Cockroaches are amazing creatures with several superpowers like 360′ vision, the ability to live without a head, the ability to withstand great radiation, and the ability to quickly infest an area.
But how do cockroaches give birth?
This is a somewhat complicated question, and depends on the species of roach! It looks like a live birthing process, but it is actually not. Babies are born from the female, but technically it is not live birth.
In some species, eggs are laid in a warm area. in others, they are stored in a sac inside the uterus until they are ready to hatch.
- Different species of roaches have different birthing processes.
- An ootheca is a tiny sac found inside the uterus where the eggs are laid by cockroaches
- During hatching, babies emerge from inside the roach, creating the appearance of live birth.
There are many species of roaches, and their reproduction methods differ. Read on to find out which species have live births and which don’t.
Roach 101
Most people are familiar with cockroaches because of their unusually-long antennae. However, not all cockroaches have long antennae. Only the ones that will happily come inside your house do.
The legs also have stiff spikes, usually reddish brown or black. Bed bugs, beetles, and water bugs are often confused with cockroaches.
How Do Cockroaches Give Birth? What Is the Process of Giving Birth to a Cockroach?
Before we get too deep, let’s start by defining three terms for birthing:
- Oviparous – Lay an egg outside the body
- Ovoviviparous – Has eggs that stay inside the body
- Viviparous – Give birth to live young
The majority of female roaches do not give birth. Instead, the eggs are laid inside very small sacs, called an ootheca, within a week of mating.
The majority of female roaches do not give birth. Instead, the eggs are laid inside very small sacs, called an ootheca, within a week of mating.
Approximately 50 eggs can be stored in each sac at a time. Though again, that depends on the roach species.
When cockroaches complete the molting process and reach adulthood, they begin reproducing. Most cockroaches are oviparous, which means they produce offspring outside their bodies.
A roach carrying eggs develops ribbed tails with protrusions shaped like pills.
Ootheca either attaches to the roach’s abdomen or gets placed in a dark, warm spot away from predators. A few roach species, like Madagascar hissing cockroaches, are ovoviviparous. These fascinating creatures (often pets) will birth the babies after they form in the ootheca inside the mother.
Where do household roaches lay their egg sacs?
Species of cockroaches lay their eggs in the following locations:
- Oriental cockroaches: Eggs are deposited near food in warm, safe places like under your appliances.
- American cockroaches: Eggs are laid near food and are adhered to surfaces using saliva.
- German cockroaches: Nymphs hatch within 24 hours of the ootheca being released from the female roach.
- Smoky brown cockroaches: Eggs are normally hidden beneath debris like wood and rocks.
- Brown-banded cockroaches: Sand or cardboard are usually the surfaces on which their eggs are found.
Nymphs emerge from the ootheca after around 6-8 weeks. After molting several times and getting older, they turn brown.
This rule does not apply to Diploptera punctata. These are viviparous. Traditionally, they give birth live, with baby roaches growing in a mother’s uterus, relying on the mother for sustenance.
What Are the Chances of a Cockroach Giving Birth While It Is Dying?
The female cockroach sometimes gives birth if it feels threatened with death, making roach infestations hard to eradicate.
During times of threat, mother cockroaches swiftly discard their eggs, ensuring that the family bloodline continues.
The female cockroach sometimes gives birth if it feels threatened with death, making roach infestations hard to eradicate.
As a result of this adaptation, roaches are so successful at surviving. How successful? Here’s a video of a cockroach still trying to lay eggs as it is being killed by fire ants.
When eggs remain alive within a dead cockroach, they can hatch. A nymph can break free from its mother’s body depending on how close it is to hatching. Although it’s not common, it can happen depending on how the female died and how far the eggs are developed.
The eggs of roaches can sometimes survive insecticides, but not always. Hence, pest control methods must be used consistently to eliminate the entire colony.
Interesting Roach Facts
- It usually takes roach nymphs about two days after hatching to leave their adult mothers.
- During mating, sperm is contained in a spermatophore with a protein coating. This is the spermatophore that is placed on the female, after which the protein is absorbed, and the egg is fertilized.
How Can You Tell If a Cockroach Is Pregnant?
It is easy to tell if you have found a pregnant roach by looking for its long, fat, ribbed tail. This is because more eggs develop inside it, so it extends further outwards.
Oops, I Stepped on a Cockroach. Will Babies Come Spilling Out?
You’ve probably seen videos where people squished spider egg sacs, releasing all the spiderlings like a nightmare. No wonder people are terrified of stepping on pregnant cockroaches.
It’s safe to step on a pregnant roach. Baby roaches will not be released into the world, nor will they be transferred onto your shoes if you step on them.
The mother will die, and so will her young.
In some cases, ovoviviparous roaches can be stepped on without you realizing they are pregnant. The roach, as well as its larvae, will be destroyed by a good, firm stomp.
Cockroach egg cases resemble tiny grains of rice or dried kidney beans. The nymphs inside can be killed by stepping on one if you find one. You should wash your shoes with a cleaner afterward; otherwise, any bacteria from the cockroach may spread to other places where you walk.
And it’s just gross!
Reproducing Without a Male
As the name implies, parthenogenesis refers to the process of cockroaches reproducing without a male cockroach to assist them. When it comes to explaining why cockroaches reproduce rapidly, it is largely due to this. This ability, however, isn’t common among all cockroach species.
American cockroaches are the most common type of cockroach that can do this.
Parthenogenesis allows an insect to reproduce asexually, simply by spawning from an unfertilized egg. In this case, all the following descendants will be female.
Parthenogenesis allows an insect to reproduce asexually, simply by spawning from an unfertilized egg.
Conclusion
Pregnant cockroaches usually indicate a serious infestation that’s ready to explode. Hold onto your hat!
Act fast if you see a pregnant roach.
Ensure that your traps are set, that your bait is chosen, and that you spray a pesticide that will attack the colony. It can be hard to kill an invasion, but it’s possible — particularly with professional help.
Interestingly some give live births, and some that don’t. Either way, you don’t want to come across one!
