When it comes to the hundreds of German cockroach infestations I have serviced, the results have always come down to the customers commitment to prep and follow all the directions. Too often, people do little to no prepping and have the belief that we will be able to eliminate the infestation entirely.

I have even gone to a number of homes where I couldn’t do any treatments at all because of the amount of storage in the kitchens.

German cockroaches nest in walls, cracks and crevices, kitchen cabinets, electronics, the stove and microwave and pretty much anything available to them. Needless to say, all the directions must be followed in order to get your home back.

Preparing for roach extermination:

• Empty all the kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Everything from the top to bottom needs to be removed so we can do a thorough treatment.

• Take everything off the counters. Be sure to clean up any left behind crumbs or grease after you clear the counter.

• Remove all electrical outlet plates in kitchen and bathrooms. German cockroaches go in the walls through the electrical outlets, so the walls need to be properly treated to prevent constant re-infestations in the kitchen and bathrooms.

• Move the fridge and stove away from the walls. It is best to give us at least three feet so we have enough access for our inspection and treatment.

• Be prepared to leave for 4-6 hours. We have different treatment options available, but it is best to plan being gone for 4-6 hours.

As mentioned above, the results come down to your commitment to getting everything ready. Limited access will give you limited results while complete access will give you complete results. It is also important to figure out how you got infested to begin with. German cockroaches are not outdoor pests and only get transferred to their locations. This can happen when you buy something used at garage sales or if you had a friend or family member visit your home. Not only that, but breakrooms at work are commonly infested due to the amount of people that use them. By doing this, you will be able to prevent re-infestations in the future.