Getting Rid of German Cockroaches
German Cockroaches are a rapidly reproducing pest that can quickly turn into huge infestations. These cockroaches can make homes nearly uninhabitable and pose a wide array of health & sanitation concerns.
This is a step-by-step guide to solving German Cockroach issues. This tutorial was written by a licensed pest control applicator (that’s me, hi!) and utilizes the same practices used by industry experts.
This tutorial uses the NatureTek Pro Kit as the means of treatment. Although not required to follow this guide, we recommend using NatureTek because it includes everything needed to solve German Cockroach issues, including the specific pest control products required, as well as the tools & safety equipment needed to apply it. To get a custom pest control kit to get rid of your German Cockroaches, click HERE.
Identifying German Cockroaches
The first step is to identify whether you are dealing with German Cockroaches or another species of cockroach. German Cockroaches are rather small in size, and can be recognized by two, dark, parallel stripes going down their backs.
The other factor you can use to identify German Cockroaches is the amount of cockroaches you are seeing. If you’re seeing very large numbers of small cockroaches that seem to be growing in numbers quickly, you are likely dealing with German Cockroaches.
German Cockroaches are one of the hardest pest issues to resolve, so we have a very specific set of recommendations for getting rid of them. If it seems like you are NOT dealing with German Cockroaches, click HERE to resolve other cockroach issues. If they appear to be German Cockroaches, continue below to get rid of them!
1. Get the Right Stuff
To solve German Cockroach issues, we will need to treat very thoroughly and consistently over a short period of time. You will need the right tools to accomplish this.
At NatureTek, we typically recommend Double-Gallon Kits exclusively for larger homes. However, this changes when you are dealing with German Cockroaches. If you are experiencing a German Cockroach infestation, we recommend you order a Double-Gallon Kit (we will explain why later).
2. Prepare to Treat
Make sure you’re wearing a long sleeve shirt, long pants and closed-toe shoes. Use the provided safety gloves whenever handling product. Always follow included product label instructions.
If you ordered a Double-Gallon Kit (which we recommend for German Cockroaches) only mix 1 of the 2 product bottles included for now. Follow the included directions for mixing the product and attaching the electric spray wand.
3. Prepare the Inside for Treatment
We’ll start with the inside of the home.
To prep for treatment, we need to clean very thoroughly across the entire home, and especially in rooms with issues. Make sure there are no food or water sources to attract the cockroaches left out, and no trash or clutter for them to hide in. Clean every surface thoroughly. Once this is done, we can begin the treatment process.
4. Treat the Inside Thoroughly
As mentioned in Step 2, for this first application, we will be using only 1 of the product bottles included in your Double-Gallon Kit.
You need to apply treatment on a mist setting in every single room seeing any cockroach activity whatsoever. We need to be EXTREMELY thorough for this to work. Often the primary rooms that see issues are kitchens, bathrooms, etc. Treat around baseboards & floors, but also on counter tops, shelves, cracks & crevices or other areas if they are seeing cockroach activity (make sure to always give product at least one hour to dry after treating inside before interacting with those areas).
After you’ve treated, focus on keeping areas clean and free of clutter so that cockroach issues don’t continue or return once resolved.
5. Treat the Exterior Foundation
Once you have treated every single inside area thoroughly, finish the treatment by spraying around the outside foundation (2 feet up the wall, 1 foot out). This will help prevent further pest issues from popping up while we deal with the infestation inside.
At this point you should still have another bottle of product you haven’t used from your Double-Gallon Kit. Store that somewhere safe and out of the reach of children for one week and then move on to Step 6.
6. Repeat Steps 2-5 (1 Week Later)
Exactly one week later, you will repeat every step from the first treatment (clean, treat inside, treat outside) using the 2nd bottle of product included in your kit. This is necessary because German Cockroaches reproduce extremely quickly, so we need to treat close together to disrupt their egg cycle.
After the 2nd application, you should see little to no activity remaining. If, however, you continue to see a large amount of activity, 2 more applications will be required. Get a 2nd Double-Gallon Kit and continue the process for 2 more weeks. After 2 more applications, if all of the required steps have been done, any German Cockroach infestation should be resolved.
7. Recommended Products for German Cockroaches
For German Cockroaches, you need pro-grade products that have a strong residual effect. This will allow the product to continue eliminating cockroaches after you’ve finished applying treatment.
NatureTek kits come with products that have these features and are fantastic at solving German Cockroach issues. To get a pest control kit to solve your cockroach issues, click the link below.
