What Does a Cockroach Nest Look Like?

Learn How to Identify a Cockroach Nest & the Best way to Safely Remove a Nest from Your Home or Business

Few pests are as universally hated as cockroaches. But its reputation is more than well-deserved.

The invasive pest will eat almost anything — including feces. Cockroaches also tend to carry or spread diseases such as dysentery, cholera, and typhoid fever, which can be quite alarming for homeowners and business owners alike.

Additionally, cockroaches can trigger allergic reactions like asthma and dermatitis.  

The pest tends to live, hide, and forage in groups or colonies for survival. A single colony can have hundreds of cockroaches.  

So, if one cockroach is spotted, it usually leads to the discovery of more — quite a lot more.

A truly frightening thought for anyone if a cockroach is spotted scurrying across the floor.

Even more alarming is how efficiently cockroaches can mate and reproduce. The insect can reproduce quickly and in large numbers.

After just a few weeks an immature cockroach can become a mature adult, ready to reproduce. Depending on the cockroach species, a female can produce between six and 14 ootheca egg capsules.

These oothecas can contain upwards of 40 eggs and can take approximately 28 days to hatch.

A single female cockroach can birth approximately 200 offspring within her lifetime.

Depending on the species of cockroach, that lifespan can be anywhere between 100 days to over a year.

With all the trouble cockroaches cause, it’s important for homeowners and business owners to understand what to do in the event that cockroaches have moved in.

This includes learning about where cockroaches gather and hide after foraging — the roach nest.

But knowing how to find and identify a cockroach nest is only part of the battle.

Contacting a knowledgeable pest control specialist to eliminate the problem helps to ensure that the pest is fully eradicated from the property and reduces the risk of reinfestation.

What is a Cockroach Nest?

Normally, pests that live in colonies can be identified by the nest. Bees, for instance, live in honeycombed hives with a clear hierarchy in which the queen reigns over her workers.

But there is no such hierarchy in cockroach colonies. And a cockroach nest isn’t a single, meticulously constructed entity.

Instead, cockroach colonies are groups or hordes that hide together in a shared space after foraging at night.

The pest is not a truly social insect and is therefore without a queen. Instead, the pest is considered to be gregarious and will congregate during times of rest — typically during daylight hours.

So, rather than a structured habitat, a roach nest tends to look like a messy area cluttered with:

• Grown roaches: Adult cockroaches retreat to the nest to avoid daylight and predators.
• Nymphs: Tiny, baby cockroaches which are often light brown or white in color.
• Oothecas: Although just 1/4-inch in length, these brown, pill-shaped egg cases can hold upwards of 40 cockroach eggs.
• Molten exoskeletons: Cockroaches shed their hard shells as they grow. Nymphs will shed multiple times until they reach maturity, littering the nest with their molten remains.
• Droppings: Tiny, oval-shaped specks, cockroach droppings that resemble mouse feces, but can be differentiated by the ridges on the sides.

Cockroaches form groups by producing chemicals called aggregation pheromones as signals to other roaches.

These pheromones emit a musty odor. If a musty smell or tiny pellet-like droppings can be traced throughout a property or home, it may be a sign of a cockroach nest.

The discovery of a single cockroach nest can possibly lead to a substantial infestation.

Where Are Cockroach Nests Typically Found in the Home?

Cockroaches, even ones of a larger size like the American cockroach, can gain access to a structure through the smallest crevices and entryways.

Points of entry can include cracks in the building’s foundation, piping, siding, and drainage systems.

Once the pest has infiltrated a property, it will look for a place to build a nest or habitat. American roaches tend to create roach nests in basements and crawlspaces.

Because cockroaches prefer secluded areas, the nests are established in places that are typically difficult to see or reach. Within a home or building, roach nests are likely to be found:

• Behind or inside kitchen appliances such as refrigerators and dishwashers.
• Throughout cluttered and insulated attics or basements with boilers and water heaters.
• Inside cabinets, especially sink or plumbing cabinets that lead to drainage systems.
• Within pantries, cupboards, drawers, or other places where food is stored.

In the U.S., the two most common species of cockroaches are German and American cockroaches. German cockroaches are smaller, and typically found in kitchens and bathrooms.

Able to produce six generations per year, this cockroach species is small in size but mighty in numbers.

Cockroaches prefer concealed areas that have easy access to food, moisture, water, and heat. So, finding roach nests isn’t an easy task for the untrained eye.

While roach droppings, musty smells, molten cockroach exoskeletons, and broken oothecas can help lead to the nest, it’s best to call a licensed pest control expert who can locate and remove the nest with ease.

Expert help is especially necessary for cockroach infestations, as do-it-yourself methods are often fruitless.

Untrained individuals who use DIY methods almost always fail to completely eradicate this resilient pest from the property — making reinfestation an inevitability.

With the help of a licensed specialist, individuals won’t have to worry about confronting the nest alone and can rest easy knowing it will be properly removed from the premises.

Eliminate a Cockroach Infestation with Catseye Pest Control

Business owners and homeowners have a lot on their plates but handling a cockroach infestation or removing a nest should never be on their task list.

As disease-carriers, cockroaches present a health hazard to everyone in the home, office, or other building.

Moreover, a cockroach colony and its nest are hard to find and remove completely without expert help.

To ensure the safety of yourself and loved ones, contact Catseye Pest Control to take care of a roach nest or infestation.

Catseye’s Cockroach Removal Program successfully eradicates the invasive pests using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) methods.

IPM methods allow our pest control technicians to eliminate an issue in a way that is effective and environmentally friendly — and customized to the unique needs of the property.

These methods can leave you with peace of mind knowing that it is safe for children, pets, and guests.

To keep your home or property cockroach-free and get back to enjoying your space without worry or fear, contact us today.