Cockroaches
The most common cockroaches in Australia.
Cockroaches are scavengers and aren’t fussy eaters.
They are primitive and are a highly successful group of insects dating back to at least 300 million years.
Fossils indicate that there has been little change in their body structure.
Most cockroaches in Australia originate from sub tropical and tropical Africa.
They arrived here in ships, planes, trains- anyway possible.
Cockroaches have adapted very well to built-up environments, such as dwellings.
Climate control, shelter and hygiene play a main role in the reproduction of these pests.
Cockroaches carry human disease inside and outside their body. This is why they are regarded as a very high-status pest in the world today.
Each cockroach can lie between 12-40 eggs depending on the species and the conditions.
(©2019 DPIRD)
German Cockroach
Blattella Germanicahasselti
German Cockroaches
German cockroaches are the most successful and widespread cockroach inhabiting buildings.
They are the number 1 breeder of all the cockroach species, with only 40 days to develop from a hatchling to adulthood.
The female adult lives about 150 days and approximately 130 for the male.
These are a small cockroach that seek conditions which provide warmth i.e. electrical motors, moisture and food.
Most of the infestations are in food handling areas such as kitchens.
Cockroaches are very small which means they can easily hide in crack and crevices without us knowing they are there until it’s too late – THEN YOU HAVE A PROBLEM.
They generally hide during the day in cracks and crevices, mainly feeding at night when there is minimal disturbance.
If you see activity during the day you may have a major problem and should call Pest Specialists to rectify the problem.
Australian Cockroach
Periplaneta Australasiae
Australian Cockroaches
Australian cockroaches are very similar in shape to the American cockroach. They are reddish brown in colour, approx 30-40 mm long with long antennae. They have a distinctive cream coloured band around the thorax.
Despite their name (Australian cockroach) they are not native to Australia. In fact, they come from Asia and transmit disease when they occur in restaurants and households.
They also have a flat body, allowing them to squeeze into tiny spaces. The adults have wings but are not competent flyers.
They are often located in the organic matter within your gardens and are also located in subfloor and wall cavities.
American Cockroach
Periplaneta Americana
American Cockroaches
The American cockroach is a large cockroach. Adults being approximately 45mm long. These cockroaches thrive in warm, moist environments such as bakeries, restaurants and food preparations areas. They are commonly associated with sewers, grease traps and drains.
The average life span for an adult cockroach is 330 days for a female and 200 days for a male.
American cockroaches are very fond of fermenting food such as bread soaked with beer. These pests travel thought sewers and drains which help them invade new areas.
This is the largest of the cockroach species to invade buildings in Perth, Western Australia. A typical female produces about 10 egg cases which are placed carefully in cracks and crevices. Eggs hatch in as little as 45 days, with each case producing approximately 15 young.
The average life span of an American cockroach is 450 days and each cockroach can produce about 150 young.