Cockroaches

What cockroaches look like

Cockroaches are flat, oval insects with long thread-like antennae and six spiny legs. Adults found in Canada range from about 10 mm to 40 mm long, and colour runs from pale yellowish brown through to a deep, almost black brown. Five species turn up in buildings here. The German cockroach is small and light brown with two dark stripes running back from the head, and it is the one most often found in kitchens. The brown-banded cockroach is smaller again, with pale bands across the wings. The Oriental cockroach is dark and glossy and prefers cool damp spaces. The American cockroach is the largest, reddish brown with a pale rim behind the head. Wood cockroaches live outdoors and wander in by accident. Young cockroaches, called nymphs, look like small wingless copies of the adults.

Signs you have cockroaches

• Insects that scatter when the lights go on. Cockroaches feed at night, so a few seconds of movement across a counter or floor when you walk into a dark kitchen is one of the clearest signals.
• Droppings in cupboards and along edges. Small species leave specks that look like ground pepper. Larger species leave dark pellets with blunt ends, usually near food or water.
• Egg cases stuck in corners. These are small brown purse-shaped capsules, often glued behind drawers, under shelves or inside appliance housings.
• Dark smear marks. Where cockroaches travel over damp surfaces they leave irregular brown streaks along baseboards, pipe runs and the backs of cabinets.
• A musty, oily smell. A settled population gives off a sour odour that becomes noticeable in closed cupboards, under sinks and in pantries.
• Shed skins. Nymphs moult several times as they grow, leaving thin pale shells in the places the group shelters.

Seeing one in daylight usually means the hiding places are already full.

Why cockroaches come into Ottawa and Toronto homes and businesses

Cockroaches need warmth, moisture and food, and a heated building supplies all three through an Ontario winter. Kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms and mechanical rooms are the usual targets because they stay warm and damp year round. In apartments, condos and townhouse blocks, cockroaches move between units through shared walls, plumbing chases and garbage chutes, which is why a problem in one suite can appear next door. They are also carried in on grocery boxes, used appliances, second-hand furniture, deliveries and luggage. Restaurants and groceries attract them because of constant food waste and heat from equipment. Once inside, a small number can build quickly, since a warm building lets breeding continue in every season.

Are cockroaches dangerous?

Cockroaches do not bite in any meaningful way, but they are a genuine health concern. They feed in drains and garbage, then walk over dishes, counters and stored food, which can transfer bacteria to surfaces people use. Shed skins, droppings and body fragments break down into household dust and are a well established trigger for asthma and allergy symptoms, and children are usually the most affected. Contaminated food should be thrown out rather than cleaned. Property damage is limited compared with rodents, though cockroaches can foul electronics and appliance motors they shelter inside. The practical risk is contamination and indoor air quality, not injury.

How to keep cockroaches out

• Clean up food residue nightly. Wipe counters and stovetops, sweep under appliances, and do not leave dishes, pet bowls or crumbs out overnight.
• Fix leaks and lower humidity. Repair dripping taps, seal gaps around pipes under sinks, and run a fan or dehumidifier in damp basements and bathrooms.
• Store food in sealed hard containers rather than cardboard or paper packaging, and keep pantry shelves free of spills.
• Use a kitchen bin with a tight lid, empty it every day, and keep exterior bins and garbage rooms clean and closed.
• Inspect what comes in. Break down and remove delivery boxes right away, and check used appliances and furniture before bringing them inside.
• Seal entry routes. Caulk cracks in walls, fit door sweeps, and close gaps around pipe penetrations, wall plates and cabinet backs.

Cockroaches survive on very little, so removing food and water matters as much as sealing gaps.

How GO! Pest Control treats cockroaches

• Inspection. We identify the species and search the harbourage points behind and under appliances, inside cabinets, around plumbing and in wall voids to find where the population is living and how far it has spread.
• Treatment. We apply professional gel baits and targeted residual products in the cracks, voids and travel routes cockroaches use, keeping product away from food preparation surfaces and out of reach of children and pets.
• Removal. We clear out accessible droppings, egg cases and dead insects from the areas we treat so the site is clean and easier to monitor.
• Follow-up. We return to check monitors and bait placements, treat any pockets still active, and keep working the site until activity stops.
• Advice. We show you the sanitation, storage and repair points that matter in your building, and in multi-unit properties we explain what needs to be coordinated between suites.

We are licensed, insured and bonded, and we work in homes, apartments, condos and businesses across the Toronto GTA, Ottawa and Hamilton.

Common questions about cockroaches