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Found a cockroach? (Saw a GAZILLION?)  Don’t panic.

Eliminate roach snacks

Kitchens provide ideal habitats for German and brown-banded cockroaches. Concentrate on making your kitchen uninviting to roaches. Practice strict sanitation. Tolerate no grease, crumbs, grunge, or clutter anywhere.

Clean all surfaces, especially between counters and appliances. Scrub underneath and behind refrigerators and stoves (floor and walls). Remember the corners, drawers, cabinets, and fixtures.

Store all food, including pet food, in tightly sealed containers. Don’t leave bowls of pet food on the floor overnight.

Food waste must also be carefully guarded. Keep your garbage, compost, and recyclables in tightly sealed containers. Empty and clean them daily, preferably in the evening, because cockroaches are most active at night.

Repair damaged refrigerator door seals. (If the insulation’s infested, use a bait or call a professional.)

Wipe up cockroach feces with a disposable cloth. Feces contain a pheromone that attracts roaches; newly hatched roaches feed on the feces of older roaches.

IPM approach to roach control

  1. Identify the species

  2. Find their hiding places

  3. Eliminate their access to food, water, and shelter

  4. Do repairs to prevent future invasions

  5. Choose effective, safe, environmentally sensitive controls