Cockroaches sneak into homes, infest food, reproduce quickly, and are extremely tricky to exterminate. Cockroach treatments are more than the cost of other pest control services because they’re so tough to remove. You can expect to pay between $100 and $400 for a single roach treatment, with an average cost of around $150.* However, serious infestations can have much higher price tags, and can be up to $6,000 in extreme cases. This article covers everything you need to know about roach exterminator costs, including treatment method prices, cost factors, and more.

*Cost data sourced from HomeAdvisor.

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What Are Signs of a Roach Infestation?

It’s difficult to spot signs of roach problems before they become full infestations. Roaches are always on the hunt for food, water, and shelter. Their flat bodies can slip through even the smallest openings, including dryer vents, door jambs, and cracked windows. Once in your home, roaches can quickly find their way to countertop crumbs, overflowing trash, and cluttered rooms.

At about 1.5 inches long, cockroaches are easier to spot than fleas or bed bugs. However, there are other ways of noticing an infestation before visibly seeing one of these nasty pests. Here are a few signs to look for if you suspect you have a cockroach problem:

• Droppings that resemble coffee grounds or pepper
• An oily, musty, and semi-sweet smell caused by cockroach pheromones
• Tan, black, or brown egg capsules that are pill- or purse-shaped
• Molted cockroach skins on the floor
• Damaged food packaging

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What Factors Affect Roach Extermination Pricing?

Several factors, including the size of the infested area, the extermination method, and the severity of the infestation, will influence your cockroach extermination costs.

Square Footage of Your Home

The larger your home, the more chemicals, time, and visits are needed to treat it. Larger homes will also have a higher average treatment cost than smaller ones. The following table shows how much you can expect to pay for cockroach treatments based on your home’s size.

Your exterminator will put together a plan that’s right for you based on your home, budget, and infestation level. Here are the costs of each treatment type and their pros and cons:

Infestation level significantly impacts the total cost of your roach removal. An infestation’s size affects everything from the optimal type of treatment to the labor hours, crew size, and the number of visits needed to eliminate the infestation.

Simple treatment plans, such as sprays or gel bait stations, can remove minor infestations. However, if your infestation is severe, more extensive (and expensive) treatment options will be required. Below are cost estimates based on the roach infestation level in your home.

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Should You DIY vs. Professional Roach Removal?

Cockroaches are some of the most persistent, hard-to-kill pests out there. Do-it-yourself (DIY) methods won’t work on large infestations, and you’ll be better off hiring a professional roach exterminator. However, if you catch a roach infestation early enough, you can use DIY treatments to eliminate it effectively.

DIY Roach Removal

Cockroach bait is one of the most effective DIY treatments. Priced between $10 and $20, these bait stations or liquid gel baits kill roaches and prevent them from returning. Another popular DIY treatment is cockroach spray, which kills the bug on contact. The average cost for cockroach sprays is between $5 and $10. While effective on contact, spray isn’t a preventative solution like gel bait.

While DIY cockroach treatment can be a suitable solution for a few roaches, you might have difficulty eliminating a large infestation as many products can’t eliminate bugs in their nests.

What Is a Good Pet-Friendly Solution for Roaches?

Diatomaceous earth will be your best option if you want an eco-, pet-, and kid-safe DIY roach solution. This product is made from fossilized microalgae known as diatoms, and it sees use in many industries, like agriculture, construction, and, of course, pest control.

You’ll want to purchase food-grade diatomaceous earth for cockroach control, which typically costs between $9.00 and $15.00 per bag. All you have to do is sprinkle it along your baseboards and other places you’ve spotted roaches. Roaches will pick up the mineral on their legs as they pass by, consume it later through grooming, and become poisoned.

Using an Exterminator

Professional exterminators can assess the severity of your infestation and use targeted treatments to eliminate roaches at their source. The pesticides and treatment methods used by professional pest control companies are often the only way to eliminate an infestation because they reproduce quickly. You can expect a professional pest control company to:

• Inspect all areas of your home for signs of roaches
• Create an actionable treatment plan based on your specific problem
• Safely handle chemicals and other pesticides
• Keep you informed throughout the entire process
• Return to your home for follow-up visits as needed

If you’re interested in professional pest control, we recommend Terminix, Orkin, and Hawx.

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What Are Common Types of Roaches Found in Homes?

Most species of roach look similar, but there are subtle differences that can distinguish them. Some roach species also reproduce more quickly than others, making them more difficult and expensive to dislodge.

Here are a few of the most common types of cockroaches and their identifying markings:

American Cockroach

The American cockroach, Periplaneta americana, measures about one inch long and has a reddish-brown body with a yellow band across its back. This type of cockroach is one of the largest and most common cockroaches.

German Cockroach

The German cockroach, Blattella germanica, has a pale brown body with dark stripes on its head. This type of cockroach is one of the most difficult roaches to treat because of its high reproduction rate.

Smoky Brown Roach

The smoky brown cockroach, Periplaneta fuliginosa, is small and has a dark brown color. Unlike many roach species, the smoky brown roach’s wings help them fly medium distances.

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How Can You Avoid Future Roach Infestations?

The most cost-efficient way to cut down on roach control is to ensure they never get inside in the first place. This task can be difficult for homeowners along the coastline or in other cockroach-prone areas. You can help reduce the likelihood of roaches coming into your home and further prevent future pest problems by taking the following steps:

• Keep your home clean, particularly your kitchen floor and countertops
• Clean your appliances, including your refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher
• Restrict food consumption to a single area of the home to remove multiple cockroach food sources
• Keep food in sealed containers
• Seal entry points, including your front door and window sills

Many professional pest exterminators will also spray for other bugs like termites, fleas, ants, and crickets during cockroach treatment.

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Can an Exterminator Get Rid of Roaches in an Apartment?

Extermination services are typically only a short-term solution if you have a roach problem in your apartment. There’s a good chance these pesky invaders will return quickly–especially if they came from a nearby infested structure–after a pest control service does its job.

Your best bet is to make your apartment unattractive to these insects by taking preventative measures and making your home unappealing to pests. You’ll want to clean up any loose trash and dishes, use plastic resealable containers, and install a door sweep.

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FAQ About Cockroach Extermination

How long does it take for an exterminator to kill roaches?

The time it takes for an exterminator to get rid of roaches depends on a variety of factors, including your infestation severity, the square footage of your home, and preferred treatment method. However, most cases require about one or two weeks’ worth of treatment.

What are bug bombs?

Bug bombs are aerosol propellants that are placed in rooms with an infestation to fumigate the area with insecticides. While this treatment method is affordable and covers a large area, it doesn’t reach into hidden cracks and crevices. This allows many roaches to survive and reproduce.

Where do cockroaches like to hide?

Cockroaches will seek out dark, damp places with plentiful nearby resources. Basements, crawl spaces, inside wells, cupboards, and trash bins are hot spots for roaches.

Can you 100% get rid of roaches?

Yes, but doing so can be expensive. Roaches are pests that are justly infamous for being difficult to exterminate fully. It’s possible to eliminate roaches with the help of a pest control company.

What type of roach is the most common in the U.S.?

The German cockroach is the most commonly found roach in the United States.

What are the signs of a roach infestation?

Common signs of a roach infestation include:

• Foul, musty odors
• Damaged food containers
• Dark brown, pill-shaped egg capsules
• Dark smudges or smears
• Small, pepper-like droppings

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