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Roach Prevention: A Recent Job & Some Homeowner Tips

Category: Holiday

Published: 01 Sep, 2026

By Rick, Owner, Ace Ventura Pest & Wildlife Control

What I Walked Into

September is when I still get plenty of calls about roaches around Greater Sacramento. The weather is warm, and roaches are still active around homes looking for food, water, and places where they can stay hidden.

Earlier this month, a homeowner called after seeing a couple of roaches in the kitchen late at night. The first one showed up near the sink, and a few nights later they spotted another one running behind the refrigerator.

They had cleaned the kitchen, taken the trash out, and even sprayed around the baseboards, but another roach showed up a few days later. That was when they decided there was probably more going on than what they could see.

When I arrived, I started in the kitchen and checked the areas where roaches usually stay hidden.

Behind the refrigerator, I found droppings and some activity near the wall. Under the sink, there was moisture around one of the plumbing connections. I also found a small gap where the pipes entered the cabinet.

There was not a huge infestation, but there was enough activity to show that the problem was established and needed to be addressed.

The Problem

Roaches are good at staying out of sight. If someone starts seeing them regularly, especially during the daytime, there can be more activity hiding behind appliances, inside cabinets, or around plumbing.

In this home, the biggest issue was the combination of moisture and easy access to food. The small leak under the sink was providing water, while crumbs and grease behind the stove and refrigerator gave them something to feed on.

I also found a few gaps around plumbing lines and along the lower cabinets that gave them protected places to move around.

The homeowner told me they had started checking the kitchen every time they came downstairs at night. Even though they had only seen a handful of roaches, they were worried about how many might be hiding where they could not see them.

The Process

I started by focusing on the areas where I had found signs of activity rather than treating the entire kitchen without a reason.

I used targeted treatments around the cabinets, plumbing areas, and behind the appliances where the roaches had been moving. I also placed bait in specific locations so it could reach roaches that were staying hidden.

We pulled the refrigerator and stove out enough to clean the food and grease that had collected underneath and behind them. I showed the homeowner the moisture under the sink and recommended getting the plumbing connection tightened so the area could stay dry.

I also pointed out the gaps around the pipes and lower cabinets that needed to be sealed.

Throughout the job, I explained what I was finding and why each step mattered. With roaches, treating what you see is only part of the job. You also have to deal with the food, water, and hiding places that are allowing them to stay.

The Outcome

Over the next few days, the homeowner noticed the activity dropping off.

When I followed up, they told me they had not seen any new roaches around the sink or counters. They had also cleaned behind the appliances and taken care of the small plumbing issue under the sink.

The biggest difference was that they stopped worrying every time they walked into the kitchen at night. Before the treatment, they had gotten into the habit of turning the lights on and immediately checking the floor and counters.

Once the activity stopped, the kitchen started feeling normal again.

They also understood why the problem had developed in the first place. It was not because the house was dirty. A few small food and moisture sources in hidden areas were enough to give roaches what they needed.

"It's brighter than before!"

— Megan

DIY Advice

Before I left, I gave the homeowner a few simple things to stay on top of:

1. Wipe down counters and clean up food spills before going to bed.

2. Check under sinks regularly for leaks or moisture.

3. Keep dry food and pet food in sealed containers.

4. Take kitchen trash out regularly and keep the bin covered.

5. Clean behind the stove and refrigerator from time to time.

6. Seal gaps around plumbing lines, cabinets, doors, and other obvious entry points.

I also recommended avoiding heavy use of store-bought sprays when roaches are already established. Spraying the ones you see may kill a few, but it does not necessarily reach the activity hiding behind cabinets or appliances.

The homeowner kept up with the cleaning and moisture control after the treatment, and that helped keep the kitchen from giving roaches another easy food or water source.

Professional Insight

Roach prevention around Greater Sacramento usually comes down to removing the things that allow them to survive unnoticed.

Food, moisture, warmth, and small hiding places can keep roaches around even in a home that is cleaned regularly. That is why I spend time checking behind appliances, under sinks, around plumbing, and inside cabinets instead of only looking at open areas.

Homeowners can do a lot with good cleaning, food storage, moisture control, and sealing gaps. But if roaches keep returning after those changes, there may already be activity in areas that are difficult to reach.

At that point, finding where they are hiding and using targeted treatment usually works better than repeatedly spraying the roaches that happen to come out.

Closing Thoughts

A lot of roach calls I get start with someone seeing one in the kitchen and hoping it was the only one.

Sometimes it is. But if you start seeing them repeatedly, it is worth checking what might be happening behind the appliances, cabinets, and plumbing.

If you are in Greater Sacramento and roaches keep showing up around your kitchen, bathroom, garage, or other parts of the home, catching the problem early can make it much easier to handle.