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.
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.
Most of the time, when someone “suddenly” sees a cockroach, it's not quite as sudden as it seems. In other words, they've probably been in the home for a while, and you seeing them is more related to luck than anything else. Maybe you moved whatever they've been hiding under for the last several weeks.
For the nymphs, use insect growth regulators, known as IGRs. They inhibit insect growth, so if a baby cockroach eats some IGR, it won't grow up. For adults, use an insecticide formulated for cockroaches, or a natural product like boric acid or diatomaceous earth.
Seeing cockroach nymphs in your bedroom is a bad sign. It means the cockroaches have established a nest and are breeding. Within a short amount of time, the cockroach population can grow exponentially. You don't even need a male.
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.
Life cycle of cockroaches
Adults lay eggs contained within dark-colored egg cases (size and shape of a dry kidney bean). 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.
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.
There are many reasons you could have roaches in an apartment that is clean, but it usually comes down to small things you're missing (i.e. food crumbs in kitchen cabinets) damp conditions, or unclean neighbors who are attracting roaches into the building.
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.
In a single setting, a female cockroach may lay as few as 14 eggs or as many as 36 eggs, with an incubation period anywhere between 24 days and 215 days. Female cockroaches have longer lives than males, with some living almost two years.
Baby cockroaches look like smaller versions of adult cockroaches. However, they are white after they first hatch. Within several hours, they will darken. Cockroach nymphs don't have fully developed wings, and some don't have wings at all.
What Do Baby Cockroaches Eat? Just like the adults, baby cockroaches can eat almost anything. Most of the time, they feed on rotten food and anything they can find in the garbage.
Roaches won't leave a vacant home unless the food supply completely runs out. As roaches will feed on nymphs or dead and dying roaches, they're unlikely to starve. What's more likely than a roach colony leaving a home is that they will widen their food search, using your vacated home as a base for warmth and shelter.
These pests are so resilient, it's been said that they'll be the sole survivors of a nuclear war. Needless to say, they're not easy to get rid of, even if you correct the conditions that attracted them in the first place. Here's why it's nearly impossible for a cockroach infestation to go away on its own.
A particularly stubborn or severe infestation could require this level of treatment. 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 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.
With around 12 young in every egg case, a female and her offspring can produce 800 additional cockroaches in just a single year.
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.
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.
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.
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.