You arrive at the Greek property for the start of the season. Upon entering the kitchen you switch on the lights and a cockroach runs across the top of a work surface. This appears to be an isolated cockroach but it is rather surprising that it has turned up in an empty house that has been closed up for several months.

Yes, an empty apartment in Greece can get cockroaches as well. An apartment that has been closed for months still has drains, shared pipelines and neighboring apartments. The fact that you are not around to notice minor problems before they get out of hand does not mean you did anything wrong.

Quick answer

  • Possible entry routes: Unused drains with dry traps, gaps around pipes, neighboring flats or common areas of the building.
  • Prevention: Clear food away before leaving for an extended time and check drains before departing. Use appropriate sealant to close gaps around kitchen and bathroom pipes. Regularly inspect your home for signs of pests.
  • Persistent infestations: Contact a licensed pest-control professional. Where the problem affects shared areas or neighboring apartments, ask the building manager about coordinated treatment.

This guide focuses on cockroaches in Greek properties. For the wider context, read what happens when an Athens home is left empty.

Why do empty homes still get cockroaches?

Cockroaches need food, water and shelter, with suitable temperatures helping them survive and reproduce. An empty apartment provides shelter and, if left for a lengthy period, may also contain food remains, a slow drip from a leaky pipe or a damp cupboard under the sink.

It is useful to distinguish between species as this can help identify the source of an infestation. Dimitriadou and colleagues identify the Oriental, American, German and brown-banded cockroaches among the most abundant species in Greece. Their study does not establish a nationwide ranking of their frequency. SCIFORUM

  • Oriental and American cockroaches: Blatta orientalis and Periplaneta americana are associated with locations such as damp basements and sewer systems.
  • German cockroaches: Blattella germanica are indoor pests. Look for signs within your own apartment and consider whether neighboring apartments are affected. mytexas.ag.tamu.edu

Why Athens and Attica in particular?

During summer 2025, Greek news reports described increased cockroach activity in Athens and Attica.

CNN Greece reported on the problem in July 2025, quoting Ilias Kioulos, a professor of Agricultural Pharmacology at the Agricultural University of Athens, who described increasing populations and the influence of high temperatures. CNN.gr

In July 2026, reports described DEYAL, the Larissa water and sewerage utility, treating manholes during the night and early morning. The announcement also explained that treatment of public infrastructure alone was insufficient where private homes and apartment buildings had an infestation. Separate treatment by appropriately licensed contractors was needed. Ελευθερία

These services are offered separately for private homes, apartments and buildings. Find out before the hot summer months if you have a problem.

Drains and dry traps

American cockroaches can live in sewers and enter kitchens and bathrooms through drainage pipes, as described by Texas A&M’s urban entomology guidance. urbanentomology.tamu.edu

Sinks, showers, baths and toilets normally have a water trap. In a home that is closed for long periods, the water seal in an unused fixture can dry out. A dry trap can allow sewer odours and pests into the property. School Integrated Pest Management

  • Inspect kitchen, bathroom and floor drains on arrival for loose, missing or clogged covers.
  • Check for damaged seals or gaps around sink and toilet waste pipes.
  • Restore water to unused traps by running water into the relevant fixtures and flushing toilets.
  • Have a plumber examine anything you are not sure about, particularly if sewer odours persist.

Do not permanently plug drains that need to carry water away. Suitable drain screens can help where they do not obstruct drainage.

Balcony and terrace drains are also important in preventing flooding. Keep them clear rather than sealing them against pests. See storms and empty homes in Greece.

Shared-building routes

Many Athens homes are in polykatoikies, Greek apartment buildings, which share parts of the structure and services such as pipe risers. Gaps between walls and pipes, and cracks around the base of walls, can create routes for pests to travel between apartments.

Check these spots:

  • Gaps around pipes under sinks and behind toilets.
  • Meter cupboards and service hatches.
  • Entrance and balcony door thresholds.
  • Loose skirting or cracked tiling.

In a building with shared structure and services, the source of the pests may be outside your apartment. Treating a single flat may therefore fail to resolve the problem.

The owners and the diaxeiristis, the building manager, should coordinate an assessment of affected apartments and common areas. The pest-control professional can advise which areas need treatment and when. This can be raised at an owners’ meeting.

Kitchen and storage

Before a long absence:

  • Remove open food supplies such as pasta, flour, tea and pet food.
  • Clean and dry the refrigerator before leaving. If it will be switched off, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for storage.
  • Remove all waste from the apartment.
  • Clean grease and crumbs from under and behind cooking surfaces.
  • Reduce cardboard and clutter, which give shelter.

Cockroaches can catch a ride on food containers and other articles, including furniture, appliances and boxes.

Sticky monitoring traps placed along walls, behind appliances, under sinks and in cabinets can help identify activity. They are useful for monitoring but do not replace treatment of an established infestation. mytexas.ag.tamu.edu

Prevention: A short checklist

  1. Remove food and waste: Clear open food packages, take out rubbish, and leave kitchen and bathroom surfaces and appliances clean and dry.
  2. Close entry gaps: Use weather stripping, seal cracks, install door sweeps and use screens on windows where appropriate. Do not obstruct ventilation or drainage.
  3. Repair leaks: Remove sources of persistent moisture.
  4. Check drains and traps: Pay particular attention to unused fixtures whose water seals can dry out.
  5. Inspect regularly: Look for droppings, egg cases and live insects.

It is a common mistake to believe that an apartment that is locked up and has no one in it is pest-free. In reality, all pests need is a way in, a little bit of moisture and a quiet place to hide. Signs of cockroaches are often found in cupboards and around sinks.

Yanis, Founder of Home Watch Athens

When is professional pest control needed?

One insect does not necessarily mean that you have an established infestation. However, repeated sightings, daytime activity, droppings and egg cases are reasons to investigate. An unusual smell can also warrant attention, although it does not identify the cause on its own.

  • Use a licensed professional for a persistent problem. In Greece, certain biocidal products are restricted to professional use under Ministerial Decision 12143/344860/2023, Government Gazette B’ 6524/16.11.2023. Check the approved use and label of the particular product. minagric.gov.gr
  • Avoid bug bombs and total-release foggers. University of Georgia guidance describes these as ineffective for controlling German cockroaches. Targeted gel baits or bait stations can form part of a suitable treatment plan, using products approved in Greece and following their labels. Integrated Pest Management
  • Be prepared for follow-up visits. Established infestations may need repeated monitoring and treatment. Do not increase insecticide doses beyond the approved label instructions; over-application can be dangerous. Let the professional select the appropriate product and treatment schedule. mytexas.ag.tamu.edu
  • Address the source. A drain, leak or infestation in a neighboring flat may be sustaining the problem. Unless that source is addressed, the problem can return.
  • Consider the health implications. The Thessaloniki research cited above discusses the association of cockroaches with asthma and allergic rhinitis. This is a reason to address infestations and clean affected areas before bringing the home back into use. It was not a study conducted by Home Watch Athens. SCIFORUM

You are abroad and it is difficult to check whether everything is alright. It is also hard to check whether an agreed scope of work was completed properly.

How Home Watch Athens can help

Home Watch Athens is a founder-led, members-only property oversight service for people who own holiday homes or empty apartments in Athens but live abroad. We do not manage short-term rentals.

Visual checks for signs of pests form part of our monthly property visit. This usually lasts 45–60 minutes and includes checks for leaks, moisture and odours, bathroom checks and an accessible balcony or terrace drain check. You receive photographs and a video within 24 hours, and dated visits are stored against your property in your online member area. See our property check service.

Founder Yanis is the only person at Home Watch Athens who holds your keys and carries out your visits. Contractor attendance and supervision can be arranged separately.

If professional pest control is needed, we can arrange quotes through our maintenance and technical oversight service. You approve the written scope and price before work begins. Photographs, invoices and treatment records can then be kept with your property documents.

See the Home Watch Athens homepage and our property management in Athens page for more information.