After getting rid of cockroaches or killing them, there is still a question that arises in almost everyone’s mind: Do cockroaches lay eggs when killed?
So if you are also searching for a valid answer to this question, congratulations, you are at the right place, as in this column, I have quoted a satisfying answer.
This blog is also helpful for you if you are looking for some interesting information about cockroaches or if you are one of those who are tired of these irritating roaches.
I have also listed some ways to treat problems associated with roaches, so Let’s find out.
Do Roaches Lay Eggs When Killed?
Cockroaches don’t lay eggs when they are killed. However, when a pregnant female cockroach dies due to unfavorable conditions or is killed, she has a blackish brown case that acts as a pouch for an egg or baby, it normally sticks with the female’s body, and after a particular amount of time, small baby roaches come out of this case known as ootheca.
If you kill a pregnant female cockroach with poison, there are chances of death of eggs inside the ootheca if they are exposed to the poisonous chemical, so no eggs hatch out of the egg mass.
Besides, some species of roaches detach the egg-containing case from their bodies after some days and hide it in the dark, from which baby roaches hatch after completing their development.
Why Do Cockroaches Not Lay Eggs After They Die?
As I have mentioned above, roaches don’t lay eggs when they are killed, but they release a specific material known as ootheca, which is responsible for hatching baby cockroaches.
This process is similar to egg hatching; therefore, this material, ootheca, is generally referred to as an egg.
The notable point is that the release of ootheca, also called the laying of eggs, depends on some factors. The most important factor is the methods you use to kill a roach.
Moreover, laying an egg after a cockroach dies does not make sense because when an organism is not even capable of moving, how can it lay eggs?
But it can happen in terms of cockroaches. However, there are some conditions, as I have stated above. The methods you use to kill a roach decide whether it will produce egg mass or not.
In addition, when a cockroach detects danger, it automatically lays an egg which is a natural process.
Egg Size of Different Cockroaches
Cockroaches have almost 4000 species, each with different characteristics like color, size of their body, and even the size of an egg laid by them.
I have listed some roaches and their egg size so you can easily distinguish between them.
| NO | Cockroaches | Egg size |
| 1 | German cockroach | 6 to 9mm |
| 2 | American cockroach | 8 mm |
| 3 | Brown banded cockroach | 5 mm |
| 4 | Oriental cockroach | 8 to 10 mm |
Do Roaches Lay Eggs without Being Matured?
If you have killed a german cockroach, it is more likely that after one or two days, you will get new baby cockroaches in your house.
So after removing or killing cockroaches, ensure to make some pre-plan to get rid of these babies also.
As German cockroaches are likely to release an egg mass or ootheca when the baby is ready to come out of it. This is also a reason behind their large number.
On the other hand, some roach species don’t lay eggs; rather, a baby cockroach remains in a pouch or bag inside the mother’s body and only comes out after completing the development processes.
This species of cockroach is named Madagascar hissing roach.
So, if you have killed such a species, you will not see any egg or egg mass but a baby cockroach directly coming out of the dead body. Therefore, I will advise you to throw away the killed roach.
Methods of Killing Roaches and Their Effects
The method to kill a roach decides the fate of its baby or egg mass. I have listed some methods, and their effects on egg laying below, so let’s look at this compelling information.
1. Compressing a Roach
You can kill a cockroach by squeezing or compressing it; for this, you just need to apply a little force because cockroaches are extremely small insects with weak outer covering.
So let’s see what will happen to the baby if you squeeze a pregnant roach. If you smash a cockroach, it cannot lay an egg or release an egg mass.
The same in the case of the Madagascar cockroach; if you kill such a cockroach by compressing it, the baby inside it will also die, and there is no chance of its birth.
This is because the baby inside an egg mass or ootheca survives or develops under special conditions.
2. Killing a Cockroach by Using a Trap
Some traps are available in the market to kill cockroaches, known as glue traps. These traps contain some sticky substances for insects.
If you put a cockroach in such a trap, the sticky material will trap it and inhibit its movement, which eventually causes the death of a particular cockroach, but what will happen to its egg bag?
To find this, I experimented on a german roach. First, I bought a trap containing adhesive material and then picked a german roach and dropped it in the trap.
After three days, the cockroach releases the egg bag, and the baby comes out of it on the second day of releasing the ootheca.
This means that the baby gets all the required conditions inside the ootheca, including a specific hot temperature and some moisture.
The moisture comes from the sticky material or glue. Moreover, the trap is all closed, which creates a hot environment within it that is suitable for eggs to hatch.
After the baby hatched from the ootheca, the female detached it from her body and eventually died because of a glue trap.
3. Using Roach Bait to Kill a Cockroach
It is not possible to remove these insects permanently, but there are some effective methods you can use to kill these cockroaches.
One of these methods is using a poison spray known as roach baits. Roach baits have a tendency to kill cockroaches by acting as a poison for them, although it is a slow process but really effective.
There are different forms of roach baits available in the market. You can either use it in the form of spray, gel, or powders.
I have used bait powder in my kitchen to get rid of these irritating creatures and found it really helpful, so I will recommend you use bait powder for this purpose.
All you need is to just sprinkle the powder in the corners of your kitchen or bathroom after cleaning it and then wait and watch.
Now let’s come to the point when you use any roach bait to kill a cockroach; the eggs or ootheca also become killed; the reason is the poison in the bait.
Different baits use particular poison to kill cockroaches. When this poison enters a roach’s body, it also affects the developing baby inside the ootheca and kills it before it is hatched.
4. Killing a Cockroach by Using Pest Spray
If you want to get rid of cockroaches, you can buy a pest spray for them, as cockroaches are also included in the category of pests due to their disease-spreading characteristics.
When you spray a pesticide on a cockroach, the poison or substance for killing it enters the cockroach’s body by the dermal route and acts on the target site.
It does so by blocking the contact between the mind and nerves, which causes a cockroach to die in a small amount of time.
So if you use such spray on pregnant female roaches, the poisonous material in the pest spray is more likely to enter into the egg mass and kill the developing baby.
In this way, no egg will be laid down.
5. By Dissecting the Head
You will be surprised to know that cockroaches can survive without a head. We cannot imagine it for humans, but cockroaches are remarkable survival species, so we can expect this feature.
I know you are curious to know the reason for this, so let me tell you that cockroaches have all the essential parts in their lower body, including a system for breathing.
They have small holes, generally known as spiracles which help them to breathe. Moreover, when we cut a cockroach’s head, a clot is formed at the junction of the head and the remaining body.
This clot serves as a wall for blood and stops it from flowing out of the body.
So as you have seen, removing a cockroach head has no effect on its normal functioning; therefore, it can lay eggs or release ootheca after the complete development of the baby cockroach.
6. Lack of Food and Water
The cockroach is an adaptable species and adapts itself to the situation around it, including temperature. However, cockroaches can survive a good amount of time without food and water.
However, if the limit exceeds and the cockroach still doesn’t find anything to drink or eat, it can die, so now the question arises what will happen to its ootheca or whether it will lay eggs or not?
If a pregnant roach dies due to lack of food and water, the baby inside it can still hatch out from the ootheca.
Type of Oothecae Capable of Hatching
As I have mentioned earlier, cockroaches do not lay eggs; rather, they lay an egg mass or egg pouch containing more than one egg per month, known as ootheca.
The baby develops inside the ootheca either in the female body or out of it. The ootheca will only hatch if the baby inside it is fully developed.
In most cases, the baby still develops even if the cockroach dies.
In some cases, the ootheca is also deprived of favorable conditions for development after the death of the cockroach and hence does not hatch.
Moreover, providing extra water and hydration to the egg mass also affects the baby inside it, and it will not be hatched and die.
What to Do if Ootheca Hatched after Killing Cockroaches
If you have struggled to kill cockroaches but are now afraid of oothecae laid by killed cockroaches.
You don’t need to be afraid, as I am going to tell you some effective measures which you can take to avoid these baby cockroaches, so let’s have a look!
- You can avoid baby roaches by inhibiting their growth into an adult.
- An insect growth regulator can also help stop small roaches from growing and spreading diseases.
- Some hormones have the ability to stop roaches from reaching the adult stage.
- By stopping the baby roaches from removing their outer skin.
- By using growth-inhibiting gadgets.
Final Thoughts:
The short answer to the question: Do cockroaches lay eggs when killed? No, Cockroaches lay eggs in the form of ootheca.
If you have killed cockroaches but got baby cockroaches as a gift, this means you have used such methods to kill them that allow the development of an ootheca.
I have started some effective methods to kill roaches that eventually kill the developing babies. So you can apply the above-mentioned methods to get rid of them.
Moreover, I have also stated some methods which you can use to stop the growth of baby roaches. I hope you will find this article helpful.
FAQs:
Why Should You Not Squish a Cockroach?
When you compress a cockroach, bacteria and other disease-causing microorganisms can enter the environment, causing health issues.
Why Do Cockroaches Chase You?
Most of us are afraid of cockroaches, which is a fact that cockroaches can feel, so when they feel danger or insecure, they start following us to protect themselves.
Do Roaches Have a Natural Enemy?
Yes, cockroaches have enemies like toads, frogs, and beetles. Cockroaches hide in dark places and in the daytime to avoid being victimized by these predators.
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