How Do Cockroaches Rake Their Young?
WouterInsects have been known to nurse their young for up to two years, but what happens when they are old enough to care for themselves without help from their mother? Fortunately, we can find out what happens to our cockroach nymphs and young by investigating the mother’s behaviour.
German cockroaches produce egg capsules, which contain up to thirty or forty-eight eggs. Once these egg capsules hatch, the cockroaches feed on the feces of the adult. The nymphs will molt at least six or seven times in their lifetime. After the final molt, they will become fully functional adult cockroaches. The adult cockroach has two pairs of wings and three pairs of legs. It also has a pair of long antennae on the front of its head. Most cockroaches are brown in color.
The reproductive process is different in different roach species. The female cockroach releases pheromones that attract the male. The male then fights over the available female. Once he has a female, he will approach her ootheca and deposit sperm into it.
Cockroaches raise their young by reproducing in batches. The adult American cockroach lays approximately 17 eggs in each ootheca every month. The baby nymphs are one eighth inch long and have a black or brownish halo behind their heads. The female American cockroach produces up to 600 cockroaches in one year.
