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.
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