Can Cockroaches Chew Through Plastic? How to Protect Your Food

“I found small holes in a bag of bread: could roaches chew through it, or is it mice? And will plastic containers keep my food safe?”

Yes, cockroaches can chew through some thin plastic containers such as Ziploc bags. However, sturdy, hard-sided plastic containers with tight-fitting lids offer much better protection.

When asking can roaches chew through plastic, it depends on thickness. A flimsy bread bag is a weak barrier compared to a rigid leftover container. Roaches may damage thin packaging to reach food, but that doesn’t mean plastic itself is their meal. In other words, if containers are thick enough, cockroaches will likely look for a meal elsewhere.

Unfortunately, simply finding holes in plastic packaging won’t be enough to say whether you need roach control or rodent control. Holes alone won’t tell you which. So call us out for a free inspection, or look for other clues, such as live insects, shed skins, droppings, or gnaw marks. If you see damage to a thick plastic container, you should investigate further, as you may have mice, rats or squirrels.

To protect food at home or in a communal or commercial kitchen:

• Use glass, metal, or heavy-duty plastic containers with secure lids
• Look out for signs of compromised packaging and discard any at-risk food immediately
• Clean up crumbs, stains and other spills
• Check storage areas regularly

If you are regularly finding signs of activity from roaches or other pests, you may not be able to rely on robust packaging alone. Contact JP Pest Service for an inspection.