Identifying Roach Poop (Yes, You Need to Look)
Found black specks in your cabinet? It might be roach droppings. Learn to tell the difference between roach poop and mouse poop, and why you must clean it.
It's gross. I know. But if you want to know how bad your infestation is, you have to look at the poop.
Roaches are secretive. You might not see them, but they leave clues everywhere. The droppings tell me exactly what species you have and where they are nesting.
The "Black Pepper" Speck (German Roaches)
If you open your kitchen cabinet and see what looks like spilled black pepper or coffee grounds in the corners of the hinges, that's German Roach poop.
- Where to look: Door hinges, top corners of the room, behind the microwave.
- What it means: If you see a lot of it, the nest is inches away. German roaches don't poop far from home.
The "Burnt Rice" Pellet (American Roaches)
Big roaches leave big droppings. American Roach (Palmetto Bug) droppings look like small cylinders with blunt ends.
They are often confused with mouse droppings.
The difference: Mouse poop has pointed ends and usually has hair in it (gross). Roach poop is blunt and has ridges on the sides if you look really close (please don't look that close).
The Smear Marks
In humid areas, roach droppings turn into a liquid brown smear. We call these "fecal focal points." Roaches use these smears to communicate. It's full of pheromones that tell other roaches: "Hey, this is a safe spot to hang out."
Clean it up immediately. If you leave the poop, you are literally leaving a "Welcome" sign for more roaches. Scrub it with vinegar or bleach to break the pheromone trail.