German cockroaches love the indoors and they are well known and distributed across the globe. This means that they are not found in one location or area as the name would suggest to some people. They have a light brown color or tan coloration with black horizontal stripes behind the head.
Adult cockroaches grow up to 16mm and they have wings although they rarely use them unlike Asian cockroaches that have a tendency of flying. Smaller or younger cockroaches have darker shades of brown that look black but still have the two black stripes behind their heads.
Survival
These cockroaches can survive outdoors in environments that are tropical but they love the indoors mostly preferring humid and warm areas within a structure. It is therefore not a wonder that they are found in bathrooms and kitchens mostly even though they can move to any area where there is moisture and food.
Usually an infestation would come about through boxes, bags and even cardboard containers that find their way into your house. When you buy used appliances the chances of bringing in the roaches are increase. However, they are also capable of finding their way into your home through shared pipes and plumbing.
The German roaches are scavengers and feed on all kinds of food that is available. In the absence of food, they can survive on book bindings, soap and even toothpaste! They capitalize on anything that is available including the dirty dishes you leave on the sink.
Breeding
The worst thing about cockroaches is that they reproduce fast and this is exactly what the German cockroaches do. One mating session is enough to have young ones produced and the females lay up to 6 egg cases through their lives. Every one of these cases will have up to 40 eggs and the egg take averagely 54 days to 215 days to mature into adults. Adult cockroaches can have a lifespan of up to 200 days meaning by the time one generation dies out another has already taken over.
Identifying an Infestation
Odor – The German cockroaches secrete odorous compounds and when you have a large infestation, you might be able to detect the odor mildly. Look out for that musty odor.
Droppings – If you are attentive you will see German cockroach droppings around the home. They are usually dark and small pepper like materials appearing in drawers or countertops. You might also see fecal smears or spots around room corners, on door tops and around any wall openings or small cracks.
Egg capsules – They are the most obvious signs that you have an infestation. The females only carry the case for up to two days before depositing for hatching. The cases you see will probably be empty but at least they will alert you of an infestation.
If you have an infestation, consider pest control services and make changes around your home to keep the German cockroaches at bay. Remember they can transmit pathogens such as Typhus, E coli and Salmonella making treatment very important.
