German cockroaches are smaller but more common in the house than the American cockroaches in the United States.
- One female German cockroach produces about 30,000 eggs (that mature into baby roaches) annually – this is a larger offspring than other roach species.
The emergence of many cockroach eggs ensures that the pests’ birth cycle is ongoing to create a massive infestation – but they don’t fly.
- If the female German cockroach survives and continues reproducing over its lifespan (30 weeks), it can produce two roach generations.
Even with low egg production, the female German roaches (as a colony) can generate about 10,000 baby cockroaches.
Related: How to Remove Cockroaches
How do Cockroach Eggs Look?
When you find cockroach eggs in your house or apartment, realize that there are adult watches that are multiplying and breeding – which must be a sad discovery.
- So after finding the cockroach eggs in your space, you must inspect the area to determine the seriousness of the pest problem.
- Next, you are required to create a treatment and prevention plan for the cockroaches if there’s an active infestation.
NB: Female cockroaches lay their eggs grouped into an ootheca (a sack or an egg case) and not individual eggs.
- The cockroach ootheca is formed from a leathery material and it holds about 40 eggs.
The leather casing is hard and will thus protect the cockroach eggs from insects and predators.
American cockroach
The ootheca of the American cockroach measures about 8 mm and is dark brown.
The females of the species will produce about 6 – 90 ootheca over their lifetime.
- These females will carry the egg ootheca for a number of days before dropping it in a hidden and safe place.
German Cockroaches
The female Furies species of the German cockroach will lay their eggs in warm and humid conditions of your house including the bathroom and kitchen.
- The egg ootheca or capsule for the German cockroaches will contain roughly 40 years – and the capsule measures about a quarter inch in length and is light brown.
When the conditions are favorable for the female, cockroaches will create a new capsule of eggs within a few weeks.
- After it is produced, a female roach will carry the egg capsule until sometime (one day or 2) before the eggs hatch.
The egg case of the cockroaches will be enclosed by a protein that will harden to form a protective and strong casing.
Locations to Find Cockroach Eggs
It is common to find cockroaches in areas like the kitchens and bathrooms.
- The locations have adequate water and food and thus act like nurseries for the young coaches and the cockroach eggs.
Now let’s another the cockroach’s best riding areas;
1. Pantries, Cupboards, and Drawers
The panties, cupboards, and drawers are excellent hiding areas for cockroaches.
- These locations are dark and cool and have water and food access – this makes such places great habitats for cockroaches.
You can use diatomaceous earth to control the cockroaches in such places. But you may also hire an expert pest exterminator near you.
- First, empty your pantry removing items that have signs of roach infestation such as holes on the cardboard or cereal boxes.
- Next, thoroughly clean the pantry (on the inside) using a sponge plus soapy water. Use clean water to rinse the pantry and dry the surfaces using a cloth.
- Cleaning the inside of your pantry will help remove food particles and crumbs that act as food sources for the roaches.
- Inspect the pantry (both outside and inside) for signs of holes and cracks used by cockroaches. Also, inspect the corners and baseboards for spaces that roaches can use to get into the pantry – seal these with caulk.
- Change the storage containers to ones made of airtight metal or plastic. This way the roaches will not reach the pasta, cereal, sugar, flours, and starches – like when we use cardboard storage containers.
- Return the foods into the pantry and crush a few bay leaves. The smell will help repel the roaches – but also replace the leaves once weekly.
Finally, mix generous amounts of flour and diatomaceous Earth and spring on it around the outside of your pantry.
Requirements to undertake this roach control mission include;
- Flour
- Boric acid or diatomaceous Earth
- Small bowls
- Bay leaves
- Glass, metal, or plastic containers
- Caulk
- Cloth
- Sponge
- Water
- Soap
2. In Appliances
Cockroach eggs and adult cockroaches can also be found inside the appliances such as kitchen appliances like the dryers and washers.
- To remove the cockroach eggs from the appliances you require to clean the device thoroughly.
- Also, I recommend that you use some cockroach traps or non-toxic poison
- Prevent a re-invasion of the cockroaches by sealing all the crevices and cracks leading into the inner side of their appliances
Cockroaches will mainly be searching for warmth and food around your house (including in appliances) and the kitchen.
- Roach species that will mainly invade your appliances are the German cockroaches.
Roaches get into the appliances once they reach the kitchen from behind the stove or refrigerator and through the drain or sink.
The brown and flat insects are described as being knocked on and so they will be finding food and shelter during the day.
- When the conditions are correct for the roaches, the insects will read very fast causing an infestation.
Notably, cockroaches are excellent at hiding and so most homeowners will not notice the problem until they see dead roaches.
- So, seeing a single Roach on your premises might be a sign of the presence of a large infestation and this could grow even further if not resolved well.
I would recommend you use glue traps or sticky traps to help you in monitoring whether there are cockroaches on your premises.
Further cockroaches will squeeze their birthdays inside small crevices and so it is important to sell such cracks to stop the movement into your appliances.
- Notable areas that you should check for the cockroaches include behind peelable wallpapers, under rubber mats and carpets, or inside cabinets.
Cockroaches will eat human and pet food plus other substances such as paper, soaps, glue, and grease.
- So you should know and identify cockroach droppings, exoskeletons, and their egg cases.
But will cockroaches really damage my appliances? Well, largely cockroaches won’t damage your answers but they will contaminate them.
For example, cockroaches will walk and touch the inside of your appliances and may transfer organisms such as salmonella and E. coli.
3. Baseboards and Bathtubs Drains
Cockroaches will hide around and in baseboards, we have even been out of sight.
- Therefore it will be helpful if you inspect the basement for signs of cockroaches.
- If there are such signs, undertake appropriate roach treatment on the baseboards and around the area.
The other area that the cockroaches will hide includes the bathtub drains and floors.
Check the water heater closet and plumbing cabinets since these areas are moist and warm – the conditions that roaches love.
Further, inspect the areas that are always damp such as the bathrooms and the laundry rooms since these will attract roaches.
The next areas include the food eating and storage places (even those for pets) since the roaches will be attracted by the cramps.
Inspect the recycling bins and trash cans because cockroaches won’t be picking and these locations will make a great habitat.
How Long Do Roach Eggs Take to Hatch?
Young cockroaches tend to come out from their ootheca about 3 to 9 weeks.
1. Brown-banded Roaches Eggs
The ootheca of the brown-banded roaches will be about 5 mm and also reddish-brown.
- Each of the egg cases produced by a brown-banded roach will hatch up to 18 embryos – and one of these females will create about 20 of these cases.
You can identify the nymphs of a Brown-banded roach with their upper abdomen having two yellow bands.
- Further, the names of these roaches will grow into adults in a period of six months.
2. Oriental Cockroach Eggs
The ootheca of the oriental cockroaches will measure about 10 mm and they are also reddish-brown.
- Each of these cases will have about 16 eggs and they will look somehow inflated.
The females of the Oriental cockroaches will create up to 18 eggs capsules in their lifetime and they will hide them in safe places.
The news of the Oriental cockroaches will emerge as adults within 600 days – especially when the environmental conditions are right.
3. German Cockroach Eggs
The ootheca of the German cockroaches will measure about 9 mm and it will be brown.
- The females of these roaches will carry the egg case (ootheca) until a time when the eggs will be almost hatching.
Their ootheca will have about 50 eggs and they will develop into adults in roughly 100 days.
Notably, the German cockroaches are the most common roach species that you will find in your house.
- This is also contributed by the fact that the German cockroaches lay many eggs, so they will experience rapid population growth.
Related: Fogger for Roaches
Conclusion
I found coach eggs, what next? You’ll require to vacuum the spaces to kill the adult roaches, their babies, and eggs capsules.
- American and German cockroaches will hide around areas that have fresh water and a food source.