How do I get rid of German roaches?

Use gel bait in small dots in cracks near where they hide, add an insect growth regulator, stop using sprays and foggers, clean grease and fix leaks, and monitor with sticky traps. Expect 2 to 6 weeks for a big drop.

What does a baby German cockroach look like?

Young nymphs are about 1/8 inch, dark brown to nearly black and wingless, with a single pale stripe running down the middle of the back. Older nymphs are tan with two dark stripes like adults.

What do German cockroach eggs look like?

They come in a light brown, purse-shaped capsule about 1/4 to 3/8 inch long with ridges along it. The female carries it sticking out of her abdomen until the eggs are about to hatch.

What bugs look like German cockroaches?

Asian cockroaches (nearly identical but fly toward light outdoors), brown-banded cockroaches (light bands across the body), wood roaches, ground beetles, and bed bug nymphs are the usual confusions.

Where do German cockroaches come from?

Almost always from another infested building: grocery boxes, used appliances and furniture, luggage, or neighbors in multi-unit housing. They don't live outdoors in most of the US.

German Cockroach: ID, Life Cycle, and How to Kill Them

The German cockroach is a small (1/2 to 5/8 inch) tan cockroach with two dark stripes behind its head, and it's the roach that infests kitchens and bathrooms in US homes and apartments. It breeds faster than any other household roach, so the right response is targeted baiting started early, not occasional spraying.

How to identify a German cockroach

Size: 1/2 to 5/8 inch - roughly the size of a fingernail.
Color: light brown to tan; females a bit darker and broader.
The giveaway: two dark, parallel stripes on the shield behind the head (the pronotum).
Wings: cover the whole abdomen in adults, but German roaches don't fly - at most they glide down from a counter.
Behavior: run when lights go on and hide in cracks within a few feet of food and water.

If you see small light-brown roaches indoors in daylight, near the sink, coffee maker, microwave, or dishwasher, assume German cockroach until proven otherwise.

German cockroach nymphs and babies

German cockroach nymphs of different sizes beside an empty egg case under a kitchen sink

Newly hatched German cockroach nymphs are about 1/8 inch long, dark brown to nearly black, wingless, with a pale stripe running down the middle of the back. They molt six or seven times; with each molt they get lighter, and the two dark stripes become visible. Seeing nymphs of several sizes at once is a strong sign of a breeding population, not a visitor. More detail: baby cockroaches.

German cockroach eggs and life cycle

Female German cockroach carrying an egg case at the tip of her abdomen on a cabinet wall

Egg case (ootheca): light tan, purse-shaped, about 1/4-3/8 inch, holding 30-40 eggs.
Carried, not dropped: unlike big roaches, the female carries her egg case protruding from her abdomen until a day or two before it hatches. This protects the eggs from many treatments.
Development: roughly 6-8 weeks from hatch to adult in a warm home.
Adults live about 100-200 days; a female produces 4-8 egg cases in her life.

That math is why a few roaches in spring become hundreds by fall. See cockroach eggs for how to find and destroy egg cases.

Signs of a German cockroach infestation

Fine black specks (like ground pepper) on hinges, inside drawers, and on top of door frames.
Brown smears along cabinet edges.
Shed nymph skins and empty egg cases in corners.
An oily, musty smell in heavy infestations.
Roaches inside appliances: microwave and stove control panels, coffee makers, refrigerator motor compartments, and routers or game consoles.

Bugs that look like German cockroaches

Insect	How to tell it apart
Asian cockroach	Nearly identical, but lives outdoors in mulch and leaf litter in the Southeast, flies well and is drawn to lights at dusk
Brown-banded cockroach	Same size, but two light bands across the wings/body instead of stripes on the head shield; prefers dry, warm rooms
Wood cockroach	Larger, pale edges on pronotum, males fly to lights; can't breed indoors - see wood roaches
Bed bug nymph	Rounder, no long antennae running past the body, found in beds not kitchens
Ground beetles	Hard wing covers meeting in a straight line down the back, short antennae

For a broader list, see bugs that look like cockroaches.

Where German cockroaches come from

German cockroaches don't come in from the yard. They are hitchhikers: cardboard boxes from stores and warehouses, used appliances and furniture, bags and luggage, and in apartments the shared plumbing and wiring between units. Once inside, they spread through wall voids along pipes.

How to get rid of German roaches

Stop spraying. Over-the-counter aerosols and foggers scatter roaches deeper into walls and contaminate bait so roaches avoid it. Many German cockroach populations are also resistant to pyrethroid sprays.
Clean first. Degrease the stove, behind the fridge, and under the sink; vacuum droppings and egg cases; store food in sealed containers; don't leave dishes or pet food out overnight.
Fix water. Dry the sink cabinet, fix leaking traps, empty dish drainer trays.
Bait. Apply cockroach gel bait as pea-sized dots (smaller than a pea for light infestations) in cracks and hinges near hiding spots: under sinks, around the stove, behind the fridge, inside cabinet corners, and in bathroom vanities. Recheck every 3-5 days and add more where it has been eaten.
Rotate baits. Some populations develop bait aversion or resistance. If roaches walk past bait, switch to a product with a different active ingredient (for example indoxacarb vs. fipronil vs. abamectin vs. dinotefuran).
Add an IGR (hydroprene or pyriproxyfen) to stop nymphs from becoming adults.
Dust voids. A light puff of boric acid into wall voids behind outlet covers and under appliances gives long-lasting control. See boric acid.
Monitor. Sticky traps in the same spots weekly tell you whether you are winning.

A light infestation in a single-family home typically collapses in 2-4 weeks with this approach; heavy ones take 6-8 weeks or longer. The complete guide is at how to get rid of roaches.

What kills German roaches - and what doesn't

Works: gel baits, bait stations, IGRs, boric acid dust used lightly and in the right places, vacuuming large clusters.

Usually fails: total-release foggers (bug bombs), repellent sprays, ultrasonic devices, essential-oil sprays, and "home remedies" like bay leaves. They either repel roaches into new hiding spots or don't reach them at all.

German cockroach infestation: when to call a pro

Call a licensed exterminator if you live in an apartment building (the whole building often needs treatment), if nymphs keep appearing after 6-8 weeks, if you have roaches in electronics or a commercial kitchen, or if someone in the home has asthma. Expect roughly $150-$400 for an initial treatment with follow-up visits (approximate). See cockroach extermination.

German Cockroach