Are you concerned you might have cockroach eggs in your home? The common American roach female can create six to 90 egg sacks, known as ootheca. After a few hours or days, the mother then drops the ootheca in hidden locations that she thinks will be safe for her eggs. Then, within 24 to 38 days, the immature cockroaches will emerge from the egg cases. Unfortunately, each egg case carries multiple embryos, resulting in about 10-18 newborn roaches. Even after a female cockroach deposits an egg capsule, she can begin producing more within weeks.
1. What do roach eggs look like?
It is crucial to check if you have roach eggs in your home, as they are often a sign of infestation. Roach eggs are usually brown, reddish-brown, tan, or black in color. This depends on the type of cockroach. For instance, German roach eggs are brown while oriental roach eggs are reddish or dark brown. They look like tiny capsules and are about 5 millimeters in length. However, certain cockroaches lay eggs that can be as big as 12 millimeters long. Aside from being tiny, they are also hard and can be moved around, just like portable nurseries. The roach eggs also have a small ridge running down their length. This is called a keel. When the eggs leave the sack, the egg case will break open along the keel to allow the new roaches to escape. It is also important to note that empty cockroach eggs look very similar to full ones because the keel closes back up when the newborns are gone.
2. What should you do if you find them?
In order to spot the eggs, you need to know where to look for them. Depending on the type of cockroach, the egg sacks can be in basements, laid near food sources, such as in your kitchen or pantry, inside trash cans, in dark closets or drawers, under debris, in damp areas like laundry rooms, or even attached to rough surfaces including cardboard and wood.
It is also important to know that you can use pest prevention methods! First of all, make sure to inspect grocery bags, suitcases, and moving boxes before bringing them into your home. In addition, use sanitation! Wipe up crumbs and spilled food, wash dirty dishes immediately, and make sure to seal up leftovers as well. Empty your trash daily, both from your kitchen and bathroom, as well.
3. Can you kill roach eggs?
The good news is that roach eggs can be killed! One way to do it immediately after spotting one is by stomping on it to squish it. Then, either dispose of it in the trash or vacuum up the pieces. However, for a less messy method, using residual pesticide spray or boric acid can kill the embryos. You can also vacuum up the egg capsules if you do not want to touch them, just make sure to throw out the debris afterward. If by any chance you do not want to handle the roach eggs yourself, feel free to contact us here at Termigaurd Services!
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