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It's a nightmare for any homeowner. You take pride in your nice, clean house and then one day, you head down into the kitchen in the middle of the night, turn on the lights, and see tiny brown-colored bugs scurry away from the light.
You realize you have cockroaches and the revulsion sets in. But how did they get in?
The fact is, cockroaches are common and can get inside very easily. The roaches inside your home might have already been there before you even moved in. They are very sneaky, and quite good at hiding. Finding them in your kitchen, basement, bathroom or under your sink is not a reflection of your house-cleaning abilities at all. Cockroaches are very hearty insects – surprisingly resourceful and opportunistic.
They may find their way in no matter how hard you try. Roaches are also nocturnal, so unless you spend a lot of time up and about during late night hours, it is entirely possible you may not notice them until you just happen to catch one or two scurrying around on the floor one night.
How do cockroaches get into the house? Where do they hide? Ehrlich Pest Control specialists know the answer to these questions and can help you get rid of cockroaches already inside and prevent them from returning.
Cockroaches have wings, but are terrible fliers. That means the cockroaches inside your home probably got there through means other than flying through an open window. In fact, it's possible you carried them in yourself.
Some species are known to hide in cardboard boxes as they are active in warehouses. Occasionally, they’ll sneak inside boxes shipped out to homes like yours and can end up inside, so make sure to inspect boxes when they arrive on your doorstep.
Cockroaches can get in through the pipes, too. In apartment buildings, a cockroach infestation in one apartment can quickly spread to others. The plumbing system connects the apartments, allowing roaches to scurry from one to the next. Roaches are also known to get inside from sewer drains in basements or other areas.
Cockroaches can also get inside a home through small openings. Is there a space under the door in the garage? The front or back door? Are there cracks in your foundation or siding? Is there a space where utilities like pipes or electrical wires come through the wall and leave areas exposed to the outside? Any of those spaces are enough for a roach to get inside the home, inside the walls, and then to start breeding.
Cockroaches are some of the most unwelcome home invaders, and they’re incredibly skilled at sneaking indoors. These resilient pests can enter through tiny cracks, hide in cardboard boxes or grocery bags, and even travel through shared pipes in apartment buildings.
Once inside, they find dark, damp spots — like under sinks or behind appliances — to set up camp. Cockroaches are more than just unsettling to see; they can also carry bacteria and allergens, impacting your family’s health.
Understanding where cockroaches come from and how they enter is key to keeping them out. Ehrlich can help identify entry points, eliminate cockroaches already inside, and prevent future infestations.
Once roaches get inside, they are hard to find. This is how they survive and reproduce so fast. Remember, these are relatively small, flat insects, so cockroaches can hide just about anywhere. They want easy access to food and a place that's hidden so they don't get caught or removed.
Once inside, roaches can hide in the walls. They will hide beneath sinks and in spaces out of sight and out of reach. They lurk in basements, boiler rooms, attics, pantries and kitchen cabinets, specifically in dark or damp spaces.
Cockroaches can find their way into businesses just as easily as they can into homes, often bringing disruption and health risks. They typically enter through delivery shipments, cracks around windows and doors, gaps in plumbing, and even hitchhiking on employee or customer belongings. Restaurants, warehouses, and office buildings with heavy foot traffic or frequent deliveries are particularly vulnerable.
Once inside, cockroaches can quickly multiply, hiding in kitchens, storerooms, and other hard-to-reach spaces. Fortunately, proactive pest control measures can keep these invaders at bay, ensuring a clean, safe environment for your employees and customers.
Cockroaches aren’t the only unwelcome guests businesses have to worry about, but they’re among the most persistent and disruptive.
Known for contaminating food supplies, compromising sanitation, and damaging property, cockroaches can quickly tarnish a business’s reputation if not addressed promptly.
Businesses in the food, hospitality, and healthcare sectors are especially at risk, as these industries demand strict health and cleanliness standards that roaches can jeopardize.
You don't have to worry about where cockroaches came from when you have the cockroach control team at Ehrlich Pest Control on your side. Our trained specialists know how to spot what type of cockroach is in your home, how they got in, where they are hiding and how to get rid of them. Plus, they offer advice and solution to stop cockroaches from coming back.
For your free property inspection and to discuss cockroach removal and prevention options, contact your local Ehrlich office today.
Cockroaches come into your house in search of food, water, and shelter. They can gain entry through any tiny opening or are brought in accidentally via cardboard boxes or grocery bags.
Cockroaches appear when they find a new food source or shelter. Changes in their outdoor environment, like seasonal shifts or construction, may drive them indoors. Often, a few roaches might have already been present but become noticeable as they seek food or water in more open spaces.
They can get into properties through small openings in doors, unsealed windows, or cracks in walls. They may also be brought in via packages, cardboard boxes, or grocery bags. Cockroaches are highly skilled at hiding and can find ways into the house unnoticed, especially if there’s access to food and water.
Even clean homes can attract cockroaches if they offer sources of water, warmth, and small crevices to hide in. Cockroaches are opportunistic and can enter through grocery bags, packages, or tiny gaps in windows or doors. Their presence doesn’t necessarily reflect poor cleanliness.
Take note of where you found it and solicit the help of an expert as soon as possible. Cockroaches reproduce quickly, so it is important to get the situation controlled at the first sight of one.
Because they have easy access to food and water. Roaches often hide under appliances, inside cabinets, or near leaky pipes. Food crumbs, spills, and warmth from appliances make kitchens an ideal environment for cockroaches, even in clean spaces.
Bathrooms attract cockroaches because of the moisture from pipes, sinks, and drains. Roaches can enter through openings around plumbing or cracks in walls, drawn by humid areas and the hidden spaces they find behind fixtures and inside cabinets.