never baby roaches, but the full grown adult ones with wings (so gross). I have a 2-story house and almost every morning or every other morning I go downstairs, I see a dead huge roach either in the den, living room or bathroom. Very rarely in the kitchen. Usually it’s just one, but a couple of times there have been two in different areas of the house. I try extremely hard to keep my house especially clean during this time, especially my kitchen. But I have NO CLUE how these pests are getting into my house! I make sure I spray every summer, which is why they are probably all dead when I see them. But just recently, I’ve found a few dead ones upstairs! Over the past two months, I’ve come across three all at different times. I cannot for the life of me figure out how they’re coming in upstairs! Out of all the years I’ve lived here, I have NEVER had roaches upstairs! This is crazy! Please tell me what your are of how they’re coming in both up and downstairs and what can I do to make sure I see no more in my house. Please help.
It sounds like you’re seeing American roaches – large cockroaches, sometimes with wings, that aren’t a common household pest problem but will come indoors in warmer months in search of water & food. The good news is that you’re seeing mostly dead ones, meaning the pest control treatments you’re doing are working. You may also benefit from a thorough perimeter treatment around the entire exterior of our home, which will help to keep them from coming in. We usually recommend professional-grade granular products for this. In some cases, it’s necessary for crawlspace and/or attic spaces to be treated as well. Hope this helps! Give us a call at (888) 466-7849 if you have questions or would like a free pest inspection. Our techs can provide you with recommendations for roach prevention & control year-round.
My family and I have lived in our house for over nine years, never seen a cockroach until today. I saw a cockroach scurrying across my bathroom counter this morning. A Google image search identified it as an adult male german cockroach. My husband and I both checked for signs of further infestation all throughout the house, but we’re not finding anything. No droppings, no other roaches, egg sacs, no musty smell, ect. We’re both neat freaks and clesn everything religiously so, naturally, we’re freaking out.
Now, last year we got a new next door neighbor. She likes to keep an old washing machine (among the other garbage she likes to keep) in her front yard. She also likes to feed and keep stray animals. On the other side of us is an overgrown field that they used to raise horses in. They’ve begun the process of cutting this field down. I have 2 questions: Can german cockroaches live outside (I’m in Virginia) and could this single roach have come from either the next door neighbor or the field? Thanks.
Hi, ever since my family have gotten a Jasmine flower scent in our room, there have been cockroaches appearing in the room constantly. Is it a possibility that Jasmine flower scent can also attracts cockroaches?
I live in a development where the HOA said – NO GARBAGE CANS CAN BE STORED OUTSIDE
Now that my garage is steaming from the southern heat I have seen 4. Roaches – 2 large and 2 small one
Is it possible that theses roaches are a result of my garbage container being stored in the garage. My garbage is in bags tied up. I refused to store the container in my garage as it now smells like the city dump.
I put my container to the side of my house and got written up by the HOA – I now have to exterminate for them.
HELP
Hi cockroaches are really not gd in a home. we need to clean up our homes daily to eliminate them. Do spraying atleast
I won’t lie, the idea of having cockroaches in our house terrifies me. I’ll definitely have to keep these tips in mind. Thanks for sharing.
Put down something that’s not going to kill them right away, but will wipe out all of them over time. Boric acid or roach powder. Put this around ever baseboard, in sink cabnits down holes cracks and tiny crevises, add more if it is gone. What happens a roach get this on himself,slowly dies taking the bait home and feeds himself to the rest of the crew, then they all die.
Or you can call a guy out with bug killer kill a few thousand sweep up the dead bodies, and keep feeding your pest household items like wire insulation and dog food. No matter what you do
Some times of the year you’ll see Roche’s come inside in my house i dont often see a live one, but I find dead ones in the fall and spring.
I’ve put boric acid in every hiding spot
The stuff only goes bad if it gets wet.
thanks a lot, your blog was quite helpful to me and also helped me to know about cockroaches if anyone wants to get permanently free from cockroaches you can visit https://hicare.in/pest-control-services
Hi, just moved in and I’m seeing a lot of big roaches, no small ones. Mainly only from the master closet and bedroom, we’ve been here 3 weeks and have killed roughly close to 15. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.