Cockroaches · North Arkansas
See one in daylight, there are hundreds.
Roaches hide all day and come out at night. If you're seeing them with the lights on, they've run out of room to hide. The kind matters: a German roach in the kitchen and a wood roach that wandered in from the yard are completely different problems.
- Size
- 1/2 to 2 inches
- Active
- At night, all year
- Where
- Kitchen, bath, crawlspace
- Risk
- Germs, allergies
Signs
How to tell you've got roaches
Check under the sink, behind the fridge and stove, and inside the cabinet hinges with a flashlight.
- Droppings like pepper or coffee groundsTiny black specks in drawers, on cabinet shelves and along the top of door frames.
- Egg casesSmall brown capsules about a quarter inch long, stuck in corners or dropped behind appliances.
- A musty, oily smellHeavy infestations have a smell you notice when you open a cabinet.
- Roaches in the daytimeThe clearest sign there are too many to hide.
Where they hide
Where they hide
German roaches stay where it's warm with food and water close: behind the fridge and stove, under the sink, in the dishwasher and microwave, and inside cabinet hinges.
Big roaches like American and smoky brown roaches live in crawlspaces, drains, mulch and woodpiles, and come inside looking for water.
German roaches spread in grocery bags, cardboard boxes and used appliances. In apartments they move between units through the plumbing.
Know what you've got
Which roach is it?
German cockroach
Light brown, about half an inch, two dark stripes behind the head. The one that takes over kitchens and restaurants. Breeds very fast.
American cockroach
Reddish brown and up to two inches. Some people call it a water bug. Comes up from drains, basements and crawlspaces.
Smoky brown cockroach
Dark, shiny brown, about an inch and a half. Lives in trees, mulch and woodpiles and flies toward porch lights.
Wood cockroach
Common in the woods around here. Males fly to lights in late spring. They don't breed inside, so seeing one isn't an infestation.
Our process
How we treat roaches
Every job starts with a free inspection. Most homes end up on our quarterly plan, which includes free re-treats between visits. See the plans.
Free inspection
We figure out which roach you have and where it's breeding. That decides everything else.
Baits and growth regulators
Gel baits in the cracks where they live, plus a growth regulator that stops young roaches from growing up and breeding.
Crack and crevice treatment
We treat behind appliances, under sinks and in wall voids, not just baseboards.
Follow-up
German roaches usually take more than one visit. Restaurants and rentals often go on monthly service.
Before we get there
What you can do today
- Don't leave dishes or pet food out overnight.
- Fix dripping faucets and leaks under sinks.
- Get cardboard boxes and paper bags out of the house.
- Seal gaps around pipes under sinks.
What not to do
- Don't spray store-bought roach spray before we bait. It makes them scatter and avoid the bait.
- Don't use foggers. They push roaches deeper into walls.
FAQ
Cockroaches questions
Does having roaches mean my house is dirty?
Not always. German roaches hitch a ride in boxes and used appliances into clean homes. Food and water left out does make them much harder to get rid of.
Why do I see big roaches after rain?
Heavy rain floods them out of drains, mulch and crawlspaces. They come inside looking for a dry place.
How long until they're gone?
A light problem can clear up in a couple of weeks. A heavy German roach problem takes several visits. We'll tell you what to expect after the inspection.
Do you treat restaurants?
Yes. Restaurants, hotels and rentals usually go on monthly service. See commercial pest control.
Keep reading
Other pests we treat
Think you've got cockroaches?
We'll come out, find what you've got, and tell you what it takes. No charge, no pressure.