A female
Despite their name, American cockroaches are native to Africa and the Middle East. They are believed to have been introduced to the Americas only from the 17th century AD onward as a result of human commercial patterns, including the Atlantic slave trade.
During their peaks, they can produce two oothecas a week. Each egg capsule has about sixteen eggs. But the peak is short lived. After that, American Cockroach females produce one ootheca a month.
Brown-banded cockroach: Brown-banded cockroaches carry about 16 eggs per ootheca. The female cockroach will keep the ootheca with her for about a day or two and then adhere the egg case to a piece of furniture, wall, cardboard or another rough surface. The eggs start to hatch in about 50 days.
How many roaches in an egg? Each individual egg within an ootheca contains a single developing cockroach nymph. German cockroach eggs for example, can produce as many as 48 baby cockroaches. Even though they don't live very long (between 160 and 450 days, depending on species), they can leave behind a lot of offspring.
Do baby roaches mean infestation? The presence of baby roaches does indeed indicate an infestation, one that could grow exponentially if not eliminated swiftly. For every baby roach seen, there are likely dozens, perhaps hundreds, of others hiding, not to mention a multitude of adults.
Because the female is not out foraging like the other cockroaches, she is less likely to come in contact with the insecticide. So she survives and her egg case survives, at least temporarily. Even if all the cockroaches are killed during treatment, an egg case can still hatch out afterwards.
The most common places for a roach nest in the house are in kitchens or bathrooms, particularly behind refrigerators, in cracks and crevices, and under furniture. Roaches prefer a warm, humid environment, so these places should be considered first, especially if they are close to a food source and water supply.
The average cockroach lifespan is about twenty to thirty weeks given that the roach has ready access to food and water. The first stage in the life of cockroach females and males alike is the egg stage. Eggs are produced in what are called egg capsules.
Cockroach 101
Cockroaches are social insects and often live in family groups. They have unusual reproduction: females lay eggs in groups of 4-30 bundled together.
Cockroach Droppings Appearance
Cockroach feces are easy to identify. Droppings from small cockroaches resemble ground coffee or black pepper. Larger roaches leave behind dark, cylindrical droppings with blunt ends and ridges down the side.
If your home has 5 or fewer cockroaches, it can be identified as a light infestation. If it is between 10 to 25 roaches, it can be a moderate one. But if it exceeds 25, it can now be classified as a heavy infestation. You should know that the few roaches you see at home are not the only ones you have to deal with.
Cockroaches are omnivorous scavengers and will consume any organic food source available to them. Although they prefer sweets, meats and starches, they are also known to consume other items such as hair, books and decaying matter.
The lifespan of a cockroach is usually one year, and in any female roach's lifetime, she can produce anywhere between 200 to 300 offspring or 6 generations a year. The number of eggs a single cockroach can produce will vary from species to species.
Cockroaches produce a large number of feces. They can poop anywhere they go, but their droppings tend to remain close to their nesting or feeding areas. Roach droppings look like specks of pepper, coffee grounds, or dark grains of rice. The size of the feces is directly related to the size of the cockroach.
Roach Repellents
Peppermint oil, cedarwood oil, and cypress oil are essential oils that effectively keep cockroaches at bay. Additionally, these insects hate the smell of crushed bay leaves and steer clear of coffee grounds. If you want to try a natural way to kill them, combine powdered sugar and boric acid.
Moisture. Roaches need moisture to survive and this search for water will bring them into even the cleanest of homes. Leaky pipes and faucets are one of the most common attractants for cockroaches and is one of the main reasons you often see them in bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.
Seeing roach feces or droppings.
Seeing an unusual number of droppings in a specific area will also help you track where the roach shelters are. Best to cut off any water or food source near this location so prevent further infestation.
During the daytime, cockroaches typically stay hidden in dark, moist areas around your home. If spotted crawling around, you likely have dozens and dozens hidden elsewhere. The most common areas where roaches rest in your home during the day are as follows: Underneath or behind appliances like stoves and refrigerators.
Cockroaches can get inside a fridge by slipping between gaps in the door. If the rubber seal is loose, they'll find an entry point. They can also sneak in through cracks or crevices in the outer shell. If the back or underside components leave an opening, cockroaches can use this to reach the interior.
Life Cycle: Baby Cockroaches to Adults
Adult female cockroaches lay their eggs in an egg sac in a dark, hidden area near food and moisture. The egg sacs are tiny and roaches can hide them in small cracks in the floor or a tiny corner of a cabinet.
Even though spraying roaches does help in eliminating the pest, it is not recommended by professionals because cockroaches are more active after the spray treatment and it only means that you will have to see lots of them crawling around your property. You will have to suffer for two weeks if you sprayed on roaches.