Whether you own your own office building or are a facilities manager for one, preventing pest infestation is an important part of your job. Cockroaches can be insidious and hard to get rid of as pests, so it's important to know the early signs of infestation so you can call in an exterminator quickly.

1. Dropping Residue

Although small, cockroach droppings aren't invisible. They will be most obvious in areas with high roach activity, such as in break rooms where there tends to be more crumbs for the pests to feast upon. Roach droppings resemble small piles of black pepper, and you can often find them along the baseboards, under cabinets, and in other areas where roaches tend to gather.

2. An Oily Odor

Roaches produce an unmistakable odor that resembles that of oily rotting materials, but is actually from fatty chemical secretions that the pests use to communicate. Their droppings also add to the smell. If you pick up whiffs of this odor when walking around the building, then there may be roaches hiding out in your walls. A commercial pest service can perform an inspection and come up with an elimination plan.

3. Shed Skins

Like all invertebrates, roaches must shed their exoskeleton regularly as they grow to adult size. You will find these shed roach skins, which resemble flattened dead roaches, throughout the building if you have an infestation. Look to areas that are rarely disturbed when checking for shed skins, such as inside cabinets and storage furniture, under desks, and inside supply closets. 

4. Smear Marks

That same oily secretion that makes the nasty roach smell also leaves behind something referred to as grease marks. You'll often see the darkened smears along the floor or wall near baseboards, on top of counters, or even along corridors between offices if you have a major infestation. Your pest service can actually use these greasy smears to find some of the main nesting areas so that pesticides can be better targeted. 

5. Glued Surface Damages

Your building doesn't have to contain actual food to attract roaches. Many of the items needed in an office building double as food sources for roaches. Cardboard storage and file boxes provide food, nesting material, and a nesting site in the corrugation. Glues and adhesives used in books or products, along with the paper itself, provide a starchy food item for cockroaches. Without extermination, roaches can actually destroy some of your important records and items.

Contact a commercial pest control service if you suspect cockroaches are in your office building.