Seeing signs of cockroaches in your kitchen can be disconcerting, especially when you think of them touching your food or dishes, but the good news is that it’s possible to address cockroaches if they do find their way into your home. Attracted by sources of water, like your dropping pipes, and even the smallest bits of food, cockroaches in the kitchen are common. In this post, we share tips on how to get rid of cockroaches in your kitchen spaces and keep them from coming back.
What are cockroaches?
Cockroaches are insects that belong to the Blattodea order. They have segmented bodies, six legs, and two antennae. More than 4,600 species of cockroaches exist, but only around 30 are common pests in homes. The majority of infestations in the U.S. involve one of three species:
- American cockroaches: These red-brown insects can grow to lengths of 1 to 2″ and thrive in tropical and subtropical environments, making them most common in warmer regions of the U.S. They tend to nest outdoors in wood piles or mulch, in sewer drains, landscaping, and basements.
- German cockroaches: If you are trying to determine how to get rid of small cockroaches in a kitchen, this species may be what’s in your home. German cockroaches are smaller than the American species at about 0.5″ in length and have tan or light brown bodies with two dark brown stripes behind their heads. The most common type of cockroach in the U.S., these insects typically lurk in areas with easy access to moisture and food, such as kitchens and bathrooms.
- Oriental cockroaches: Sometimes called water bugs, these pests often make their homes in sewers, plumbing drains, crawlspaces, and other moist areas. They are most prevalent in the Pacific Northwest, Southeast, and Midwestern states. You can identify these cockroaches by their smooth, shiny black color.
What do cockroaches eat?
The idea that cockroaches only invade dirty homes is a myth. The truth is that any home can become a hideaway for these pests. In fact, a 2019 survey conducted by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) found that 2.9 million American homes had signs of rodent or cockroach infestations during the previous 12 months.
Cockroaches aren’t picky eaters. They’ll feast on food scraps, pet food, decaying organic matter, garbage, sewage, fingernail clippings, and glue used to bind books and hold cardboard packaging together. Without food, cockroaches can survive for up to a month. However, they’ll die in a week without access to moisture.
How do cockroaches get into your kitchen?
Cockroaches can get in your pantry or kitchen through any number of tiny openings in the home, like:
- Sagging roofs
- Sloping, leaning, or buckling outside roofs
- Holes in roofs
- Cracked or damaged interior and exterior walls
- Failing seals around windows and doors
- Holes and cracks in foundations
- Damage to plumbing that cause interior or exterior leaks
Are cockroaches harmful?
Cockroaches do pose risks to human health. Some people experience allergic reactions when exposed to eggs, saliva, feces, outer shells, and cuticles left behind by cockroaches. Individuals with asthma and other respiratory problems may also experience difficulty breathing if they come in contact with cockroach debris. These pests can carry bacteria that cause illnesses in humans, such as E.coli, streptococcus, salmonella, and staphylococcus.
Signs of a cockroach infestation
Cockroaches are speedy runners, with some species able to move as quickly as 3 miles per hour. The pests are nocturnal, making them even more challenging to spot. As a result, the best way to recognize an infestation is to look for signs like:
- Droppings: Cockroaches leave behind black feces that may resemble coffee grounds or grains of rice. You’re most likely to find droppings in the corners of your floors, under sinks, around appliances, and inside and around kitchen cabinets.
- Smear marks: Brown and black smear marks may indicate cockroach feces that have been walked through or disturbed.
- Musty smell: Cockroach feces and carcasses give off pheromones that have a musty smell. These chemicals can attract other cockroaches to your kitchen.
- Skin sheddings: Cockroaches shed their skin five to eight times as they grow, leaving behind light brown oval-shaped casings that look like bodies.
- Egg casings: Cockroach eggs are protected by capsules called ootheca. Once the eggs hatch, the ooethca is left behind. Colors vary from black-brown to amber to reddish-black.
- Damaged possessions: Cockroaches won’t damage your home’s structure but may destroy packaging in your pantry or wallpaper in the kitchen. Large infestations may also cause visible damage to floors and walls.
How to get rid of cockroaches in your kitchen
It’s alarming to see cockroaches anywhere in your home, but this is especially in your kitchen. We’ve got a few tips to follow to keep cockroaches from infiltrating your home.
Keep food properly stored
Cockroaches may move on if they don’t have access to food. To cut off their food supply, store dry goods like sugar and crackers in plastic or metal containers with tight-sealing lids rather than in paper or cardboard packaging. Keep all food tightly wrapped in your refrigerator. Remove shelf paper from your cabinets and pantry.
Maintain a tidy kitchen
While cockroaches don’t indicate that your home is dirty, tightening up your cleaning routine can reduce their access to food. Clean your countertops and tables thoroughly after every meal and wash the dishes daily rather than letting them accumulate in the sink. Make sure that you clean the drain and garbage disposer regularly.
While dealing with an active infestation, vacuum daily around floors, furniture, cabinets, molding, and baseboards, and mop the kitchen floor regularly.
Lock down your trash
Use a kitchen trash can with a lid to limit entry for pests. While you’re dealing with an infestation, take the trash out daily. Tie garbage bags closed tightly and place them in securely closing exterior garbage cans. Also, wash recyclables out thoroughly before adding them to bins.
Use traps to catch pests
Place bait roach traps under sinks and appliances to try and catch incoming pests. Place sticky glue traps around cracks and openings that might serve as entry points. Make sure to replace traps frequently.
Make necessary repairs
Caulking and sealing entry points may make future infestations less likely to occur. If you rent, notify your landlord about the presence of cockroaches, so they can make necessary repairs.
Premium pest control services
With our extensive experience, Hawx Pest Control can determine how to treat cockroaches in a kitchen. Our treatment plans begin with a thorough inspection to discover potential entry points and identify nesting areas. Then, we target the places where cockroaches nest and breed using state-of-the-art products, technologies, and tools. We also establish a barrier around the perimeter of your home to reduce the risk of cockroaches returning.
In addition, our knowledgeable pest control technicians will share tips on how to control cockroaches in the kitchen and set up a maintenance schedule to help keep the pests at bay. If cockroaches return between treatments, we will, too, without any charge to you.
