Why Do I Have Roaches?

Cockroaches show up because a home offers food, moisture, and warmth, not because the home is dirty. Even well-kept houses get roaches, usually because of one overlooked leak, one unsealed food container, or an entry point from a neighboring unit in an apartment or townhome.

Food Sources Cockroaches Actually Target

Cockroaches feed on crumbs, grease residue, pet food, and even cardboard glue, which is why infested boxes from a grocery store or storage unit are a common way roaches first get introduced to a home. Wipe down counters and stovetops after cooking, store dry goods in sealed containers rather than their original bags, and take pet food up overnight rather than leaving bowls out — the same food-access rule that draws rats and mice indoors.

Moisture Is Often the Real Root Cause, Not Food

Cockroaches can survive far longer without food than without water, which is why moisture control matters even more than food control in most infestations. Leaky pipes under sinks, condensation around water heaters, and damp basements are the conditions that let a small roach population turn into a persistent one. Fixing a slow leak often does more to resolve an infestation than any spray.

Warm, Hidden Spaces Give Roaches Somewhere to Multiply Undisturbed

Roaches prefer tight, dark, warm spaces near their food and water sources: behind refrigerators, under dishwashers, inside wall voids near plumbing, and in the seams of cardboard boxes. In older homes, cracks around baseboards and cabinet gaps provide the same shelter. Sealing these gaps with caulk removes hiding spots even after an active infestation is treated.

Cockroaches Are a Health Issue, Not Just an Unpleasant One

Cockroach droppings, shed skins, and saliva contain allergens that are a well-documented trigger for asthma and allergic reactions, particularly in children. The EPA specifically names cockroaches, alongside rodents and dust mites, as a leading indoor asthma trigger and recommends Integrated Pest Management, which combines sealing entry points, removing food and water access, and targeted treatment, over relying on sprays alone. Spray-only approaches tend to scatter roaches into new hiding spots rather than eliminate the source.

Why DIY Sprays Often Don't Fix the Problem

Over-the-counter aerosol sprays kill roaches on contact but do nothing about the eggs already laid in wall voids or under appliances, and they don't address the moisture or food access that drew roaches in to begin with. That's why the same infestation often returns within a few weeks of a DIY treatment. Bait stations and gel treatments, applied along known roach travel paths, are generally more effective because roaches carry the bait back to the nest. A professional pest control visit identifies exactly where those paths and moisture sources are.