Identifying Cockroach Eggs and Infestations

With our handy guide to identifying cockroach eggs and how to identify them, you’ll know immediately if you have a problem, as well as how to prevent it. 

In this blog, we’ll look at the following:

Why Are There Cockroaches in My House?

This is always the question people ask when they see a cockroach scurry across a floor or countertop. While we often picture a disgusting slum as the setting for roaches, the reality is that they are very resourceful and can find reasons to be even in the tidiest of homes.

Cockroaches are predominantly looking for food, water, and shelter to lay eggs in. If your house is messy or there is uncovered food being stored (including pet food), it can be an invitation for them to feast. This is one of the most controllable elements of cockroach prevention.

Read more: The Homeowner’s Guide to Pest Control in Phoenix

Dampness, moisture, and standing water can also attract cockroaches – especially in the Arizona desert. You should do your best to eliminate these sources, but at some point, a cockroach may be able to find small water sources that you aren’t able to see or normally take care of proactively.

Finally, debris like cardboard or damp spaces in cabinets and furniture can provide a nest to lay eggs. This is where being tidy and proactive comes in as well – keeping cockroaches away is all about consistency in prevention.

What is a Cockroach Infestation?

One cockroach seems like enough to qualify, right? While the single intruding roach can actually be a sign of a home full of cockroaches, seeing a combination of droppings, eggs, and multiple cockroaches is a dead giveaway.

Ultimately, it’s better to move fast to prevent a possible infestation than wait and see if one cockroach is an outlier in your home. Untreated cockroach infestations can damage walls, floors, electrical wiring, and appliances. Additionally, cockroaches carry bacteria that can be harmful to humans – no, thank you!

How to Identify Cockroach Eggs

 You very well might not want to know what a cockroach egg looks like, but it’s important for identifying and preventing any further roach activity within your home. 

When you’re on the lookout for cockroach eggs, consider the following:

  • Cockroach eggs are small tan, brown, or black pill-shaped capsules.
  • They are typically about .25 to .50 inches long.
  • Roach eggs have a ridge along their length where the egg case breaks.
  • Cockroaches lay eggs near food sources just before they are born.
  • Cockroaches do not have queens or well-defined nests. They are group insects that are attracted to resources such as food and water.

Due to the mating cycle and elements that attract roaches to your house, if you are seeing cockroach eggs (either hatched or unhatched), there is a good chance you are already too late to prevent an infestation. At that point, you should contact professional pest control services immediately before your roach problem gets out of hand.

How to Prevent a Cockroach Infestation at Home

Sometimes, cockroaches will find their way into your house because of harsh climates and a need for water – they live in the desert, too, after all. However, in order to keep your home as safe as possible from a cockroach infestation, we recommend the following:

1.   Keep your home clean and tidy: Cleaning your surfaces, avoiding having open food containers, and wiping down any spills are measures of keeping clean. Removing old boxes, newspapers, and woodpiles and limiting areas where cockroaches can nest is a way to be tidy.

2.   Empty all trash cans regularly: Trash cans, recycle bins, and other discarded bins can be invitations for cockroaches into your home if they are not taken out and cleaned regularly.

3.   Seal Entry Points: Cracks around doors, windows, and in your foundation can be easy entryways for roaches. Similarly, utility pipes and crawl spaces are areas that you should clear out regularly.

4.   Store all food in sealed containers: This goes for your food as well as pet food. Any source of nutrients is a green light for roaches to come inside your house.

5.   Get professional cockroach pest control: Having professional pest control treatment for your house can do wonders for your home’s long-term ecosystem. Technicians will be able to check for signs of cockroaches and get rid of elements that might attract them before an infestation occurs.

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