Warning: This roach species is a known pest in the United States. Although it makes an excellent feeder, it should be only kept by experienced Roach Keepers to avoid escapes and infestations.

Distribution: Possibly World Wide but have been found in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the United States.

Description: The German Roach (Blattella germanica) are a small fast moving roach. They are excellent feeder for animals that want to chase there food. They can climb glass and  plastic at any age and adult males can sort of fly but is more of a controlled fall.

Nick Names: Germans, Pests

Size: 1/8th inch when hatched to 1 inch as adults

Sexing: Difficult.

Lifespan: 6-9 months

Difficulty Level: Easy

Caging: Blattella germanica can climb glass and plastic. I like to house all of my climbing roaches in our escape proof roach kits.

Substrate: I use egg crates positioned vertically for additional floor/living space in the sterlite tubs. A substrate of peat moss can be used as can other soil mixtures. We do not use a substrate at Pritchett's Small Pets. If you use any kind of substrate from a hardware store or garden center, MAKE SURE IT IS FERTILIZER AND PESTICIDE FREE!

Required Temperatures: 78 - 95 degrees F

Humidity: 40%-50% You can keep a spray bottle handy to help keep humidity up in dry areas. If you use a substrate wetting it down periodically can help maintain proper humidity as well.

Food Requirements: Blattella germanica will eat almost anything. Which is why they can survive and become pests. I keep my home made dry roach food available to them at all times. When feeding any fresh fruits or vegetables, do not put in more then they can eat in 24-36 hour period to avoid problems caused by rotten/moldy food.

Maintenance: Keep food and water available at all times. Clean out the waste as needed. I do not allow the waste to get any deeper then 1/2 of an inch. I also leave some in as the babys seem to do better when they can feed on their parents waste. Since this species lays eggs it is important to remove the ootheca from the waste before disposing of it.

Breeding Notes: Females can lay 1-2 ootheca per month, each containing 18-50 roaches. The ootheca are susceptible to drying out so make sure the humidity stays up. The ootheca will hatch in 2-6 weeks depending on temperature and humidity.