Austin, TX and 25 more cities
Cockroach control
German roaches, American roaches. Handled at the source and sealed out for good.
Quick answers
Cockroach control in Central Texas: the quick facts
The big outdoor roaches peak June to September in Central Texas. German cockroaches live indoors permanently and have no season at all. A monthly plan from $66 is prevention. An infestation already running needs the $449 clean-out first, which is two treatments thirty days apart.
- Peak window
- June to September
- Hot and humid is the exact brief for the big outdoor species.
- The exception
- German cockroaches
- Indoors permanently, so no season touches them. Theirs never ease off in winter.
- Clean-out
- $449
- Two treatments, 30 days apart, for an infestation that is already established.
- Prevention
- From $66/month
- What keeps them from settling back in once the clean-out is done.
Written by the Bastion Pest Control service team · Licensed & insured in Texas · Last updated
Roaches in Central Texas.
Austin has two main offenders. The American cockroach wanders in from outside. The German cockroach moves in and starts a family, fast.
One German roach becomes thousands in a season, which is a math problem nobody wants. Store-bought sprays just push them deeper into the walls. Treating the source is the only thing that works.
Seasonal pattern
When cockroaches peak in Central Texas.
Cockroaches in Central Texas are really two separate problems wearing the same name. The big ones you meet in the garage at midnight live outdoors and only come inside when the weather turns against them, which is most of the summer. German cockroaches never go outside at all, so the season means nothing to them. Same word, completely different job.
- Peak window
- June to September
- Hot and humid is the exact brief for the big outdoor species. Four solid months of them trying the back door.
- What pushes them in
- Heat and drought
- When the yard dries out they come looking for water, and your kitchen is basically an oasis with a fridge.
- The exception
- German cockroaches
- Indoors permanently, so no season touches them. If yours never ease off in winter, this is very likely why.
Warning signs
What roaches leave in a kitchen.
Droppings that look like coffee grounds
Roach egg cases behind the fridge or range
Small tan roaches with two stripes behind the fridge
Big reddish roaches on the porch after dark
Size tells us most of it. Big and reddish walked in from outside and is a sealing job. Small, tan and striped is a German roach breeding indoors, and that is a clean-out. Call 843-480-8699 with a description and we can usually say which one you have and whether it needs same-day attention.
How we get rid of cockroaches.
Inspect
We find harborage points: appliances, drains, wall voids.
Treat
Gel baits and targeted treatment where roaches live and breed.
Protect
Entry sealing and exterior barrier so they never return.
Which roach have you actually got?
Every photo here came off a real service visit around the Austin metro. Identifying the species is not a nice-to-have with roaches. It decides whether you are keeping outdoor ones out or breaking a breeding cycle indoors, and those are two completely different jobs.
Big, reddish, and parked by the pipe gap. This is the one everyone calls a palmetto bug, and damp under a sink is its favorite address.
Small, tan, two dark stripes behind the head. Several of them plus droppings means they are breeding back there, not just passing through.
This is what a few unbothered months looks like. Numbers at this level need a proper baiting program, because a can of spray will only scatter them.
Have a look at the water stain right next to it. A roach on the ceiling is usually a plumbing story before it is a pest story.
Hanging around the porch light where the big ones spend their evenings. From here it is one propped-open door away from being an indoor problem.
A cluster tucked into the crawl space. Warm, damp and undisturbed is the entire shopping list, and this is where your indoor sightings come from.
Photographs by the Bastion Pest Control service team. The quick rule: small and tan with two stripes is a German cockroach breeding indoors, and anything big and reddish has almost certainly walked in from outside. Not sure? Text a photo to 843-480-8699 and we will tell you which one it is.
Pest-Free Guarantee
They come back? So do we, free.
Free re-treatments between scheduled visits on any recurring plan.
Prevention and a clean-out are two different jobs.
The monthly plan is maintenance. It keeps roaches from settling in and it handles the occasional stray. It is not built to clear an infestation that is already established. If you are seeing roaches regularly, start with the clean-out and let the plan hold the line afterwards.
| General pest planPrevention | Cockroach clean-outInfestation | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is for | Keeping roaches from settling in | Clearing an infestation that is already running |
| Right for you if | You are not seeing roaches, or the clean-out is done | You are seeing roaches regularly, or seeing droppings |
| What you get | Ongoing visits on your recurring schedule | Two treatments, thirty days apart |
| Price | From $66 a month* | $449 total* |
| Other pests | Ants, spiders, scorpions, wasps and rodents too | Cockroach work only |
Most people who call us about roaches need the clean-out first. Once it is done, the monthly plan is what keeps them from coming back, and that is the order we recommend it in. Not sure which one you are? Call us and describe what you are seeing, and we will tell you straight.
* Starting price. Your exact number depends on home size, lot size and current pest pressure.
Cockroach control, answered straight.
What months are cockroaches worst in Central Texas?
For the big outdoor species, meaning American, smokybrown and oriental, the bad stretch runs from June through September. Warm and humid is exactly what they want, and a Central Texas summer delivers both for months on end. Activity climbs through spring, sits on a plateau all summer, then drops away through November. German cockroaches are the exception, because they live indoors permanently and hold steady every month of the year.
Why do I have roaches in winter?
Almost always because they are German cockroaches rather than the outdoor kind. Texas A&M is blunt about it: German cockroaches do not live outdoors in Texas. They spend their whole lives inside, where it stays around room temperature no matter what December is doing, so they breed straight through winter. If your roach problem never eases off in the cold months, that is a strong hint about which species you are dealing with, and it changes the treatment completely.
What is the difference between a German cockroach and a palmetto bug?
Size is the quick tell. Palmetto bug is the local nickname for the American cockroach, which is big, reddish brown and can top an inch and a half. Smokybrown cockroaches are a similar size and very common here. German cockroaches are much smaller, around half an inch, tan, with two dark stripes behind the head. The big ones wander in from outside. The small striped ones are breeding in your kitchen, and that is the more serious find.
Does drought make cockroaches worse?
It makes them worse indoors, yes. When the yard dries out, outdoor cockroaches go looking for water, and the nearest reliable supply is under your kitchen sink. Texas A&M AgriLife flagged exactly this pattern during the 2023 heat and drought, with pests moving indoors hunting food and water. A long dry spell in August will push more of them through the door than a wet one.
Do cockroaches mean my house is dirty?
Not with the outdoor species. American and smokybrown cockroaches come in from mulch beds, tree holes, attics and water meter boxes, and they will walk into a spotless house if there is a gap and a water source. German cockroaches are more closely tied to food and clutter, but they also arrive in grocery bags, boxes and secondhand appliances, so plenty of very clean homes get them. It is a building and moisture question far more often than a housekeeping one.
How much does cockroach control cost in the Austin area?
Two numbers, because there are two different jobs. Prevention is part of the recurring general pest plan, from $66 a month for a single-family home, and that covers roaches alongside ants, spiders, scorpions, wasps and rodents. Clearing an active infestation is a separate specialty job: two treatments thirty days apart, $449 in total. The monthly plan is what we recommend afterwards to hold the result. We confirm your exact price with a free on-site quote and there is no inspection fee.
More questions? Read the full FAQ or get a free quote.
Cockroach control where you live.
American roaches come up out of the storm drains in Austin and Round Rock, while the clay in Pflugerville and Hutto opens slab gaps every time the weather swings. German roaches ignore geography entirely. Here is the city-by-city version.
We service 26 cities and 83 ZIP codes with no travel fee anywhere. The service area page has every city and ZIP, plus a coverage map.
Answered 24 hours · Austin, TX
Ready to be done with it?
Quotes are free, there is no inspection fee, and the phone is answered around the clock. Same-day service is usually open across the metro.