Biology:
During her lifetime, the female American cockroach produces from nine to ten egg capsules each of which contains from 14 to 16 eggs. The capsules are dropped or, using secretions from her mouth, glued in protected locations such as cracks and crevices near food sources. The nymphs molt from 10 to 13 times before becoming adults. This requires about 600 days. Adult females live an average of 440 days and males about 200 days. Large populations of American cockroaches accumulate in secluded locations because they live for such a long time.

Habits:
American cockroaches are not common pests in most homes. They can be abundant in sewers and commercial facilities, e.g., groceries, prisons, restaurants, hospitals, and office and apartment buildings. They prefer to inhabit warm, damp locations, e.g., steam tunnels and boiler rooms. They are strong fliers and easily migrate from building to building. In the summer, large numbers accumulate in outdoor locations, e.g., in dumps, alleys, and yards, and in the fall, migrate into surrounding structures. Although they feed on a variety of materials, they prefer fermenting foods.

Control:
Cockroaches often are brought into and moved between facilities via equipment and storage boxes. Thus, potentially infested products which are brought into structures should be closely inspected. Many types of cardboard and plastic sticky tapes are available to help pinpoint sources of cockroach infestation and to monitor areas about which occupants have complained but infestations can not be visually detected. Sticky tapes are not intended for control but, rather, to guide and evaluate control efforts as part of the inspection process. Visual inspections can be conducted using a flashlight and oerasal pyrethrin to flush cockroaches from their harborages.
An effective cockroach management program depends on good sanitation in order to eliminate the food, water and harborage they need for survival. It is critical to reduce clutter as large cockroaches like to hide in stacked boxes, cartons, rolled carpeting and stored paper and cardboard material, especially in dark, damp locations. Vacuum cleaning can be used to physically remove exposed cockroaches.
American cockroaches are particularly sensitive to drying so it is important to reduce moisture by repairing leaks, improving drainage, and installing screened vents in order to increase airflow. Permanent reduction of cockroach population can be achieved by caulking to eliminate harborage and prevent entry into structures.
The most important cracks to eliminate include those at which sinks and fixtures are mounted to the wall and/or floor, around all types of plumbing, baseboard molding and corner guards where shelves and cabinets meet walls and door frames, and cracks on a near food preparation surfaces. Cockroach access routes from wall voids into occupied spaces and around plumbing and electrical fixtures should be sealed with caulk or grout. Basement floor drains should be protected with screens of basket inserts which must be cleaned regularly.
Containerized, paste, dry, and gel baits have become very popular in the industry and are very effective products for eliminating cockroaches. To maximize effectiveness, paste, gel and dry baits should be applied with a syringe-like dispensing tool in many small dabs or spots that are close to harborage sites. Large, plastic bait containers should be placed as close as possible to the dark concealed spots where cockroaches are living, preferably adjacent to edges and corners.
Large populations of cockroaches can be reduces or eliminated with careful application of sprays and dusts. Many insecticides break down rapidly within the moist, hot locations these cockroaches prefer so an appropriate formulation for the environmental conditions must be selected.