---
title: "Cockroach Control in Gilbert, AZ | Platinum Pest Management"
description: "Cockroach control for German, American and Turkestan roaches in Gilbert and the East Valley, with indoor baits and exterior treatment. Book a free inspection."
url: https://platinumpestaz.com/services/roaches/
publisher: Platinum Pest Management LLC
---

# Cockroach Control for East Valley Homes and Businesses

Platinum Pest Management provides cockroach control for homes and businesses in Gilbert and across the East Valley. We treat German cockroaches indoors with baits and monitoring, and American and Turkestan cockroaches with exterior and yard box treatment.

## At a glance

- German cockroaches are small, tan roaches that live indoors in East Valley kitchens and bathrooms, and they are controlled with gel baits, bait rotation, monitoring traps and sanitation rather than broad spraying.
- American cockroaches are the large reddish-brown roaches that come up from sewer lines, floor drains and irrigation boxes in the Phoenix area, especially in summer and during monsoon season.
- Turkestan cockroaches are now the most common outdoor roach in much of the Valley, living in water meter boxes, irrigation valve boxes and under landscape rock.
- Cockroach droppings, saliva and shed skins contain allergens that can trigger allergy symptoms and asthma, particularly in children.
- Platinum Pest Management reduces roaches around East Valley homes with baits and exterior treatment, which also cuts the food supply for bark scorpions, and the technician points out gaps and dry drains a homeowner can fix.

## Common cockroaches in Gilbert and the East Valley

Three species cause most of the cockroach problems in East Valley homes. Each one lives in a different part of the property and needs a different treatment, so identifying the roach comes first.

**Three common East Valley cockroaches**

| Species | Size and color | Where it lives | Peak activity |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| German cockroach | 1/2 to 5/8 inch, tan with two dark stripes behind the head | Indoors, in kitchens and bathrooms | Year-round |
| American cockroach | 1 1/2 to 2 inches, reddish brown, pale band behind the head | Sewer lines, floor drains and irrigation boxes | Summer, especially monsoon season |
| Turkestan cockroach | About 1 inch, with tan males and dark brown to black females | Water meter boxes, valve boxes and landscape rock | Warm months, mostly at night |

## German cockroaches in kitchens and bathrooms

The German cockroach lives indoors near food and moisture. In a kitchen it hides behind the refrigerator and stove, under the sink, in cabinet door hinges and inside small appliances, and in a bathroom it stays near the plumbing.

German cockroaches reproduce quickly. Each female carries an egg case holding 30 to 40 eggs until they are almost ready to hatch, and the young reach adulthood in about two months. A few roaches carried in on a grocery bag or a used appliance can become a heavy infestation within a few months.

Broad spraying tends to make German cockroach problems worse. Repellent sprays scatter the roaches deeper into walls and into neighboring units, and spray residue near baits can keep them from feeding on the bait. Many populations are also resistant to common insecticides.

## American cockroaches from sewers and drains

[American cockroaches](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/american-cockroaches/) are the large, reddish-brown roaches many Valley residents call sewer roaches. They breed in sewer lines, storm drains and irrigation boxes and get into homes through floor drains, sewer cleanouts, plumbing gaps and the space under exterior doors.

Activity rises through the summer and often peaks during monsoon season, roughly July to September, when storms flood sewer lines and underground boxes and push roaches out. Our post on the [monsoon season pest surge](https://platinumpestaz.com/blog/monsoon-season-pest-surge/) covers other pests that move during storms.

An American cockroach in a garage or bathroom has usually come in from outside or up a drain. This species rarely builds up large numbers inside a typical house.

![Reddish-brown American cockroach with long antennae on a white background](https://platinumpestaz.com/assets/img/roach.jpg)

*American cockroaches grow to about 2 inches long.*

## Turkestan cockroaches in yards and meter boxes

The Turkestan cockroach is a fairly recent arrival in the Southwest, and it is now the most common outdoor roach in much of the Valley. Males and females look so different that people often take them for two species. The males are slender and tan with pale stripes along the wing edges, and they fly short distances toward porch lights. Females are dark brown to nearly black, with short wing pads.

Turkestan cockroaches live under landscape rock and in water meter boxes, irrigation valve boxes and cracks in block walls. They breed quickly outdoors, and the young are small enough to walk in under a door with a worn sweep.

## Cockroaches, allergies and asthma

Cockroach droppings, saliva and shed skins contain proteins that trigger allergies in many people. The same allergens are a well-known asthma trigger, particularly for children. German cockroaches are the main indoor source, since they live in large numbers where people cook and eat.

Allergens linger in household dust after the roaches are gone. Wiping out cabinets and vacuuming along baseboards, ideally with a HEPA-filter vacuum, removes much of that residue once treatment is under way.

## Cockroach control methods for each species

Platinum Pest Management uses EPA-registered products, applied by licensed technicians according to the label, and the approach changes with the species.

### German cockroaches

We place small amounts of gel bait in cracks, hinges and voids where the roaches hide, out of reach of children and pets. Sticky monitoring traps show where activity is heaviest and whether it is dropping between visits. If roaches stop taking a bait, we rotate to one with a different active ingredient, because some populations develop an aversion or resistance to a particular bait. We also point out sanitation fixes, since grease and crumbs compete with the bait. Follow-up visits continue until the monitors come back clean.

### American cockroaches

For American cockroaches, we apply exterior treatment around the foundation, door thresholds and irrigation and meter boxes. Drains nobody uses, such as a guest tub or a laundry room floor drain, can dry out in Arizona heat, and a dry P-trap leaves an open path from the sewer. The technician points out those drains, cracked or missing cleanout caps and worn door sweeps, and notes which repairs a homeowner can make.

### Turkestan cockroaches

Turkestan cockroach control happens mostly outside. We treat water meter boxes, valve boxes, landscape rock beds near the house and cracks along block walls, and use baits outdoors where the label allows. Tight door sweeps and garage door seals keep the young roaches from wandering in, and the technician points out any that are worn.

## Why roach control helps with scorpions

Arizona bark scorpions feed on roaches and crickets, and a yard with steady Turkestan cockroach activity gives them a reliable food supply close to the house. Reducing roaches around the foundation and meter boxes takes away food that keeps scorpions near a home. When a property has both problems, we plan the roach work together with our [scorpion control](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/scorpions/) service.

## Keeping roaches out between service visits

A few household habits help a lot, especially with German cockroaches:

- Run water in unused sinks, tubs, showers and floor drains every week or two.
- Store food in sealed containers and pick up pet food bowls at night.
- Clean grease and crumbs from around the stove, toaster and microwave.
- Recycle cardboard boxes promptly instead of storing them in the kitchen or garage.
- Fix leaks under sinks and around the water heater.

Outdoor roaches keep coming from sewers and yards, so an exterior treatment renewed on a schedule does more than a single visit. Our monthly, bi-monthly and quarterly [pest control plans](https://platinumpestaz.com/pest-control-plans/) come with a re-service guarantee. If covered pests come back between scheduled visits, we come back and re-treat at no extra charge. Restaurants and other businesses can ask about [commercial pest control](https://platinumpestaz.com/commercial/), and homeowners can start with a [free inspection](https://platinumpestaz.com/free-inspection/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Why do I have roaches when my house is clean?

American and Turkestan cockroaches live in sewer lines and yards, so they turn up in clean homes through drains, door gaps and plumbing openings. German cockroaches usually ride in on grocery bags, cardboard boxes or used appliances. Cleaning matters most for German cockroaches because it limits their food, while the outdoor species need exterior treatment and a few fixes around doors and drains.

### Are the big roaches in the garage the same as the small ones in the kitchen?

Usually they are different species. Large reddish-brown roaches in a garage or bathroom are most often American cockroaches from the sewer. Small tan roaches in kitchen cabinets are almost always German cockroaches, which live and breed indoors and need a baiting program. Each one gets a different treatment, so it helps to save a specimen or snap a photo for the technician.

### Why do roaches come up through the bathtub or floor drain?

American cockroaches live in sewer lines, and a drain becomes an open path into the house when its P-trap dries out. Traps in guest bathrooms and laundry rooms can dry quickly in Arizona heat. Running water in unused drains every week or two keeps the trap full. If roaches keep coming up a drain that gets daily use, a plumber should check the trap and pipe.

### How long does it take to get rid of German cockroaches?

A light German cockroach problem often clears in a few weeks, while a heavy infestation can take a couple of months. Most kitchens need several visits so we can check the monitoring traps and adjust the baits. Cutting down on food, water and clutter in the kitchen shortens the process.

### What should I do with kids and pets during roach treatment?

Keep children and pets away from treated areas until they are dry. Gel baits go into cracks, hinges and voids out of their reach, and exterior treatments are applied around the foundation and in meter and valve boxes. We use EPA-registered products, applied by licensed technicians according to the label, and the technician will go over any instructions for your home.

## Contact Platinum Pest Management

- Phone or text: (480) 518-1942
- Office: 3944 E Ellis St., Mesa, AZ 85205
- Hours: Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to noon, closed Sunday
- Arizona pest control business license #9562
- Free inspection: https://platinumpestaz.com/free-inspection/