German Roaches
Description
German
cockroaches are known indoor cockroaches with a
distribution that is worldwide. Adults are easily
recognizable by their light brown or tan coloration
with two black horizontal stripes located in the
pronotum immediately behind the head and growing up
to a length of 13-16 mm. The much smaller
youngsters, or nymphs, are darker, almost black,
also with black streaks behind their heads. While
German adult cockroaches have wings, they rarely
fly, preferring to run. Young cockroaches are
wingless and almost black with a single light streak
running through the center of the back, and adults
are about 5/8 inches long. Egg capsules are a light
tan and produce about 36 baby cockroaches.
Habitat
Although they can live outdoors in tropical
environments, German cockroaches are more commonly
found in the interior, with a preference for the
warmer and more humid areas of a structure. In
homes, these insects are usually found in kitchens
and bathrooms but can be moved to other parts of a
house if food and moisture are available. In most
cases, German cockroaches are introduced into a
structure or residence when bags, boxes or cartons
are introduced into the home. They can even be
brought with used appliances. In multi-unit
apartment buildings, German cockroaches can be
quickly moved between units, using shared piping and
pipes as a road. German cockroaches usually develop
in kitchens and bathrooms. During the day, these
cockroaches can be found hidden behind base
moldings, pictures and clocks, in cracks around
cabinets, cupboards or pantries, and inside and
under stoves, refrigerators, and dishwashers. German
cockroaches do not like movement and usually avoid
light.
