German Cockroach
More Details
The most common roach in houses and restaurants. Kitchen platforms, kitchen cabinets, trolleys, where food is prepared or stored.
Habitat: Warm moist environments also, inside switch boxes and plug sockets, motor housings and panels inside appliances, conduits and behind damaged tiles, etc. they can swim and will climb smooth surfaces easily. Once established in home and food premises this insect is often difficult to eradicate, this is due to it hiding in inaccessible places. To gain control and eradicate this pest a full comprehensive inspection will be required before any treatment to establish harborages.
Life Cycle:
A). Eggs:
- The capsules is 8-10 mm long
- Each capsule contains 30-45 eggs
- Egg stage lasts for around seven
B). Nymphs:
- The egg capsules split along the seam and the nymphs emerge.
- Young nymphs resemble the adult except that they are wingless and darker in colour, often nearly black
- Nymphs molt 6-7 times before reaching adulthood over a period of 60 days
C). Adults:
- Adults are about 15-17 mm long.
- Have wings as long as body, but rarely fly
- They have 2 dark stripes on pronotum (Shield like plates over the head)
- Male: light brown and boat shaped
- Female: darker in colour with rounded posterior
Breeding Habits:
- Ready to breed as soon as they reach adulthood
- Female carries egg capsules till they are ready to hatch
- Each female can produce about 8 egg capsules in her life time
- So, one female can give rise to One Lakh young roaches in One year
Feeding Habit & Behavior:
- Prefer fermented foods
- They need more water so mostly found infesting kitchens and bathrooms
- Without food and water, the adults die in 2 weeks
- They gather near warm, humid, dark places like cracks and crevices, in and around sink etc
What makes it difficult to control Blattella Germanica?
- German cockroach has the highest reproductive potential:
- The large number of eggs per oothecas
- Shorter hatching time & development period
- Female carry the ootheca until due to hatch