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Are Cockroaches Active During the Day?

Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Cockroaches are typically less active during the day. They prefer to move about at night, and they shy away from both natural and artificial light. For example, if a person enters a darkened room that is infested with roaches and turns on the light, he is likely to see them scatter and hide. Roaches will typically hide under any available structure, including appliances, boxes, and trashcans, until the lights are turned off once more.

Though cockroaches do prefer to move about at night and under the cover of darkness, they will explore during the daylight hours if there is little activity from humans and other animals. For example, it is not unheard of for someone to enter a kitchen or bathroom during the day and find a cockroach or two exposed. Since they are attracted to water, they can often be found lurking around sinks, pipes, bathtubs, and toilets.

Cockroaches are most active at night.
Cockroaches are most active at night.

In an effort to get rid of cockroaches, people often try to sniff out their hiding places during daylight hours. The best places to look include under appliances, such as stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines. They may also hide under, in, and around trash cans, especially those that are used for garbage as opposed to paper trash. However, since roaches are capable of eating just about anything, including paper products, wastepaper baskets should not be overlooked as potential hiding places.

Popular spots for cockroaches may include trash cans.
Popular spots for cockroaches may include trash cans.

Another typical place to catch cockroaches during the day is inside a closet. It is not uncommon to find cockroaches hiding in shoes and hats. They can be found in the corners of closets, both at floor level and ceiling level. If a closet is both damp and dark, roaches are even more likely to take shelter there during the daylight hours. Even dresser drawers are used as hiding places.

Cockroaches may be found in closets during daytime hours.
Cockroaches may be found in closets during daytime hours.

Cockroaches are also known to spend time in kitchen cabinets. They can be found hiding in cracks, crevices, and corners of cabinets that contain food products as well as those that simply hold dishes and eating utensils. Another dark hiding space is a diaper pail. Roaches are often just as attracted to diaper containers as they are trash cans.

Although cockroaches are usually nocturnal, they may be seen more frequently during the day if a house has a major infestation. For some reason, cockroaches seem to feel safer venturing out when there are large numbers of them within a property. Additionally, the Asian cockroach is one species of cockroach that is attracted to light.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are cockroaches primarily nocturnal or can they be active during the day?

Kitchen cabinets are popular places for cockroaches.
Kitchen cabinets are popular places for cockroaches.

Cockroaches are predominantly nocturnal creatures. They prefer to forage for food and water under the cover of darkness. However, seeing cockroaches during the day can be a sign of infestation, as it suggests overcrowding and competition for resources, forcing some individuals to venture out when they typically would not.

What might cause cockroaches to be active during daylight hours?

An American cockroach, which is sometimes called a palmetto bug.
An American cockroach, which is sometimes called a palmetto bug.

Several factors can drive cockroaches to be active during the day, including overcrowding, scarcity of food, and disturbances to their hiding places. If their population outgrows the available space or if there's a shortage of resources, cockroaches may risk daylight exposure to meet their needs.

How does light affect cockroach activity?

Cockroaches are negatively phototactic, meaning they instinctively avoid light. This behavior helps them evade predators and maintain moisture by staying in dark, humid environments. Sudden exposure to light often triggers a flight response, sending them scurrying for cover.

Can cockroach activity during the day indicate an infestation?

Cockroaches may be found lurking behind toilets.
Cockroaches may be found lurking behind toilets.

Yes, daytime activity can be a strong indicator of an infestation. Cockroaches typically avoid light and have plenty of food sources at night. Daytime sightings, especially frequent ones, suggest a large population where competition forces some cockroaches to forage during less ideal times.

What are the peak activity hours for cockroaches?

Cockroaches are most active during the night, particularly a few hours after sunset and just before dawn. This is when they search for food and mates. Their peak activity aligns with the time when human activity is at its lowest, reducing the chances of encounters and disturbances.

How can I reduce daytime cockroach activity in my home?

To reduce daytime cockroach activity, eliminate food and water sources by keeping your home clean, storing food in sealed containers, and fixing leaks. Regularly inspect and seal potential entry points and hiding places. Consider using baits, traps, or professional pest control services to manage an existing infestation effectively.

Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a AllThingsNature writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.

Learn more...
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a AllThingsNature writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

leungngan

Can Asian cockroaches climb a vertical pipe with little moisture?

leungngan

Actually, are Asian cockroaches afraid of daylight? If they're not afraid of daylight, then what color of light are they afraid of ? Is it yellow light?

whiteplane

I struggled with a cockroach problem for months before I finally decided to perform an attack on all fronts. I did everything I possibly could to kill cockroaches in my house.

I caulked up any cracks I could find in cabinets, baseboards and appliances.

I put glue traps around my baseboards where cockroaches like to run.

I put down a different kind of trap that poisons the roach as it runs across. The roach is then supposed to carry the poison back to the nest.

Finally I fogged my house with a substance that promised to kill roaches and other pests.

I'm glad to say it worked! It was a lot of money and work, but I haven't seen a roach since. I've got my fingers crossed that I never will.

backdraft

I used to live in an apartment with a terrible cockroach problem and let me tell you, cockroaches are active during the day.

I would see a lot more at night of course, but even during the day it was not uncommon to see at least a few scurrying around. And if I picked up a piece of furniture I could bet on finding at least a few lurking in the dark.

Its a creepy idea, but they really were harmless. I did everything I could to get rid of those cockroaches but they really never caused me any problems.

Bertie68

Some states have a large population of cockroaches. They may not live long, but the females lay many eggs and life goes on.

What is the best way to control cockroaches? Over use of pesticides in the home is not healthy for humans. What safer methods can be used?

There are some things you can do to keep cockroaches out of your house - seal all openings like around pipes going into the house, check anything like groceries, to make sure there are no cockroaches.

Inside your house, get rid of moisture and standing water, keep the bathroom and kitchen clean, and get rid of any food out in the open.

You will probably still have to use some pesticides and baits to control cockroaches. But, using non-toxic methods is a good thing.

PinkLady4

I can chuckle about the menace of cockroaches in the house. That's because I live in a part of the country where they don't usually hang out.

I know that, at times, they are out during the day. Once when our family was in Florida on vacation, we had just arrived at our motel. I gave my eight year old daughter an ice bucket and asked her to go down and get some ice.

The next thing I knew, she came breathlessly running back and said there was a six inch cockroach in the tray of the ice machine. She was ready to leave Florida anytime.

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    • Cockroaches are most active at night.
      By: Wild Geese
      Cockroaches are most active at night.
    • Popular spots for cockroaches may include trash cans.
      By: theyok
      Popular spots for cockroaches may include trash cans.
    • Cockroaches may be found in closets during daytime hours.
      By: EPSTOCK
      Cockroaches may be found in closets during daytime hours.
    • Kitchen cabinets are popular places for cockroaches.
      By: 1506965
      Kitchen cabinets are popular places for cockroaches.
    • An American cockroach, which is sometimes called a palmetto bug.
      By: R_R
      An American cockroach, which is sometimes called a palmetto bug.
    • Cockroaches may be found lurking behind toilets.
      By: afxhome
      Cockroaches may be found lurking behind toilets.