University of Minnesota Extension

WW-07316     1999  


Cockroaches -- Your Safe Home

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Copyright ©  2012  Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.



What is a cockroach?
A cockroach is a pest often found in people's homes. The average adult cockroach is about 1/2" long, and smaller when young. It has a flattened, oval shape and long feelers. The most common kind in the Upper Midwest United States is the German cockroach, which is light brown with two black stripes behind its head. Cockroaches eat almost any kind of food, as well as household items like glue, leather, and book bindings.
 
Life cycle of a cockroach. These illustrations are two times the actual size.
 
Where does a cockroach live?
Cockroaches most often live in kitchens near food. They also live in bathrooms, especially near plumbing and heating ducts. During the day they hide in small cracks under appliances, behind baseboards, in boxes, and in any other tight space they can find. Cockroaches are most active at night. Usually you or someone else in your home will see them. You may also see their eggs, which are the size and shape of kidney beans, or their feces, which look like black pepper.
 
Why are cockroaches a health problem?
Cockroaches are an important health problem because they can smell bad, put germs in our food, and bring sickness such as food poisoning and diarrhea to your family. Some people are also allergic to cockroaches and may get asthma.
 
How do I get rid of cockroaches?
Cockroaches are one of the hardest insects to get rid of. That is why it is important to both clean up and make repairs in your home, and use cockroach poison. You will be less successful if you use only one of these methods.

Keep your kitchen as clean as you can so that cockroaches will not have the food and water they need to live.

  • Do not leave food out overnight. Put food in your refrigerator or in containers with tight lids.

  • Wash your dishes, pans, and utensils as soon as you are done using them.

  • Get all food off your counter tops and clean your counters, sink, and table with soapy water.

  • Do not leave pet food and water out overnight.

  • Put all garbage in closed plastic bags. Empty your garbage can often.

  • If cockroaches live in your toaster, clock, or boxes, you can kill them with cold air. Put the item in a plastic bag, close up the bag, and put the bag in a freezer. In winter, you could set the bag outside. Leave the bag in the cold for 5 days. After that, clean the item well before bringing it back into your home.
 
What else can I do?

  • Fix plumbing leaks and other moisture problems.

  • Take out of your home piles of boxes, newspapers, and other items where cockroaches may hide.

  • Seal any small space (1/8" wide) where cockroaches may live including: spaces where plumbing or electrical wiring goes through walls, and cracks or spaces in walls around outlets, baseboards, and window sills.

  • Remove or repair any loose wallpaper.

  • Vacuum cockroaches. Then remove the bag from the vacuum, place the bag into a plastic garbage bag and seal it, and throw the bag away immediately.

  • When you move, don't take cockroaches with you. Use only boxes that come from places with no cockroaches. Pack during the day. Don't leave packed boxes in your home overnight. Watch for cockroaches in your new home. If you discover any, use cockroach poison right away.
 
What kinds of cockroach poison are there?
Here are a few varieties you can use once you have cleaned up and fixed your home. Caution: Read all label directions carefully before buying insecticides and again before you apply them. Always follow label directions completely.

  • Sprays. These cans are labeled "for ants and roaches," and "for indoor use." Spray the insecticide along baseboards, around appliances, under sinks, and any other cracks and tight spaces where you have seen cockroaches in your home. Do not spray where you prepare or store food, or where young children play, crawl, or sleep, because the spray can make people sick. Also do not spray on your dishes, pans, and utensils.

  • Bait stations, which come in ready-to-use containers.

  • Boric Acid, which you can buy in a dust form and sprinkle in places your family will not disturb, like areas behind and under stoves, refrigerators, and sinks.
 
Where can I get more information?
Call your local county Extension office for more information
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Produced by Communication and Educational Technology Services, University of Minnesota Extension.

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