How Fast Do Roaches Multiply?

Almost all insects, including roaches and palmetto bugs, multiply at a rapid pace. This is because cockroaches reproduce quickly, have multiple egg production, and easy mating. This may be beneficial, like harvesting silkworms or getting a red dye from cochineal. But on the other hand can prove disastrous, as in the case of roaches infestation.

How fast do roaches multiply? The German roaches multiply at a rapid pace. One adult female roach can produce between 200-300 baby roaches. This is because, after mating, an adult female roach is capable of producing an egg case containing 48 individual eggs once every six weeks for the rest of her life.

Although German roaches multiply fast, the growth is slower in Palmetto Bugs. When someone says, I have cockroaches at home, that means German Cockroaches. Learn more about german cockroaches vs palmetto bugs here.

Optimal environmental conditions and availability of water and food are all that is required for roaches to thrive and multiply. An unchecked infestation is not only a cause of abhorrence but can also transmit disease.

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1. Advion Cockroach Gel Bait (Review)
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Other Products to try:

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2. Hot Shot Foggers (To kill in masses – 95%)
3. Pet Safe Killers (Uses Essential Oils)
4. Ortho Defence Outdoor Roach Killer (Prevent Roaches)

How Fast Do Cockroaches Reproduce Eggs?

The German roaches have an average life span of almost nine months to a year. However, the roaches can only produce offspring after they are adults. A baby german roach will take around 100 days to become an adult and lay eggs.

So how often do roaches lay eggs? A single roach lays between 200-300 eggs in its life span. This is because the german roach produces one egg case after every 6 weeks. A german roach will lay around 6-8 times in its lifetime. An egg case called ootheca contains approximately 48 eggs. Learn more here: How Many Roaches are in One Egg?

German roaches keep their egg case inside their body till they are ready to hatch. Once they lay it in a safe place, they will hatch in 1-2 days. This makes German cockroaches have a high percentage of survival rate, fueling how fast do cockroaches reproduce. Learn more on do cockroaches Lay Eggs When Killed?

It takes approximately 2 days for the eggs to hatch. Roach babies are called nymphs. The nymphs undergo about 5 to 6 molts before they are transformed into adult bugs.

The adult bugs live for the next 6 months to 8 months before they have completed their life. The female bugs, on average, have 1 month more to their average life span than male bugs.

Factors Fueling Roach Growth

Roaches rarely infest homes. Instead, they like to live in the outdoors, especially in moist places, under flower beds, bushes, etc. But it must be kept in mind that, like other roaches, they can still have a propensity to home infestation and multiply extensively under optimal conditions.

If you are more often noticing hissy or crackling sounds, your home might be infested. Read more about Do Roaches Make Noise? here.

Roaches can enter your house through multiple entry points, including

1. Bathroom Commodes (American Roaches)
2. Leaking sewrage lines (American Roaches)
3. Cracks in the ceiling or walls (German Roaches)
4. Waste lines
5. Windows or exhausts (Out door wood roaches)

Additional Read: How to get rid of Roaches coming from Neighbors

When you are eradicating roaches or palmetto bugs, always born in mind these points and try to take care of them. Otherwise, the extermination will most likely fail.

Besides these, the factors that fuel roaches’ rapid multiplication and growth should also be taken care of. I have listed them below,

1. Unsaintarory Conditions : The roaches loves to live in the filth. A dark shady bathroom with leaking pipes is heaven for these notorious bugs. Keeping your house clean is cornerstone in keeping these roaches away.
2. Ample Roating Food and Garbage : A household with unattended food lying in the kitchen and around the room attracts roaches like a magnet. Whereas, Adult bugs can search for food themselves, roach babies only thrives on the left over food particles and garbage.
3. Shady and Dark Atmosphere : It is more likley that a dark shady room is infested in comparison to a room with good lighting. This is because these bugs shy away from bright light and loves to mate in darker enviorment. Keeping your space well lit will definetly help at keeping roaches in check.
4. Humidity : Water is very important for the survival of roaches. They can only live for one week without water (To read more, Click Here). A space with leaky pipes and humid walls is definitely an ideal enviroment for the bugs to thrive.
5. Congestion and Poor Ventilation : A room that offer more hiding places with poor ventilatin and warmer tempratures is more likly to be infested with roaches than a minimilist room with good ventilation. This is because these bugs are very shy and trys to avoid human contact.

I have written a complete article on What smell keeps roaches away? You can use these smells to keep roaches at bay.

How to stop roaches from multiplying fast?

An unchecked roach infestation can sometimes prove havoc. This is because, in ideal environmental conditions, roaches multiply very quickly. For example, one adult female roach can produce 200-300 baby roach offspring.

To stop roaches from multiplying fast, check the conditions that favor their rapid multiplication (discussed above), and follow the guidelines below.

1. The best way to stop roaches to grow is using an IGR (Insect Growth Regulator). Learn more here.
2. Don’t forget to use insectisde sprays in bug’s hiding places e.g. Under the carpet, room corners, AC vents, curtains and inside the furniture.
3. Prefer using Boric acid because it not only kills adult roaches but also destroyes the eggs by absorbing the shells. Boric acid also stays on the surface for long so has an excellent residual effect.
4. Lysol is an antiseptic solution that is another alternative to boric acid. It also, not only kills roaches but also destroyes eggs hence can be used to control population bursts. Learn more here: Does Lysol Kill Roaches and Bugs?
5. Cover the entry points inculding sewer drains, cracks, windows and commodes.
6. Identify baby palmetto bugs early before they becomes adult and multiply exponentially.
7. Regulary clean your home and keep an eye on garbage bins and food particles lying around the room.
8. Light your rooms well with excellent ventilation and temprature control.
9. Last but not least try to casterize male roaches (just kidding).