German Cockroach

Blattella germanica

If you saw a German Cockroach, you may not even realize it's a Cockroach! These small, light brown insects measure only about half an inch in length, which is a bit of a difference when you compare them to the American Cockraoches (about 1.3in) or the massive Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches which get as big as 4 inches!

Despite the name, German Cockroaches are actually from Africa, and are close relatives to the Asian Cockroach. German Cockroaches can survive in colder climates, which has allowed them to spread all around the world and become widespread pests in many areas. Luckily, though they have wings, these roaches cannot actually fly.

German Cockroaches go through three life phases- egg, nymph, adult- and it takes about 2 months for the roaches to hatch and make it to their adult phase. They have a very high reproductive rate, which is one of the reasons that they can be very difficult to eradicate. In just one year a single female can produce 10,000 descendants!

German Cockroaches can appear in both dirty and clean areas, it just depends on what is available for them to eat. They are omnivores that will consume just about anything, including the glue on canned food wrappers! There are numerous ways to get rid of the roaches, including trapping, baiting, and chemical spraying.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed

Location : Worldwide

Size : Length up to .5in (1.3cm)

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Blattodea
Family : Blattellidae -- Genus : Blattella -- Species : B. germanica