The best way to stop a German cockroach infestation is to stop it as early as possible, ideally before the cockroaches can lay eggs. But since cockroaches tend to hide in the shadows, finding and eradicating them can be difficult. If you have a serious infestation in your home, then you won't need to look very far to find signs of German cockroaches.
If you have a serious infestation in your home, you will encounter the following unwanted things on a daily basis.
1. Wandering cockroaches
Cockroaches seldom go out into the open during daylight hours. They also avoid artificial light, which is why they scatter when you turn the lights on at night. But when an infestation becomes so large that there isn't enough space for all the cockroaches, this is when you'll begin to see cockroaches wandering during the daytime.
The cockroaches you are seeing during the day are likely looking for new nesting spots in your home.
2. Cockroach egg cases
German cockroaches lay their eggs in sheltered spots where they can hatch in peace. These egg cases are brown and look like little handbags. If you have started to find these in dark corners of cupboards and in drawers, you have an infestation.
3. Cockroach droppings
German cockroach droppings look like black pepper. But you'll usually find cockroach droppings around the places that cockroaches like to congregate at night. This will be around the bottoms of appliances, under boxes, and around your garbage bins. If you find scattered cockroach droppings, then try to clean these areas quickly because cockroach droppings attract other cockroaches.
If you find that cockroaches are infesting a food cupboard, for instance, one way to prevent other cockroaches from also going there is to clean up the feces completely. This will remove the pheromones that attract other cockroaches.
4. Unpleasant smells
German cockroach feces also give off an unpleasant odor, which is similar to the smell of mold or mildew. And cockroaches themselves give off an oily scent. If you have an overpowering oily scent in an area of your home, such as under the kitchen sink, for instance, then you have likely found the nesting site of the cockroaches.
If you have seen these signs in your home, then you need a pest control company to come out for roach control. With the help of a pest control professional, you can eradicate your cockroach problem quickly and efficiently. But if you tackle the problem yourself, you could face weeks or even months of effort just to get the infestation under control.