German Cockroaches

Blattella germanica

The roach that lives indoors, breeds fastest, and causes most commercial kitchen infestations.

When they're worstAll year in heated buildings. Worst in kitchens in winter.

Where they thriveWarm, humid spots near food: behind fridges, dishwashers, motor housings, cook lines and cardboard.

Where they come from

Not German. A 2024 genetic study traced them to the Bay of Bengal. In Russia they are called 'Prussians.'

Warm, humid spots near food: behind fridges, dishwashers, motor housings, cook lines and cardboard.

Almost never live outdoors. Each egg case holds 30 to 40 eggs, so a few roaches become thousands in months.

The roach of NYC kitchens and restaurants. They hitch rides in deliveries, boxes and used appliances.

How we get rid of them

Monitors to pinpoint harborage, rotating gel baits, growth regulators, crack and crevice work. No repellent sprays.

Some populations evolved to taste sugar as bitter and avoid sweet baits. Bait rotation matters.

The big reddish roach New Yorkers call a palmetto bug, coming up from drains and basements on hot nights.

What New Yorkers call a waterbug is almost always the Oriental cockroach, a dark roach that loves damp basements.

Tiny flies that ride in on produce and turn bar drains, mats and recycling into breeding grounds.

Book a free inspection. We'll find where they're coming from and send you a written plan.