How do roaches get into homes?

Roaches can get into the cleanest of living spaces because in most situations, we unknowingly bring them home. One may have burrowed into a paper grocery bag or jumped into your briefcase at work. Or you could have toted roach eggs into your new homestead without knowing it. Since the critters have nocturnal habits, you may not realize that you've made some six-legged friends before they've added an extra set of branches to the family tree.

If roaches are house hunting, they can check out your place by crawling through tiny gaps around doors, pipes and other open spaces. Some adults can grow fairly large, but can shimmy through slits as thin as one-sixteenth of an inch (0.15 centimeters). Contrary to popular belief, they aren't simply attracted to messy households, although that will extend their stay. Instead, common roaches that invade homes seek out warmth, moisture and darkness. Pizza left sitting out on the counter is just an added bonus.

Four roach species in particular in the North America:

Four roach species in particular inhabit homes in the North America, and knowing which one is in yours, can help you plan your attack method.
  1. German cockroach: Proliferate quickly and usually nest around the kitchen and bathroom.
  2. Brownbanded cockroach: Thrive in hotter, drier regions and will nest in areas eye-level or higher inside.
  3. Oriental cockroach: Drawn to humid areas, sometimes referred to as water bugs.
  4. American cockroach: Also known as the "palmetto bug," they like hot, humid conditions.
Control:

Use cockroach bait. Cockroach bait is either housed in a childproof case or applied as a gel and contains a slow-working poison mixed in with an attractive (for cockroaches) food. The roaches eat the poison and bring it back to the nest, where it eventually kills all the roaches. Place the bait in an area where you know cockroaches will encounter it.