How to Get Rid of Sewer Roaches in Arizona
Short answer: sewer roaches are American cockroaches coming up from sewer lines. Keep drain traps full, seal the gaps around pipes, and treat the entry points outside.
What Sewer Roaches Are and Why Phoenix Has So Many
The "sewer roach" Phoenix-area homeowners find in the bathtub or on the patio at night is the American cockroach. The University of Arizona says that in the Southwest its main habitats are sewer lines, sewage treatment plants and garbage dumps, and that it gets indoors through sewer lines, gaps around doors and windows, cracks in floors and foundations, and broken or uncapped drain pipes. Warm, wet sewers keep them breeding all year, and summer heat pushes them up and out.
How to Identify a Sewer Roach
- Big: about 1½ inches long as adults, with antennae often longer than the body.
- Reddish-brown with a yellowish-tan border on the shield behind the head.
- Winged: both sexes can fly short distances.
- Where you see them: tubs, floor drains, laundry rooms, garages, irrigation and utility boxes, and patios after dark.
Smaller, tan roaches in kitchen cabinets are German cockroaches, a different problem that breeds indoors. See roach exterminator for both.
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Signs Sewer Roaches Are Getting Into Your House
- Roaches in the tub, shower or a floor drain first thing in the morning.
- Sightings in a guest bathroom or laundry room that isn't used often (dry drain traps).
- Roaches around the water heater, under sinks or where pipes come through the wall.
- Dead roaches in the garage, along the foundation or near a cleanout cap.
- Activity around irrigation boxes, palm trees and block walls outside at night.
How to Get Rid of Sewer Roaches: Steps That Work
- Keep every drain trap full. Run water in unused sinks, tubs and floor drains weekly, or cap them. The University of Arizona lists this first.
- Cover drains at night with a stopper or mesh drain cover in tubs and showers where you see them.
- Seal pipe gaps under sinks, behind toilets and at the water heater, plus door sweeps and foundation cracks.
- Fix leaks and dry out under-sink cabinets; roaches follow moisture.
- Check the cleanout cap outside. A missing or cracked sewer cleanout cap is an open door.
- Treat outside, not just inside. Baits and an exterior perimeter treatment stop the next wave from the sewer and yard.
Sewer Roach Control in Phoenix: What the Service Does and Costs
A cockroach control visit inspects drains, plumbing penetrations, the garage, irrigation boxes and the foundation, treats the exterior perimeter and drain areas, places baits where roaches travel indoors, and points out the gaps and caps to fix. A one-time diagnostic visit with treatment is $149. The plan is $50/month with treatment every 60 days and free callbacks, which matters for sewer roaches because new ones keep arriving from the sewer. Start a plan the same day and your visit fee covers your first 3 months of the plan. See pest control cost for every option. Restaurants and businesses can get a free commercial estimate.
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Sewer Roach Questions from Arizona Homeowners
What is a sewer roach?
In Arizona, 'sewer roach' almost always means the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana): large, reddish-brown, about 1½ inches long, with a tan border behind the head. The University of Arizona notes that in the Southwest its main habitats are sewer lines, treatment plants and dumps.
What's the difference between a sewer roach and a German cockroach?
Sewer roaches (American cockroaches) are big, live outdoors and in sewers, and wander in through drains and gaps. German cockroaches are small, tan, and breed indoors in kitchens and bathrooms. A German roach problem needs indoor baiting; a sewer roach problem needs drain, entry-point and exterior work.
What keeps sewer roaches away?
Keep every drain trap full of water or capped, seal gaps around pipes, doors and the foundation, fix leaks under sinks, and keep trash tightly lidded. These are the University of Arizona's own prevention steps.
What can I pour down my drain to kill roaches?
Pouring chemicals down a drain won't reach the roaches living in the sewer line and can damage pipes. The fix is keeping traps full of water, adding a drain cover or stopper on rarely used drains, and sealing the gaps around the pipe where it comes through the wall or floor.
Can sewer roaches fly?
Yes. Both male and female American cockroaches have wings and can fly short distances, which is why they show up on patios and walls on warm summer nights in the Valley.