Cockroaches lay eggs in dark, safe, and humid areas. They don’t want anyone to disturb their rapid reproduction rate. You’ll be surprised to know that the eggs of a German cockroach are laid just one or two days before their hatching day. That’s how fast these bugs multiply!
When cockroaches find a safe place, they start reproducing immediately. This could include window crevices, wall gaps, pipelines, clothes, sink bottoms, or any dark and humid place that protects them from predators.
Generally, a female roach lays eggs every month for ten months, one week after mating. That’s quite a problem because it will be difficult to live peacefully in your house while those roaches are growing insanely in numbers.
This post shares a detailed insight on how to find roach eggs and eliminate them.
Where Do Cockroaches Lay Eggs in the House?
Mother roaches look for a safer place to lay eggs in your house. Usually, they carry the eggs with them until they are about to hatch. But if they decide to lay eggs, the following might be their preferred locations:
- Crevices
- Pipelines
- Sinks’ bottom
Cockroaches also look for a place to settle closer to food and water. So that makes the kitchen and pantry of your house their favorite places to live.
You may also find roach eggs in the following places:
Clothes
Do cockroaches lay eggs in your clothes? That depends on where and how you have placed them. Old clothes you don’t wear regularly are the prime target for roaches to lay eggs.
The clothes placed in a wooden box or closet can attract more cockroaches. It’s because cockroaches consider a place safe if it absorbs their musty odor. Containers made of wood absorb that roach’s smell and leave no clue they are residing inside.
However, the good news is that cockroaches might not lay eggs in your clothes. Instead, they lay eggs beside the clothing, right at the border of the drawer or the closet. They do so to stay undisturbed whether you put clothes in or take them out.
Cockroaches are pretty private, so they don’t want their eggs to get exposed easily.
Pantry
Cockroaches like to lay eggs where they can find food. Although these pests work hard to complete their nutritional requirements, they won’t hesitate if they find easy sustenance. That’s why settling inside a pantry gives them:
- Shelter
- Food
- Privacy
- Confined spaces
Even if you daily visit your pantry, you might never see cockroaches because these pests don’t show up on the frontline. Instead, they keep themselves hidden until the night. They are mostly behind the canisters during the day, eating food or playing hide and seek.
Once you get close to a roach, it freezes and analyzes the situation. These bugs so might not move because that will expose their location, threatening their eggs.
So you can assume that cockroaches are considerate about their progeny.
Vents
The purpose of vents is to keep the atmosphere of our house clean. But cockroaches have a different perspective: they consider vents a safe place to lay eggs. It’s because these areas remain untouched by humans most of the time.
Another reason for choosing vents is they usually give access to the kitchen and bathroom, paving a clear way to food for the cockroaches.
So next time you go up to clear the vents, be ready to encounter a family of roaches with eggs. They might not expect you, just like you weren’t expecting them there.
Do Roaches Lay Eggs Everywhere?
Cockroaches might lay eggs wherever they go. But again, that depends on whether you have provided an appropriate spot for them.
For example, if your house has a roach infestation and you have a wooden box full of old clothes, cockroaches might want to settle there and lay eggs. These pests love to reside in a humid and private space.
Similarly, cockroaches will lay eggs in the pantry if you don’t keep it clean. They will start living there once they feel no one will disturb them.
So yes, roaches lay eggs almost everywhere.
How Many Roaches Are in One Egg?
The number of roaches in an egg varies from species to species. To learn more, let’s discuss two common species of cockroaches and their eggs:
German Cockroach Eggs
German roaches are the most common species in the world. They are 1.1 – 1.6 cm long, having tan to black color. They don’t like to live outdoors and intrude into your house whenever they get a chance.
Apart from 4,000 species of these pests, you will find German cockroaches in:
- Houses
- Restaurants
- Hotels
- Hospitals
- Food industries
These roaches lay eggs in a crate called ootheca. The mother roach carries an ootheca which contains 30 to 40 eggs. Most of the time, the mother roach keeps the ootheca to herself until just before the hatch.
On average, the female German roach produces one ootheca each month. In addition, she carries the ootheca for ten months and finds a safe spot to lay her eggs just before the baby roaches hatch out.
So if you multiply, you get more than 40+ baby roaches every month during the cockroach invasion. That’s an alarming situation, and you need to take quick action.
American Cockroach Eggs
American cockroaches are the second most common species. They are 1.5 – 2 inches long, bigger than German cockroaches. These bugs are common in American households and outdoors.
Unlike German roaches, American cockroaches might not infest your house. In addition, this species has wings that make it your worst nightmare by flying right at your face.
The female American cockroach carries the ootheca for six days. After that, she finds a suitable hidden spot to lay the egg crate. The hidden spot can be any place, including:
- Crevice
- Garbage
- Attic
Cockroaches ensure that wherever they deposit their eggs, the place is close to food.
The female American roach lays eggs almost every month. Furthermore, the eggs take two more months to hatch. The egg case is dark brown, which becomes black with time. It’s glued to the surface, and you can easily spot cockroach oothecae wherever they go, including their colonies.
Where Do You Find Roach Nests?
Several signs might lead you to a roach nest. Although cockroaches live in privacy, they unintentionally leave some tracks that can help you locate their nests. These signs include:
Dead or Alive Cockroaches
No doubt, an alive cockroach running around is the best evidence that your house might be infested. But, even if there’s one roach, there are probably many of them hiding nearby.
Spotting a cockroach in your house might force you to kill it instantly, but you must wait to find the bigger surprise. Silently watch the roach’s movement and track it down. The cockroach itself will lead you to its nest.
Moreover, dead cockroaches help you find their nests. If you find corpses of these bugs, their nest is nearby. Other colony members are hiding close to the dead bodies because cockroaches feed on their dead ones in extreme hunger.
Besides, dead cockroaches mean the following things:
- They have become overpopulated and are killing each other to create enough space to survive.
- They are dying due to a lack of food and water.
- Some other pests are killing them.
Shedding Skin
Cockroaches shed their skin 11-13 times as they grow. But why?
These pests grow in size, but their external hard shell doesn’t allow them to do so. That shell is their exoskeleton which is hard enough to save them from a mighty blow. But to enhance their body, cockroaches molt the skin, grow, and rebuild the exoskeleton.
Therefore, their hideout is nearby if you find pieces of roach skin in your house.
Roach Droppings
It’s disgusting, but if you are struggling to find the roach nest, their dropping might be helpful in your pursuit. Cockroach’s feces look like small dark spots. If you have seen cockroaches in your house, those spots are their droppings.
So, their nest is close by if you have found their droppings.
Musty Smell
Cockroaches give off a musty odor which is quite unpleasant. However, it’s a unique smell, and you can quickly identify that roaches live around.
The common places where you can smell the roach’s odor are:
- Electrical appliances
- Drain pipes
- Cabinet doors
Moreover, the roach nest is nearby if you smell this odor and find moisture on the objects mentioned above.
How Do I Know If I Have Cockroach Eggs?
It’s hard to tell if your house has cockroach eggs because the female roach usually keeps them in her sack. She will never leave her eggs in the open if she decides to lay them. Instead, she finds a safe place to hide the eggs and then lays them. These places include:
- Dark corners of the kitchen
- Stove’s back
- Sink’s bottom
- Beneath or behind the closet
In addition, cockroaches also ensure that food and water are nearby. It’s because once the baby roaches come out of their eggs, they will grow quickly and look for food.
How Long Do Cockroach Eggs Last?
Nymphs (baby roaches) take 28-34 days to hatch and take the first breath. But that depends on the surroundings of where the female roach lays the eggs. Some nymphs might take more time to hatch, even 50 days or more.
How Do I Get Rid of Cockroach Eggs?
Since you have all the information regarding cockroach eggs, it’s time to discuss how to get rid of them. Dead cockroaches are another problem because they attract more roaches to feed on them. So you have to plan to eliminate these pests and their eggs once and for all.
The simplest way to get rid of cockroach eggs are:
- Squishing them. You know the location, so go uninvited and crush their future generations. However, this method might not be the right way. Crushing cockroaches and their eggs only give you temporary relief. But the infestation doesn’t end.
- Buy quality anti-roach spray and kill adult cockroaches first. Make sure you keep your pets and children away during the process.
- Calling a professional fumigation service if you don’t want to DIY. Of course, those professionals might charge you, but the investment is worth it.
Note: Once the roaches are dead, safely pick them up and dispose of them in the trash outside your house. After that, clean their hideout with a suitable chemical. That will sterilize the area and give a germ-free vibe.
FAQs
Where Do Roaches Keep Their Eggs?
Roaches keep their eggs in a safe and humid place. They don’t want anyone to disturb their privacy and threaten their babies. Moreover, the adult roaches ensure enough food and water nearby.
Can You See Roach Eggs?
Yes. You can see roach eggs with naked eyes. Although some might say it’s impossible to see roach eggs, you can easily find dark-colored cockroach eggs. They look like small rice grains or kidney beans dispersed in the cockroach nests.
However, you might not find these eggs if only German cockroaches have infested your house. It’s because the mother didn’t lay eggs until a day or two before the hatch.
What Kills Roaches and Their Eggs?
Following chemicals are the most common to kill cockroaches and their eggs:
- Diatomaceous earth
- Bleach
Diatomaceous earth dehydrates the roaches and their eggs. The chemical reacts by sucking all the water from the object, leaving it completely dry. So when a cockroach is dehydrated, it will first look for water. But since the reaction is severe, they won’t live for longer.
Bleach also destroys the roach colonies, including the eggs. Both of these methods commonly get rid of cockroaches and their eggs.
Conclusion
Cockroaches look for a hidden place close to food and water to lay eggs. The most common place where you will find roach eggs include:
- Under the bed
- Inside the closet
- Near drain pipes
- Behind cabinet doors
So, if you are worried about non-stop infestation, take quick action and eliminate cockroaches and their eggs using the guide mentioned in this post.