What are German cockroaches?
German cockroaches are a species of cockroach that you will rarely see flying; instead, they scurry and run very quickly to get where they are going or to elude capture. Adults grow to between 1/2 and 5/8th of an inch in length.
Their bodies or light brown or tan, and they have two parallel black stripes placed right behind their head. The female has a wide abdomen, while the male has a narrower shaped abdomen. German cockroaches breed very quickly; each female can carry 40 eggs and there can be as many as 6 generations produced per year.
Why do I have them?
German cockroaches can enter homes through small cracks and crevices; in fact, they only need a space 3/8th of an inch wide to squeeze their bodies through!
While foraging for food, they often enter inside through spaces in the foundation or underneath doors; but the main way these invasive cockroaches enter homes and other buildings is by hitching a ride in cardboard boxes, used appliances and furniture, grocery bags, and other deliveries and packages.
Once inside, German cockroaches can be found living in large numbers in warm, humid places like kitchens and bathrooms.