The most common cockroach that invades homes, apartments and restaurants in Ontario is the German cockroach.
The German cockroach has three life stages: egg, nymph and adult.
The eggs are carried by the female in an egg case until just before hatching. A typical egg case contains 30 to 40 eggs. The egg case is a small brown capsule shaped like a pouch.
The nymphs eat, drink and molt until they reach the adult stage in about 60 days.
It takes an average of 100 days to develop from egg to adult, depending on temperature, water and food availability. In a warm environment with abundant food, adulthood may be reached more quickly.
The German cockroach usually lives for five to seven months after reaching adulthood. During their adult life, female German cockroaches each produce about seven to eight eggs, with an average of 350 young per cockroach. This cockroach is omnivorous and will eat almost anything to survive (even glue).
What can you do?
- Limit food and water resources. (Do not wash dirty dishes, clean the floor, clean the kitchen).
- Clean up dead cockroaches and egg boxes.
- Do not disturb them.
- Seal cracks around water pipes.
- Treat once a month until under control.
- Contact Pest B Gone.
