How Fast Do German Cockroaches Reproduce?

In order to reproduce, German cockroaches must have a conducive environment. In the right conditions, they can reproduce in as little as a month. Their life cycle is broken into four distinct phases: the nymphal stage, the adult stage, and the pupal stage. The nymphal stage begins with the hatching of the egg. In this stage, the German cockroach is still white, but quickly turns a dark brown or black color. After the egg hatches, a German cockroach begins to forage for food, and will begin looking for a suitable location. They will moult at least five times during the nymphal stage, the last of which is when they emerge as fully grown adults.

When German cockroaches reproduce, they produce between 30 and 48 eggs per capsule. A single female can produce two to six generations a year, and can produce between 120 and 384 eggs in her lifetime. This means that an infestation of a single female German cockroach can turn into a massive infestation in no time.

The first generation of German cockroaches is made of about 35,000 roaches. This is a remarkable number, considering that the roaches are only about half an inch long. Moreover, female German cockroaches carry their eggs in a hard capsule, called an ootheca. These capsules contain enough water for the baby roaches until hatching. These nymphs develop into adult roaches within 100 days, if they are kept in optimal conditions.