Cockroach control in Michigan

The German cockroach is the one that causes real infestations in Michigan. It cannot survive our winters outdoors, so it lives entirely inside heated buildings. It comes in on grocery bags, cardboard boxes, used appliances and furniture, and it travels between apartments through plumbing chases and wall voids. A single egg case can hold dozens of young, so numbers climb fast.

American and oriental cockroaches are larger and usually show up in basements, floor drains and sewer-connected areas of older buildings, especially in older city neighborhoods. Oriental roaches are shiny and nearly black and like damp, cool spots. Seeing one now and then near a drain is a different situation from a German roach infestation in your kitchen.

In northern Michigan and other wooded areas, people sometimes find wood cockroaches indoors in late spring and early summer. They are attracted to porch lights, wander in from the woods and around cottages, and do not set up house indoors. They are a nuisance, not an infestation, and usually disappear on their own once mating season passes.

Many people try a spray or a bug bomb first. Foggers do not reach roaches hiding deep in cracks and behind appliances, and they leave residue on every surface in the room. They can also be a fire hazard near pilot lights and stoves. Repellent sprays can scatter roaches into new areas, which makes the problem harder to treat.

What works is slow and steady: gel baits placed in small dots where roaches hide, insect growth regulators that stop young roaches from maturing, and good sanitation so the bait is the most attractive food around. Expect a few weeks of steady decline and at least one follow-up visit. Rotating bait products helps when roaches stop eating one kind.

In apartment buildings, roaches move between units along pipes and shared walls. Treating one unit while the neighbors stay infested usually brings them right back within weeks. Building-wide treatment, with every unit inspected and treated on the same schedule, gives much better results and costs less in the long run.

If you rent, tell your landlord or manager in writing. Keep counters clear, store food in sealed containers, fix leaky faucets, and take out trash every night. Roaches need water as much as food, so drying out the space under sinks helps more than most people expect. Keep pet food bowls picked up overnight too.