German cockroach

Order: Blattodea
Family: Ectobiidae
Genus: Blattella

Description:

The German cockroach is reddish in color with two longitudinal stripes on the shield.

The female is wider than the male.

The elytra, well developed in adults, are longer than the body in the female and shorter in the male.

Habits:

Main species in Europe, the German cockroach is spread all over the world.
It is particularly present in homes, restaurants and boats.
Native to tropical areas, it therefore searches for hot, humid, dark and hidden places such as: electric motors, pantry, places inaccessible to spray treatment such as electrical boxes and cables, various pipes, door cavities . It is also found in household appliances, in waste, behind tapestries. She often searches for quiet places and far from light. It moves both horizontally and vertically.

Life cycle :

The metamorphosis of the German cockroach is incomplete.
The female carries her eggs in a capsule called "ootheca". This glossy brown ootheca, in which the eggs are laid, is rectangular and measures 7 mm long and 3 mm wide.
Each ootheca contains from 6 to 50 eggs according to the individuals and according to the food. The female lays about 7 eggshells during her lifetime. The incubation period for eggs is 17 days. The condition of the pupa lasts 40 to 65 days.
The full life cycle of the German cockroach extends between 3 and 6 months. There are, per year, 2 or 5 generations. A couple of German cockroaches can produce up to 1,000,000 offspring in a year.

Cut :

The German cockroach is the smallest of the domestic cockroaches: in adulthood, it measures between 1 and 2 cm.
During its development, the nymph goes through 7 metamorphoses. It grows in size with each metamorphosis.

General:

• Most common species of cockroach, it is lucifuge.
• Found in homes, businesses, bakeries, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, ships and in uncontrolled rubbish dumps, ...

Aspect :

• Imago: light brown, black stripes on the thorax, long antennae, size 10-15 mm; thinner males and tip of the abdomen not completely covered by the wings.
• Larva: same appearance as the imago, but without wings and generally darker in color, 2-10 mm without the antennae, moult between 5 and 7 times during growth.
• Egg: the egg-shell is protected by a light brown chitinous shell, size: approximately 8x3x2 mm, contains on average 30 eggs.

Development:

• Incomplete metamorphosis.
• Ovary stage: 2-5 weeks, adult females produce an average of 7 (4-8) eggshells during their lifetime.
• From egg to imago: from about 2 months at 25 ° C to about 7 months at low temperature.
• Maximum longevity of the imago: 6 months, in the laboratory up to approximately 1 year.

Way of life :

• Food: omnivorous, foodstuffs, dead animals, human and animal excretions, waste, fat etc., can live 10-40 days without food.
• Temperature: 4 ° C for about 12 hours is generally fatal, optimal activity around 30 ° C, preferred temperature 25-32 ° C.
• Shelters: dark, warm, humid places, calm and with food nearby.

Nuisance :

• Contaminates food, are in particular carriers of bacteria and mites, spread infectious agents (salmonellosis, streptococci, etc.).
• Their dorsal gland spreads an unpleasant odor.

Usefulness:

Recycles organic matter in the wild in the tropics and serves as food for larger animals such as birds.

Propagation:

In particular by the transport of baskets, boxes, containers, etc. for multiple use, in luggage, during removals and transport,…

Preventive control:

Deprive them of food, in particular by respecting the rules of hygiene, seal if possible cracks and fissures, store food in cold rooms.

Means of curative control:

•  Local treatment of possible shelters and surroundings by application of insecticidal gel.
•  In the event of a very heavy infestation, a spray can be made during the 1st treatment.
•  Inspection after 3 weeks of all potential sites and treatment if necessary.
•  Place the detectors in strategic locations (hot, humid, calm).