We're going to be straight with you. It is difficult to get German cockroaches out of Tampa properties. When residents try, they often find themselves extremely frustrated. Why? Because they don't understand their adversary.

cockroach on a sandwich
cockroach on countertop

What You May Not Know About German Cockroaches

  • These are the most common insect pests in the world.

  • German cockroaches can tolerate conditions that are too dry for other roaches.

  • German cockroaches can survive in a structure that provides little or no food.

  • German cockroaches are small. Their nymphs can fit through the tiny holes of an electrical outlet—and often do. This gives them access to some spaces that other roaches can't get into.

  • Like other roaches, German cockroaches can subsist on strange things that you wouldn't consider to be food, things such as wallpaper paste, toothpaste, and animal feces.

  • Like other roaches, German cockroaches can develop a resistance to synthetic pesticides. In fact, they're born with a resistance to products that have been used on the roaches that came before them. These resistances can be passed on to offspring.

What You Can Do

The first step in the control of German cockroaches is to address the conditions in your home that provide an environment that is conducive to roach activity. These are primarily linked to moisture, food, and harborage. Here is a quick checklist to help you prepare your home to be cockroach-free:

  • Clean everything. Your home can be full of cockroach food sources that you're not aware of. Vacuum your rugs to remove crumbs, clean your counters and floors to get rid of particles, and deep clean around your appliances to get grime and oil residue. While German cockroaches can live in a home that is very clean, they don't prefer it.

  • Protect food. Your home is full of cockroach food sources that you are aware of. Roaches are omnivores. If you leave food out, German roaches will partake. This is bad in more than one way. When considering food, be sure to also consider dog or cat food. Roaches don't really know the difference between human and pet food.

  • Address any plumbing leaks in your home to reduce moisture and humidity. While German cockroaches can tolerate drier conditions than other roaches, they don't prefer them. Fix leaking faucets, pipes, and garbage disposals. Also be sure to use the fan in your bathroom when taking a bath or shower. This will reduce the humidity in this key location that German roaches like to frequent.

  • Store your food in sealed containers and wipe down the shelves in your pantry and kitchen. Cockroaches can chew through cardboard and paper packaging and they will be happy to nibble on food particles that gather on your selves.

  • Clean your trash receptacles, and consider replacing open receptacles with ones that have covers. Your trash is an ideal source for food and the smell of rotting organic matter is attractive to roaches.

  • Use a caulking gun to seal around the pipes under your kitchen sink and other access points in your kitchen. Also consider going outside of your home and sealing any exterior entry points. This will prevent roaches from coming into your home after the roaches inside have been eliminated. 

The Role A Pest Professional Plays

German cockroaches are extraordinarily difficult to control, and control products are often needed to get the job done. We don't recommend that you apply these products as they must be appropriately selected and administered. If you select the wrong products, the cockroaches in your home will avoid them or have the resistance to walk across areas you've treated. A professional often selects a combination of products to be sure that those roaches take to something. And when your treatments are concluded, a pest professional has strategies for making sure your home no longer has German cockroaches in it. This is essential as roaches can present ongoing health issues for your family if they remain in your home.

Tampa Bay Cockroach Control

The team here at Eco Tech Pest Control Services can guide you in selecting the right treatments for your home and provide you with treatments that have the highest chance of success. In light of the health concern German cockroaches present, it is best to go with a pest control company with a proven track record. Reach out to us today and speak with one of our friendly agents.  

 

Latest Blogs

Stay informed about pests and pest related issues in your area!

Cockroach on a piece of bread.

Cockroach Control On A Budget: Affordable Solutions For…

a cockroach crawling in a home

Roach Removal 101: What It Takes To Eliminate An Infestation…

a cockroach crawling in a home

Spring Cockroach Prevention Guide For Tampa Residents

View All Blogs

Request Your Free Quote

go to top