Cockroach Control

Atlanta homeowners usually deal with one of two cockroach problems. The large roaches many Southerners call palmetto bugs or water bugs mostly live outdoors in mulch, leaf litter, gutters and crawlspaces, and wander inside, especially in hot, humid weather. The small German cockroach is an indoor pest that lives in kitchens and bathrooms and can spread through apartment buildings, used appliances and cardboard boxes. The treatment is very different for each, so the first question to answer is which one you have.

Large outdoor roaches usually respond to exterior treatment, sealing gaps around doors and pipes, and cutting back moisture and debris around the foundation. They're often covered by a general quarterly pest plan. A German cockroach infestation usually needs targeted interior work, such as baits, growth regulators and careful cleanup of food and grease, over more than one visit. In apartments and condos, it may also need coordination with neighbors or the property manager.

In Georgia, cockroach control falls under the structural Household Pest Control license (Category 29). Look the company up on the Georgia Department of Agriculture's license search, and expect a service record after each visit naming the product, its EPA registration number, the target pest and the areas treated. If you've already tried store-bought products, follow the label exactly, since EPA notes that using a pesticide inconsistently with its label violates federal law, and tell the company what you used and where.

Atlanta Pest Guide is a referral service published by Cornelia Cove LLC. Requests go to independent local pest control companies, which quote and carry out their own treatment plans.