German cockroach

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Blattella germanica

The German cockroach is 13-17 mm in size, yellow-brown and has two dark brown longitudinal stripes on the pronotum. Both sexes are winged, but do not fly. The focus of infestation is often in kitchens or rooms where food is processed. Rooms with high temperatures and humidity are also often colonized by the German cockroach, e.g. laundries, pet shops, zoological gardens, restaurants, bakeries, commercial kitchens and modern shopping centers. These are particularly at risk due to the heat, the wide variety of food on offer and the numerous hiding places. Livestock stables (especially pigsties) on farms can also be colonized by the German cockroach. This species can only survive outdoors under favorable warm conditions, e.g. in garbage dumps. The egg package with 18-50 eggs is carried around by the female for approx. 4-5 weeks and then laid randomly. Shortly afterwards, the dark brown colored young larvae hatch. The total development time from egg to adult insect is 2-3 months. Like all cockroach species, they love dark, damp hiding places and are therefore often not noticed for a long time, especially as they only forage at night. The animals can also starve for long periods without any problems. Due to their chitin shell, the egg packages are very resistant, even to pesticides.

Brown band cockroach

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Supella longipalpa

This species also survives in a dry habitat such as closets, computers, bookshelves or cardboard boxes. It reaches a size of 10 to 13mm and although the wings are quite well developed, this species cannot fly. The animals are generally dark brown in color, only the pronotum is brown and has the two light, characteristic horizontal stripes. The brownbanded cockroach or furniture cockroach is mainly found in commercial kitchens, bakeries, canteens, hospitals, swimming pools and greenhouses. At a temperature of 30°C, development into an adult, i.e. sexually mature insect, takes 54 to 56 days. At 22°C, this period is extended to up to 355 days, with an average life expectancy of 200 days Brown-banded cockroaches cannot overwinter outdoors under Central European climatic conditions. Under appropriate conditions, up to three generations can develop per year. The females lay around 80 to 200 eggs in the course of their lives; the number of egg capsules (oothecae) is around 13.

Oriental cockroach

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Blatta orientalis

The Oriental cockroach, also known colloquially as the cockroach, grows to 20-28 mm in size. The males are chestnut brown, their wings slightly shorter than the abdomen. The females, on the other hand, are almost black and only have wing stubs. They are rather poor climbers and are therefore usually found near the ground, in damaged masonry, behind wall paneling, door frames, skirting boards, in pipe shafts or sewage pipes. Although the preferred temperature of Blatta orientalis is 20 to 29°C, reproduction is still possible even at 15°C. The egg packet with 16 eggs is laid randomly after only 2-5 days. Larvae only hatch after 2-3 months. Their development is completed after 22 weeks at high temperatures, but normally only after 1 year, although there are significant fluctuations depending on sex. Otherwise like the German cockroach, but more thermophilic. In contrast to other cockroach species, it also likes to penetrate electronic systems, e.g. computers, and can cause damage there.

American cockroach

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Periplaneta americana

The American cockroach reaches a size of 26 mm to 38 mm. Their color is reddish-brown, the pronotum reddish-yellow with 2 dark brown spots. Both sexes are fully winged and able to fly. The egg packets are carried around for a few hours to 6 days, then stuck in corners and cracks and covered and camouflaged with wood shavings, pieces of paper and other things. The larvae hatch after 1-2 months. The total development period of the cockroach is approx. 1 year. Of all cockroach species, they love warmth the most. American cockroaches are omnivorous and also infest other organic material of all kinds, such as fabric, leather and paper. Moist, soft, even rotting food and fabrics are their favorite. Damage is caused by contamination, the spread of putrefactive pathogens and germs such as anthrax, salmonella and tuberculosis. It also acts as an intermediate host for threadworms and is partly responsible for hospitalism in hospitals.