German Cockroach Control: How To Get Rid of German Cockroaches

This page is a general German cockroach control guide. Using the products and methods suggested, you will get control of German cockroaches. Follow this guide and use the recommended products, and we guarantee 100% control over German cockroaches.

If you have woken up in the middle of the night to head to the kitchen and turn the lights on, you may be startled to see an infestation of roaches scurrying on the tile or the counter. These are most likely German cockroaches, the most widespread roach species in the United States. German cockroaches are a particularly frustrating pest to control because they are persistent and multiply at high speed, breeding at a rate of up to six generations per year.

There are many reasons why you might be facing a German cockroach infestation. These roaches could have easily been transported in items brought into the home, like electronics or grocery items, or they could have come from a neighboring house or apartment. Not keeping a regular cleaning schedule can also invite a German cockroach infestation.

Because German cockroaches feed and forage on rotting or decaying organic material, they often come in contact with bacteria that they spread to food serving surfaces and utensils. They have been responsible for spreading salmonella, e. Coli, among others. Their droppings might also create allergic reactions in some people, which is why it's so crucial to address the infestation before it worsens.

If you have German cockroaches infesting your home, the following guide can help. Our DIY experts have put together the best professional-grade roach control program designed to specifically target German cockroaches, and we will explain how to eliminate them quickly and affordably.

Identification

Before proceeding with a treatment plan, you need to ensure you're dealing with German cockroaches and not some other pest. Misidentification can lead to using the wrong treatment methods and products, ending up wasting you wasting time and money. Below, you can find the common traits that set German cockroaches apart.

• German cockroaches are brownish to black in color, except for when they molt.
• German cockroaches are about 1/2 an inch in length.
• German cockroaches have oval-shaped bodies which often appear flattened.
• Many species of German cockroaches have wings, though not all can fly, and roaches move very quickly.
• They have dark parallel lines on their head, the main identifying trait.

Use the image and description above to correctly identify German cockroaches in your home. If you are not absolutely sure, you can contact us, and we will assist you with correct identification.

Inspection

After you confirm that you are dealing with German cockroaches, you need to inspect to locate problem areas where they are infesting or usually found.

Where To Inspect

German roaches are indoor pests that enjoy food and moisture, so focus your inspection on the bathroom, kitchen, and basement areas of your home where moisture accumulates. Ensure to look inside and behind cabinets, shelves, drawers, pantries, under sinks, under and behind appliances and furniture, and close to cracks and crevices.

German cockroaches also love the warmth that radiates from electronics, so check your devices, game consoles, computers, water dispensers, internet routers, power surge protectors, and other such warm-generating items as they gather up in these areas as well.

What To Look For 

You're looking for signs of German cockroach activity. This includes droppings (that look like black pepper), which will be left behind on cabinets, drawers, shelves, appliances, and even under furniture. Search for egg casings (or oothecae) that look like brown grub worms.

Also, keep an eye out for the roaches themselves. German cockroaches are nocturnal, so if you turn on the lights in your kitchen or bathroom late at night and see roaches scatter, you will surely know you have an infestation.

Treatment

Once you have confirmed German cockroach activity, you will apply the treatment here. Remember to read all product labels, follow the application instructions on these labels, and stay safe by wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

The best way to get rid of German cockroaches is to conduct thorough sanitation of your home to eliminate food and water sources and then apply insecticides in the form of bait, adulticides, and Insect Growth Regulators to attack all phases of the German Cockroach life cycle.

Step 1: Sanitize Your Home

Thorough and detailed sanitation is a crucial first step if you hope to eliminate outbreaks of German cockroaches in your home. Even the best control products and sprays on the market will be useless if this step is done haphazardly.

German cockroaches need three things to survive in your home: food, water, and shelter. Eliminating them from the home requires rolling up your sleeves and getting to cleaning. 

Clean your home, especially the kitchen, to ensure no crumbs, grease, or oils are left behind. Regularly take out trash and vacuum. Removing water sources by keeping areas dry and fixing leaks in plumbing, etc.

Seal off holes, cracks, and crevices with caulk to take away areas of harborage for roaches.

Step 2: Bait Placement with Apex Cockroach Bait

Once the food sources have been removed, you can utilize Apex Cockroach Bait by placing the bait strategically around your kitchen and other active areas of your home.

Apex is a slow-kill bait so that the cockroach can have time to return to the nest and spread the lethal bait to others. Apex Cockroach Gel Bait comes in a syringe for simple application.

Apply pea-sized drops of Apex in areas where you found activity. Some prime areas include cracks and crevices and as spot treatments in and around cabinets, shelves, pantries, drawers, near plumbing (under the sink where plumbing penetrates walls), and behind and around appliances that generate heat and moisture, like coffee makers, microwaves, dishwashers, and refrigerators.

You can even place a drop on a business card and slide it under appliances and under furniture that may be hard to reach.

It is best to use tiny drops of the gel bait instead of lines, as roaches will only feed on one end or the other, not the middle. Leaving long lines of the bait will only waste product. You can place varying amounts of the bait depending on the severity of the infestation. Typically, it is recommended to put around three drops every square yard.

Keep in mind that it is best to leave multiple small placements throughout the treatment area rather than one large placement.

Remember, this product is bait; you want the roaches to eat it and bring it back to the nest. Remember not to kill or disturb the roaches eating the bait, and do not use cleaning supplies or clean near the bait, or the product will not work as intended.

Allow 3 to 5 days for the product to take effect. Be sure to monitor your placements and replace them when necessary. Keep the bait placements out of the reach of children and pets and where it will remain undisturbed.

Step 3: Apply D-Fense Dust to Crevices and Voids

D-Fense Dust is a waterproof insecticidal dust in powder form. It is a synthetic pyrethroid that affects the nervous system of cockroaches. D-Fense Dust is great for applying in voids and crevices where roaches hide and are hard to reach.

Using a duster, the dust can be puffed into wall voids, behind electrical outlets, and under appliances like the stove and refrigerator. It has a long-term residual, remaining effective long after application as long as the product doesn't get wet.

Use D-Fense with a pesticide duster for more precision in your application.

Fill the duster with 0.5 lb of product to cover 1,000 sq. ft. Then, it can be applied in crevices, behind appliances, and behind electrical outlets by opening up the faceplates and other areas where roaches may be hiding.

Step 4: Residual Spray with Novacide Aerosol

Finally, treat your home with Novacide Aerosol. This aerosol spray is effective at controlling German cockroaches and their reproductive process.

What makes Novacide best for controlling German cockroaches is that it contains 4 different chemicals. One is an insect growth regulator (IGR), which has a long-lasting residual.

The IGR in the formula is key because Novacide will not only kill any adult roaches that come into contact with the spray but also stop young German roaches from maturing into adults, breaking the pest's lifecycle and stopping the German cockroach's rapid reproduction. 

Apply Novacide to all flooring surfaces. Hold the can upside down about 36" inches above the floor (around knee height) and spray 100 feet in 10 seconds in a sweeping motion.

Start at the back of the house and make your way to the front, applying in bathrooms and kitchens.

If you have a heavy infestation, you may need to reapply Novacide every two weeks until the activity and population are depleted.

Prevention

Once the German Cockroach population has been controlled, you should work to discourage them from returning through preventative measures.

• Regularly inspect your home for roach activity and maintain a regular cleaning routine to ensure the place is properly sanitized and unwelcoming to roaches.   Wipe countertops, mop, and vacuum frequently to remove food crumbs and spills, and leave the sink dry every night. Wash and dry all your dishes rather than letting them pile up and remain unclean overnight. Also, don't forget to empty pet food and water bowls every night. Clean under and around appliances and maintain a spotless home that will not attract roaches.
• You should also seal points of entry and cracks and crevices around your kitchen, bathroom, and other areas of your home to remove Cockroach hiding spots. This is especially crucial if you live in an apartment.
• Finally, apply Novacide every 6 months inside your property to maintain control of roaches.

Key Takeaways

What Are German Cockroaches?

• German cockroaches are a notorious household pest known for developing large infestations through their rapid reproductive process.
• German cockroach adults are brown with distinctive dark stripes on their backs. They regularly lay egg capsules or oothecae, which produce 30 to 40 nymph cockroaches.

How To Get Rid of German Cockroaches From Your Home

• Sanitizing your home is a crucial part of German cockroach control, as you need to limit or eliminate food and water sources that the cockroach is enjoying, which will compete with bait applications.
• Apply Apex Cockroach Gel Bait strategically in high-activity areas. Cockroaches will consume it and take it back to their nesting site.
• Apply D-Fense Dust to treat appliances, voids, and crevices where Cockroaches like to hide.
• Address the reproductive process of cockroaches with applications of Novacide Aerosol which contains an IGR that will make adults sterile and cause eggs and nymphs to not be able to develop into adults.

Preventing German Cockroach Reinfestation

• Remember that sealing cracks and crevices and eliminating conducive conditions like water sources (dry sinks) and food sources (dirty dishes, food crumbs) will go a long way toward preventing German roaches from infesting again. You can apply Novacide Aerosol every 6 months to keep cockroach infestations under control long-term.