Smoky Brown Cockroaches

Appearance

• 3-35 mm mm long.
• Shiny dark brown in colour.
• Wings longer than the body in male; only just overlap abdomen in female.
• Runs in general (may fly at very high temperatures).

Life Cycle

• Females deposit the ootheca (egg case) containing 22-26 eggs a day after production.
• Nymphs take 6-12 months to develop into adults.
• The noticeable difference between nymphs and adults, apart from size, is the absence of wings on the nymphs.

Habits

• Live in tree hollows, under bark and under floors; enter buildings at night.
• Nocturnal (hides during the day in cracks and crevices or any other dark warm places).
• Has a habit of entering houses and contaminating food with excrement, regurgitated salivary fluid and potentially harmful bacteria.