Is 2 Roaches an Infestation? Let Me Explain…

Cockroaches are a well-known pest when it comes to constantly reproduce and infesting an entire home. With this in mind, it can be difficult to know what to look for to confirm a roach infestation.

Since it takes more than one cockroach to create a colony, is 2 roaches confirmation of an infestation?

It is impossible to know for sure if two sighted cockroaches in the home are a sign of an infestation. Seeing two roaches in the home could indicate stragglers looking to find a harborage or be part of an infestation. Searching dark corridors in the home and under appliances is the best way to confirm a roach infestation. 

This is certainly a valid question, but also a tricky one. It takes knowing a bit about cockroach mating and hiding habits to confirm an infestation. In this guide, we will explain more about 2 roaches and whether or not this means you have an infestation. Read on to find out more. 

Cockroach Mating Habits Explained

First and foremost, spotting two roaches in your house, either together or in different areas, is certainly a good enough cause to inspect your home. Let’s explore how each of these scenarios can point to an infestation. 

Two roaches moving through the house together is a sign that these two roaches are likely male and female and are about to reproduce.

But keep in mind that some species of larger roaches indoors may not mean these insects are specifically interested in infesting your home. When it comes to the interior, infesting cockroaches, here are the 5 most common:

• American cockroach. A large red and dark brown-tinted cockroach.
• German cockroach. A small cockroach with a dark brown top surface and light brown legs and underside.
• Oriental cockroach. A medium-sized cockroach with a black, ridged top surface and a brown underside. 
• Brown-banded cockroach. A small cockroach with a red-speckled top surface and a light brown underside. Often mistaken for German cockroaches. 
• Smoky brown cockroach. A large cockroach that appears evenly black in color. 

With this in mind, mating habits of these 5 common interior cockroaches are universally similar. 

The female cockroach will release a pheromone scent to attract males. The male will court or chase the female for a bit, and then latch together with her to deposit his sperm. If you ever see two cockroaches conjoined together, this is the mating process. 

Once finished, the male leaves and the female develops an egg sac known as an ootheca. When the ootheca is ready to hatch, the female, having been carrying it behind her for some time, will deposit the ootheca in a dark, warm and moist area and the egg sac will hatch with nymphs generally within 3 to 5 weeks. 

If you spot 2 German cockroaches, and the roaches are about to mate, you can expect nearly 300,000 German cockroaches to cross through your home in a single year.

Granted if you do not destroy the infestation. For the American cockroach, you can expect 800 new roaches in a single year. 

So if the two roaches you saw are from the above list and are indeed male and female, chances are they were about to mate or will mate at some point. You do not want to allow this to occur in your home. 

But again, there is no way to know for sure if the 2 roaches were of the opposite sex. 

Could I Have Seen 2 Male Roaches or Two Females?

There is a possibility that the 2 roaches you saw were 2 males or 2 females simply foraging for food as always. 

But it has always been common knowledge that if you see one roach, there are always multiple more where that came from. 

There are likely a few different explanations for this. 

If you saw the roaches together, this is a common behavior of cockroaches that band together in infestations. Roaches will emit chemicals wherever they crawl and in their feces that alert other roaches to come and join the colony. There is a good possibility that is what would occur if 2 roaches were seen together. 

As mentioned, it could have been a male and female about to mate. If the roaches were spotted at different times or in different areas of the home, this is a sign of an infestation. 

Just by seeing these 2 roaches, you can easily assume that there could be 30 to 50 more hiding in the home. That is based on if these are the first 2 roaches you have seen. If you have seen more roaches in your home before this, that number could be much larger. 

So it’s not always about males and females or mating; roaches will travel together and live together in harborage areas hidden within the home. 

This is why it is important to know the warning signs of a roach infestation. 

Warning Signs of Cockroach Infestation

Since it is impossible to know for sure if seeing 2 roaches confirms an infestation, let’s explore the main warning signs of an infestation. 

Roaches are a nocturnal species of insect. This certainly works to their benefit because the insects do not want to be identified and subsequently destroyed. These insects are quick, meticulous, durable, and rapidly reproducing pests when inside a home. 

Since the insects are nocturnal, if you spotted the 2 roaches during the day, this is a sign of a possibly large and unruly infestation.

This likely means that harborage areas are running out of room, and competition for food and moisture sources within the home is becoming fierce. So the roaches will conduct their business during the day to survive. 

Another tell-tale sign of a roach infestation is the presence of a ripe, musty, and pungent odor in the house.

This will be more pronounced in the kitchen and bathroom areas since these are the primary areas of infestation. Many have described the smell as similar to a strong aromatic oil of some type or the smell of mold and body odor. 

As mentioned above, finding roach egg sacs or ootheca deposited around your home is another clear-cut sign of an infestation or an infestation about to get underway.

These small, brown, rectangular-shaped egg sacs can sometimes be spotted underneath appliances in the kitchen, under sinks, along the edges of baseboards, or in or near cardboard. 

Finally, finding roach feces is another sign of infestation. People commonly mistake these black specks for coffee grinds.

You can find roach feces all along the edges of baseboards, in cabinets, on the ground near trash cans, or even on countertops. Roaches expel feces as they move and do not have a specific spot for expelling waste. 

It is also important to know where to look to find a roach infestation. 

Where Do I Look To Find a Roach Infestation?

Cockroaches want to live completely out of view to avoid detection. The insects also want to be as close to food or moisture sources as possible, which makes the kitchen and bathroom their primary homes. 

Check under all appliances such as ovens, microwaves (a favorite), refrigerators, sinks, water heaters, and washers and dryers. 

Behind the walls is another frustrating area in which roaches will build their colonies. You can take an object and rack it all along the baseboards in the kitchen and bathroom to see if you flush any out. 

The insects have also been known to infest cardboard, stacks of paper, and even closets. Anything dark, humid, or near a food source is almost always the case. 

Summary

In summary, spotting 2 roaches could potentially mean that you have an infestation on your hands. This is why it is important to immediately start inspecting harborage areas to confirm if an infestation is present. 

Although 2 roaches could just be a coincidence, the insects are certainly scouting the area if anything else. 

Alright, that’s it for this article, here are a few hand-selected articles that you might also find interesting reads:

Can Roaches Transfer To a New House While Moving?

I Killed a Cockroach and It Has Red Blood – What Is It?!

Cockroach in My Room Can’t Sleep – 7 Actions for Immediate Results