Cockroaches are one of the toughest pests to get rid of on your own — and one of the fastest to bounce back after a half-measure treatment. If you’ve spotted one skittering across the kitchen counter at night, there’s a good chance there are many more you haven’t seen yet, tucked behind appliances, inside wall voids, or under sinks.
Why store-bought sprays don’t solve it
Most over-the-counter products only kill the roaches they directly touch. They don’t reach the nest, and they don’t stop new egg cases from hatching — a single female German cockroach (the most common species in Montreal apartments and restaurants) can produce hundreds of offspring in her lifetime. Spraying visible roaches just pushes the rest of the colony deeper into the walls, where they’re harder to reach and treatment takes even longer.
Signs you actually have an infestation, not just a stray roach
A musty, oily odor near cabinets or appliances, small dark droppings resembling coffee grounds, egg casings (oothecae) in cracks and corners, and roaches appearing during the day (they’re nocturnal, so daytime activity often means overcrowding) are all signs it’s time to call a professional rather than keep spraying.
How we treat it
Our approach starts with a full inspection to find where the colony is actually nesting — behind refrigerators, under dishwashers, inside electrical outlets, in shared walls between apartment units. We apply targeted treatments at those points rather than blanket-spraying visible areas, then follow up to confirm the infestation is fully cleared. If you’re a restaurant or commercial kitchen, we also work around your operating hours and provide the kind of detailed inspection reports that hold up for health inspections and lease disputes.
Every Optima job comes with a price-match guarantee and unlimited follow-up visits at no extra charge if activity returns before the job is considered done — no surprise bills for a second trip.
Dealing with cockroaches in your home or business? Check out our pest control services or contact us for a free inspection.
— Optima Extermination