Let’s face it, there could be more from where that came from, and chances are you have an infestation.
So what do you do when you think you have an infestation? The first step would be to call an exterminator. But don’t be too quick; it could be a mild infestation that you can deal with yourself.
The first thing you need to do is find its nest. By doing this, you will know where they hide and breed when the lights go dim.
How to Find a Roach Nest
Turn on the Lights
Roaches love to hide in dark areas of your apartment. They come out of hiding when there is no enough light or when it is dark. If you think you have an infestation, finding where they hide is the first thing you need to do. When you walk into a dark room, please turn on the lights and observe the floor to see the roaches’ direction when they scatter.
Where they run to is, of course, their hiding place and most probably where they nest. You can flip the lights on and off a few more times to get the precise location. Most people, when trying to find cockroach nests fail to check under their furniture. Use the torch on your phone if you don’t have a flashlight to check under tables, chairs, and cabinets to see any signs of cockroaches.
Look Out For Nesting Signs
When looking out for a cockroach nest, be sure you won’t find an organized one like a bird with twigs and grass. Instead, expect a pretty unsettling environment. These creatures are pretty messy, and you are likely to find dead ones too. Their droppings scatter everywhere, with hatched and unhatched egg capsules donning the surroundings.
You will find even more roaches in their nest, both young ones in the nymph stage and adults. Broken wings and dry exoskeletons are also a common sighting not to forget food particles from previous scavenging missions. It not a pleasant sight at all neither is the smell they emanate, which is said to attract even more cockroaches.
Where do Cockroaches Lay Eggs?
You have checked your apartment and found one or two nests but only a few eggs. The next thing you do is terminate the roaches, clean the area, and stay hopeful that you are done with that infestation. After a few days, you notice some tiny roaches moving around the apartment, and suddenly your hopes are dead.
So what happened? Chances are you did not do away with all the eggs, and sooner or later, you will be dealing with another infestation. To prevent such a scenario, you need to know all the possible areas that cockroaches find conducive to lay their eggs. It is the only way you can deal with an infestation once and for all.
Roaches have the weird characteristic of flattening their bodies to fit into tiny places where they hide and lay their eggs until they hatch. Such places include but not limited to the following;
- Furniture joints
- Crevices
- Inside electric appliances
- Inside pipes
- Along cracks in walls
- Inside ceiling boards
- Under furniture and appliances
Once they release the capsule, it attaches to the surface until the eggs are ready to hatch. Some, such as the German roach, can produce up to 40 eggs from one capsule (ootheca) and release two capsules each week for the next ten months.
How to Find a Cockroach in Your Room
Have you ever been sleeping then suddenly, a cockroach drops right on your face? It is the most disturbing thing that can happen when you are sleeping. Because these creatures crawl and scavenge at night, it isn’t easy to spot them during the day. After such an occurrence, you will want to find the roach and kill it on site.
But how do you go about it? The only way to find it is to trace its hideout. They are cunning and know just the perfect hideout, a place you won’t even think about in the first place. Walking into your room and turning the light on and off to see where they scatter is one way to find the bugs. The other way is looking out for signs of its nesting location.
The most effective way is finding the location you think the roaches are likely to be hiding. Check out dark corners in your room, inside cracks and crevices on the wall, not forgetting where you throw your trash. Under the bed and crevices on your furniture could also be a perfect hiding place for the roaches.
Related Reading How to Not Be Scared of Cockroaches
Why Do Cockroaches Come Out at Night?
How to Lure Cockroaches from Hiding
The main thing that scares a cockroach into hiding is a bright light. Once you withdraw the light, the roaches will crawl out of their hiding into the open. But how will you deal with them in the dark? This method is not the most effective because not all of them will come out from hiding. The best and proven way of luring out cockroaches is the use of bait.
What you don’t want is more roaches lurking around your house from one corner to the other. The bait works so that the roaches are attracted, and once they feed on it, they die. It is one of the most effective ways of managing an infestation; however, it may take a while to finish the infestation.
Related Reading How do Roaches Have Babies?
FAQ
How many roaches are usually in a nest?
Is one roach a sign of infestation?
Do cockroaches nest in beds?
Related Reading Do cockroaches nest in beds?
Bottom Line
Finding a cockroach nest is not at all very difficult. The first step is to find the hiding location by walking into the dark and switching the lights on and off to get the direction they run. They are very specific about their surrounding conditions. A humid location with easy access to water and food is vital for their survival.
They lay eggs in cupboards, wall units, inside electric appliances, and even in cracks and crevices. Anywhere that is dark and humid is suitable for the roaches to stick their ootheca or the egg capsule.
It is imperative to note that roaches are toxic creatures that can transfer bacteria to your food, making you sick. Some people are allergic to cockroaches, and it is also said that they trigger asthmatic attacks. Therefore, it would be best to take the necessary precaution at the first sighting of a cockroach.
