Signs You Have Cockroaches

5 Ways to Tell if You Have Roaches

If you see any of the following signs of cockroaches, take action immediately so you can prevent a small infestation from turning into a much larger one.

1. Your Neighbors Have Roaches.

If the people next door mention they are dealing with a roach problem, there's a strong likelihood that your home is next, so you’ll want to take steps to reduce the risk of developing your own infestation. Cockroaches are attracted to things like open food containers left in the trash and the crumbs your kids drop on the floor. Promptly cleaning up messes, using sealed garbage cans, and not keeping outdoor trash cans near your home is a good start.

2. You See Droppings.

While the common German cockroach leaves behind tiny pepper-like specks (about the size of coffee grounds), the droppings of some larger roach species can be as big as a grain of rice and other species simply leave behind a small brown stain. Roaches are infamous for leaving their droppings wherever they go, but pay particular attention to areas like floor corners, cabinet tops, and underneath refrigerators and stoves. (Always wear gloves when cleaning up droppings.)

3. You Spy Egg Casings.

Each long, hollow, light brown egg casing left by a cockroach normally holds between 20-50 eggs; once the eggs hatch, the casing is simply left in place. If you find casings near leaky pipes, around the base of your refrigerator, or in food cabinets, you should immediately take steps to control the cockroach infestation before it grows out of hand. Occasionally, you might find a casing that still contains its eggs -- which you should dispose of by flushing down the toilet -- but a German cockroach mother will actually carry her casing around with her until the eggs are about to hatch.

4. You Smell a Musky Odor.

While a single cockroach isn't apt to leave behind an unpleasant odor that’s strong enough for you to notice, several of them will intensify the smell around your home or business. If the infestation is allowed to grow, the smell will become even stronger. While this scent is primarily associated with living cockroaches, dead ones also trigger odors caused by their decomposition.

5. You See a Roach.

Unfortunately, cockroaches are not loners. If you see one, there are likely many more that you can't see. Cockroaches are nocturnal creatures, so you’ll most likely spot them late at night, especially if you walk into your kitchen and turn on the light. If you do see them during the day, it’s usually because roach overcrowding has forced them out into the open, so chances are you’ve got a pretty large roach infestation.