Inspect shopping bags, backpacks, and boxes coming into your home from other locations. Replace missing or damaged baseboards. Encircle legs of tables, beds, and other furniture with 1-inch Teflon R tape to prevent cockroaches from climbing up. Roaches can't grip the smooth tape. Place a Bait.
Baits are more specific than traditional chemical controls, and take advantage of roach behavior.
Some bait pucks contain an insect growth regulator that keeps the roach from growing. All of them attract the cockroach, acting like a food source, so be sure no other food is available. Placement of baits is crucial. For German and brown-banded cockroaches, set bait stations next to cracks and crevices or on the floor behind the stove or refrigerator. For the American roach, set bait stations in the basement near sewer or floor drains.