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How To Find A Roach Nest

Roaches like to congregate in harborages called nests. Nests often contain large numbers of roaches (dead or alive), shed skins, egg cases, feces, and a strong odor. In order to control the cockroach population in your home, it is important to be able to locate nests so that you can place baits nearby. Roaches live in areas that are dark, damp, secluded, and close to food. To find aroach nest, grab a flashlight and small mirror so that you can see inside dark, small spaces. Start by examining common spots for harborages in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and crawl spaces. These areas may include:

  • Drawers
  • Cupboards
  • Behind appliances
  • Under sinks
  • Under furniture
  • Around plumbing
  • Near drains
  • In closets
If you are struggling to find where the cockroaches are hiding, another trick is to place roach traps in several areas around your home. Traps are not very effective at controlling cockroaches, but they are great monitoring tools. Traps that collect the most cockroaches are likely closest to harborages. This will give you some idea of where you need to start looking. Another simple trick you can try if you are stumped is to flip on the light in a dark room and watch where the cockroaches scurry. Roaches are nocturnal creatures, so they will flee when the light goes on. Once you find the cockroach nests, place bait nearby so that the roaches will carry it back and kill other roaches who will eat their feces, secretions, and even dead bodies. You can also use insecticidal dusts like diatomaceous earth or boric acid in hard to reach areas. Liquid or aerosol insecticides can also be used, but you do not want to use these too close to baits or you may contaminate them.

For more information on cockroaches, check outCockroaches: The Ultimate Guide. PF Harris has everything for your pest control needs.