How Long Does It Take a Cockroach to Grow?

How long does it take a cockroach to develop from an egg to an adult capable of reproduction? There are several stages in the life cycle of a cockroach, and it takes about a year for them to fully grow into adults. The full cockroach life cycle only lasts from about 18 months to two years.

Cockroaches begin as eggs enclosed in a small case called an ootheca that contain approximately 40 eggs. Cockroaches are not asexual and must mate to reproduce. The mother cockroach deposits the ootheca in a warm and moist place where the eggs can safely mature.

It takes about six or seven weeks for the cockroach eggs to fully develop. This is when the baby cockroaches, called nymphs, finally hatch and emerge from the eggs. The nymphs are quite vulnerable to predators at this stage and their survival rate is not high. Nymphs are white in color and sometimes mistaken for albinos. But after exposure to oxygen, the baby cockroaches slowly turn brown colored.

After emerging from the egg, takes about 3 to 6 months for a baby cockroach to grow into an adult. During this time the cockroach grows prodigiously and molts, or sheds its outer skin, about eight times. Keep in mind that there are many different species of cockroach and it varies how long each takes to grow into an adult.

After reaching adulthood, roaches generally live for another 6 to 18 months. So the total cockroach life cycle is approximately one or years. A roaches length of life is affected by environmental factors such as temperature and moisture. Cockroaches, in all their lifestages, adjust to enviromental variables to maximize their potential.

When roaches reach adulthood they are ready to reproduce, which they will do up to 15 times in their lifetime. Some roaches also develop wings when they reach adulthood.