Orkin Exterminator & Termite Control

German Cockroaches

The Blattella germanica, or German cockroach, is a small, light brown cockroach. It is a common household pest. The German roach may infest more homes and businesses and in greater numbers than any other species of cockroach. The German cockroach is also commonly referred to as the Croton bug steam fly or steam bug.

The German cockroach is a relatively small species, measuring approximately 3/4-inch in length. Pale yellow-brown in color, its pronotum has distinct, dark, parallel longitudinal bands. Male and female German cockroaches appear the same and both are fully winged. However, German cockroaches are poor flyers and use their wings for gliding from high elevations to lower locations.

Originally of Asian origin, the German cockroach is an extremely successful species. Because they are small, German cockroaches are easy to transport with every sort of human products. German roaches are found throughout the world. Because they reside in human buildings, they can even thrive in cold climates such as those of Greenland, Iceland and the Canadian High Arctic.

Inside our homes and buildings, German cockroaches prefer warm, moist habitats. They are common pests of kitchens and bathrooms.  It is common to find them in places like beneath appliances, in crevices and cracks. Like other species, the German cockroach is omnivorous and will scavenge and consume a wide variety of foods, including papers, cloth and decaying plants and animals.

German cockroaches produce a large number of nymphs in each ootheca. Their small size allows them to hide more efficiently and they have few natural predators inside human habitats. For these reasons, German cockroach populations tend to grow rapidly and require professional treatment. Contact your local pest control expert for a consultation.

German Cockroach Life Cycle

German Cockroach Nymphs

Stages of a German Cockroach