German cockroaches can initially infest a structure when infested grocery bags are brought inside. Inspect groceries for cockroaches before storing. Keep grocery bags in outside storage areas.
Cockroaches breed very fast in corrugated cardboard boxes. Discard unnecessary boxes immediately.
Keep doors and windows shut. Keep screens in good repair to prevent outdoor cockroaches from entering your home. Check attic vents and make sure that large openings around outside drainage lines and sewer vents are screened or sealed. Use tightly packed steel wool as a temporary filler until openings can be sealed properly.
Caulk cracks and gaps around doors and windows to help prevent cockroaches from entering your home.
Children can transport cockroaches from school to home in book bags and lunch containers. Inspect these items regularly.
Dwellings, such as apartments, that are separated by a common wall are particularly difficult situations. An infestation can migrate between apartments via the plumbing encased in a common wall. Therefore, cockroaches from one apartment can easily migrate to another apartment, infesting a "clean" dwelling. To help prevent this, caulk holes in common walls and around plumbing.
