Blattella germanica

The adult cockroach is light-brown with two dark lines/stripes on its pronotal shield (longitudinal)
Female cockroaches are generally darker than the males with broader abdomens than that of the male. Cockroaches are winged insets thus broadening their range of incidence.

The female cockroach carries its unborn offspring until it is within 1-2 days of hatching. The offspring emerge and can easily infest small crevaces in the immediate surface. Establishment of an infestation is further aided by the fact that both adult and immature stages feed on the same type of food.

This species of cockroach finds humid settings preferential and can be found throughout buildings. They have an advanced level of mobility give their ability to climb vertically even on materials such as glass and tiled surfaces.

This pest is very significant all types of establishment ranging from private / domestic properties to hospitals.

Adult size:	10 - 15 mm
Development time:	around 2 months
Length of adult stage:	3 - 6 months
Number of moults:	5 - 7
No. of eggs produced per ootheca:	average of 35
No. of ootheca produced in female lifetime:	average of 5

Treatment

Cockroach infestations are oftentimes different to control, this is due to the cockroach being adapted to infesting a large range of areas within a building/area. Also, the volume of offspring that can me produced from a single female is extremely large. Spot treatments are rarely effective against this pest for that very reason. Identifying the species of the cockroach is paramount in deciding the appropriate course of action. Suitable placement of sticky traps would be behind counters, underneath equipment, in trunking (electrical covers) and also in roof spaces. Preventative measures can also be taken to aid the treatment process. This may include; proofing, removing residual water, removing food, improving hygiene.