PEST CONTROL

Cockroach Control in Toronto, Oakville & the GTA

German cockroaches and the other three that infest Ontario buildings

Cockroach control for homes, apartments and businesses in Toronto, Oakville and the GTA. German cockroaches live indoors all year, and a new generation can be ready in about 100 days, so a few sightings rarely stay a few. We find where they hide, place gel bait and a growth regulator in those cracks, and come back for the young that hatch from egg cases afterwards.

Seeing roaches? We offer same-day treatment across Toronto & the GTA when the schedule allows.

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AT A GLANCE

Cockroaches at a Glance

German cockroach, the one in Ontario kitchens

Size: 1.3 to 1.6 cm long
Colour: Tan to light brown
Body: Flat, oval, six spiny legs, long antennae
How to tell: Two dark stripes behind the head
Active: All year, indoors
Where found: Warm, damp spots: kitchens, bathrooms, behind appliances
Bites or stings: No sting; the risk is contaminated food and allergens

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Signs of a Cockroach Infestation

If you’ve noticed any of these, call and a licensed technician will tell you what it points to.

Call (905) 739-7888

Cockroaches running for cover when you switch on a light at night
Droppings like ground pepper or coffee grounds in cabinets, drawers and behind appliances
Egg cases: small, bean-shaped capsules in cracks, or carried at the tail end of a female
A foul, lingering smell in cupboards or storage areas
Cockroaches out in the open during the day

IDENTIFICATION

How to Identify Cockroaches and Their Eggs

Cockroaches have a broad, flat body, six long spiny legs and long antennae, and the adults of most species have wings. Four species commonly infest buildings in Canada, all four are recorded in Ontario, and the German cockroach is the most common in cities: tan to light brown, 1.3 to 1.6 cm long, with two dark stripes behind the head. A much bigger reddish-brown roach is usually an American cockroach, and a shiny black one in the basement is usually an Oriental cockroach. Ontario also has three or four native wood cockroaches, which live outdoors in leaf litter and are not the ones that infest homes.

Cockroach eggs: they come in a bean-shaped case called an ootheca. A German cockroach female carries hers with her, and one case produces 30 to 40 young.
Young German cockroaches are smaller and have no full wings, only wing pads, with two dark stripes running the length of the body.
Can cockroaches fly? American cockroaches can. German cockroaches have full wings but do not fly, and Oriental cockroaches cannot fly.

TYPES

Types of Cockroaches in Ontario

German cockroach
Blattella germanica
Tan to light brown, 1.3 to 1.6 cm, with two dark stripes behind the head. Has wings but does not fly.
Where found: Kitchens and bathrooms: behind and under appliances, in cabinets and around plumbing. Spends its whole life indoors.
The most common cockroach in Canadian cities
American cockroach
Periplaneta americana
The largest, up to 5 cm, reddish brown with a pale yellowish band around the shield behind the head. Both males and females can fly.
Where found: Damp basements, sewers and floor drains, foraging mostly on the ground floor. More common in commercial buildings than homes.
Oriental cockroach
Blatta orientalis
Shiny dark brown to black, growing to about 3 cm. Males have short wings and females only stubs; neither flies, and they move slowly.
Where found: Cool, damp, ground-level spots: basements, crawl spaces, floor drains and sewers.
Brown-banded cockroach
Supella longipalpa
Light brown, about 1.3 cm, with a light band behind the head and mottled wings.
Where found: Warmer, drier and higher spots than other roaches: ceilings, upper walls, behind picture frames and in furniture.
Present in Ontario but uncommon

Bed bugs are a separate job: see bed bug control.

OUR APPROACH

How We Get Rid of Cockroaches

Step 1
Identify the Species
German cockroaches breed in warm spots near kitchen and bathroom plumbing. Oriental and American cockroaches come up from cool, damp basements and drains. Where the bait goes, and what entry work is needed, depends on which one you have. Sticky monitors set along the walls show where activity is heaviest.
Step 2
Bait the Harbourage
Gel bait and a growth regulator go into the cracks where cockroaches hide: behind and under appliances, in motor housings, inside cabinets and around pipes where they enter the wall. Many small placements work better than a few large ones. Where a residual spray is also used, it goes into cracks away from the bait, because cockroaches avoid bait that has been sprayed.
Step 3
Cut Off Food and Water
Bait works best when there is little else to eat, so you get a short list for the kitchen: food sealed away, garbage out daily, grease and crumbs cleaned from under the appliances, leaks fixed. Gaps around pipes and cracks in walls get sealed, and floor drains should be kept full of water.
Step 4
Return for the Hatch
The follow-up visit is part of the job. Egg cases keep hatching after the first visit, each German cockroach case releasing 30 to 40 young, and those nymphs reach adulthood in 50 to 60 days. The return visit checks and refreshes the bait and catches that hatch before it can breed.

BITES AND STINGS

Do Cockroaches Bite?

Biting is not how cockroaches cause harm. They are night-time scavengers that will eat almost anything, and they run for cover when disturbed. The health concern is what they leave behind. Health Canada says cockroaches contaminate food and spread disease by walking over food and food preparation areas and leaving droppings there, and that people with asthma can react to their droppings and body parts. If someone in the home has asthma that seems worse since the roaches showed up, talk to your doctor, or call Health811 at 811 to talk to a registered nurse.

RISKS AND DAMAGE

Are Cockroaches Dangerous?

Cockroaches spoil food and the surfaces it touches. They walk over and leave droppings on food, dishes and counters, carry bacteria, and give off a foul-smelling secretion that can taint food and linger on dishes. They chew through paper and cardboard, so a cardboard box does not protect food from them. Their droppings and shed body parts build up in hiding spots as allergens, a problem for anyone with asthma. In apartment buildings they move from unit to unit, so one unit's problem can become the building's.

One roach by a drain is worth watching; repeated sightings, droppings or egg cases mean a breeding population that needs professional treatment.

CAUSES

Why You Have Cockroaches

Cockroaches need warmth, water, food and tight places to hide, and kitchens and bathrooms offer all four. German cockroaches live entirely indoors, so they arrive by being carried in, as roaches or egg cases, on used furniture, groceries, bottles or shipping boxes. American and Oriental cockroaches more often come up from basements, drains and sewers. In apartments, they also move in from the unit next door.

What Draws Them In

Crumbs, grease and spills, especially under and behind the stove and fridge
Pet food and water left out all day
Food stored in paper bags or cardboard
Garbage left out instead of sealed and taken out
Dripping taps, sweating pipes and damp basements
Clutter, boxes and stacks of paper to hide in

How They Get In

Used furniture, appliances and shipping boxes
Grocery bags and returnable bottles
Floor drains with dried-out traps
Gaps around pipes, heating ducts and grates in shared walls
Poorly sealed doors

HABITS

Life Cycle and Habits

Habitat

Cockroaches spend the day packed into cracks. A German cockroach spends about three-quarters of its life in gaps under 5 mm wide, close to food and water. German cockroaches live in kitchens and bathrooms; Oriental and American cockroaches in damp basements, crawl spaces and sewers; brown-banded cockroaches in warmer, drier and higher spots such as ceilings and furniture.

Diet

Almost anything. They prefer starches, sugars and protein, will sip milk, pop or beer left in bottles, and will feed on book bindings and dead insects. That is why Health Canada pairs cleaning with treatment, and why bait works best once other food is cleaned up.

Life Cycle

Cockroaches go through three stages: egg, nymph and adult. The eggs develop inside a bean-shaped case. A German cockroach female carries hers with her, each case releases 30 to 40 nymphs, and they grow into adults in 50 to 60 days at room temperature, so a new generation can be ready in about 100 days. American and Oriental cockroaches are much slower, taking around 600 days to mature, but adult American cockroaches live 1 to 2 years. Brown-banded females fasten their egg cases to walls, ceilings and other protected spots.

Seasonal Behaviour in Ontario

German cockroaches live entirely indoors in Ontario, so they keep breeding all year in heated buildings, winter included. There is no off-season to wait out. American and Oriental cockroaches stay in the warm, damp parts of buildings and sewers, with Oriental cockroaches favouring cooler spots near ground level. Ontario's native wood cockroaches live outdoors in leaf litter and debris.

PREVENTION

How to Keep Cockroaches Out

Clean up spills and crumbs right away, including under and behind the stove, fridge and dishwasher.
Store food in sealed glass or hard plastic containers, not paper bags or cardboard boxes.
Pick up pet food and water overnight instead of leaving them out all day.
Keep garbage in a sealed container and take it out daily.
Fix dripping taps and sweating pipes, and keep floor drain traps filled with water.
Vacuum often, with a HEPA filter if anyone in the home has asthma.
Check used furniture, appliances and shipping boxes before bringing them inside.
Seal cracks in walls and around pipes, and screen heating ducts and grates.
Clear clutter: piles of paper, bags and boxes give cockroaches places to hide.

How to Get Rid of Cockroaches: DIY or a Professional?

A single roach near a door or drain does not always mean an infestation, and store-bought bait stations placed close to where you saw it can handle a small problem. Use bait rather than bug bombs: foggers do not reach the cracks where cockroaches hide, and spraying near bait makes roaches avoid it. Check that any product has a PCP number and follow the label. If you see roaches in daylight, keep finding droppings or egg cases, or bait has not cut their numbers within two or three weeks, call a professional.

Cockroaches in an Apartment or Condo

Cockroaches move between units through shared walls, pipes and ducts, so treating one apartment on its own may not be enough; in apartment buildings the whole structure may need treatment. In Toronto, the City's RentSafeTO rules cover rental buildings with three or more storeys and 10 or more units. Under those rules the landlord must take timely action to remove pests, hire a pest control operator licensed by Ontario's environment ministry, and stop pests spreading to other parts of the building.

Tell your landlord or property manager in writing as soon as you see roaches.
In a Toronto building covered by RentSafeTO, an area named in a pest complaint must be inspected within 72 hours.
Ask whether the units beside, above and below yours will be inspected and treated at the same time.
Before a treatment visit, clear out the kitchen cupboards and clean under the appliances so bait can go into the cracks.

WHY CHOOSE US

Why Ontario Homeowners Choose Sting Out

No Binding Contracts

Cancel anytime, with no lock-in and no pressure. If you keep us on, it should be because the work is getting results.

Integrated Pest Management

Inspection first, then targeted treatment with registered products used as the label directs. Your technician will advise on any precautions.

Ontario-Licensed Exterminators

Treatments are applied by technicians licensed under Ontario pesticide rules.

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Reviews

What GTA customers say

★★★★★Google review

Sting Out Pest Control helped me get rid of a pretty bad crawling insect problem in my office. They were friendly, easy to deal with, and explained everything clearly from the start. Instead of just spraying and leaving, they came up with a treatment plan that used different methods to get the problem under control. Over time, the infestation was completely gone. I now have them come by once a month for maintenance, and if anything small comes up, they take care of it right away before it becomes a bigger issue. It's been a great experience, and I have peace of mind knowing my office is protected. I would definitely recommend Sting Out Pest Control to anyone needing a reliable pest control company.

Review 1 of 7

COMMON QUESTIONS

Cockroach Control: Questions We Get

Why do cockroaches need a follow-up visit?

Because egg cases keep hatching after the first treatment. Each German cockroach case releases 30 to 40 nymphs, and they reach adulthood in 50 to 60 days. The follow-up visit checks and refreshes the bait and catches those nymphs before they can produce egg cases of their own.

Does treating one unit work in an apartment building?

Often not on its own. Cockroaches travel between units through shared walls, plumbing and ducts, so an untreated neighbouring unit can re-seed the one that was treated. In apartment buildings the whole structure may need treatment, so ask the property manager to have the units beside, above and below yours inspected at the same time. We can coordinate with the property manager so the units are treated together.

How did I get cockroaches in a clean house?

Cockroaches and their egg cases ride in on used furniture, appliances, groceries, returnable bottles and shipping boxes, or come through shared walls from a neighbour. A clean kitchen does not stop them arriving, but it makes them much easier to control, because bait works best when there is little else to eat.

How much does a cockroach exterminator cost?

There is no flat price, because the cost depends on what the inspection finds: which species, how many rooms and hiding spots are involved, whether it is a house, an apartment or a business, and whether neighbouring units need treatment too. Call or send the quote form and we will price it once we know what you are dealing with.

Can I get rid of cockroaches overnight?

No. Sprays and bug bombs kill the roaches out in the open, but foggers do not reach the cracks where most of them hide, and egg cases keep hatching after the first treatment. Bait has to be eaten and shared, and the follow-up visit catches the hatch. Plan on weeks, not a night.

Do you treat restaurants and other businesses?

Yes. Cockroach treatment is available for homes, apartments and businesses, including commercial kitchens, where bait goes behind and under kitchen equipment and into motor housings rather than onto food surfaces.

Sources

Last updated October 20, 2026

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Cockroach Control Across Toronto, Oakville & the GTA

We treat cockroaches in homes and businesses throughout Toronto and Southern Ontario.

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