Why doesn’t Raid get rid of my cockroaches?

Because spray only reaches the cockroaches you can see, and most of them are hiding. It can also put them off bait, which is the tool that does reach the hidden ones.

Cockroaches 3 min read Updated 9 October 2026

Raid and other surface sprays kill what they touch. The trouble is that for every cockroach out in the open, more are tucked into hinges, wall gaps and the backs of appliances, along with egg cases that spray does not reach. You can spray several times a day for months, kill every one you see, and the hidden ones keep breeding. You are not doing it wrong because you are not trying hard enough. You are using a tool that cannot reach where the problem lives.

Why daily spraying stalls

It misses the hiding places. Cockroaches spend the day packed into cracks you cannot see. The ones you spray are the few that came out.
It pushes them around. Many sprays repel as well as kill. Survivors move deeper into the walls or into other rooms, which is why people often see them in bedrooms after spraying the kitchen.
It spoils bait. Spray residue on or near bait puts cockroaches off eating it. So spray and bait together often cancel out.
Some survive it. German cockroaches in many areas no longer die easily from common spray ingredients. More spray does not fix that.

Back a month after the landlord sprayed

That pattern is common. A spray treatment knocks the numbers down, then the egg cases that were tucked away hatch, and young ones appear a few weeks later. It is why German cockroach plans rely on bait and a growth regulator, and why one visit is rarely the end.

If you rent, write to your landlord with the dates, where you see them and your trap counts, and ask for a follow-up treatment. Our answers on what to send your landlord and a landlord who won’t act cover the next steps.

The switch

Put the spray away. If you sprayed heavily, wipe those surfaces down with soapy water before you bait nearby.
Starve them. Grease off the cooker sides, crumbs from under the fridge, food in sealed tubs, sink dry at night.
Put out monitor traps under the sink, behind appliances and wherever you see them, to get a starting count. See how to use monitor traps.
Gel bait in small dots in the hiding spots: hinges, cupboard corners, around pipes, behind the fridge and cooker. They eat it and take it back to the others.
Add an insect growth regulator so the young cannot grow into breeding adults. See what a growth regulator does.
Count weekly, same traps, same spots, adults and young ones apart.

For every product: follow the label, and check it is allowed where you live. The German cockroach guide has the plan step by step.

Kids, pets and asthma: if you have used spray in rooms where children, pets or anyone with breathing problems spend time, follow the label on airing and when it is safe to go back in. See how long to stay out after spraying. Bait and traps go where small hands and paws cannot reach.

Big dark ones in the middle of the night

Large, dark or reddish cockroaches in the kitchen at night are a different case. They are usually oriental or American, coming in from drains or outside, and spray does little against them either. The plan there is to close the way in, dry out damp spots and use bait stations. See big dark cockroach at night.

Moving out in a few months? It is still worth acting now, so you do not pack any into your boxes. Our answer on moving without cockroaches covers that.

When to call a professional

If you are still catching young ones after four weeks of bait and a growth regulator, with no spray anywhere near the bait, call a pro or ask your landlord to send one. Show them your dated counts and tell them what you have used, so they do not repeat it.