Baby Cockroaches: How to Recognize the Baby Cockroach, from Egg to Nymph

Few people would disagree that one of the most stomach-turning and disturbing insects is the cockroach. When trying to get rid of an infestation of these pests it is paramount that you be able to recognize them in all of their life forms, including baby cockroaches. The various forms of baby cockroaches can be hard to distinguish and identify: Cockroach eggs can be hard to identify from random debris or the eggs of other insects and at their earliest stages cockroach nymphs only bear the slightest resemblance to adult cockroaches. In this article, we will guide you through the identification of baby cockroaches.

Baby cockroaches: The life cycle of the cockroach

The life cycle of the cockroach is much simpler than that of many other insects, because they undergo only incomplete metamorphosis: that is to say that baby cockroaches have the same basic body plan as adult roaches.

The life cycle of the cockroach begins when a female cockroach lays a "purse" of eggs. This purse consists of a special membrane which keeps the eggs from drying out. After the eggs hatch, baby cockroaches (called "nymphs") emerge. Baby cockroaches have no larval or worm-like stage and at least somewhat resemble adult cockroaches at birth. After molting several times these baby cockroaches start to resemble full-fledged adults until they are at last fully mature and able to produce the next generation of baby cockroaches.

Baby cockroaches: How to identify cockroach eggs

As previously mentioned, cockroaches lay their eggs in purses. There may be thirty to forty eggs in each purse. In most species of cockroach the egg purse is about the size of a pea. In Oriental and American cockroaches the purses are slightly larger, dark brown and oval shaped. German cockroaches and Brown banded cockroaches tend to lay slightly smaller egg purses which are lighter in color and more rectangular shaped. While German cockroaches will carry around the egg cases until the baby cockroaches hatch, other species will lay their eggs in any warm, dark corner they can find.

Baby cockroaches: How to identify cockroach nymphs

In most cockroach populations baby cockroaches, or nymphs, are more common than adult populations. So, if you have a cockroach problem, chances are that you have already seen baby cockroaches.

Baby cockroaches tend to be smaller and a lighter brown color than adult cockroachs (Note however, that immediately after hatching and for the first one or two molts baby cockroaches will be white or a grayish color). Often baby cockroaches will have a lighter colored band running along the length of their backs.

Further, baby cockroaches have no wings and have proportionally smaller legs and shorter antennae.

Finally, note that if you are seeing a lot of baby cockroaches around your house, then chances are that there are also a lot of adult cockroaches. Killing baby cockroaches and destroying cockroach eggs is an effective way to ensure that the next generation of cockroaches does not have a chance to reproduce.