What Do Cockroaches Eat?
Find out what cockroaches eat, what attracts these unwelcome dinner guests, and how to eliminate their favorite food sources.
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Dietary habits of cockroaches
Cockroaches are omnivores, which means they eat both plants and animals. They particularly like starches, sweets, greasy foods, and meats, but roaches are not picky eaters. They’ll feast on almost anything that is derived from something that was once a living organism, such as plants and animals. They will also eat cardboard boxes, book bindings, wallpaper glue, stamps, leather, feces, fingernails, hair, toothpaste, soap, their own cast-off skins, and even other cockroaches.1,2
Did you know?
German Cockroach vs American Cockroach
While cockroaches will eat just about anything, they can go a surprisingly long time without food. American cockroaches, can survive two or three months without feeding, can only live about a month without water. German cockroaches—one of the most common species found in homes throughout the world — can only go 12 days without water, but can survive for about 42 days without food.3
How roaches affect human food
Because cockroaches will just as readily feast on feces in a sewer or a cat litter box as they will on that homemade cake left out on the counter, they can transfer pathogenic microbes to our food and cooking surfaces simply by walking across them, causing food poisoning, diarrhea, dysentery, and other illnesses.1
In addition, some cockroach species emit an odorous pheromone in their feces to attract mates and let other roaches know they’ve found a good place to nest and eat. When roach populations are high, these stinky secretions can be detected by humans and also leave a foul taste on the food that we eat.4
Tastes like cardboard
Cardboard boxes not only make a tasty snack for hungry cockroaches, they also provide a cozy space for these creepy critters to hide and breed. To help prevent cockroaches, use plastic bins for storage instead and be sure to toss or recycle cardboard boxes outside the home immediately.
Eliminate cockroach food sources
Effective cockroach control starts by making your home unappetizing for these pesky creatures. Store all food in air-tight containers, wipe up spills immediately, and regularly clean your kitchen. Eliminating competing food sources also helps make cockroach baits more effective because the roaches will be even more attracted to the bait if they have nothing else to eat. Find more expert tips for how to help get rid of cockroaches.
Find solutions for roaches
Explore our family of products designed to help you get tough in the fight against cockroaches and keep them from invading your home.
Sources:Raid® solutions for cockroaches
Explore our family of products designed to help you get tough in the fight against cockroaches and keep them from invading your home.
Easy-to-use and effective for up to 13 weeks*, this ant and roach spray kills problem insects on contact with no lingering chemical odor.
*on Cockroaches and Ants on non-porous surfaces such as ceramic and laminate. (Carpenter Ants for up to 12 weeks. Kills by contact.)
Highlights:
Raid® Ant & Roach Killer 26 kills on contact and keeps killing with residual action for up to 13 weeks*.
- It leaves no lingering chemical odor.
- This easy-to-use spray can be applied to surfaces where ants, roaches and other listed bugs may be infesting.
- Available in 12 oz., 17.5 oz. and 20 oz. sizes.
- Available in Lemon, Lavender, and Outdoor Fresh scents. Also, available in Fragrance Free.
*on Cockroaches and Ants on non-porous surfaces such as ceramic and laminate. (Carpenter Ants for up to 12 weeks. Kills by contact.)
Easy-to-use and effective for up to 13 weeks*, this ant and roach spray kills problem insects on contact with no lingering chemical odor.
Highlights:
Raid® Ant Killer kills ants on contact and keeps killing with residual action for up to 13 weeks* with a Pine Forest Fresh® scent.
- It leaves no lingering chemical odor.
- This easy-to-use spray can be applied to surfaces where ants, roaches, and other listed bugs may be infesting.
- Available in Pine Forest Fresh® scent.
- Available in 17.5 oz. size.
*on Cockroaches and Ants on non-porous surfaces such as ceramic and laminate. (Carpenter Ants for up to 12 weeks. Kills by contact.)
Raid® Essentials Ant, Spider & Roach Killer is safe* to use around people and pets. Made with essential oils and other ingredients, it quickly kills crawling insects, including Argentine ants and German roaches, and provides a refreshing scent of Rosemary Mint.
*when used as directed
Highlights:
Raid® Essentials Ant, Spider & Roach Killer that is safe* to use around people and pets (*when used as directed)
- Provides a refreshing scent of Rosemary Mint
- Deals with ants, spiders, roaches and other crawling insects
- At Raid®, we are proud to be America’s most trusted insect control brand* (*Voted most trusted insect control brand by American shoppers 2024 BrandSpark® American Trust Study)
- Comes with a money-back guarantee*
(*click here for details) - Convenient and continuous aerosol ant spray and spider spray that is easy to use, taking care of your bug problem quickly* and safely†
(*kills ants and German roaches through contact; †when used as directed)
Kills large roaches and it's nest
Highlights:
Raid® Double Control Large Roach Baits kill the roaches you see as well as the ones you don't see with two types of bait. After roaches feed on the bait, they return to the nest and transfer the bait to the others.
- Population reduction and less activity can be expected within days, with the baits working for up to three months.
- Raid® Double Control Large Roach Baits are child-resistant.
- Available in 8 count.
Relief from severe roach problems.
Highlights:
Raid® Double Control Small Roach Baits kill the roaches you see as well as the ones you don't see with two types of bait. After roaches feed on the bait, they return to the nest and transfer the bait to the others.
- Population reduction and less activity can be expected within days, with the baits working for up to three months.
- Raid® Double Control Small Roach Baits are child-resistant.
- Available in 12 count.
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