Cockroaches

The cockroach is one of the most common urban pests found in human dwellings all over the world, especially in multi-family housing dwellings. Cockroaches walk everywhere in the house, drop feces, and spoil food. They shed their skins as they grow and also produce unpleasant smells when their numbers become large.

Prolonged exposure and inhaling allergens from their skins and feces can cause allergies and asthma. Children can easily get cockroach-caused allergies and asthma. In Colorado, the most common cockroach species in houses is the German cockroach, which is actually found worldwide. The adult German cockroach is about 1/2 to 5/8 inch long.

Cockroach Life Cycle

Cockroaches have three life stages: egg, nymph, and adult.

The eggs are packed in an egg capsule and carried by the adult cockroach until hatched. Each capsule contains 30-48 eggs.

The nymphs shed their skins 5 to 6 times before they grow into adults.

The adults have wings, which distinguish them from nymphs. It takes from 40 to 125 days for an egg to mature into an adult. Each adult female can produce 4 to 8 egg capsules. The adult cockroach can live up to a year.

How did I get Cockroaches?

Cockroaches can travel from neighboring apartments and rooms to your home through holes and cracks. Cockroaches eat many kinds of materials. They are especially fond of starches, sweets, beer, and meat products. They also feed on leather, bakery products, flakes of dried skin, dead animals, and plant materials.

Cockroaches hide in dark narrow cracks and crevices. They tend to gather in corners (in the back of cabinets or drawers, for example) and generally travel along edges such as baseboards. They are most active during the night.

What do I look for?

The simplest method to monitor cockroaches is to visually inspect cockroach hiding places using a flashlight. Places such as behind the refrigerator, under the sink, crevices in cabinets and shelves, closet door corners, and bathroom cabinets and closets are especially important.

What Can I Do?

You can avoid cockroaches coming into your home through the following three simple steps.

1. Check for cockroaches before bringing home containers (such as paper bags) from the store.
2. Seal holes or crevices around walls or doors. Cockroaches can travel from neighboring apartments and rooms to your home.
3. Clean the floor frequently. Wash dishes promptly after meals. Cover food containers, pet food containers, and garbage containers.

By eliminating their food, water, and hiding places, you can prevent cockroach infestations from occurring.

If you rent a dwelling in the City & County of Denver and you are experiencing a cockroach infestation, notify your property manager immediately. If your property manager does not act, you can call 311 to file a complaint or file a complaint online. Once the complaint is received, one of our trained investigators will respond. Should our investigator substantiate the presence of a cockroach violation, the "responsible party" will be required to ensure that effective pest control treatment takes place.

Keeping cockroaches out of your home is a two way street. Both residents and property mangers have certain responsibilities.