How Long Do Cockroaches Live?

Cockroaches are hemimetabolous insects, meaning they undergo incomplete metamorphosis.

Their life cycle consists of three stages: egg, nymph, and adult. The duration of each stage varies depending on factors such as species, temperature, and food availability. Let us take a closer look:

Egg:

Female cockroaches produce egg cases called oothecae, which can contain between 14 and 40 eggs, depending on the species. Environmental conditions, particularly temperature, significantly influence the development time. Warmer temperatures accelerate egg hatching.

For instance, German cockroach (Blattella germanica) eggs hatch in 14 to 35 days, while American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) eggs can take between 24 and 60 days to hatch under normal conditions, though under some circumstances, hatching can be delayed up to 168 days or longer.

Nymph:

After hatching, the nymphs emerge, representing the second stage of the cockroach life cycle. Nymphs resemble adults but lack wings and are usually pale white after hatching, darkening as they age. During their development, they undergo several molting stages (instars) before reaching adulthood. The time required to reach adulthood varies by species. For example, German cockroach nymphs mature in 6 to 31 weeks, while American cockroach nymphs take 6 to 12 months to develop fully.

Adult:

Once the nymph stage is complete, cockroaches reach adulthood, gaining sexual maturity and, in some species, developing wings. The adult stage duration depends on the species and environmental factors like temperature, humidity, and resource availability. Adult cockroaches can live anywhere from several months to over a year, depending on these conditions.

The life expectancy of cockroaches varies significantly depending on the species, with some living much longer than others despite their small size. Cockroaches are also remarkably resilient, particularly in their ability to withstand radiation better than humans. However, their lifespan is heavily influenced by environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and food availability.

Here are some specific examples of cockroach lifespans:

• German cockroach (Blattella germanica): males typically live for 100 to 150 days, while females have a slightly longer lifespan, living between 190 and 200 days.
• American cockroach (Periplaneta americana): females can live for around 440 days, whereas males have a shorter lifespan of about 200 days.
• Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis): this species has a life expectancy ranging from 1 to 6 months, depending on environmental conditions.
• Brown-banded cockroach (Supella longipalpa): their lifespan varies from 90 to 200 days.

Curious about the different kinds of cockroaches lurking in your home? Discover more in our related article on the various species.

As mentioned earlier, cockroaches have remarkable resilience, allowing them to survive for extended periods with minimal food intake or even without it entirely.

Generally, a cockroach can live for about a month without feeding, though this duration varies depending on the species and environmental factors. Warmer temperatures tend to shorten their ability to survive without food.

For example:

• German cockroach (Blattella germanica): this species can survive for approximately 30 days without food, but this period decreases in higher temperatures.
• American cockroach (Periplaneta americana): more resilient than the German cockroach, the American cockroach can survive up to 45 days without food.

How long can a cockroach live without water?

While cockroaches can endure long periods without food, they are more vulnerable to a lack of water. On average, a cockroach can survive between 7 and 10 days without access to liquids. Like many animals, cockroaches get some of their hydration from food. However, if deprived of both food and water, they typically cannot survive for more than 7 days.

Though cockroaches are often considered highly resistant to extreme conditions, they do have limits. While they can tolerate some increases in temperature, survive without food for extended periods, and even endure radiation levels that would be fatal to other organisms, they are not indestructible. Poisons, extreme heat, and prolonged deprivation of water and food will eventually prove fatal. Like other living beings, their survival is governed by environmental factors and the availability of resources.

In this other article, we dive into the various diseases cockroaches can spread and how they affect humans.

If you want to read similar articles to How Long Do Cockroaches Live?, we recommend you visit our Facts about the animal kingdom category.