The Australian Roach

Australian cockroaches are not as hard to get rid of as German roaches. They are subject to predation by other invertebrates, birds, lizards, frogs and mammals as well as parasitism by round worms and wasps. Some species produce defensive secretions to ward off attackers, while other species can roll themselves into a ball to protect themselves. 

Australian cockroaches are prevalent in leaf litter, in and around shrubs, flowers and trees, tree holes, wood piles, garages, crawl spaces, attics, and greenhouses.

It is a pest when it enters homes where it may eat holes in clothing and feed upon book covers. Australian cockroaches have long hairy legs and a distinguishing eye camouflage pattern on its thorax, which is often mistaken as being a part of its head, for warding prey. Their antennae are longer than their body length and their body is flat and smooth to get into limited spaces. Australian cockroach adults grow to 3/4-1 inches long. German cockroach adults grow to 5/7 inches long.

Australian cockroach eggs

Eggs hatch into young cockroaches called nymphs. In a normal cockroach population, nymphs are more numerous than adults.

Nymphs are brightly marked with distinct splotches of yellow on the dorsal side of the thorax and abdomen. Nymphs take between 4.5 and 15 months or longer to reach maturity depending on the temperature and the availability of food, females normally undergo 9 molts while males normally take 13. Life expectancy ranges from 2 to 4 years and a female can produce 30 oothecae resulting in 1000 young before dying of old age. Nymphs take about one year to develop.

Females are slightly stouter than males. Females carry an egg capsule containing 30-48 eggs at the end of their abdomen. When the eggs are close to hatching, the females attach the capsule in a dark corner where the young can emerge safely. Females deposit large oothecae (egg cases), about 10 - 15mm long, in debris, or harborages to protect them from damage and discovery. Once hatched the nymphs go through 8 to 10 molts before becoming a mature adult.

Australian cockroach control

Controlling the Australian cockroach is not all that hard, one way is to do a search and destroy method. Find them and destroy them. Another method is baiting with roach traps.
And the last and usually most effective is a chemical treatment. if you want more information on how to kill german roaches just follow links in here.

If you do a do it yourself method for getting rid of the Australian cockroach please make sure you read and follow the label, It is the law.