Most often, the egg cases are reddish-brown to dark-brown and range from 5 to 13 mm, depending on the type of cockroach. The ootheca can be easily seen by the naked eye.
Contrary to what some may believe, cockroach egg cases can be seen with the naked eye. The egg cases are usually reddish-brown to dark-brown in colour and range from 5 to 13 mm long depending on the type of cockroach.
Australian cockroaches grow from egg to adult in about a year. The average lifespan of an adult cockroach is 4 to 6 months. Females lay egg cases, which contain about 24 eggs each, in sheltered areas and in material such as moist wood.
Female Australian Cockroaches lay their eggs in a small purse-shaped case called an ootheca. Each one contains around 14-16 eggs.
The mother roach camouflages her eggs in tight spaces (or even underneath pliable material such as moist wood or refuse) so that you can't find or destroy them before they hatch. Each ootheca has between 16 and 24 eggs inside which hatch in 30 to 40 days.
Look for Shed Skin and Egg Casings
One of the most obvious signs of an active cockroach nest is shed skin, which cockroaches molt as they grow. Another sign is egg casings, which look like small brown capsules. Look for these items near baseboards, cupboards, and other areas where roaches might be nesting.
How many roaches in an egg? Each individual egg within an ootheca contains a single developing cockroach nymph. German cockroach eggs for example, can produce as many as 48 baby cockroaches. Even though they don't live very long (between 160 and 450 days, depending on species), they can leave behind a lot of offspring.
In that scenario, you can buy what are called desiccant dusts—like diatomaceous earth, a non-toxic substance you can find on Amazon—and that will dehydrate the eggs, thereby killing them.
Cockroaches are a common pest, infesting both indoor and outdoor areas. Effective control of pest cockroaches involves thorough inspection, reducing sources of food, water and shelter, pesticides or baits, and ongoing maintenance. Several species of cockroach are common in Victoria.
Natural predators of cockroaches are various arthropods (including spiders), frogs, lizards, birds and mammals. Some wasps parasitise cockroach egg cases.
Boric acid is a powerful natural home remedy for getting rid of roaches overnight. Mix equal amounts of boric acid, flour, and sugar until it becomes a dough-like consistency. Place small pieces where the roaches can feed on them.
Signs of cockroaches in your home include dead bodies; eggs or eggshells (which are small, brown and oval-shaped); droppings (which are dark and powdery like ground coffee); and a strong, musty odor that doesn't go away. The best method of roach control is to be proactive in preventing them.
If you're wondering how cockroaches got into your home, it may well be that you brought them there: roaches and/or their eggs may attach themselves to your clothes or belongings while you're out of the house.
Bleach's Effect on Roaches
Taking a deep drink of household bleach would kill anything, roaches included. But the same strong odor that keeps people from taking a swig of bleach repels roaches as well. So though it could work, in reality, it will not. It is very difficult to kill an entire roach infestation yourself.
Finding these eggs typically means you have an infestation. If left untreated, one cockroach can lead to hundreds. Depending on the species, a single female cockroach can produce anywhere from 13 to 40 eggs in each egg case, and that's an infestation you definitely don't want to have to deal with on your own.
Cockroach eggs often look like small, dried kidney beans, or darkly colored grains of rice.
Vinegar is a natural household ingredient that can repel and kill cockroaches. Fill a spray bottle with equal parts vinegar and water, and then spray it directly onto the roaches when spotted. The strong odour and acidity of vinegar can be effective in eliminating them instantly.
Home remedies like diatomaceous earth, baking soda, boric acid, citrus, essential oils, and borax can be effective ways to get rid of roaches. If you want to take a more aggressive approach to eliminate roaches, glue traps, bait stations, and liquid roach deterrent concentrates are all excellent options.
Raid Max Cockroach Baits Traps, six pack
Using these Raid cockroach traps are one of the more common ways to trap and kill the creepy crawlies. The pack comes with six child-resistant baits to place around the house and can last for up to three months, helping you keep your infestation at bay.
Fortunately, just like adult cockroaches, eggs will not survive a wash and drying cycle. The heat is too intense for the delicate eggs.
Squishing a cockroach releases it's eggs: Fake
As it sits, the protein substance surrounding the egg case hardens, protecting the eggs inside. One ootheca can have anywhere from 10-50 eggs inside, depending on the species.
As such, some websites suggest placing coffee grounds around your home to keep roaches away. However, in a 2020 study published in the International Journal of Science and Healthcare Research, researchers tested this out and found that coffee grounds were not very effective at repelling cockroaches.
German cockroach: A German cockroach lifespan is about three months. They will repeatedly reproduce during that time, producing a new generation around every 60 days. This can lead to thousands of ready-to-mate cockroaches, and ultimately, a population growth of millions within a year.
Check your mattress
Again, it's uncommon for roaches to be found on mattresses, but it's not uncommon for them to hide in your bed frame and bedside furniture. When you remove your mattress and dismantle your bed to move, check for signs of cockroaches and remove or sanitize items as necessary.