How to Recognize and Remove Roaches in Arizona
Keep your home clean and seal off points of entry to help prevent roaches in Arizona.
Written by Patrick Price
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
Cockroaches are creepy, spread disease, and are often difficult to kill. In hot states like Arizona, roach infestations are fairly common. To reduce your home’s risk, keep it clean and always be on the lookout for signs of a cockroach colony.
In order to battle these preternaturally resilient pests, you’ll need to be constantly vigilant and react quickly. The best thing to do is prevent an infestation in the first place by maintaining a clean home. If they do move in, you’ll need to be able to identify them right away.
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Arizona cockroaches 101: How to recognize a roach
Cockroaches are fairly common in Arizona. The Grand Canyon State, as it is known, ranks 12th nationwide for roach population density. There are certainly places with higher rates of roach infestation, but these six-legged terrors are by no means strangers to Arizona.
There are four main types of cockroaches common to Arizona, and you’ll need to be able to identify each one.
American cockroaches
Big, bad, capable of flight, and all too common in Arizona, the American cockroach is the iconic colossal roach that most people are familiar with.
Growing to an astounding 2-3 inches by adulthood, these giants of the insect world are a nasty surprise to find in your kitchen at 2 AM.
Don’t be fooled by your landlord calling them “palmetto bugs:” these critters are most certainly members of the roach family. Recognize them by their size and their reddish-brown color.
German cockroaches
German cockroaches may be small (usually about half an inch long), but they are a big problem. German roaches are perhaps the most destructive species. To make matters worse, they exclusively live indoors.
Stay vigilant and watch for these light-brown roaches with transparent wings. You can easily identify German roaches by the two distinctive dark “racing” stripes that run parallel down their back.
Like most varieties, German roaches like dark and moist locations. Areas where food is stored are especially at risk.
Oriental Cockroaches
Oriental cockroaches are sometimes known as “waterbugs” or “sewer roaches”. They are especially fond of wet and moist areas—even more so than most other roaches.
They are also especially good at squirming into your home. They will sneak in through any crack or opening, but they typically scurry up from the sewers, through pipes, and out drains.
These nasty little roaches are usually about an inch long. You can recognize them by their shiny black(or dark brown) color and their rounded bodies. They also have a distinctive foul and musty odor that is hard to miss.
Brown-Banded Cockroaches
Another small species of roach, Brown-banded cockroaches typically only grow to about half an inch. These roaches are known for their rapid reproduction, light-brown bodies, and the dark brown bands that run across their wings.
MORE: How to get bugs off your car: a handy guide
A guide to cockroach identification
Since roaches are shy, sneaky, and only come out at night, it’s important to be able to recognize them quickly. You’ll usually only have a few seconds to identify them before they scurry away.
To make things easier, here’s a concise guide to the different types of cockroaches in Arizona:
Type of roach | Average length | Color | Can it fly? | Where to spot them |
|---|---|---|---|---|
American cockroaches | 2-3 inches | Reddish-brown | Yes | Basements, drains, crawl spaces, garages, garbage cans |
German cockroaches | 0.5 inches | Light brown | Yes | Kitchens, bathrooms, basements, garages |
Oriental cockroaches | 1 inch | Dark brown or black shiny color | No | Anywhere wet, especially drains |
Brown-banded | 0.5 inches | light-brown bodies with dark brown bands across the wings | Males fly but females do not | Warm and dry places, such as cabinets, pantries, and closets. |
Keep in mind that if you only see one roach, it might be an isolated incident—it doesn’t necessarily mean that there is a colony in your home. So don’t panic just yet.
If you notice them repeatedly, though, you might have an infestation. Be on the lookout for these other signs that you have a roach colony nearby:
- Small black droppings like look like coffee grounds
- Roach eggs that are laid inside a hard sack
- Shed roach skins
- Smear marks around openings to your home
- Musty or foul smell
If you notice any of the above clues, it probably means that you have a cockroach infestation.
How to get rid of roaches in Arizona
Cockroaches are dangerous and difficult to exterminate. Once you know that there is a roach infestation in your home, you’ll need to act quickly and decisively.
The first thing to do is sanitize everything. Roaches carry diseases and if they are in your home, then they have been scurrying over your counters and even in your food.
Wipe down every surface, especially in the kitchen and near food. Move all food (including dog food) into sealed air-tight containers.
Next, stop any more roaches from getting into your home by sealing up all openings, cracks, and gaps. Get rid of anything that might be enticing to them by frequently taking out the trash, washing dishes, and cleaning up any food debris.
Now it’s time to go on the offensive. When it comes to killing these six-legged invaders, you can use natural insecticide, chemical roach killers, or hire a professional exterminator.
Natural cockroach killers
Natural roach killers are slower and less effective than chemical solutions, but they’re the safest approach, especially if you have pets and small children in the house.
There are some fairly decent natural remedies for roaches in Arizona, including:
- Baking soda traps: Baking soda kills roaches. Mix some with sugar for bait, and the pests will come to feast–then die.
- Borax traps: Borak is a common laundry additive that is available at most supermarkets. It is also toxic for roaches. Just like baking soda, mix it with sugar for an all-natural trap.
- Boric acid or Diatomaceous earth: Sprinkle boric acid or diatomaceous earth in high-traffic areas. Roaches who walk through will die.
Unfortunately, these methods only kill roaches one at a time–which is slow going, to say the least. Even worse, you’ll have to gather up the dead cockroach bodies yourself.
Chemical cockroach killers
If natural methods aren’t doing the trick, it may be time for the big guns. While they are toxic, chemical countermeasures can kill roaches in Arizona quickly and effectively.
Here are some of the most common chemical anti-roach weapons:
- Bait stations: Turn a roach into a ticking time bomb with bait stations. A cockroach will eat the slow-acting poison in the station, then stumble back to the colony and die. Roaches even eat their own dead. The rest of the nest will consume the dead body and become poisoned themselves.
- Insecticide gel: Purchase insecticide gel and squirt it into the cracks and gaps in your home. Cockroaches lurking about will be killed.
- Roach spray: Roach spray, as the name suggests, is poison specifically designed to kill cockroaches. Like bait stations, this poison allows roaches time to return to the colony. There it will spread the toxin and kill its fellows.
Chemical insecticides can be very effective. However, they can be harmful to humans, especially small children and pets.
When to call an exterminator
Cockroaches are some of the most resilient creatures ever to evolve. Their ability to simply go on living despite harsh conditions is nearly mythical.
This being the case, it is pretty likely that you won’t be able to fully eradicate the infestation on your own. Most homeowners will need to contact a professional exterminator.
How to keep cockroaches from coming back
Once you’ve eliminated the roaches, you’ll want to make sure they don’t come back. Here’s what you’ll need to do to prevent future roach infestations:
- Reduce moisture: Roaches love moisture. Keep it to a minimum by repairing any leaky pipes and clogged drains. Purchase a dehumidifier to reduce airborne moisture.
- Minimize potential roach food sources: Roaches mainly come around looking for food. Don’t leave anything out for them. Clean up any food messes immediately. Regularly wash dishes and take out the trash.
- Eliminate potential roach entry points: Close up any openings with caulk, weatherstripping, and door sweeps. Install mesh covers over drains and vents
How to save money on home and car insurance in Arizona
Being a homeowner means dealing with lots of bothersome issues, from plumbing back-ups to grease fires to roaches in Arizona.
While pest infestations aren’t covered by insurance, you’ll want to make sure you carry a good homeowners policy to protect yourself against things like fire, theft, and lightning.
Download the free app and Jerry will pull customized quotes from the nation’s top insurance providers and deliver them straight to your phone. Jerry can even help you switch insurance providers and cancel an old policy.
Eradicating cockroaches in Arizona can be expensive and time-consuming. Luckily, finding great insurance coverage doesn’t have to be!
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FAQs
Is it common to have roaches in Arizona?
Roaches are fairly common in Arizona (it’s the twelfth most popular roach state) but not nearly as much as in other states. The heat encourages cockroaches, but the dry air keeps them from becoming too numerous.
What attracts roaches in Arizona?
Cockroaches are attracted to food, filth, garbage, rotting/spoiled food, dirty dishes, standing water, and moisture. The best way to keep them away is by maintaining a clean home from top to bottom.
Is there a roach season in Arizona?
No. The year-round warm weather means that roaches can be found during any season in Arizona.
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