Do roaches die in the winter?

During the winter season, most businesses are busy rodent-proofing their properties to ensure mice and rats don’t sneak indoors and scare customers away. But what about pests like flies, bed bugs and cockroaches? Are they pests you need to still be concerned about during the cold weather months? In this blog, we continue our #WinterPestSeries asking our Rentokil pest experts about what cockroaches are up to this season.

1. Which regions in the U.S. have cockroach issues year-round?

In the southern region of the United States, American cockroaches are found year-round on structure exteriors. In the northern part of the country, American cockroach populations are more limited due to winter’s low temperatures but sometimes still hang out in warmer spots like in steam tunnels and sewers. Since German cockroaches tend to inhabit interior environments, they don’t have a seasonal preference. All regions of the country continue to face issues from January through December.

2. Where do cockroaches go in the winter?

Indoors, American cockroaches will remain near the conditions that favor their abundance. Outdoors in southern climates, they will either enter a hibernation-like state of dormancy called diapause when temperatures are low and non-lethal. While in this inactive state, their metabolic rate slows down and growth halts, leading to decreased activity. During this time, they may also head into buildings seeking warmth. German cockroaches will thrive indoors in tropical-like conditions near food and water sources and will remain in these areas regardless of the season.

3. Which businesses have the most cases of cockroach infestations?

On the exterior, any business that has excess mulch and dense vegetation that covers borders or is near the foundation of the structure is vulnerable to American cockroaches. Inside, businesses that have old connective sewer systems and steam tunnels are also vulnerable to cockroach infestation. These include buildings in the downtown areas of major cities. Businesses such as office buildings, schools, restaurants, hospitals, and food manufacturing are all at an increased risk for cockroaches. 

German cockroaches need a constant supply of food, water and shelter, which can be found in almost every commercial setting. The most popular areas would most likely be multi-unit housing, restaurants, and commercial kitchens.

4. Where are some of the main places cockroaches hide in commercial facilities? 

As previously mentioned, American cockroaches can be found outdoors in vegetation and mulch. On the interior, they can be found in steam tunnels and sewer systems. They can also be found in boiler rooms, near broken pipes (sometimes hidden) and they may come up through dry drains such as floor drains and toilets.

German cockroaches typically find harborage in cracks and crevices near water, food and heat. Typical locations include but are not limited to the brackets under the kitchen sink, pipe chases, metal sleeves above table legs, motor units, outlet boxes, the drip pan under refrigerators and cracks and crevices along kitchen cabinets and baseboards.

5. Can cockroaches infest commercial vehicles?

Cockroaches are great hitchhikers and may specifically hitch a ride on cardboard boxes that contain food. Consequently, food trailers are at an increased risk of infestation. A trailer in disrepair is at even greater risk, as German cockroaches could potentially hide in its cracks and crevices.

6. What can businesses do now to protect their business from cockroaches entering their facility?

The following are a few steps commercial businesses can take to prevent American and German cockroaches on the interior and exterior of their property. 

American cockroaches:

• Exterior 

  • Remove any mulch or dense vegetation that is directly adjacent to the building’s foundation

  • Ensure water is properly draining away from the building

  • Remove any debris, leaves or wet organic matter from the roof

  • Seal cracks and crevices 

• Interior

  • Repair all pipes and drain breaks

  • Ensure there is water in the floor drains

  • Repair and leaks and remove wet, organic matter

  • Screen floor drains

  • Repair any indoor cracks and crevices 

German cockroaches:

• Repair any leaks and remove wet, organic matter

• Repair any cracks and crevices on the interior 

• Replace cardboard storage containers with plastic containers

• Inspect any incoming food products as well as shipment trailers if and when feasible

7. Why is it important to allow professional pest technicians to handle a cockroach infestation?

Your pest management professional has the proper training and experience to:

1. Identify what type of cockroach infestation is occurring 

2. Perform a proper inspection based on the habits of the identified cockroach species

3. Provide monitoring tools to collect the proper data, determine areas of infestation and evaluate the effectiveness of the program

4. Provide a multi-faceted approach to help eliminate the infestation and prevent future infestations which includes:

   • Structural corrections

   • Sanitation

   • Vacuuming

   • Insect growth regulators

   • Insecticide baits, dusts, and liquids

If you have any additional questions about cockroaches in the winter, don’t hesitate to contact us online to learn more about our cockroach solutions for commercial businesses.