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Roach Prevention: A Recent Job & Some Homeowner Tips

Category: Holiday

Published: 01 September, 2026

By Erick, Owner, Pestmaster

What We Walked Into

September is when I start hearing from more homeowners about roaches around Greater San Angelo and Midland.

Most of those calls don't start with someone seeing roaches everywhere.

Usually, it's one in the kitchen late at night. Then another one a few days later. After that, people start wondering how many they aren't seeing.

Earlier this month, a homeowner in San Angelo called after finding a couple of roaches around the kitchen. The first one was near the sink late at night, and a few days later they spotted another one when they turned the kitchen light on early in the morning.

That's when they decided to call.

When I got there, the home was clean and well looked after. That's something I always point out because people sometimes assume a roach problem automatically means a dirty house. It doesn't.

Once I started looking more closely, I found activity underneath the sink, behind the refrigerator, and around a small gap where plumbing entered the wall.

There was also a slow drip underneath the kitchen sink that was keeping part of the cabinet damp.

It wasn't a huge infestation, but there was enough activity to know the two roaches they'd seen weren't the whole story.

The Problem

Roaches are good at staying out of sight.

That's one of the reasons a small problem can go unnoticed for a while.

They tend to hide in dark, tight areas during the day and come out looking for food and water when the house gets quiet.

In this home, the kitchen was giving them several things they needed.

The small leak underneath the sink provided moisture. There were a few crumbs and bits of food underneath the refrigerator that were difficult to reach during normal cleaning, and the gaps around the plumbing gave them protected places to move between the cabinet and wall.

None of these things seemed like a big deal on their own.

Together, they created a pretty comfortable environment for roaches.

The homeowner told me the worst part was walking into the kitchen at night.

After seeing those first couple of roaches, they had started turning the light on and looking around before walking across the room.

That's usually when a pest problem starts affecting people more than they expect.

It's not only about seeing a roach.

It's about wondering where the next one is going to show up.

The Process

The first thing I did was figure out where the activity was concentrated.

With roaches, I don't want to randomly treat the entire house if the problem is centered around a few specific areas.

I checked underneath the sink, behind appliances, inside lower cabinets, around plumbing lines, and along the edges of the kitchen.

Once I understood where they were hiding and moving, I could focus the treatment where it would actually matter.

I used targeted treatments in the areas showing activity, especially around the kitchen and the protected spaces roaches were using.

We pulled the refrigerator forward and cleaned underneath it as well. There wasn't a huge amount of food back there, but roaches don't need much.

Finally, we went over the gaps around the plumbing and a couple of other small openings that could be sealed once the active problem was under control.

At Pestmaster, that's always an important part of how I look at roach problems. Treatment matters, but so does removing the food, moisture, and hiding places that allowed the problem to develop.

The Outcome

The homeowner started noticing a difference within the first few days.

The activity dropped quickly, and by the time I checked back in, they weren't seeing roaches around the sink or kitchen at night anymore.

They had stopped checking the kitchen every time they turned the light on.

That's a small thing until you're the person doing it every night.

Once they weren't thinking about where the next roach might appear, the kitchen just felt like their kitchen again.

They also stayed on top of cleaning underneath appliances and keeping food stored properly, which helped remove some of the things that had made the area attractive in the first place.

DIY Advice

If you're starting to notice roaches around your home, there are a few things I recommend doing right away.

1. Keep sinks and counters dry overnight whenever possible. Roaches need moisture, and even small leaks or damp areas can keep them around.

2. Clean underneath and behind appliances occasionally. Crumbs and grease can build up in places normal daily cleaning doesn't reach.

3. Store pantry foods and pet food in sealed containers instead of leaving open bags or boxes accessible.

4. Check underneath sinks for slow leaks and moisture. If you find one, get it repaired instead of letting the area stay damp.

5. Take garbage out regularly and keep trash cans clean, especially if food waste sits in them overnight.

The biggest thing is consistency.

You don't need a spotless house every minute of the day. You just want to make food, water, and hiding places harder for roaches to find.

"It's brighter than before!"

— Megan

Professional Insight

One thing I always remind homeowners is that seeing one or two roaches doesn't necessarily tell you how much activity is actually there.

Roaches spend most of their time hidden.

Around Greater San Angelo and Midland, I pay close attention to kitchens, bathrooms, plumbing areas, appliances, cabinets, and anywhere moisture tends to collect.

Store-bought products may kill the roach you can see, but that doesn't necessarily reach the activity hidden behind cabinets, appliances, or walls.

Finding those hiding areas and removing the conditions supporting them is usually what makes the biggest difference long-term.