Confirming what you have
German roaches are half an inch long, light brown, with two dark parallel stripes behind the head. They are nocturnal — flip on the kitchen light at 2am and watch what scatters. Check behind the refrigerator, under the sink, inside cabinet hinges, around the dishwasher, and behind the stove. What you are looking for: the roaches themselves, plus dark speckling (droppings) in cracks and a musty, oily odor in heavy infestations.
Why they are hard to beat
A single egg case holds 30 to 40 nymphs, and a female produces several in her lifetime. They hide in cracks thinner than a dime, they eat almost anything, and they develop resistance to sprays that get overused. The population doubles fast — which is why "a few roaches" becomes "roaches everywhere" in weeks, not months.
Why spraying makes it worse
Repellent sprays scatter German roaches deeper into wall voids and neighboring rooms — including into adjacent apartments through shared walls. You kill the visible ones and hide the rest. This is the single most common way a manageable problem becomes a building-wide one.
What professional treatment does instead
Gel baits placed in the cracks and voids where they live and travel. Roaches share food — through feeding and contact — so bait reaches the harborage, including the nymphs you never see. Combined with sanitation guidance (the food and moisture sustaining them) and follow-up visits to break the breeding cycle. It takes weeks, not days, because it has to outlast the egg cases already laid.
Your part in the plan
Fix leaks under sinks. Store food sealed. Take trash out nightly during treatment. Declutter the under-sink and behind-appliance zones so baits can be placed precisely. The treatment does the killing; sanitation removes the reason to stay.
Seeing them at night? See our roach control service or send the form below — the sooner treatment starts, the shorter it takes.