If you believe you have cockroaches on your property it is important that as well as dealing with the actual bugs themselves you also look for those cockroach eggs and destroy those too.
According to Cannon Pest Management, cockroach eggs need dealing with straight away, otherwise, they hatch and you are back to square one again and everything you have done till them was for nothing.
Here is a guide to what you need to know about the eggs and insects, what they look like and where to look.
Understanding the cockroach life cycle
Depending on the species of the cockroach an adult female cockroach can lay between ten and forty eggs each time. These eggs are carried in special cases called oothecal. When the conditions are right, humid and warm, the female can produce a new case every few weeks! This cycle means a cockroach infestation can very quickly reach into numbers in the thousands. German cockroaches are especially fast and can have between 20 to 40 eggs which hatch in as few as 28 days, the American cockroach, on the other hand, has 15 or so per case. Oriental cockroaches take a longer period of 60 days to hatch from the eggs.
Whatever species you are dealing with if you have dealt with the adults but you left eggs behind, they can quickly return their numbers. Expert cockroach control services can help here by making sure all stages are taken care of in their treatment efforts.
What do cockroach eggs look like?
Inside an egg case, the eggs are laid to keep them safe from environmental dangers and predators. The cases harden to protect them. These oblong cases are what you see when you are looking for eggs. They tend to be brown or red-brown in colour and can have ridges on the sides. Depending on the cockroach species you have affects the size of the case or ootheca. They can range from 5 mm long, from a smaller roach to a larger 8 to 10 mm long with a larger species.
Where can eggs be found?
Typically a cockroach prefers a humid and warm environment that has a source of water and food close by. For that reason the most common places you find them are bathrooms and kitchens. Therefore these are the places where you find the egg cases too. They like the cracks and crevices they can crawl into to hideaway. Some places to check include:
- Countertops and sinks
- Appliances like toasters, kettles and microwaves
- In cupboards, drawers and pantries
- Around bathtub drains
- In baseboards
- Anywhere you regularly eat food
- Around the rubbish bins and compost bins
- Around plumbing and in the water heater closet
- Any other damp area like a laundry room or a basement
The best way to get rid of cockroaches and their eggs
There are a number of store-bought cockroach killing options you can try but the most successful method to use is to invest in pest control experts. They will know where to look for cockroach eggs – Australia specific species and what the best course of action is to take that will get rid of cockroaches properly. If you do happen to see eggs you can pour on them something like diatomaceous earth or boric acid and there are also natural remedies like baking soda and sugar. Some even vacuum them up and then kill them.
But nothing gets rid of an infestation like pest control professionals with the right knowledge, equipment and experience.
Preventing cockroaches
Once you have chosen your method of killing them, making sure that includes finding and killing the cockroach eggs too, you then try better to prevent them from being a problem again. There are a few preventative steps you can take to help with that. They include:
- Clearing up clutter in the home especially in those areas they prefer to live
- Looking for and sealing all cracks and crevices you find where they can get in, leave their eggs or hide
- Regularly empty your rubbish bins and take out your compost and make sure everything is sealed
- Check your boxes, luggage and bags before you bring them into the home from the garage or basement
- When food is spilled, goes under a counter or into cracks of furniture straight away clean it all up
- Do not leave dirty dishes on the counters to clean the next day, start doing your washing up straight after eating
- Do not leave dirty plates and cups in other rooms of the house, when you have finished eating or drinking take them to the kitchen
- Vacuum often to pick up crumbs and such off the floors quickly
Summary
It is very important when taking care of cockroaches that you properly find and get rid of the cockroach eggs too. Now you know the answer to what do cockroach eggs look like you can better find them if you need to.