The German cockroach is the most common in US

German roaches are relatively small, rarely reaching more than half an inch in length. And they can’t fly, so are often introduced into new places by humans – catching a ride in your groceries, cardboard boxes, etc. But once they’re in, they can disperse rapidly. An infestation in one apartment can quickly spread throughout the building.

To a German roach, humans are a moveable feast. They’ll eat almost any organic material. The crumbs in your cabinet, bits of food that slip down the crack by your stove, your garbage can – they’re all smorgasbords to germanica.

German roaches have a unique reproductive strategy among cockroaches. After mating, a female makes an egg case containing approximately 40 eggs. The case remains attached to the rear of the female’s abdomen, where the eggs incubate for approximately three weeks before live young emerge. These nymphs are tiny – no more than 2 millimeters long – but begin foraging immediately.