Does having roaches mean your house is dirty

You take pride in your home: you wash the dishes, wipe down your kitchen, vacuum and sweep up, and take out the trash before it piles up. So why do you have cockroaches? Well, contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to have a dirty home to have a roach infestation.

If you’re experiencing a cockroach problem in your clean home, these three reasons are most likely why.

1. They’re Searching for Shelter

When not looking for food or water, roaches are searching for some shelter. When you’re as small as a bug, there are a lot more ways into a human home than one might think. Even the smallest gap can be an entry point:

  • The space between the floor and an exterior door
  • The gaps around a window AC unit
  • Vents to the outdoors
  • Holes in your walls made for cables and pipes
  • A tear in a window or door screen

Cockroaches can even sneak into your home while you’re making a few trips back and forth to bring in your groceries. You can minimize the likelihood of a roach infestation (and other types of pest infestations) by performing regular perimeter checks around and throughout your home and sealing up any small gaps.

2. They’re Attracted By Water

Did you know that roaches can live for up to a month without food but only a week without water? No matter how clean your home is, if there’s some excess moisture somewhere, it could very well be an attractive invitation for your neighborhood roaches. This is one of the reasons why you’ll commonly find roaches hanging out in your bathroom and laundry room or around an appliance that produces condensation.

To prevent this issue, make sure to repair leaks around the house, even small ones that don’t seem like they’d make a major impact. If you notice standing water around your yard, improve the drainage in those areas so that the moisture won’t attract roaches and other pests to your property.

3. They’re Foraging

Even if you tidy up your kitchen and dining area after each meal, it still might not be enough to prevent a roach from foraging through your home. Roaches often detect crumbs that have been missed under the refrigerator and microwave and food that hasn’t been adequately sealed in the pantry. They will also eat food that’s left out for pets. Additionally, roaches can digest cellulose, which allows them to eat things like paper, cardboard, and wallpaper.

Roaches in the kitchen (or anywhere in your home) are nothing to take lightly. These bugs can contaminate your food and water and are known to carry Salmonella typhimurium, Entamoeba histolytica, and the poliomyelitis virus. Furthermore, cockroach allergens trigger allergies and aggravate asthma. Research is currently underway to study evidence that early exposure to cockroach allergens can actually cause pre-school-aged children to develop asthma.

Trusted, Sustainable Pest Control Services

At Greenix Pest Control, we want you to feel comfortable and secure in your home so that you can enjoy peace of mind and more time with your family. For help with cockroaches on your property, don’t wait to contact our pest control experts: (888) 800-7181.

  1. Home
  2. Frequently Asked Questions
  3. Do cockroaches mean your house is dirty?

Finding roaches is not a sign that your house is dirty. Even if you clean regularly and maintain a tidy home, cockroaches can usually find food and water without much trouble. This allows them to thrive in many environments.


Why do I have roaches in my clean house?

Some factors that can attract cockroaches to clean houses include: Moisture. Leaking sinks and appliances create conditions in which roaches thrive, since they offer a readily available source of water as well as the warm, sheltered spaces that provide the ideal harborage for cockroach nests. Untidy landscaping.

Can you get roaches even if your house is clean?

Did you know that roaches can live for up to a month without food but only a week without water? No matter how clean your home is, if there's some excess moisture somewhere, it could very well be an attractive invitation for your neighborhood roaches.


Do cockroaches like dirty rooms?

Unkempt Room

Leaving your bedroom unkempt is often what attracts cockroaches and other bugs. The clutter in your room provides ample space for cockroaches to hide and lay their eggs. You may even find egg sacks (ootheca) in your wardrobe or corners of the closet.

What smells keep roaches away?

Cockroaches have an incredible sense of smell that they use to find food. You can take advantage of this fact by using scents they dislike such as thyme, citrus, basil, mint, and citronella to repel them from your home.


Scientists Explain Why You Can't Get Rid of Cockroaches

Will sleeping with the light on keep cockroaches away?

Cockroaches are nocturnal and seek to avoid light. However, that's not because light harms them. It's because cockroaches understand that they can't hide or evade predators in open sight. Leaving a night light or lamp on throughout the night won't drive them away.

Do roaches ever go away?

It is possible to completely get rid of roaches in your home with the right type of treatment but they will not stay away forever. Once you eradicate the current infestation you need to stay proactive about keeping them away.

Do most houses have cockroaches?

According to AAFA, 63 percent of homes in the U.S. contain cockroaches and their particles, including saliva, droppings and decomposing body parts. NPMA also found that nearly 30 percent of American homeowners have had a rodent problem in their home.

Is 2 roaches an infestation?

Number Of Roaches In An Infestation. You might be seeing two to ten cockroaches in a day. But if it exceeds ten, you should start worrying. This may be an indication that you're not only having a cockroach problem but an infestation.


How do I get rid of roaches permanently?

Here are some of the fastest ways to get rid of roaches:

  1. Use Glue Traps to Identify Problem Areas. Glue traps are an effective way to identify roach problem areas and resolve infestations. ...
  2. Set Bait Stations. ...
  3. Caulk all Entry Points. ...
  4. Use a Liquid Concentrate. ...
  5. Hire a Pest Management Professional.

Do all houses have roaches?

This is one of the most common questions of homeowners. To tell you the truth, even the White House probably has roaches. It must be the most secure place in the United States but they also experience pest infestations.

Is there ever just one cockroach?

Roaches rarely hang out alone, so a single cockroach is almost always a sign of a larger infestation. This is especially true if you spot one during the day, as cockroaches are nocturnal creatures and will only venture out during daylight if they are being crowded out of their usual hiding places.

How do I know roaches are gone?

Seeing roach feces or droppings.

Seeing an unusual number of droppings in a specific area will also help you track where the roach shelters are. Best to cut off any water or food source near this location so prevent further infestation.


How many sprays does it take to get rid of roaches?

Create a soapy water solution that you can spray with a bottle. It will only take about 2 – 3 sprays to kill any roaches, as the soapy solution will cover their breathing pores and suffocate them.

Why do I all of a sudden have roaches?

The Presence Of Food

Available food is the single most powerful reason cockroaches enter our homes. These insects aren't picky eaters—almost anything left out on your kitchen counters is fair game to them, and they'll be drawn to it.

Should I worry if I see one cockroach?

You See a Roach.

Unfortunately, cockroaches are not loners. If you see one, there are likely many more that you can't see. Cockroaches are nocturnal creatures, so you'll most likely spot them late at night, especially if you walk into your kitchen and turn on the light.

What to do if you see a roach?

What does that mean? Finding a dead roach means the same thing as finding a living one: it's time to inspect for evidence of more cockroaches and, if there are more, determine the extent of the problem. Then, you'll know if you should set baits and spray pesticides or call a professional pest control service.


What country doesn't have roaches?

A: Supposed Myth: Roaches are everywhere. The Facts: That's a myth, but just barely. There are species of roaches on every continent except one. Roaches are adaptable and find ways to survive in most environments, just not in Antarctica.

How fast do roaches multiply?

American Cockroaches

At their peak, females can produce two egg cases a week, each containing up to 16 eggs, but after that, their reproductive capacity declines to about one case a month. The eggs incubate for six to eight weeks. In her lifetime, one female produces an average of 150 young.

Will roaches leave if there is no water?

Cockroaches are able to go for so long without sustenance because they are cold-blooded insects. However, they can only survive for one week without water, which is why they are commonly found in humid or high-moisture areas around the home, such as basements and bathrooms.

How often should exterminator come for roaches?

For apartments and homes, we recommend regular pest control treatments on a quarterly basis, or even bi-monthly, in order to effectively prevent common pests or when you move into a new home or apartment. For more serious infestations, monthly treatments over the course of 3 to 6 months are advisable.


What happens if a roach bites you?

They have been recorded to eat human flesh of both the living and the dead, although they are more likely to take a bite of fingernails, eyelashes, feet and hands. The bites may cause irritation, lesions and swelling. Some have suffered from minor wound infections.

How do you find a roach nest?

Finding a cockroach nest means finding several (or several dozen) cockroaches and, probably, a few dead ones. You'll also see plenty of roach droppings and old egg cases lying around. Cockroach droppings are tiny and look like coffee grounds or black pepper. Droppings start to collect in areas with high activity.

How do you draw a cockroach out of hiding?

You can lure cockroaches out of hiding with sticky traps, bait, or DIY lures. Commercial bait traps are made of high-grade poison that has a tempting aroma. This lures out roaches that eat the bait, bring traces back to their colony, and then die.

Does 1 roach mean infestation?

While the presence of one cockroach in your home can be enough to send you into a panic, one roach doesn't necessarily mean you have a full blown infestation. Roaches are social pests, however, and reproduce quickly.


What causes roaches in a clean house?

Some factors that can attract cockroaches to clean houses include: Moisture. Leaking sinks and appliances create conditions in which roaches thrive, since they offer a readily available source of water as well as the warm, sheltered spaces that provide the ideal harborage for cockroach nests. Untidy landscaping.

Do roaches like dirty houses?

Since cockroaches love dark tight areas inside structures, homes with lots of clutter provide the ideal hiding spots for cockroaches and tend to attract them to a space. Therefore, while not all homes with cockroaches are dirty, clean homes typically have fewer things that attract cockroaches in the first place.

Can you get roaches even if your house is clean?

No matter how clean your home is, if there's some excess moisture somewhere, it could very well be an attractive invitation for your neighborhood roaches. This is one of the reasons why you'll commonly find roaches hanging out in your bathroom and laundry room or around an appliance that produces condensation.