<P> German cockroaches are omnivorous scavengers . They are attracted particularly to meats, starches, sugars, and fatty foods . Where a shortage of foodstuff exists, they may eat household items such as soap, glue, and toothpaste . In famine conditions, they turn cannibalistic, chewing at each other's wings and legs . </P> <P> The German cockroach reproduces faster than any other residential cockroach, growing from egg to reproductive adult in roughly 50--60 days . Once fertilized, a female German cockroach develops an ootheca in her abdomen . The abdomen swells as her eggs develop, until the translucent tip of the ootheca begins to protrude from the end of her abdomen, and by that time the eggs inside are fully sized, about 1 / 4 inch long with 16 segments . The ootheca, at first translucent, soon turns white and then within a few hours it turns pink, progressively darkening until, some 48 hours later, it attains the dark red - brown of the shell of a chestnut . The ootheca has a keel - like ridge along the line where the young emerge, and curls slightly towards that edge as it completes its maturation . A small percentage of the nymphs may hatch while the ootheca is still attached to the female, but the majority emerge some 24 hours after it has detached from the female's body . The newly hatched 3 - mm - long black nymphs then progress through six or seven instars before becoming sexually mature, but ecdysis is such a hazardous process that nearly half the nymphs die of natural causes before reaching adulthood . Molted skins and dead nymphs are soon eaten by living nymphs present at the time of molting . </P> <P> The German cockroach is very successful at establishing an ecological niche in buildings, and is resilient in the face of many pest - control measures . Reasons include: </P> <Ul> <Li> lack of natural predators in a human habitat </Li> <Li> prolific reproduction </Li> <Li> short reproductive cycle </Li> <Li> the ability to hide in very small refuges </Li> <Li> sexual maturity attained within several weeks, and </Li> <Li> adaptation and resistance to some chemical pesticides </Li> </Ul>

How many german cockroaches are in one egg