Cockroach Poop or Something Else? Here’s How to Tell.

Dealing with a cockroach infestation in your Oakville home or business? Call Maximum Pest Control Services today at 905-582-5502 for fast, professional cockroach extermination you can trust

Cockroaches are the ultimate nightmare for homeowners. Just saying the word may make your skin crawl. And sometimes, spotting a cockroach is just plain hard. Usually, droppings are the first signs you’ll find before an infestation. Knowing how to tell if what you’ve found is cockroach poop can get you ahead of a bigger infestation in your home. But how do you know for sure if you’re looking at cockroach droppings or something else?

In this helpful blog, Maximum take you step-by-step into identifying cockroach poop for sure. No guesswork involved, just recommendations to help put your mind at ease (or spring into action fast!)

Before Anything Else: What Does Cockroach Poop Look Like?

Cockroach poop looks terrible. It usually looks like small coffee grounds or black pepper flakes. Most people confuse it with dirt or crumbs from food. Cockroach poop varies in size and location based on the species, but there are usually obvious clues that this isn’t.

Small Cockroach Poop (German Roaches)

Smaller species like German roaches produce tiny, grainy poop. It usually looks like black pepper sprinkled all over your counters and floors. When you see a ton of small dots clustered together in one area, you may have an infestation.

Large Cockroach Poop (American Roaches)

Larger species, such as American roaches, produce larger droppings. It looks cylindrical, almost like tiny mouse droppings. It can also look like grains of rice in size and color; dark brown or black.

Still unsure if you’re seeing cockroach droppings? No problem, we are going to break down all the details.

Is it Mouse Poop or Cockroach Poop? Spot the Difference

Shape and Texture

• Mouse poop: slightly pointed ends, shaped like tiny rice grains!
• Cockroach poop: usually blunt ends, more rounded, and usually irregular shaped.

Size and Consistency

• Mouse poop: bigger, smoother, solid pellets.
• Cockroach poop: smaller (grains) usually looking powdery/dry.

Where Do You Find It?

Cockroaches usually leave poop around food sources or hiding spots. Usually they poop near kitchen appliances and cupboards or inside cabinets and on the tops of cabinets. A mouse will often poop in the corners of a room or inside the drawers, cupboards or on top of the cabinets.

Cockroach Droppings or Dirt? Here is How to Tell

Look for Smear Marks

If the cockroach droppings are very fresh, they smudge easily. Damp paper towel can be used for this. Lightly wipe the area where you think the droppings are. If the smear is dark brown or black, you have droppings, not dirt.

Look for the Same Area

Cockroach droppings are usually in one spot. They are rarely just random. If you see repeated areas, you are probably looking at roach droppings.

Smell (Yuk!)

Cockroach droppings can smell seriously disgusting and musty. Dirt usually does not smell. If you smell a strange oily and musty odor near the droppings, there might be roaches.

Cockroach Droppings vs Bed Bug Droppings

Size and Location

• Bed bug droppings: Smaller dots, dark in color that soak into the fabric. You will mostly find these around a bed, near a mattress, or around upholstered furniture.
• Cockroach droppings: Mostly found in kitchens, bathrooms, or damp areas, typically on surfaces, and are scattered in clusters.

Why You Need to Know the Difference

You may find yourself wondering why all this fuss about whose droppings does it really matter? Knowing the correct pest will lead you to proper identification of how to handle your problem. The longer you wait, the bigger the infestation gets.

Health Hazards

Cockroach waste contains bacteria and plays a big role in causing asthma & allergic reactions. Determining and eliminating the waste as quickly as possible is part of safeguarding your family’s health.

Dealing with Infestations

Knowing the early signs of an infestation may help you prevent the infestation from taking over your home, which allows you to modify your strategy. If you can find the infestation while it is small, you could save yourself a lot of money on pest control.

Steps To Confirm & Deal with Cockroach Waste:

Step 1: Clean and Check

If you just found faeces in an area that was previously clean (dining room table, floor, cupboard, etc), then clean that area. Once you have thoroughly cleaned the area, leave the space for a day or two and check back to see if there are new droppings. If you do find droppings you have confirmed cockroach activity.

Step 2: Check Behind Appliances

After checking the area, you suspect, check behind appliances, sinks, cabinets and the warmer & darker areas of your place. If they came into that spot, then either the droppings or the eggs will be in that area or there will be many more droppings in that area.

Step 3: Look for Other Signs

Also, in addition to feces, cockroaches lay eggs and shed skin. If you find other evidence of cockroaches, you now know for sure you are dealing with a cockroach.

Step 4: Take Action

DO NOT delay addressing it. Use cockroach traps as quickly as possible, bait, gels, and/or natural repellents. If you feel you are working too hard for the problem, consider calling pest control right away.

Avoiding Cockroach Droppings (and Infestations)

The best way to never do battle with cockroach droppings again, is never to have them in the first place. Here are some things you can do now:

• Clean up: Cockroaches love food crumbs. Keep kitchens clean.
• Seal your home up: Seal off any cracks or openings for roaches to get inside your home.
• Store food in airtight containers: It makes it that much harder for those sneaky roaches to find food.
• Control moisture: Roaches love moisture and will lie in damp areas. Keep your home dry without humidity.

Things To Remember: Do It Today And Don’t Wait Until The Last Minute

Seeing a cockroach poop can be disgusting to think about, but this is one of the first signs of an infestation that you may experience. Knowing how to tell the difference between cockroach poop and normal household debris will help keep your home safe, clean and pest free.

Like they say, the sooner you know is always a good principle. The longer you wait the worse and more costly it will become. So next time you think you see something nasty, or do, pull out this guide, identify clearly, quickly, and take action. You (and your home) will thank you! If you still having issues with roaches, then connect with Maximum pest control Team today calling the hotline number (905) 582-5502.