German Cockroach

Category:

Actual Size: 1/2″ – 5/8″

Characteristics: Pale brown with two dark longitudinal stripes behind head.

Legs: 6

Antennae: Yes

Habitat: Prefer humid, warm areas. Often found in residential and commercial kitchens as well as bathrooms. Usually in areas where people eat and drink.

Habits:

  • Both sexes fully winged, but do not fly
  • Lives indoors, completely dependent on human habitats for survival
  • Can live in big colonies as they reproduce at a rapid rate

German Cockroaches in Albuquerque NM

The German cockroach can be found worldwide and is one of the most prevalent species in and around areas here in New Mexico. They target homes, apartments, food processing plants, and restaurants. They prefer warm and humid environments, making them a very common household pest for residents in our communities. When infestations are large, they can spread to other parts of a building or even to other buildings entirely. This species reproduces the fastest of the common pest cockroaches—a single female and her offspring can produce over 30,000 offspring in a year.

German Cockroach Environment

German cockroaches are found primarily in kitchens, bathrooms, or other areas where daily access to water is available. If sanitation is poor, the German cockroach can successfully expand its normal habitat to include all portions of a structure where adequate food, water and shelter exist. German cockroaches prefer to hide in wooden and paper materials, as well as electrical equipment. These roaches can also be found hiding in cabinets, drawers, up under sinks and inside heat-producing appliances like dishwashers, microwaves, and coffee makers.

German Cockroach Habits and Threats

German cockroaches typically leave humans alone. They are able to bite, but very unlikely to actually do so. However, foraging cockroaches are vectors of disease, depositing germs or bacteria in areas they inhabit. German cockroaches can also cause allergic reactions due to the insects leaving fecal matter and cast skins around the home, causing skin rashes, watery eyes, sneezing, nasal congestion and asthma. In addition to spreading disease, German cockroach infestations may cause human psychological stress. With the social stigma attached to having cockroaches in your home, homeowners tend to alter their behavior by entertaining less often and avoiding kitchen and bathroom areas at night for fear of encountering the pest.

Because of their infestation sizes, always contact a professional cockroach exterminator for help.