Are you suspecting cockroaches in your house? One thing you need to know is that roaches are nocturnal pests and are very active during the night. They are very tactical, as they will also hide in crevices and cracks which complicate things. 

In summary, the signs of a cockroach infestation are roach droppings, live or dead cockroaches, smear marks, shredded roach skin, strong odor, roach egg capsules, plus furniture and property damage. 

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What is annoying is that they will feed on anything in your home from food, clothes, papers, plastics and anything around then hide only for you to find damages.

Signs of a Cockroach Infestation – 7 Notable Signs

There are different signs that you can use to tell if you have an infestation in your home. This is because roaches are hard to spot during the day and they will only come out when the lights are off.

  • During the day, they hide in crevices and cracks and other dark spots where it’s hard to spot them.
  • With over 4000 species of cockroaches in the world, there is 2 major type of cockroaches found in the USA. These are the American and the German species.

American cockroaches will mostly be found outdoors and in garbage bins, while German cockroaches are mostly found indoors – use chemicals such as Harris. 

1. Dropping

Cockroach droppings are a first and a sure way of telling that the roaches are in the house. When they come out in the night to feed, they will eat anything left in the open and uncovered.

  • They also drop their feces, all over countertops, floors, shelves, and pantry among other areas.
  • In case you do not know the dropping look like, you will see some things that look specks of black pepper or coffee grounds.

The amount of droppings and how scattered is also a better way to tell on the levels of infestation of the roaches in your home.

2. Live or Dead Cockroaches

Once in a while when you are likely to spot roaches roaming around the house as they move into their hiding places. If you turn off the light for a few minutes and then turn it on, you will see the roaches’ running back into their hideouts.

  • In some extreme cases where there is an over-infestation, you will even see the cockroaches during the day as they try to get something to eat.

Also, you may also spot them when they are dead due to many factors. These dead roaches mostly appear where there are dropping or eggs around them.

Related: Controlling Heavy Roach Infestation

3. Smear marks

Cockroaches have a tendency to leave dark smear trails on the walls as they crawl along.

These marks are visible where the area is humid and moist. They are also the marks that roaches make to and fro as they get to the source of their food.

4. Shredded skin

Roaches molt their skin 8-13 times in their life cycle as they transition from one life stage into another.

  • Look out for these skins as a sign of an infestation of roaches into your home.
  • The shredded skin varies in size and shape as they are molted at different stages of a cockroach’s life.

If you see them in your house, it’s a red alert to take action against the roaches in your home.

5. Strong odor

If your house is having a strong odor, chances are that you have a cockroach infestation. This stench increases as the number of roaches in your house increases. The stench could be as a result of the following;

  • Cockroach dropping
  • Dropping pheromone
  • Dead roaches

The odor from the dropping pheromone is even more likely to attract more roaches into the house if you do not take immediate action.

The German cockroaches who like staying indoors are the number one stench producers.

6. Egg capsules

Cockroaches lay eggs in a capsule that is also called oothecae. One ootheca can contain up to 30 eggs.

  • Though different species have different oothecae, the most common in our houses is the German cockroaches that have 18 segments while American roaches don’t have a defined segment.
  • Some roaches carry the oothecae until before it hatches while others will drop it soon after they land into a new environment.

These oothecae are brown in color and translucent in nature and are normally left behind after the eggs hatch into nymphs.

  • These capsules can be seen in hidden places like under the furniture, in cabinets, and in other hidden dark places – you can use cockroach Bomb.

When you spot the capsules, it’s not time to sit down and relax because cockroaches have already settled in your room.

7. Furniture and Property Damage

Cockroaches will feed on anything that they find in the surroundings including, food, fabrics, plastic, and furniture among others.

  • If you make a keen observation within your house and find such damage, the uninvited guests are already in your house.

They destroy food packaging as they look for food for survival. Do not wait any further if you have seen these signs.

What do I do if I see cockroaches in my house?

Cockroaches come to our houses because of many reasons but most importantly to look for food and somewhere to reproduce.

After the notable signs, you should also try to navigate their possible handouts to understand the level of their infestation.

  • If I were you, the best option I would take is to call a pest control expert immediately. The good thing with pest control experts is that they have the necessary experience and expertise to handle any kind of infestation.
  • Secondly, if you are a DIYer, you can get a pest control product from trusted stores and follow the given instructions to eliminate these stubborn roaches. Cockroaches are stubborn and these may not be as effective as hiring an expert.

Thirdly, observing high standards of cleanliness is also a better way of keeping the roaches away.

Cleaning their hideouts, their droppings, eggs, and any other dirt in your house leaves the roaches with nothing to feed or attract them into your house.

Conclusion

Now you know the signs of a cockroach infestation to look for in your house. These are going to help you take immediate action against the control of these harmful bugs.

  • Roaches are harmful and cause a lot of damages to our houses and should not be entertained at all cost.

Though home remedies and general cleanliness keep them off from your house, contacting a pest control expert will be the most ideal for the proper elimination of these roaches.