Following cockroach tracks like a professional pest exterminator
Look out for any of these signs:
- Droppings: They look like pepper or coffee grains. Cockroaches also leave dark smears along walls, doors and floors.
- Shed skins: During molting, a cockroach will first separate its exoskeleton from its body and then emerge from it. The exoskeleton will then be left behind, appearing as a shell or cast skin. Sheds of cockroaches look like brown, empty shells of the live cockroach.
- Smell: Cockroaches do not have a distinct smell, but they can emit an unpleasant odor when they are present in large numbers or when they are disturbed. The odor is often described as musty or oily and can be quite strong. Some people have also reported a sickly-sweet smell associated with cockroaches.
- Egg casings: They are small, brown, and oval-shaped. They can be found near their hiding places and are a sign that there are breeding adults nearby.
- Jaw marks: Cockroaches have jaws. They can leave marks on the organic material they feed on like food leftovers, soap, books, wood, or really anything of organic origin.
On a night-time hunt
Get a torch!
To be sure if there are cockroaches in your home or premises it’s best to check at night-time. They are active insects at night and prefer to hide during the day so it’s easier to see them when the place is quiet and dark. They move along walls and furniture and avoid crossing open spaces.
Cockroaches leave their shelters primarily to forage for food and water so your night-time inspection should focus on locations near food or water sources, such as cupboards, pet food dishes, sinks or garbage.