Oriental Cockroach Description

Oriental cockroaches are black or dark ground and usually grow to about 1 ¼ inches long.  They have short wings and do not fly.  People sometimes refer to these cockroaches as “water bugs,” mainly because they prefer dark and damp places.

Life Cycle

This roaches life cycle is considered simple metamorphosis, which includes an egg, nymph, and adult. Eggs are laid in capsules, which the female carries for about 30 hours and then drops onto a protected surface near a food supply. The female does not glue the egg capsule to the surface.  Females produce an average of eight capsules, each containing 16 eggs that hatch in about 60 days under room temperature conditions.  Oriental cockroaches will go from egg to adult in about 30 weeks depending on temperature.  With approximately 200 offspring, a female Oriental Cockroach has an average life span of 26 weeks.

Habitat

Oriental Cockroaches feed and harbor in damp and unsanitary places such as sewers, garbage disposals, kitchens, bathrooms, and indoor storage areas. Filth from these sources is spread by cockroaches to food supplies, food preparation surfaces, dishes, utensils, and other surfaces. Cockroaches contaminate far more food than they are able to eat.  They are seldom found on walls, in high cupboards, or in the upper floors of buildings. At times large numbers occur in one great mass around leaks in the basement or crawl space areas of homes. Oriental cockroaches are generally found outdoors during warm weather, but in periods of drought there may be considerable movement into structures, apparently in search of higher humidity. They may enter the home in food packages and laundry, or merely come in under the door or through air ducts, garbage chutes, or ventilators.

Health Concerns

From various points in their bodies American cockroaches,  produce odorous secretions that can affect the flavor of various foods. When populations are high, these secretions may result in a characteristic odor in the general region of the infestation. Disease-producing organisms such as bacteria, protozoa, and viruses have been found in cockroach bodies. Different forms of food poisoning and dysentery appear to be the principal diseases transmitted by these cockroaches. These disease-causing organisms are carried on the legs and bodies of cockroaches, and are deposited on food and utensils as cockroaches forage. Cockroach excrement and cast skins also contain a number of allergens, to which many people exhibit allergic responses such as skin rashes, watery eyes, congestion of nasal passages, asthma, and sneezing.