How Many Cockroaches Are in One Egg?
WouterTo understand the answer to the question how many cockroaches are in one egg, you need to know the basic biology of roaches. Cockroaches lay eggs in a sack-like substance called an ootheca. The female cockroach makes this casing, which hardens over several hours to protect the eggs from the elements and predators.
There are several different types of cockroach eggs. The German cockroach ootheca contains about 50 eggs and measures six to nine millimeters in length. The ootheca is carried on the female cockroach’s body until the eggs hatch. The egg development time for this species is about 103 days. As the eggs hatch, the population of these roaches increases rapidly.
When the cockroaches hatch, they go through at least six or seven instars. Then, they mature to fully-grown adults in 40 to 160 days. This depends on the species and the temperature of the surrounding environment. During these six to seven-day instar stages, the baby cockroaches will live in a cocoon with the egg capsule for at least four days.
The size of the oothecae depends on the species. Most roaches produce between six and eighteen eggs in a single egg casing. The eggs are white when they first develop, but they harden and turn a dark brown to reddish color as they grow older. Egg casings are also slightly bloated and some contain ridges.
