You wake up one day and start to brush your teeth until suddenly you suddenly see a roach in your sink.
Afterward, you realize that you might be dealing with sewer roaches. However, what are they, and why are they in your home? Let’s find out below.
Sewer roaches are also known as the American cockroach. These creatures like to live in warm, damp locations where water and food are easily accessible.
In this article, we will discuss more on the sewer roach, why you need to eliminate them from your home and how to get rid of these cockroaches. Continue reading for all the required information.
What Do Sewer Cockroaches Look Like?
Sewer cockroaches have long antennae and six legs. Their shape is oval, and their color is reddish-brown with a yellowish figure 8 on their heads.
Sewer roaches are also known as American cockroaches (Periplaneta americana). These bugs are roughly 1 1/4 to 2 1/8 inches long (34 to 54 mm) and are considered enormous roaches in the USA.
What Do Baby Sewer Roaches Look Like?
Baby sewer roaches, or nymphs, are roughly 1/4 an inch long and have a reddish-brown color like adults. However, once they molt, they appear to be grey or white.
If you notice small nymphs in any of your sewage lines, you must eliminate them quickly because it is quickly turning into a cockroach infestation.
Why Do You Find Cockroaches in Drain Pipes?
You will find cockroaches in the drain pipes because they are searching for water. Roaches need three things to survive: water, food, and shelter. Drains often attract roaches because the sewer system provides them with these things.
They might come through entry points, cracks, and crevices in your home or if you have a backed-up sewer line. Often, moist areas like kitchen sinks and the bathroom invite sewer cockroaches to find a space to live in.
Also, suppose you have leaks in your home or food particles in the pipes. In that case, this makes it more inviting for roaches to enter your home and potentially cause an infestation.
Overall, you want to ensure you stop cockroaches from entering your home by making these areas less inviting, but we will get to the solution in a moment.
Do All Sewers Have Roaches?
No, not all sewer systems have cockroaches. However, if you are not careful and do not adequately maintain your P-traps and indoor plumbing, cockroaches can quickly enter your home through sewer systems. Make sure you regularly check your floor drains as well.
Here are some quick tips to remember:
- Use one-ply toilet paper
- Limit the amount of food you run through the drains
- Dispose of non-food items properly
- Watch out for any tree root systems nearby
- Flush your plumbing system regularly
Do Sewer Roaches Bite?
Yes, sewer roaches can bite, but they rarely do. If a bite occurs, it typically occurs in the evening while you are asleep.
Roaches may bite where food residue might be left near your mouth, face, fingernails, and hands. However, a cockroach biting you should not be too much of a concern health-wise.
Normal cockroach behavior suggests eating decaying organic matter, including dead skin cells. If anything, that will be the first place they would want to go.
Remember to wash the affected area with soap and water to ensure you are not spreading germs from one place to another. There may be a slight discomfort for a few days, but you can always apply ice to the wound.
Can Cockroaches Climb Up the Toilet?
No, cockroaches cannot climb up the toilet because of how much water is in the tank. However, cockroaches can hold their breath for 40 minutes because it helps regulate their water loss.
Why Do I Need to Get Sewer Roaches Out of My Drain Pipes?
You need to get sewer roaches out of your drain pipes because they carry allergens and bacteria in your home.
Roaches eat almost anything, including feces from pests and humans. If a cockroach crawls into your home, they carry that disease from one place to the next.
Another thing to consider is that if the cockroaches live in your kitchen sink, they have easy access to the food nearby.
Cockroaches have no limits on what they crawl on, so your stovetops, counters, kitchen cabinets, walls, etc., are all at risk for cross-contamination.
How to Get Rid of Sewer Roaches
Luckily, there are many ways to get rid of a roach infestation. Here is a quick list of things to think about when dealing with these creatures:
- Caulk off every entry point where you see cockroaches coming into your home
- Seal off any holes in your walls that you visit
- Take out the trash and keep your house clean
- Treat your drains with pesticides
- Use glue traps to find their entry points
- Get gel bait to kill the entire colony
- Fix leaky faucets
Call a Professional if Things Get Worse
Overall, if things worsen, make sure you call a pest control professional to ensure you are eliminating these creatures once and for all. We wish you well on your cockroach-free journey!
