German Cockroach

Natural Habitat

Primarily indoors in warm, humid areas such as kitchens and bathrooms; they are globally distributed and closely associated with human structures.

Diet & Feeding

Omnivorous scavengers that eat almost anything, including human food scraps, soap, glue, toothpaste, and book bindings.

Behavior Patterns

Nocturnal and highly reproductive; they go through hemimetabolous metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult). Females carry an egg case (ootheca) until just before they hatch.

Risks & Benefits

Major pest that can spread pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli. Their droppings and shed skins are common triggers for asthma and allergies in humans. They offer no notable benefits to human ecosystems.

Identified on: 6/13/2026