Cockroaches are a difficult infestation to treat on your own. They have survived millions of years through multiple extinction events and have not changed very much since. They are a rampant infestation that can take over a house in short order. The average cockroach has a life span of 6 to 15 months depending on the species and the general temperature as well as access to water. Larger cockroaches like the American and the Brown-banded cockroach can live longer but also produce fewer eggs per birth. They can have from five to eight eggs in a single egg sack, called an Ootheca and will produce hundreds of eggs over their life span. This is the same for the Oriental cockroach but not the case for the German cockroach. The German cockroach has a shorter life span but can produce up to sixty eggs in a single egg sack because of how small they are. They can cause a severe infestation producing thousands of new nymphs in their lifespan. This makes this particular species much more difficult to treat, especially when using domestic treatments. That being said, all cockroaches from the native American and Brown Banded to the interlopers who are not native to this country like the Oriental and German cockroaches are all difficult to treat. The key to treating them effectively using domestic methods is to catch the infestation at the start. For this, you will want to inspect your home regularly for signs of activity. Seeing one cockroach in your home is telling and should cause you to immediately treat what could already be a large infestation. Waiting to see more will only slow down the process of treating them and will require a commercial treatment with a vacancy.
The best option is insecticide dust and gell bait in areas of high activity. If they are in the kitchen you will want to coat the bottoms of cupboards and counters with it and place the bait behind large appliances like ovens and fridges. You can put more of the dust in the corners of the kitchen and also in the bathroom. Don’t wait to see cockroaches in specific areas, they are likely already accessing the bathroom and the kitchen as they need both food and water. Make sure to clean up any spills and put as much food as you can into the fridge where it will be harder for them to access. Glass containers to store food in the cupboards are more effective and make sure they have tight-fitting lids. Take the garbage out daily and make sure it doesn’t sit overnight. Clean your dishes and don’t leave food out. This will help with the treatment going faster as the cockroaches will have to eat the bait instead of your food. One important thing to do is to make sure your sinks are dry and don’t have water pooling. If the drains need cleaning make sure to get some drain cleaner and dry the sink off after you use it. This can help stop the cockroaches from accessing water.