Cockroaches produce a large number of feces. They can poop anywhere they go, but their droppings tend to remain close to their nesting or feeding areas. Roach droppings look like specks of pepper, coffee grounds, or dark grains of rice.
Cockroaches literally defecate everywhere they go. They don't have a specific bathroom area like humans do, though there are places where defecation is more likely to happen. They frequently defecate near their food sources and nesting or congregation areas.
Cockroach Droppings Appearance
Cockroach feces are easy to identify. Droppings from small cockroaches resemble ground coffee or black pepper. Larger roaches leave behind dark, cylindrical droppings with blunt ends and ridges down the side.
If you notice any cockroach droppings, the best thing that you can do is clean them up right away with a disinfectant cleaner or soap and water solution. Not only will this help prevent infestations, but it will also keep the area smelling fresh.
Droppings From Small Cockroaches
The droppings can look like coarse ground coffee or grains of coarse black pepper, while the stains can be inky, smeared, or raised.
Roach poop is also extremely regular, like a grain of rice (though it's about half the size of a grain of rice). It's usually dark brown, and seed-like in appearance. From a distance, it may look like specks of dirt, or even like mouse poop.
Is it mouse poop or cockroach poop? Sometimes cockroach droppings are mistaken for mouse droppings, they do have many visual similarities. But while large roach droppings are brown or black, depending on the species, and cylindrical, like mouse poop, these droppings also contain ridges throughout the fecal matter.
While the presence of one cockroach in your home can be enough to send you into a panic, one roach doesn't necessarily mean you have a full blown infestation. Roaches are social pests, however, and reproduce quickly.
Raid Ant & Roach Killer Insecticide Spray was found to be one of the most effective at killing cockroaches. A can is helpful for the times when you spot a roach in your home and you don't want to get too close. A roach spray should kill the bug almost instantly.
For large species, such as the American or Oriental roach, their waste will be like rice grains. They're shaped like solid crystals or cylinders. The ends will be rounded, with ridges along the sides. These droppings are often confused with rat or mice droppings.
Cockroaches are nocturnal insects that survive on garbage, waste, and leaky pipes and septic systems. They leave oily droppings wherever they go, leaving bacteria, odors, and stains behind. Their scent trails attract other cockroach populations in the process.
Cockroaches prefer to shelter in narrow cracks and crevices. Check behind refrigerators, under sinks, and in dark drawers or cabinets. They forage for food at night, eating a wide variety of foods and non-food materials.
Cockroaches have many negative consequences for human health because certain proteins (called allergens) found in cockroach feces, saliva and body parts can cause allergic reactions or trigger asthma symptoms, especially in children.
Cockroach infested areas have a very particular scent caused by the pheromones left behind in their droppings. This musty smell can attract other cockroaches and the bigger the infestation, the worse the smell. It is a damp, unpleasant odor that can sink into just about any surface.
The most common places for a roach nest in the house are in kitchens or bathrooms, particularly behind refrigerators, in cracks and crevices, and under furniture. Roaches prefer a warm, humid environment, so these places should be considered first, especially if they are close to a food source and water supply.
Moisture. Roaches need moisture to survive and this search for water will bring them into even the cleanest of homes. Leaky pipes and faucets are one of the most common attractants for cockroaches and is one of the main reasons you often see them in bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.
You should call cockroach control near you if: You see multiple cockroaches—One roach isn't necessarily evidence of an infestation, but two or more is much stronger evidence of an infestation.
Check your mattress
Again, it's uncommon for roaches to be found on mattresses, but it's not uncommon for them to hide in your bed frame and bedside furniture. When you remove your mattress and dismantle your bed to move, check for signs of cockroaches and remove or sanitize items as necessary.
Cockroaches are crafty enough to crawl in and out through drains and pipes; this is especially a problem in apartment buildings, where drain pipes are used as highways between apartments.
Cockroaches enter bathrooms by crawling up through drains, finding gaps in baseboards, squeezing through leaky pipes, sliding under doors, and through small holes in walls or ceilings. Sometimes, cockroaches enter through other parts of the house and travel to the bathroom, attracted by the water and humidity.
Peppermint oil, cedarwood oil, and cypress oil are essential oils that effectively keep cockroaches at bay. Additionally, these insects hate the smell of crushed bay leaves and steer clear of coffee grounds. If you want to try a natural way to kill them, combine powdered sugar and boric acid.