When Do Cockroaches Breed?
WouterCockroaches breed in two main ways. The male produces sperm and the female lays eggs. When the female lays her eggs, she releases a pheromone to attract the male. Both sexes engage in courtship rituals. The female American cockroach stretches her wings and opens its genital chambers to attract the male. Once the male approaches the female, he backs into her and deposits sperm. The eggs are then incubated for a few weeks.
While cockroaches reproduce sexually, there are some that cannot reproduce without a mate. This process is called parthenogenesis. This type of reproduction produces offspring from the mother’s cells alone, which results in less genetic diversity and lower survival rates. The female cockroach lays 200-300 eggs during her lifetime.
Female cockroaches lay their eggs in moist woodpiles or crevices near food. These insects live between six months and a year. During this time, they molt several times, changing their color from light gray to reddish brown. Once mature, American cockroaches lay up to two oothecae of 16 eggs per week. The resulting nymphs can develop into adult roaches.
The German cockroach is one of the fastest reproducing roaches. A female German cockroach may lay between four and eight egg capsules in her lifetime. The eggs hatch in 20 to 30 days, and the nymphs reach adulthood in 40-125 days. A German cockroach infestation can produce up to 10,000 roaches within a year.
