Cockroaches in Bedroom: Why They Appear and How to Keep Them Out of Your Room

TL;DR

• Check which roach you have. German cockroaches in a bedroom often mean the population elsewhere has grown large, while brown-banded cockroaches are most at home in bedrooms.
• Keep food out of the room: avoid eating in bed, and take dishes, cups and snack wrappers out every night.
• Cut the clutter. Store clothes and keepsakes in sealed plastic bins instead of cardboard boxes, and keep the space under the bed clear.
• Caulk cracks, crevices and pipe openings (Health Canada), and inspect secondhand furniture and electronics before they enter your bedroom.
• Roaches already in the room? Use baits, not sprays or foggers, which may disperse roaches to other areas without killing them (UC IPM).
• Need help? Get a quote from a recommended local exterminator through Pest Agent's referral form.

Spotting cockroaches in your bedroom feels worse than finding one by the sink, since this is the room where you sleep with the lights off and your guard down. Roaches in a bedroom are rarely random, though: where they turn up and which species you see point to where the colony lives and how it got in.

Keeping them out of this room comes down to a few habits: no food by the bed, less clutter, sealed cracks and a close look at anything secondhand before it crosses the doorway. Sprays and foggers tend to scatter roaches into new hiding spots, so baits do the work once they are already inside.

A bedroom sighting can mean two very different problems: German cockroaches spilling over from a crowded kitchen, or brown-banded cockroaches that actually prefer warm, dry rooms.

Why Are There Cockroaches in Your Bedroom?

Cockroaches in your bedroom are there for the same three things as anywhere else in your home: food, water and shelter. According to Health Canada, they eat almost anything when hungry, are most active at night, and can go unnoticed for some time. Their presence does not necessarily mean your home is dirty. What matters most is which species you are seeing, because the answer changes what the bedroom sighting means.

German Cockroaches From the Kitchen

German cockroaches in a bedroom are often a sign that the population elsewhere has grown large. German cockroaches are among the most common household roaches in Canada, about 1.3 cm to 1.6 cm long, tan to light brown with two dark stripes behind the head (Health Canada). They normally stay in kitchens and bathrooms, close to food and water. The University of Kentucky notes that when populations are large or food is scarce, they show up in bedrooms and closets, and the Illinois Department of Public Health says German cockroaches in nonfood areas such as bedrooms may indicate a heavy infestation. If this is your situation, the kitchen is where the real work starts: see our guide to preventing roaches in the kitchen.

Brown-Banded Cockroaches

Brown-banded cockroaches are the species most at home in bedrooms. They are usually about 1/2 inch long (about 1.3 cm), with light tan bands across a reddish-brown body (University of Missouri Extension). Unlike German cockroaches, they do not need humid spots near the sink. They prefer warmth, around 80°F (about 27°C) according to UC IPM, and the University of Arizona Extension notes that they often settle behind pictures, on bookshelves, in furniture and in closets, especially in the bedroom. Females often glue their egg cases under furniture, in closets and on ceilings. Not sure which roach you have? Our cockroach identifier walks you through the main Canadian species.

Roaches Brought In on Furniture and Electronics

Roaches often reach a bedroom inside the things you carry into it. Health Canada lists used furniture and shipping cartons as common ways cockroaches and their egg cases get into homes, and UC IPM adds that appliances, boxes and items that were in storage may also carry them. Brown-banded cockroaches in particular often travel inside infested furniture, electronics and small appliances (Orkin). A secondhand dresser, a used TV or a box from a storage unit can bring them straight into your room.

Does One Roach Mean an Infestation?

One roach in your bedroom does not always mean an infestation, but it is worth checking. Cockroaches hide during the day and come out at night, so the one you see is rarely alone. Look for dark speckling (droppings), egg cases and shed skins in drawers, closets and corners. Our guide to the signs of a cockroach infestation explains what to look for.

Cockroaches or Bed Bugs?

Cockroaches seldom gather on beds the way bed bugs do, according to the University of Kentucky. Cockroach droppings can look like the dark spotting bed bugs leave, so where you find the spots matters: roach signs turn up in drawers, closets, furniture and electronics rather than on the mattress itself. If your signs are concentrated on the bed, read our guide to bed bug infestations.

Health Effects in the Bedroom

Cockroaches in the room where you sleep matter for your health. Health Canada notes that people with asthma may react to cockroach droppings and body parts, and UC IPM identifies indoor infestations as a source of allergens and a risk factor for asthma in children. Montreal public health adds that having cockroaches can cause anxiety and sleep problems.

Where Do Roaches Hide in Your Bedroom?

Roaches in a bedroom hide in warm, dark, tight spots, often off the floor. German cockroaches can squeeze into a crack 1/16 inch wide (about 1.6 mm), according to UC IPM, and brown-banded roaches tend to like the higher, warmer parts of a room. Check these places first.

Picture Frames

Picture frames are one of the classic hiding spots for brown-banded cockroaches. University of Missouri Extension lists the backs of picture frames, clocks, mirrors and other objects hung on walls as possible spots, and Orkin adds loose wallpaper and the upper parts of door frames.

Electronics

Electronics give roaches the warmth they look for. The Illinois Department of Public Health notes that brown-banded roaches often like the warmth of electronics, light fixtures and ceilings. In a bedroom, check TVs, gaming consoles, alarm clocks, lamps and power bars.

Dresser Drawers

Dresser drawers, especially their upper corners, are on University of Missouri Extension's checklist of places to inspect. Pull drawers fully out and look at the inside of the frame and the underside of each drawer, where egg cases may be glued.

Closets

Closets are dark, rarely disturbed and often full of boxes, which makes them ideal shelter. Check shelves, the corners near the ceiling, shoe racks, laundry baskets and any cardboard boxes stored on the floor.

Furniture

Furniture such as nightstands, desks, headboards and bookcases offers dozens of joints and gaps. UC IPM mentions that hollow furniture legs can hide them, and University of Missouri Extension lists the undersides of tables and chairs, as well as bookcases and books.

How to Check Your Bedroom

Checking your bedroom works best at night with a flashlight, when roaches are active. The Illinois Department of Public Health recommends a good flashlight and a small mirror to see into gaps. Then place sticky traps where the floor meets the wall, beside the bed, inside the closet and behind the dresser. UC IPM notes that cockroaches are often caught within the first 24 hours, so check the traps daily for several days: the traps that catch the most show you where roaches are coming from. For more places to look in the rest of the house, see how to find cockroaches and their hiding spots.

How to Prevent Cockroaches in Your Bedroom

Preventing cockroaches in your bedroom means taking away food, hiding places and ways in. These habits work for both German and brown-banded cockroaches, and they also make any bait you use more effective, because there is less else to eat.

Food in the Bedroom

Food in the bedroom is the easiest thing to remove. Avoid eating in bed, take dishes, cups and snack wrappers out of the room every night, and keep any snacks in sealed plastic or glass containers, as Health Canada advises, never in paper bags or cardboard. Clean up spills right away, including sugary drinks on a nightstand.

Clutter

Clutter gives roaches more hiding places than any piece of furniture. UC IPM recommends removing piles of paper, cardboard boxes and other clutter. Store out-of-season clothes and keepsakes in sealed plastic bins instead of cardboard boxes, and keep the space under the bed clear.

Vacuuming

Vacuuming often can help remove crumbs, droppings and egg cases before they become a problem (Health Canada). Go along baseboards, under the bed, inside the closet and around the dresser. UC IPM recommends a vacuum with a HEPA filter, because shed skins and droppings can become airborne and trigger allergies.

Moisture Control

Moisture control matters even in a bedroom, especially in a basement bedroom or one next to a bathroom. Health Canada suggests repairing leaks, insulating pipes that drip with condensation, and ventilating or dehumidifying damp areas.

Sealing Cracks

Sealing cracks closes the routes roaches use to move between rooms. Health Canada recommends caulking cracks, crevices and pipe openings, and covering vents with fine mesh screens. Pay attention to gaps along baseboards, around heating pipes and radiators, and around cable or wire openings.

Secondhand Furniture and Electronics

Secondhand furniture and electronics should be inspected before they enter your bedroom. Alberta Health advises checking used appliances and furniture before bringing them in, and it can help to crush any egg cases you find. Look under drawers, inside joints and in the vents of electronics before the item goes into your room.

Scented Repellents

Scented repellents such as peppermint oil or vinegar are not a reliable way to keep roaches out of a bedroom. No Canadian health authority recommends them, and Health Canada warns that homemade pesticide recipes are not tested for safety or effectiveness. They can even work against you: an Auburn University study reportedly found that German cockroaches ate less bait placed on surfaces treated with mint oil. If you are curious about what the research says, see our guide to cockroach repellents. For prevention in the rest of your home, read our guide on how to prevent cockroaches.

What Should You Do About Roaches Already in Your Bedroom?

Roaches already in your bedroom call for baits, not sprays, plus cleaning of the items they hide in. Health Canada is clear that pesticides alone will not succeed without the cleaning and prevention steps above, so keep those going while you treat.

Bait Stations

Bait stations are the safest product to use near where you sleep. They hold the insecticide inside a closed, tamper-resistant case, and Health Canada says they kill cockroaches about 48 to 96 hours after they eat the bait. Place them along walls, behind the dresser and inside the closet, out of reach of children and pets. Choose a product that lists cockroaches on the label and shows a PCP number, which means it is registered by Health Canada. For tested options, see our picks for the best cockroach killer.

Gel Baits

Gel baits, which the University of Kentucky calls often more versatile than bait stations, can reach cracks such as gaps behind a headboard or along a closet shelf. The Illinois Department of Public Health recommends small drops, not thick lines. Give baits time: UC IPM notes that a bait program may take 7 days or longer to show results, and that brown-banded cockroaches are especially hard to control with baits, so keep checking your sticky traps.

Insecticide Dusts

Insecticide dusts such as diatomaceous earth are effective when applied to voids and other out-of-the-way places, UC IPM notes, usually as thin layers of powder rather than sprays (boric acid dust is now registered only for professional use in Canada). UC IPM notes that boric acid is not repellent and keeps working for a long time as long as it stays dry. Health Canada warns that diatomaceous earth should not be breathed in during application, and Penn State Extension notes that boric acid can present a hazard to children. In a bedroom, use dusts only in wall voids and gaps that children and pets cannot reach, never on bedding or open floors.

Why Sprays and Foggers Backfire

Sprays and foggers backfire because they scatter roaches instead of killing the colony. UC IPM advises avoiding foggers, bug bombs and aerosol sprays, which may push cockroaches into other areas without killing them. In a bedroom, that can mean roaches moving deeper into walls, electronics and furniture, which makes them harder to reach.

Cleaning Infested Items

Cleaning infested items removes roaches and egg cases that baits cannot reach. Health Canada recommends:

• Steam cleaning items that heat and moisture will not damage
• Freezing small infested items for at least 24 hours, preferably up to a week, at -8°C
• Emptying the vacuum bag into soapy water to destroy roaches and egg cases

Once the roaches are gone, wash bedding and other fabrics, and vacuum the floor and furniture.

When to Call a Pest Control Professional

Calling a pest control professional makes sense when roaches keep showing up in your bedroom after a few weeks of baiting, when you find brown-banded cockroaches in several rooms, or when German cockroaches in the bedroom point to a heavy infestation in the kitchen. Alberta Health notes that a certified professional may need several visits over days or weeks, and that you should mention children or pets in the home. You can get a quote from a recommended local exterminator through Pest Agent's referral form.

How Do You Keep Roaches Out of a Bedroom in an Apartment?

Roaches in an apartment bedroom often come from neighbouring units through shared walls and pipes. That means your own habits help, but the building also needs to act.

Shared Walls and Pipes

Shared walls and pipes are the main highways between apartments. The University of Kentucky recommends sealing plumbing and wire openings with caulk, foam or copper mesh, and the Illinois Department of Public Health points to gaps around pipes under sinks. In a bedroom, check around radiator pipes, baseboard heaters and cable openings, and seal what you can.

Telling Your Landlord

Telling your landlord early is the most important step for renters. In Alberta, landlords are generally required by law to keep rental homes pest-free, and if a landlord does not act, you can call Safe Healthy Environments at 1-833-476-4743 (Alberta Health). In Montreal, public health advises notifying the owner right away, then sending a registered letter, and calling 311 if nothing is done within a reasonable time. If a treatment is scheduled, follow the preparation sheet: Montreal's housing authority asks tenants not to use vinegar, bleach or insecticides before the exterminator comes, and UC IPM notes that insecticide sprays do not provide long-term control. For more help, visit our cockroach hub.