Your best bet for finding roach eggs is to look near things that adult cockroaches like, such as food, water, and cardboard. Check for them in kitchens where there is plenty of food and water. And bathrooms where drips and condensation make water easy to find.
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 adult female roach carries her ootheca around with her until the eggs are ready to hatch. The egg casing can be seen protruding one-quarter of an inch out of her abdomen. About 24 hours before the eggs are ready to hatch, the female drops the ootheca in a concealed location.
Squishing a cockroach releases it's eggs: Fake
As it sits, the protein substance surrounding the egg case hardens, protecting the eggs inside. One ootheca can have anywhere from 10-50 eggs inside, depending on the species.
Life cycle of cockroaches
Depending on the species, an egg case contains between 16 - 50 eggs. Eggs hatch into young cockroaches called nymphs, that are more numerous than adults.
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.
How Long Does it Take Cockroach Eggs to Hatch? Immature cockroaches will emerge from the ootheca within 24 to 38 days.
If the egg case is not split open but has dents or depressions in it, it means the eggs or nymphs inside have dried out and hatching is unlikely. But if the egg case is not split and looks plump and full, it's probably ready to hatch.
Oriental cockroach: Oriental cockroaches carry an average of 16 eggs per ootheca. Female oriental cockroaches drop egg cases in warm sheltered areas with abundant food. The incubation period lasts around two months.
It is possible to completely get rid of roaches in your home with the right type of treatment but they will not stay away forever. Once you eradicate the current infestation you need to stay proactive about keeping them away.
The procedure is simple — place the heat-proof appliance in an oven, and after several hours at 150° F, the roaches will be dead. Cold can also be used to kill cockroaches, but it takes a prolonged exposure to low temperatures to kill egg cases.
Daytime Dens
Because cockroaches dislike light, they disappear during the daytime to dark places, including the undersides of appliances like stoves and refrigerators, underneath sinks or other installations, near plumbing, inside light switches and behind wall paneling or doorjambs.
The myth that killing a cockroach will spread its eggs isn't true, but killing a cockroach with force can attract more. But that can be used to your advantage if it brings bugs out of hiding to be eliminated.
To find out where the cockroaches are nesting, you can use lights to get a general idea. Flipping the lights on and off in a dark room and observing where the creatures run will let you know where the nest location is. You can use a flashlight or your phone flashlight to look under furniture and other areas of clutter.
Boric acid
Boric acid is a powerful natural home remedy for getting rid of roaches overnight. Mix equal amounts of boric acid, flour, and sugar until it becomes a dough-like consistency. Place small pieces where the roaches can feed on them.
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.
While the presence of one cockroach in your home can be enough to send you into a panic, one roach doesn't necessarily mean you have a full blown infestation. Roaches are social pests, however, and reproduce quickly.
Baby roaches – in kitchens or bathrooms – are usually an indication of a German cockroach infestation. These roaches are commonly found in kitchen and bathroom areas because they offer a warm, humid environment with plenty of moisture and access to food.
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. Bigger insects produce larger droppings.
First things first, don't panic! It takes about two weeks for all the roaches to be flushed out. Severe infestations might even require a second treatment. But your exterminator should let you know if this is needed.
Check your mattress
Again, it's uncommon for roaches to be found on mattresses, but it's not uncommon for them to hide in your bed frame and bedside furniture. When you remove your mattress and dismantle your bed to move, check for signs of cockroaches and remove or sanitize items as necessary.