Facts of a Cockroach Life

Reproductive Behaviour

Both the Oriental Cockroach (Blatta Orientalis) and German Cockroach (Blattella Germanica) have three stages of distinction within its life cycle which are the Egg, the Nymph and an Adult. Both the species of the cockroach go through a series of moults (5-7) over a duration of months before becoming adults and are capable of tolerating extreme/harsh environments making them very resilient insects.

Cockroaches are not host dependant, though they will feed on most edible materials. Both species of the cockroach carry a cleverly developed egg sac-containment capsule named the ootheca at the end of their abdominal section, though the ootheca of the more common German Cockroach is capable of of containing 30-40 eggs allowing them to mass produce rapidly causing severe case of contamination and distress amongst occupants and homeowners which is why swift action is recommended before the problem can spiral out of control.

Identifying a Infestation

There are generally 3 ways of identifying a Cockroach infestation which is listed below:

Physical Sightings

The easiest way of determining an infestation is a Physical Sighting of a cockroach or their egg casings. These may seen in areas where light is limited and its best advised not to dismiss an infestation just because only one was sighted. A thorough check should be carried out by if not yourself, than a specialist.

Faeces Stains

These will usually look like a cluster of Small Black Dots in multiple locations most commonly found throughout a kitchen (inside cupboard units or at the back of appliances) but may be present where light is limited throughout the premises.

Skin Sheds

The exoskeletons of cockroaches may be present after one or many have shed due to a process of maturity. These are Transparent Shells which will resemble the shape and design of a cockroach which may be discarded in multiple locations.

Identifying a Cockroach

The physical appearance of a Cockroach is one of a six legged insect with long antennae and depending on the species, they may vary between the colours of either black or yellowish-brown and approximately measure 12-15 mm in size.

They may be found harbouring amongst each other where light may be limited, where temperatures may be high and where there is an abundance in food. The most common way of identifying cockroaches is by a sighting of the actual insect or their egg casings (ootheca) which are brown in colour resembling red kidney beans.