GERMAN COCKROACH

Identification, Facts, & Control

Latin Name

Blattela germanica

Appearance

1/2 inch long with black hashmarks can't fly

GERMAN COCKROACH

Known as the "Steam Fly."
This world-wide species is about 1/2 - inch in length.
Coloring is brown with two dark streaks on the thorax.
The male is light brown & somewhat boat-shaped.
The female is typically darker in color with a broad & rounded posterior.
The female carries her egg capsule (ootheca) until the eggs are ready to hatch (unique to only the German cockroach).
The female produces 4-8 egg capsules in a lifetime containing 30-40 eggs each.
Eggs hatch in 3-4 weeks.
Nymphs develop in 40-125 days (up to 4 generations per year).
The nymphs and gravid females are the most difficult stages to control.
Adults may live up to one year.
They are commonly found in association with all kinds of food products (egg & soft drink cartons, beer cases, sacks of onions & potatoes). Prevalent in food warehouses, food delivery trucks, and storage areas of restaurants.
If found in a restaurant the best way to control is crack and crevice treatment using gel bait.
When determining where to best determine where an infestation exists in cracks and crevices and kitchen cabinetry two helpful tools to use are a flashlight and an aerosol flushing agent.
It is always a wise practice to thoroughly investigate the entire home for the extent of the infestation. Methods of control in a home for a large population should include sanitation, residual insecticides, and insect growth regulators.
Methods of control in a chemically sensitive area (rest home/hospital) should include baits and pheromone traps.
In a stored—product pest monitoring program, the use of pheromone traps would most likely catch pests in the Adult Male stage.
Very difficult to control due to their ability to get into cracks and crevices of food storage areas and their habit of re-infestation.
Small plastic bait containers should be placed in dark concealed spots.
Glue boards are a good way to monitor the reduction of the population and the effectiveness of a particular treatment.
Gel bait is recommended for use when there is a danger of contaminating the surrounding environment.
Gel bait is also recommended for use when there is an occupant in the application site that has a respiratory problem.