Silver Bullet Pest ControlBig reddish-brown roaches coming out of the bathroom drain, the basement or the trash room? Those are usually American cockroaches, the ones people call water bugs or palmetto bugs. Silver Bullet Pest Control provides American cockroach control in West New York apartments, houses and businesses. We find where they're coming from, treat those spots and follow up. Roach treatment carries a 90-day warranty.
4.9 stars on Google • NJ License 90568B • 15+ years • Hudson County • Hablamos español
Text a photo of the roach to 973-510-2585. We'll tell you if it's an American cockroach. Hablamos español.
American cockroach control in West New York, NJ starts at the source: the basements, boiler rooms, floor drains, sewer connections and trash areas where these large roaches live, not just the apartment where you saw one. Silver Bullet Pest Control treats those areas with gel bait and an insect growth regulator, seals the gaps they use and comes back for a follow-up visit. Roach treatment carries a 90-day warranty. Call or text 973-510-2585.
Hudson County has several kinds of roaches. Here's how the American cockroach compares:
| American cockroach | German cockroach | Oriental cockroach | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | Large, about 1.5 inches or more | Small, about half an inch | About an inch |
| Color | Reddish brown, with a light yellowish band behind the head | Light tan with two dark stripes behind the head | Shiny dark brown to black |
| Wings | Full wings; can glide short distances in warm weather | Wings, but rarely flies | Short wings or wing pads; doesn't fly |
| Where it lives | Sewers, drains, basements, boiler and trash rooms | Kitchens and bathrooms, inside the apartment | Damp basements, crawl spaces, drains |
| What it means | Coming from the building's lower levels or drains | Breeding inside your unit | Damp areas, often near the ground floor |
Many people call any big roach a "water bug." Our water bug vs. cockroach guide explains the difference, and how big roaches get in covers the usual routes.
These roaches live where it's warm, damp and dark, and they travel up from there:
American cockroaches live in sewer lines and drain pipes. They come up through floor drains, dry traps and gaps around plumbing, especially in older buildings where drains in unused sinks or basement floors dry out.
Boiler rooms and basements stay warm and damp all year, which is exactly what these roaches need. From there they follow pipe chases, risers and wall gaps up into apartments.
Trash rooms, chutes and compactor areas give roaches food and shelter close to every floor. Keeping those areas clean and treated protects the whole building.
West New York is one of the most densely built towns in the state. High-rise and mid-rise apartment buildings line Boulevard East along the top of the Palisades, and older brick walk-ups, two- and three-family houses and mixed-use buildings fill the blocks around Bergenline Avenue. Buildings share walls, basements, sewer connections and sometimes alleys, so roaches that start in one building's basement don't stay there.
That's why American cockroach control works best at the building level:
If you see small tan roaches in your kitchen cabinets instead, that's a German cockroach problem inside the unit, and the treatment plan is different. Text us a photo and we'll tell you which one it is.
A licensed technician checks basements, boiler rooms, drains, trash areas and the apartments with sightings, and finds where the roaches are living.
We place gel bait in cracks and harborage areas and apply an insect growth regulator (IGR) so young roaches can't grow up and breed.
We point out and seal gaps around pipes and drains we can reach, and show the owner or super what else needs fixing, like broken drain covers.
We come back to check activity and re-treat where needed. Roach treatment carries a 90-day warranty.
For buildings that keep getting roaches from the sewer side, scheduled service keeps the basement and drains under control. Regular service comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Warm weather makes them more active, and on hot nights they can glide short distances.
Rising water in sewers and drains pushes them up and out into basements and ground floors.
In the fall, warm boiler rooms and heating pipes draw them toward the building's core.
Sewer repairs and renovation can disturb them and send them looking for a new spot.
A single big roach after a storm doesn't always mean an infestation. Seeing them several times a week does.
If you rent: tell your landlord or super in writing, with photos and dates. Keep drain stoppers in the tub and sinks at night, fix or report dripping pipes, and don't use foggers, which scatter roaches into the walls and neighboring units.
If you own or manage the building: treating one apartment at a time rarely solves an American cockroach problem, because the source is usually downstairs. A building plan covering the basement, boiler room, drains, trash areas and the units with sightings works far better. We keep a written record of every visit.
Who is responsible for pest control depends on the lease and the building, and rules can change. Our landlord and tenant guide covers the basics in general terms; for your building, check with the town's code enforcement office or the NJ Department of Community Affairs.
¿Prefiere hablar en español? Muchos de nuestros clientes en West New York hablan español, y nosotros también. Llame o mande un texto con una foto de la cucaracha al 973-510-2585.
Bergenline Avenue is lined with restaurants, bakeries, groceries and small food shops, many in older buildings with shared basements. American cockroaches coming up from floor drains and grease traps are a constant pressure there.
New Jersey health inspections end with a placard rated Satisfactory, Conditionally Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory, and roach activity counts against you. See our restaurant and commercial kitchen pest control.
Quotes are free. These factors change the size of the job:
| Factor | Smaller job | Bigger job |
|---|---|---|
| Property | One house or one apartment | A full building, or several connected buildings |
| Source | One drain or one entry point | Basement, boiler room, drains and trash room all involved |
| Roach type | American roaches only | American plus German roaches inside units |
| Repairs | A few gaps to seal | Broken drain covers, open pipe chases, damp areas |
| Ongoing service | One treatment and follow-up | Scheduled service for the building or business |
Want to compare costs in other Hudson County towns? See roach treatment cost in Jersey City.
Tell us where you're seeing them and what kind of building it is. We'll set up a visit.
🔒 Your info stays private · Hablamos español.
In most of New Jersey, the big roach people call a water bug is an American or oriental cockroach. True water bugs are aquatic insects that live in ponds and rarely come indoors. If it's large, reddish brown and came out of a drain, it's most likely an American cockroach.
American cockroaches don't come from dirty apartments. They live in sewers, drains, basements and boiler rooms and wander up into clean units through pipes and gaps. Seeing one usually points to a building or drain issue, not your housekeeping.
They have full wings and can glide short distances, especially on hot summer nights. They mostly run, though. A roach that flies toward you is almost always an American cockroach.
Most places see fewer roaches within a couple of weeks as the bait takes effect, and the follow-up visit takes care of what's left. Buildings with an active sewer or basement source may need ongoing service to keep them down.
Yes, partly. Keep drain stoppers in at night, run water in unused drains every week so the traps stay full, and report broken drain covers. Those steps help a lot, but if roaches keep appearing, the source needs treatment.
Yes. Gel bait goes into cracks and gaps where kids and pets can't reach it, and the growth regulator is applied in targeted spots, not sprayed all over the apartment. Tell us about children, pets or health concerns when you book.
It depends on the lease and the building, and rules can change. Tell your landlord or super in writing with photos and dates, and check with the town's code enforcement office or the NJ Department of Community Affairs for your situation.
Yes. Roach treatment carries a 90-day warranty. If roaches come back within that time, call us and we'll come back out.
Same-day appointments are often available in Hudson County. Call or text 973-510-2585 early in the day for the best chance.
Yes. Silver Bullet Pest Control holds NJ License 90568B and has over 15 years of experience. We're based in Garfield and serve Hudson, Bergen, Passaic and Essex counties.
Sí. Buscamos de dónde vienen, sea el sótano, los desagües o el cuarto de basura, y tratamos esos lugares con cebo en gel y un regulador de crecimiento, con visita de seguimiento. Llame o mande un texto al 973-510-2585.
We treat roaches in West New York and across Hudson and Bergen counties.
Updated November 2026 by the Silver Bullet Pest Control team, Garfield, NJ • NJ License 90568B
