Baby cockroaches, also known as cockroach nymphs, can be just as dangerous as their adult counterparts, as they spend their time crawling through pipes and eating their own feces.
Baby roaches usually look like small versions of adult roaches. Cockroaches come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, and their appearance might change depending on the species and developmental stage you’re dealing with.
Don’t judge a baby cockroach by how big it is. These cockroaches continue to represent a risk to you and your home. They can spread disease just like adult cockroaches and pose a threat to food safety.
If you see one baby cockroach, it might not seem like a big deal, but it could be a sign of a bigger problem and potentially an infestation. Rarely will you find a cockroach nymph all by itself.
The appearance of baby cockroaches differs between species. If you’re trying to figure out what kind of cockroach nymphs you’re dealing with, read on to learn the difference in appearance between different cockroach species:
When they hatch, baby American cockroaches are usually less than 1/4 inch long, or about the size of a grain of rice. As they molt and advance through the instar stages, they reach approximately 2 inches in length as adults.