Florida natives often have a hardy attitude about roaches. Why ask where do roaches come from when you know they are simply a fact of life?  If you are this stoic type and don’t mind sharing your space with the inevitable little brown, six-legged house guest, well, to each his own.

On the other hand, if the sight of a roach makes your skin crawl or your wife screeches when one crawls in front of her, you might be well served to figure out how the roaches are getting into your house and why they are staying.

Where DO Roaches Come From

If you have a roach infestation in your home, there could be several reasons why.

  • Roaches may have already been in your home before you moved in.
  • Inventive Roaches are also very good hitchhikers and are easily transported from one place to another. They can get into your home in grocery bags, cardboard boxes, luggage, furniture, or appliances.
  • Roaches can find a way by crawling through the plumbing, sewers or drains.
  • They are also able to crawl through minute gaps in windows (especially old jalousie windows) and sliding glass doors.
  • Proximity to other sources like wooded areas offer opportunities for the roaches to seek shelter in your home. They can travel over from your neighbor’s home into yours, too.

But my house is clean!!

Yes, it is very important to keep your house clean, but a clean house alone will not keep the roaches away. That’s a fact of life in Florida.

Like most pests (and all other animals human and others if we look at it philosophically), roaches are looking for three main things: food, shelter, and water.

Roaches  are here year-round in wet and dry seasons and are incredibly resilient. For these reasons roaches can be very difficult to control. Not all roaches are alike either. There are several different species of cockroaches that we find here and each are attracted to and thrive in different environments.

German cockroaches are the most common indoor roaches.

They prefer dark, warm, humid places near food and water, preferably in a temperature range of 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. You can usually find German roaches in kitchens, in cracks and crevices of cabinets, near sinks or appliances, and in food prep and storage areas. German cockroaches can also be found in bathrooms when the roach infestation is heavy. Early detection and control of german roaches is extremely important as they can be very hard to get rid of.

Oriental roaches prefer dark, damp, cool habitats.

Outdoors you can usually find them where there is an abundant supply of organic matter like mulch or wood chips, under patio bricks, or between the soil and your foundation. Once inside your home, they are often found in drains, basements, and crawlspaces. They can also be found near leaky water pipes, under sinks, refrigerators, floors, and washing machines.

Brown-banded roaches prefer warmer, drier places.

The brown-banded roaches like places in the range greater than 80 degrees Fahrenheit. They live in higher areas, usually at eye level or above, like your cabinets, pantries, closet shelves, behind pictures, in books, or under kitchen tables and chairs. Some can also be found in warm areas such as near clocks, timers, TVs, and refrigerator motors. I’ve seen them set up house inside a coffee maker!

American cockroaches are found in homes, restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores

American roaches can be found anywhere food is prepped and stored. They prefer warm, moist environments and can often be found in boiler rooms, basements, around pipes and water heaters, and in drains and sewers.

Here are some tips to prevent roaches from infesting your home:

Food

  • Clean up spilled crumbs and food immediately.
  • Don’t leave dirty dishes out overnight.
  • Throw away any food that is left out on the counter.
  • Wipe down the surface of all food prep areas every night.
  • Clean under your appliances and wipe down any that are on your counter.
  • Make sure to clean underneath the refrigerator and stove, also. Rinse out milk jugs, juice cartons, and cans before throwing them away.
  • Empty your garbage can every night and use garbage cans with tight fitting lids.
  • Check kitchen drawers for any food debris and crumbs.
  • Store food in airtight containers. Store pet food in airtight containers and elevate them off the floor.
  • Don’t leave your pet’s food and water bowls out overnight.
  • Get rid of cardboard! Roaches communicate through chemical pheromones they secrete as they move. Cardboard and paper are excellent absorbers of these pheromones.
  • Replace cardboard boxes with plastic containers if possible.
  • Don’t bring any cardboard boxes used for storage inside the home.
  • Don’t store piles of newspapers – recycle them instead.

Shelter

  • Carefully inspect the interior and exterior of your home.
  • Seal any gaps or crevices you find, even the smallest ones. Roaches can squeeze through the tiniest openings to get into your home.
  • Use weatherstripping around all entryways including doors and windows.
  • Declutter as much as possible.
  • Roaches can also get into your home through drainpipes. Use stoppers or metal baskets on all the drains in your sink and shower and make sure to keep your drains clean.
  • Roaches will also hitch rides on firewood. Make sure to only bring in enough wood for one fire and don’t store any extra wood inside.

Water

Most species of roaches prefer moist areas so eliminating water is key to helping prevent them.

  • Remove any standing water in and around your home.
  • Check for leaks and repair them promptly.
  • Use caulk to seal gaps around your sink and tubs to keep water out of the walls.
  • Don’t let water stand for long periods of time in plants and flowerbeds.
  •  Don’t leave your pet’s water bowls out overnight.
  • Hang any wet towels and mats up to dry after using them.
  • Keep your kitchen sponges dry and don’t store them on the counter.

Call Your Heath Pest Control Professionals

Cockroaches carry many diseases and can cause several health issues in humans including food poisoning and can trigger allergies and asthma attacks.  Most people’s disgust of cockroaches is enough motivation to do anything to get rid of them.

However, roaches can be incredibly difficult to control and eliminate and will likely require the intervention of a pest control professional. Not only do we treat your home with the appropriate agents to eliminate the roaches that are present, we will conduct a home inspection to answer the question, where do roaches come from in your particular environment.  We will identify not only where and how roaches are getting into your home, but also the specific type of roaches that are present to better treat and eliminate them.