Been helping homeowners deal with roach infestations for years. Here are the 3 mistakes I see over and over:

1. Spraying raid and calling it done.

Surface sprays kill the roaches you see. The ones you don't see? They're breeding behind your walls. You killed 5 and 500 survived. You need bait, not spray.

2. Not sealing entry points.

You can bait all day, but if your neighbor's roaches keep walking in through gaps under your door and around pipes, you're fighting an endless war. Caulk is your best friend.

3. Giving up after a week.

Roach elimination takes 2-4 weeks to fully cycle. The bait needs time to spread through the colony. Most people panic when they see MORE roaches after baiting — that actually means it's working. Dead roaches come out of hiding.

The full system — identification, elimination, and long-term prevention — is what actually works. That's exactly what I put together in Cockroach Busting.