If you see a cockroach in your house, you should stay calm, avoid squishing as primary control, and take systematic steps to inspect, clean, and treat because one visible roach often indicates more hidden, especially if German cockroach. First, do not panic and do not immediately spray repellent that causes scattering, instead capture or note species and location, German cockroaches are small light brown about half an inch with two dark stripes in kitchens and indicate indoor breeding, while American cockroaches are large reddish brown about one and a half inches often called palmetto bugs that may wander in from outdoors. Second, inspect at night with flashlight to find hiding spots, look for droppings that look like black pepper, egg cases, shed skins, and check under sinks, behind refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers, inside cabinets, and wall voids near pipes, and place sticky traps to monitor. Third, implement thorough sanitation, store all food in sealed glass or metal containers, clean crumbs, grease, and spills daily, take out trash, fix leaks, dry sinks, and remove cardboard and clutter where roaches hide. Fourth, seal cracks and crevices with caulk around windows, doors, pipes, and baseboards. Fifth, apply gel baits containing fipronil, hydramethylnon, or indoxacarb such as Advion or Maxforce in small dots near droppings and hiding spots, allowing roaches to eat bait and carry it back to kill colony within days to weeks, rather than squishing or using repellent sprays. If you see multiple roaches, daytime activity, or German roaches, consider professional pest control costing $150 to $300 for inspection and treatment with warranty.
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