About German Cockroaches

The German cockroach (Blattella germanica) is the most widespread cockroach species in Boston homes, apartments, and businesses. Measuring only ½–⅝ inch long, they are light brown to tan with two distinct dark stripes on their backs. Despite their small size, they are one of the fastest-breeding cockroach species, with a single female producing hundreds of offspring in her lifetime.

Why They’re a Problem

German cockroaches thrive in warm, humid areas such as kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms. They are experts at hiding in cracks, behind appliances, and inside cabinets, making infestations hard to detect early. These roaches contaminate food, dishes, and surfaces with bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli, trigger allergies and asthma, and produce an unpleasant odor when populations grow.

Prevention & Control

Sanitation is the most important prevention step—keep food sealed, wipe up spills quickly, and remove clutter that provides hiding spots. Sealing gaps around cabinets, plumbing, and baseboards also helps. Because German cockroaches reproduce so quickly and have developed resistance to many store-bought treatments, infestations are notoriously difficult to eliminate without professional pest control.