Why You're Seeing Cockroaches in the Kitchen This Winter
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By John Stopka, Co-Founder & CEO · Reviewed by John Stopka
A lot of folks figure roaches are a summer thing. It's hot, it's sticky, bugs are everywhere, so that's when you'd expect them. Then December rolls around, somebody in Paducah flips on the kitchen light for a glass of water at midnight, and three of them scatter under the toaster. It catches people off guard every year.
Here's the thing. Cold weather doesn't slow roaches down inside your house. If anything, it makes the ones you have easier to notice. Let's talk about why that happens, which roach you're probably looking at, and what you can do about it this week.
Why winter brings them out
The furnace kicks on, the windows stay shut, and the house turns into one big warm, still box. Roaches love that. The warm spots behind the fridge, under the dishwasher and inside the wall behind the stove get even warmer, and that's exactly where they live.
We also spend more time in the kitchen once it gets cold. More cooking, more baking, more crumbs, more dishes sitting in the sink overnight during the holidays. More food sitting out means more reasons for them to come out of hiding.
And then there's the stuff we bring in. Grocery bags, cardboard boxes from online orders, a box of decorations out of a relative's basement, a used appliance off Marketplace. Plenty of roach problems in Bowling Green and Hopkinsville start with something that got carried right through the front door.
Which roach is it?
Around western and south central Kentucky, the winter kitchen roach is almost always the German cockroach. It's small, about half an inch, light brown, with two dark stripes running down the area right behind its head. They stay indoors full time, they hide in tight cracks close to food and water, and they breed fast.
The big reddish ones, American cockroaches, and the shiny dark Oriental cockroaches are a different story. They usually live in crawlspaces, basements, drains and outdoors, and they wander in from there. Seeing one of those in a Murray basement after a cold rain isn't the same as seeing a dozen little ones in the silverware drawer.
If you want a closer look at telling them apart, we wrote a full guide on cockroaches in Kentucky and which ones you have.
Signs you've got more than a stray
One roach you see once might be a hitchhiker. These are signs there's a bigger group living somewhere close:
- You see them during the day. Roaches hide when it's light out, so daytime sightings usually mean the hiding spots are crowded.
- Tiny dark specks that look like pepper or coffee grounds in drawers, cabinet corners or along the top edge of the fridge.
- Small brown egg cases, about the size of a grain of rice, tucked in cabinet hinges or behind appliances.
- A musty, oily smell in one corner of the kitchen that won't go away.
- Little ones and big ones together, which means they're breeding in the house.
What you can do this week
You can make a real dent with some basic housekeeping and a flashlight. Here's what we'd tell a neighbor:
- Clean behind and under the appliances. Pull the stove and fridge out if you can. The grease and crumbs back there feed a lot of roaches.
- Don't leave dishes overnight. Even a sink of soaking pans is a buffet. Run the dishwasher or wash up before bed.
- Fix the drips. Roaches need water more than food. A slow leak under the sink or a sweating pipe can keep a whole group going.
- Store food in sealed containers. Cereal, pet food, flour and sugar all go into hard plastic or glass with tight lids.
- Take out the trash every night and keep a lid on the can.
- Ditch the cardboard. Break down shipping boxes and get them out of the house. Roaches hide in the folds and lay eggs in the corrugation.
- Seal the gaps. Caulk around the backsplash, where pipes come through the wall under the sink and along loose baseboards.
- Check what you bring home. Give used appliances, furniture and boxes from storage a look over in the garage before they come inside.
Sticky traps along the back edges of cabinets and behind the fridge are worth setting too. They won't solve the problem alone, but they'll show you where the roaches are traveling and how many you're dealing with.
When it's time to call somebody
German cockroaches are one of the toughest pests to clear out on your own. They hide deep in walls and appliances, and a few left behind can rebuild the whole group in a few weeks. If you've done the cleanup and you're still seeing them after a couple of weeks, or you're seeing them in more than one room, that's usually the point where it's worth having someone take a look.
Our team covers homes in Paducah, Mayfield, Murray, Hopkinsville, Bowling Green, Franklin and the towns around them. We'll figure out which roach you have, find where they're living, and walk you through a plan that fits your house.
If roaches are showing up in your kitchen this winter, give us a shout. Call or text 270-564-8077.
When to call a professional
German cockroaches are a separate treatment. They are not a plan pest. A German cockroach job is quoted after an inspection and arranged by phone rather than booked online, because what the treatment needs to do depends on how far the population has spread and what it is travelling through.
American cockroaches and the other larger species are covered by every plan.
Keep reading: Cockroaches in Kentucky: Which Ones You Have.
Common questions
Why am I seeing cockroaches in the kitchen in winter?
Cold weather doesn't slow roaches down inside your house. If anything, it makes the ones you have easier to notice. The furnace kicks on, the windows stay shut, and the house turns into one big warm, still box. The warm spots behind the fridge, under the dishwasher and inside the wall behind the stove get even warmer, and that's exactly where they live.
Which cockroach shows up in a winter kitchen?
Around western and south central Kentucky, the winter kitchen roach is almost always the German cockroach. It's small, about half an inch, light brown, with two dark stripes running down the area right behind its head. They stay indoors full time, they hide in tight cracks close to food and water, and they breed fast.
How can I tell a stray cockroach from a bigger problem?
One roach you see once might be a hitchhiker. Daytime sightings, tiny dark specks that look like pepper or coffee grounds, small brown egg cases, a musty oily smell, and little ones and big ones together are signs there's a bigger group living somewhere close.
What can I do about cockroaches this week?
Clean behind and under the appliances, don't leave dishes overnight, fix drips, store food in sealed containers, take out the trash every night, ditch the cardboard, seal the gaps, and check what you bring home.
When should I call about cockroaches?
German cockroaches are one of the toughest pests to clear out on your own. If you've done the cleanup and you're still seeing them after a couple of weeks, or you're seeing them in more than one room, that's usually the point where it's worth having someone take a look.
Sources
- University of Kentucky Entomology. Michael F. Potter. "Cockroach Elimination in Homes and Apartments" (ENTFACT-614). https://entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef614 (opens in a new tab)