How To Remove Roach Odor

What’s the Smell of Cockroaches?

A musty odor of stale oil may mean you have cockroaches in your home. These bugs have high linoleic and oleic acid concentrations responsible for producing a pungent oily substance. While the odor usually lingers and worsens as the cockroach numbers increase, a single roach can give off an offensive scent.

Dead roaches also produce a slightly acidic smell, with some describing it as a mixture of soy sauce and a clogged toilet. This unpleasant odor could pass to your clean dishes or clothes and even alter the taste of food.

Other Roach Signs to Be Wary Of

As nocturnal creatures, it can be daunting to detect the evasive GERMAN COCKROACHES or AMERICAN ROACHES living in your apartment or home. Besides their signature oily and musty smell, here are other subtle signs to check to diagnose a roach infestation:

• Cockroach egg cases. Usually found in dark and moist areas, they look brown and are shaped like oval pills.
• Fecal matter droppings. These appear like tiny spots of dark rice grains, pepper, or coffee grounds in food storage areas or under the kitchen sink and other crevices.
• Molted or shed roach skin. You may find shed exoskeletons beneath furniture, in cabinets, or behind electrical appliances.
• Cockroach allergy. Symptoms include sneezing, running nose, skin rash, and watery eyes.
• Roach sound. The insects may release a faint sound as they hit items in your kitchen at night.

Steps To Prevent Cockroach Infestation

Consider taking out your trash daily – especially if there is a lot of fresh food discarded – cooked food is highly desirable by roaches. Be sure to clean after each meal, and storing food in air-tight containers will help deter roaches and their unpleasant smells. Also, de clutter your home, as cockroaches love a messy hiding spot.

Another practice is general property maintenance. Ensure your sewer system and drainage pipes are well maintained with NO SURVIVORS and LEMON AIR, and seal off the gaps or crevices on walls.

The Causes of Roach Smell

Nauseating cockroach odor can occur as the insects secrete chemical communication signals (pheromones) to attract a mate or alert others of a nesting site. Another reason for the musty smell is the cockroach feces that will have pheromones and sometimes mold — cockroaches thrive in dark and moist places perfect for mold growth – which increases the odor.

When roaches die, they release a sickening musty smell as decomposing fatty acids release oleic acid. This unpleasant odor can also occur when the cockroaches molt and shed their skin.

How To Eliminate Roach Smell

The best way to rid your home of the roach smell is to keep the bugs at bay:

• Clean up. Always clean leftover messes to leave no food for the pests.
• Use our ROACH TRAPS. Identify cockroach nests or hiding spots and use our pheromone traps to help reduce high cockroach infestation.
• Vacuum. This type of cleaning removes live cockroaches, roach skin, or droppings that carry the musty scent.
• Disinfect. Spray the areas you’ve cleaned with our TOTAL ODOR ELIMINATOR.

Visit our ROACH CONTROL article to learn more!