Identifying Cockroach Eggs

Roaches are some of the biggest pest breeders around. Although they have a short lifespan, they reproduce at such a fast rate that they easily replace dead ones and multiply their numbers in terrifying quantities.

There are different species of cockroaches and they are easy to distinguish based on their appearance alone. Their eggs, known as oothecae, are quite harder to tell apart, but not impossible.

Although identifying cockroach eggs isn’t exactly the top priority of most property owners who already have a roach infestation problem, knowing which species you are dealing with will enable you to employ a better strategy in getting rid of them effectively and permanently. Experts share a handy guide below for correctly identifying cockroach eggs:

German cockroach

The German roach is the most troublesome and widespread species in the United States. An adult German cockroach has a tan to medium brown color and two dark stripes on its pronotum.

The eggs of German roaches are also brown in color with lengths of 6 to 9 mm. They do not keep their eggs in safe hiding places and females usually carry their oothecae with them until they’re ready to hatch. In their lifetime (which is 6 to 7 months), female German roaches can produce 6 to 8 egg cases, each containing about 30 young roaches. Failure to locate and get rid of these eggs immediately can cause these roaches to multiply out of control.

American cockroach

American roaches are reddish brown in color and big in size, with adults growing at least 2 inches. Their protonum have light colored edges. They prefer warm and humid environments and, as such, in houses, they can often be found in basements. Compared to other species of roaches, American cockroaches can survive several years.

Fresh egg cases of female American roaches are brown in color and will turn black after 1 or 2 days. Each egg can produce up to 12 to 15 young roaches. Females will typically carry the egg cases around for about 1 week but will attach them to a safe surface for incubation, which can take up to 45 days. Females of this species are capable of producing 6 to 90 oothecae during their lifetime.

Oriental cockroach

Oriental cockroaches can grow between 26 to 30 mm and have a shiny dark brown or black color. They thrive in wet or cool damp and dark places and are often found hiding in woodpiles, thick vegetation (particularly junipers and ivy), and ground covers. In homes and buildings, they commonly live in garages, basements, crawl spaces, water meter boxes, and drains.

Their eggs are dark reddish-brown in color, look inflated, and are usually between 8 and 10mm in length, bigger than the American roach oothecae. One casing can contain up to 16 eggs and once the case is produced, the female will move it to a safe place. A female oriental roach will produce 1 to 18 egg cases in its lifespan.

If your roach infestation problem has already gone out of hand, the best way to deal with this is to get help from a seasoned Modesto pest control company.